Page 74 of Hero of Havoc

She laughs, the sound so light it settles over me like a gentle embrace.

How is she so casual and … happy right now?

My gaze snaps back to Teddy. “Did you make her be happy about it too?” I bite, my hands curling into fists at my sides, and his eyes widen as he slowly shakes his head.

“I didn’t think of that, to be honest. She always seemed so… happy anyway,” he admits, and the truth on his tongue only makes me more irritated, but before I can express a single thing, Ember boops me on the tip of my nose, drawing my attention back to her.

“Ivy, I need you to look at me, and I need you to listen carefully.”

“I am,” I grumble, and she shakes her head.

“No, you’re not. You’re too busy plotting revenge; it’s shimmering in those orange-rimmed eyes of yours,” she retorts, and I rear back an inch, flinching under the scrutiny, but she only grins with amusement. “Do you want to know a secret?” She cups her hand, but she’s too loud for it to be a whisper. Confused, I nod, and she does a flip of excitement before continuing. “Your Water Protector is a little dumb because you can’t use a siren’s call on a sprite.” Her squeal reaches new heights as she giggles.

“Wait, what?” Teddy blurts, and Ember gleefully swirls around his face. “Were you playing me?”

She floats about my right shoulder as she grins. “Technically, no, you were trying to play me, but I like the questions you asked, the care you had for my person, and the desire to keep her safe had me curious enough to entertain you.”

A deep, rumbling laugh cuts through the air, snagging my attention toward the long-haired Air Protector a few steps away. His shoulders jiggle, his amusement contagious, setting Sax off first, then Archer, all while I gape at them in disbelief.

“It’s not funny,” Teddy gripes with a huff, and I shake my head in disbelief.

“I hate to agree with him, but he’s been shady. It’s not funny.”

Baron waves his left hand at me while his right swipes under his eyes, capturing a few stray tears as he struggles to calm the laughter consuming him. “While I would agree with you on most days, Firefly, this isn’t one of them. He thought he was being clever, using your sprite instead of directing his powers at you, and it turns out she was toying with him the whole time.”

Sax claps his hand against his thigh. “It shouldn’t be funny, Sunshine, but it really is,” he adds, and I huff, letting another wave of their laughter wash over the room until the tension eases in my shoulders and the corner of my mouth tips up.

Dammit.

“Stop. I’m mad,” I insist, my gaze latching onto Teddy’s, who pouts.

He takes a step toward me and the air shifts. I lift my hand to stop him, to keep him at bay, but he doesn’t even register the barrier as he presses his chest against my palm and inches closer, the tip of his nose brushing against mine. I brace for his excuse, but to my surprise, when he parts his lips, that isn’t what comes.

“I’m sorry, Princess.”

I shake my head. “Why?”

He cups my cheek, connecting us deeper. “Because you hated us, and rightfully so. I just needed to make sure you were okay, especially when you were hiding away in here so much. I had to be sure you were alright with all of the changes, that we weren’t ruining you for our own gain.” His thumb ghosts across my skin, and I shiver. “After a while, it became a morning catch-up routine or a brief passing when she visited Crush, but the truth is, it made me feel close to you, even when I wasn’t.”

“Really, I’ve been this boy’s lifeline,” Ember sings, and Teddy scoffs.

“I’m not a boy.”

The pointed look on her face says she doesn’t believe him.

Wavering under her attention, his gaze returns to mine. “Can you forgive me?”

“You should. I’m only sad it won’t continue,” Ember says with a sigh, and Teddy smirks.

“If we’re allowed, it can,” he muses, and I roll my eyes. “Besides, you’ve got to have friends in here,” he confirms, and the desire to hold on to my anger dwindles, whether I like it or not.

“What did you just say?” Archer breathes, the atmosphere turning to ice with his tone.

“You’ve got to have friends in here?” Teddy repeats, and Archer nods, eyes wide as his nostrils flare.

“He can’t be working alone.”

“Who?” Baron asks, uncertainty warring in his eyes, and I feel the same tension stiffen my spine.