Page 66 of Hero of Havoc

The lockdown has been called for the rest of the day while the professors conduct a campus scan. They’re not even roping in the sodality leaders to help them, and I can’t decide whether that’s a good thing or not.

All I know is that I’ve been ordered to my room; we all have.

The rest of the day will be spent in those four walls, which would be fine on any other day, but now that I know there’s a threat out there, I can’t rest. Besides, my heart is still pulsing in time with the cracks of colors that filled the sky earlier.

“Were you going to tell them?” Baron asks, and I blink at him.

“Tell them what?”

“About what Leonardo wants from you?”

I shrug. “I considered it, but I guess I’m glad I kept my mouth shut when they clearly don’t have any answers,” I admit, feeling a little bad that Hugo isn’t aware either, but until now, I didn’t take Leonardo seriously.

He’s been persistent, sure, but the sheer scale is reaching new heights. That was a mistake to begin with.

“Archer, you need to do a sweep of her room,” Baron mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck, and my Fire Protector nods.

I want to decline, but right now it feels better to be safe than sorry. However, any remnants of Leonardo in my room feel too predictable at this stage, and he is anything but.

Dragging my feet as we approach the dorm, I exhale, disappointed in the turn of events that unraveled today before lunch. Now all the sprites are on duty for the rest of the day, organizing food on their person’s behalf, and I already feel bad about it.

“Chin up, Princess. If you want, I can video call you and we can⁠—”

Baron claps a hand over Teddy’s mouth before he can finish his sentence. “Nobody wants to hear the end of that sentence,” he grumbles as Teddy makes his eyebrows dance.

I can’t hide my smile at his playfulness as Sax drapes an arm around my shoulders. “If you need anything at all, Ivy, just call. All of us, or one of us—it doesn’t matter. I’ll break these dumbass rules and be at your door in a flash,” he promises, and I nod, despite already knowing that I won’t.

Sax presses his lips against my cheek before I’m swept up in Teddy’s embrace. My feet dangle off the floor as he pins my arms at my sides, locking me in place as he dusts kisses over my collarbone, making me squirm.

“Alright, asshole,” Baron huffs, and I’m slowly lowered back to the ground, my body dragging along the Water Protector’s as I go. “Firefly,” Baron breathes as I spin to face him, then turns on the spot, trudging toward the Air Protector’s building without a backward glance.

“He’s… odd.”

“He’s Baron,” I reply, that response growing familiar on my tongue, and it makes the corner of my mouth tip up.

“Let’s go before someone tries to complain,” Archer grumbles, rubbing at his jaw, and I nod, waving at Teddy and Sax before I fall into step beside him.

There’s no sign of Silas, Francesca, or Bonnie as we step through the flamed entry of the Fire Protector building, making quick work of getting to our floor before Archer pauses outside my room.

“Wait here, Hot Stuff,” he murmurs, a faint smile on his lips at his attempt at a nickname, but it’s tainted by the uncertainty that thickens in the air.

“It will be fine,” I insist, waving him off as I approach the door, but he places a hand against my stomach before I can reach the handle.

“Please.”

I roll my eyes, but reluctantly nod as Archer turns the handle and lets the door fall open.

“Fuck.”

Fear takes root as his frame fills the doorway, but I don’t let that stop me as I rise up on my tiptoes, attempting to see around him. Grabbing hold of his shoulder, I manage to see as far as my bed, but that’s all I need.

I can just about make out the familiar shape of an envelope, almost hidden beneath a sprig of ivy, but it’s the flash of gold that sits beside it that makes my stomach lurch.

“Let’s me through, Archer,” I insist, and he turns on the spot, grabbing my upper arms as he tries to hold me back.

“Ivy, it’s not safe,” he starts, and I shake my head.

“Let me past, or⁠—”