Chapter 3 Ashlyn

Everything was unbalanced. Even with so many things to celebrate, there were just as many causing strain.

I never could have guessed how many students would like and accept me now that I'd found my phoenix. I liked being recognized as anything but the jinx for once, but it was overwhelming. Igneaus was on cloud nine, relishing in the heroism of his daughter by overworking her.

I preferred the silence and comfort of my small group of friends. But now that Arya was a chimera and the daughter of our sworn enemy, she was always busy with extra training. And Tobias was still on the mend, continuously putting Niko in a bad mood.

But Niko and I were exclusive. Aside from the curfew that kept us from spending more time with each other, there was no downside in the romantic department of my life, which I appreciated.

Well, except for my father. He strongly disliked how distracted it made me. Anytime I so much as spoke Niko's name, he made me do an exhaustingly long wall-sit while balancing fireballs in my hands. And yet, saying his name was still worth the pain .

I knew it was bordering on obsession, but I'd never felt this way about anyone before. Sure, there was a crush here and there, but this was so much more than that. It was intoxicating, and I wanted everyone to know.

"Bye, Dad. Niko should be here." I wiped the sweat off my neck with my small hand towel, smirking as his nostrils flared.

"Ashlyn, wall-sit. Ten minutes." With a stern look, Igneaus set the timer on his watch, but I rushed to the door while he was distracted.

"No, thanks. I'm meeting Niko. " I flashed him a cheeky grin and raced out before he could stop me.

And ran smack into the gorgeous boy in question.

As he caught me, I was grateful to be held up because I was sure to get weak in the knees just from the way his eyes shined when he smiled at me.

"Lucky I was here." His smile turned into a cocky smirk, and I scrambled to get back on my feet.

I nudged him, then leaned in to give him a soft kiss. With annoyingly perfect timing, Igneaus opened the door. He loudly cleared his throat, causing Niko to take a step away from me.

"Sir—Mr. Summers—how are you today?"

I giggled at Niko's uneasiness.

"I'm just fine, Nikolai. I see you're keeping busy." Ignaeus looked down at Niko like he was going to eat him for lunch.

"Alright, Mr. Summers , bye now." I narrowed my eyes at my father as I tugged Niko away from the training room. "Well, that went...terrific," I teased when we turned the corner.

"Very funny. I have a feeling it would be exactly the same if you met my father. You're lucky it's my mom that you get to know." I could tell Niko was serious, so I didn't provoke him anymore. Whenever his dad came up in conversation, Niko got scarily serious.

We had just stepped into the common room when his cell phone rang.

"Speak of the devil." He kissed my forehead and turned away to answer the call.

I rushed through my shower, eager to meet him again after. But when he knocked on my door early, the look on his face said something was off.

I held the door open to invite him in as I towel-dried my hair. But he hung in the doorframe, giving me a somber look that was quickly dwindling my excitement.

"Are you okay, Niko?"

He looked down at his feet and spoke so low it was hard for me to hear him. "Come with me."

He was avoiding eye contact. My heart sped up.

I slipped on my shoes and threw my hair up in a messy bun. As soon as I closed my door, he gently took my hand and led me out of the common room and straight to the library. With increasing concern, I let him take me to the darkest and dustiest corner, which opened into a cozy sitting space with bean bag chairs, completely out of sight. I never even knew it was there.

"This is my favorite spot in the entire Dome. As far as I know, no one else knows about it. Isn't it cool?" He looked at me expectantly.

"I can see the appeal. It's...nice." I looked around hesitantly, but it quickly grew on me. I liked how cozy it was, how quiet it was—and how hidden it was .

"I found it one day when I was studying. I come here to read or just sit and think. And now I get to share it with you." He wrapped his hands around my waist and fell back against the large and surprisingly comfortable lounge chair that exploded into a massive cloud of dust.

We laughed together as we coughed until the dust settled.

He gently sat me on the lounge chair and paced the small area. My heart raced faster and faster as he visibly grew more and more nervous. Dust particles danced behind him as he walked back and forth.

"Niko!" My nerves couldn't take it anymore. "Will you just spit it out already?"

He stopped his pacing and reluctantly sat beside me. He took my hand, his feeling oddly clammy and cold.

"So, you know it was my dad who called earlier. He had what he thought was good news. And normally, it would be... But now?" He looked down at our entwined fingers and shook his head.

"I'm sure whatever it is, we can get through it. Together." With my other hand, I tried to softly lift his head. But when I did, I regretted it instantly. Dread was pasted all over his face. "What is it?"

"Tobias's dad, General Dracul, has an opening for an assistant intern. My dad thought I was the perfect candidate. I mean, it's the direction I wanted to go when I graduated, and I've got the grades for it...so he volunteered me." It sounded like it was physically hurting Niko to relay the conversation he had with his father. "He's withdrawing me from the school. I leave within the next week. I'm so sorry, Ashlyn. We just got together..."

The heartache on Niko's handsome face mirrored my own. He was leaving. Next week! We'd only just started dating. I wasn't ready to lose him .

"What does this mean for us?" I finally asked in a small voice. "I don't want this to be over... I really like you. I think we could make this work, even with the distance." I hoped he missed the uncertainty in my voice.

But with the tight smile he gave me, I knew he could tell how much I was hurting. He raised his hand to lightly tuck the wet, curly hair falling in front of my face, then cupped his palm around my cheek. This time, it was him that wanted me to look into his eyes.

"You're right. We can make this work. Because I really like you, too." He leaned in and brushed his soft lips against mine, the kiss so sweet and filled with longing that I momentarily forgot how to breathe.

"So...when do you leave?" I asked when our lips parted, resting my forehead against his. I didn't want to cry in front of him. I wouldn't let myself.

"I don't leave now. That's what matters. But I do have to go in an hour to meet with my dad and the General for specifics. I'll be back tomorrow morning, though." His tone became sour but also reassuring at the same time.

"Wow. Well, I'll let you get to it. I know you have a lot of people to tell. I'll meet you at the platform doors in an hour."

"Okay," he said, letting out a shaky breath. "Thanks for understanding."

I nodded, and we walked quietly back to the common room, where I both reluctantly and gratefully parted from him, rushing into my room, pressing my back against the closed door, and finally letting the tears fall.

Dammit! Why did this have to happen now? And why did I have to fucking cry? I wasn't a crier. I'd hardly even cried when my mom died. I was the type of girl to shove that shit down into a box where it belonged. But these damn tears wouldn't stop coming .

I needed to ground myself before I had to say goodbye. I needed to do it the way I knew best—alone and with my music blasting in my headphones.

I was a bit more composed after thirty minutes of peace when there was a knock on my door. I'd managed to wrangle my emotions into their box.

"Come in." I slid my headphones off.

To my surprise, it was Igneaus who entered.

I fell back onto the bed with a loud and annoyed grunt. "I thought you were Arya."

"Sorry to disappoint you," he said with a hint of insult as he came to sit on the edge of my bed without invitation. "I heard the news about Niko and thought I'd come check on you."

"Come to gloat, you mean?" I ground out.

He looked down at me with his bushy brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

I scoffed. "You know what I mean. Without the distraction, you'll finally get your precious phoenix soldier back."

He let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head as he turned away for a moment. "Ashlyn, I would never celebrate your unhappiness. I know… I know I haven't been the best father, but I really do want what's best for you. That's the only reason I stayed away for so long."

I didn't respond, just continued to stare up at the ceiling.

"I just want you to know that I'm here for you," he said when I remained silent. "Niko leaving isn't the end of the world, but any time you feel sad about it, I hope that you'll come talk to me. You and I are all we have."

The truth of that dug into my chest like an earthworm burrowing through the cavities of my heart .

He got up and headed for the door, and I popped upward and perched on the edge of my bed.

"Dad, wait."

He stopped and turned around, the foreign mixture of grief and hope looking out of place on his regularly strict countenance.

"Thanks. For…you know…" I didn't express anything further than that, but I didn't need to. My father was a man of few words, especially when it came to handling emotions.

A slow smile spread across his lips, and he nodded his appreciation. "Would you care to have dinner with me tonight?"

Not really, but I need to give the old man a little something.

"Sure," I said.

"Wonderful." He all out grinned now, making me sure I'd done the right thing. "Come to my room at six o'clock."

"Yes, sir." I gave him a sarcastic two-fingered salute.

He just chuckled and shook his head as he left my room.

I stayed there on the edge of my bed for a long moment, trying to change my perspective about all this—daddy issues aside. Really, Niko leaving wasn't the worst thing in the world. It didn't mean we had to break up, just that we'd get less time together. On the bright side, we'd probably never fight. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that shit.

Glancing at the clock, I knew it was time to go. I composed myself, repeating the mantra that this was not goodbye, this was no big deal, and went out to the school's main entrance.

My heart didn't seem to listen to my mantra, though. With each step closer, it pounded harder and faster. And when Niko stopped his pacing in front of the vault door at my approach, his concerned expression morphing into a gorgeous smile, my heart practically did an ollie in my chest.

I wanted to sprint the rest of the distance to him and jump into his arms, but the last thing I was about to do was act like some pathetic, love-sick schoolgirl. I needed to play it cool. Especially since his parents were standing nearby, watching us with keen eyes.

When I reached him, he pulled me in for a tight embrace, and I may have squeezed his shoulders as hard as I could, savoring this moment.

Niko pulled away first to take my face into his warm hands. "I will see you tomorrow. I swear I'll come back."

And even with the audience of his mother and her father, he stole a kiss that made me momentarily light-headed.

I nodded and offered him a reassuring smile, even as those damned feelings began to push their way out of the box and claw their way to the surface. "Nothing has to change."

Mrs. Candida appeared behind Niko and gently tapped on his shoulder.

"I have to go. This is not goodbye. I'll see you soon." With another soft kiss on my cheek, Niko turned and let his parents usher him out the vault door.

Those feelings were surging up my chest, forcing my throat to tighten and my eyes to sting with fresh sorrow. So, I did the only thing I knew how to do. I let my grief morph into anger and stormed off back to the avian training room in search of something to burn.