11. Ivy

11

IVY

Hurrying to get away from Bram as fast as I can, I can't believe my luck. I have successfully avoided the Kings of Thornfield for three years as Ivy, and now, suddenly, I run into two of them on the same day. What is this? What is going on? Crossing the quad, with my Meditations textbook thumping in my bag behind me, I curse myself. I'd been more concerned with getting to Vex this morning that I forgot it and had to race home for it. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have nearly been run over by Bram in his penis-mobile.

"Jerk," I hiss and slow down as I come across a crowd of students all milling about between lectures. I scan the area, half-expecting Torin to jump out at me as well, but luckily for both of us, he doesn't. So, I slip through the throngs and make my way into the main building where the Meditations lecture hall is situated.

As I approach the lecture hall, Josh is waiting for me with a sour look on his handsome face. He runs a hand through his light brown hair, his hazel eyes narrowed. "Where were you?"

"I had to rush back for my textbook," I pant, and leave out the part about kneeing Bram Sinclair in the balls. That is going to come back and bite me on the arse, but it was the quickest way I knew how to get away from him.

He purses his lips. "Well, come on. We're late."

We enter the lecture hall, and I bump him with my shoulder. "Everything okay with you and Rams?"

"Yeah, why?" he asks.

"Just making sure my two fave guys are good."

He grins. "We're good. Hey, should we sit at the back and flick balled up pieces of paper at Cora?"

"Fuck, yes. She hates that!"

We giggle and take our seats, turning our attention to Professor Ulstead, a shifter like all of us in this class, quite mousey looking, but she is the best.

"Right, guys," Ulstead says, clapping her hands for us to settle. "Today, we are doing something out of the ordinary. All of you here are in this class for one very specific reason. I'm sure you've all wondered why you're all shifters and why this class. What purpose does it have for you? Well, today, you will find out! We are going to be doing some practicals. You have all been chosen specifically for this class to see where your talents lie. You are all general shifters. This means you can change your appearance to that of another person or possibly a common bird or maybe a cat. But just because you can become a bird doesn't mean you know how to fly. So, I think many of you shy away from stretching your limits. However, this is also a stumbling block. You have limits. You aren't able to turn into a bear or a dragon; these things are above your DNA, but that's fine. What we want to do is expand your range through meditation to push those boundaries and see if your limitations are set or if you are merely not using your full potential. Okay?"

A murmur of excitement goes through the lecture hall. Ulstead is right in everything she says. I've only ever shifted to become someone else, always fearing going beyond that. We are taught as children that we have these limitations, so no one ever tests them. This is exciting on many levels, but also daunting. What if none of us can do what Ulstead is asking? What if we all fail or worse, what if I'm the only one who fails and everyone else manages to achieve the unachievable?

Gulping back my panic, I refocus on Ulstead.

"You are going to pair off?—"

Josh and I look at each other and grin.

"—and you will fall into a deep meditative state to see if you can open your mind and our abilities to see if there is anything else locked away."

"Like what, though?" Cora asks. "Can we try to become anything?"

"Yeah, can we become inanimate objects?" Jake asks, and then snickers to his mates under his breath, "Like Cora's dildo."

She overhears him and hisses, but Ulstead seems to be oblivious. "Who knows?" Ulstead says. "This is what we are here to discover. Pair off and go outside through the side door. Find a relaxing spot and see where your mind takes you."

Josh and I head outside, finding a quiet spot under a large oak tree away from the other students. We settle onto the grass, sitting cross-legged and facing each other.

"So, how exactly are we supposed to do this?" Josh asks, looking sceptical.

I shrug. "I guess we just meditate and see what happens? Maybe try to imagine ourselves as something different?"

"Right," he says doubtfully. "Well, ladies first. You give it a go, and I'll watch to see if anything happens."

Rolling my eyes, I close them and take a deep breath, trying to clear my mind. I focus on my breathing, in and out, letting the sounds of the campus fade away. As I sink deeper into meditation, I start to imagine myself changing shape. At first, I picture simple shifts - changing my hair colour, my height, my facial features, all things I know how to do already. Then I push further, visualising more drastic changes.

Fur sprouting from my skin. My face elongating into a muzzle. Paws instead of hands. A tail swishing behind me.

I concentrate hard on that image, willing my body to transform. For a moment, I feel a tingling sensation all over, like pins and needles. But then it fades, and I'm left feeling disappointingly normal.

Opening my eyes, I look at Josh expectantly. "Well? Did anything happen?"

He shakes his head. "Nope, sorry. You just sat there looking constipated for a while."

I punch his arm. "Arsehole. It's harder than it looks. You try."

He closes his eyes, and I wait, watching, but nothing happens. After a while, I close my eyes again and feel the soft breeze caress my skin, I inhale the scent of the autumn air, the dry leaves as they fall from the huge tree overhead. I hear the sound of the groundskeeper, mowing the lawn on the other side of the campus, drifting on the breeze. Keeping my eyes closed, I let myself fall into a state of awareness of the nature around me, trying to clear my mind and push my limits.

"Ivy!"

Josh's panicked voice makes me open my eyes, and I stare in horror at him. Somehow, my arms have become tendrils of ivy wrapping around his arms and stinging his skin into red welts.

"Fuck! Josh!" I stare at my arms, unable to do anything, when Ulstead rushes over .

"Ivy," she breathes, her voice filled with a kind of awe that temporarily removes my panic for about two seconds before it crashes down on me again. "Close your eyes," she says, sitting down next to me and placing her hand on the back of my neck. "Focus on drawing the poison ivy away from Josh, curling it back into your body so that your human arms are showing again."

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to calm my racing heart. I visualise the ivy tendrils slowly retreating, curling back into my skin. It's a strange, tingling sensation - not painful, but unsettling.

"That's it," Ulstead murmurs encouragingly. "Nice and slow."

After what feels like ages, I feel my aching arms return to normal. I open my eyes hesitantly, relieved to see my human-form limbs again. Josh is rubbing his arms where angry red welts are forming.

"Holy shit," he says, staring at me wide-eyed. "That was insane!"

"I'm so sorry," I stammer. "I didn't mean to?—"

"Are you kidding? That was amazing!" Josh grins, seemingly unbothered by the stinging rash. "You actually turned into ivy! Like, real fucking ivy, Ivy!"

Ulstead is beaming at me. "Extraordinary, Ivy. I've never seen anything quite like it. A plant transformation is extremely rare, even among the most powerful shifters."

My mind is reeling. This shouldn't be possible. General shifters like me aren't supposed to be able to turn into plants. What the hell is going on?

"Great, so instead of a bear, I get to turn into a shrub. Marvellous," I grouse.

"Better than turning into Cora's dildo," Josh snickers and then remembers Ulstead is still sitting next to me. He blushes as she purses her lips at him before she turns back to me.

"I've never seen a shifter manifest plant-based abilities before. The implications are fascinating. You have a rare gift, Ivy Hammond, and this is precisely why you and all the others are in this class. Well done." She beams at me and rises, looking down at Josh. "Let's get you to the Academy Nurse. That looks like it hurts."

"Sorry," I murmur to Josh again as he stands up.

He shakes his head with an eye roll and ambles off after Ulstead as the rest of us get up and gather our belongings, assuming the class is dismissed now that the lecturer has disappeared.

I can feel everyone's eyes on me, but I ignore them. Whatever this was, it was odd, and how is it helpful to anyone? Oh, yay, I can turn into a tree. That'll save the day when I'm being chased down by a coven of vampires for trying to kill their leader.

Huffing in annoyance at my severe lack of badassery in this area, I turn to walk to my next lecture across the campus to the oldest part of the building. Channelling magick for shifters is my favourite class, and this is how I learned I could use witch or warlock magick even though I have no magickal abilities myself. Vex was more than happy to lend me his, and now I know why. I shudder at the thought of him getting turned on by it.

Separating from the rest of the students, as I take the shortcut around the side of the building, I come up short as I see Torin leaning against the old stonework, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Then my eyes flick to Bram and Tate, and I gulp.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Turning quickly, I scramble back around the corner, but it's too late.

"Hey, blonde bitch," Bram snarls, following me. "You owe me a fucking apology."

I freeze, my heart pounding. Shit. I should've known Bram wouldn't let that little knee-to-the-balls incident go. Slowly, I turn to face the Kings of Thornfield, hoping Tate remembers me from earlier and decides not to smite me into the ground.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "You grabbed me, and I panicked."

Bram's eyes narrow dangerously. "Oh, you're sorry? That's cute. But I think you need to learn a lesson about respecting your betters, little mouse."

He stalks towards me, a predatory gleam in his eyes. I back up until I hit the stone wall behind me. Fuck. I'm trapped .

"Come on, Bram," Tate says, sounding annoyed, but his eyes are boring into me. I can feel them without even looking at him. "Whatever this is, she apologised. Let it go."

"Shut it, Tate," Bram snaps. "This is between me and her. This bitch needs to be taught some manners."

He reaches for me, and I flinch, bracing myself. But before he can grab me, Tate's hand shoots out, gripping Bram's wrist.

"Don't touch her," Tate growls. "We've got more important shit to deal with than you throwing a tantrum over whatever this is."

Bram yanks his arm free, glaring at Tate. For a tense moment, I think they might come to blows. But then Torin steps forward, giving me a once-over with his gorgeous blue eyes and a smirk on his handsome face as he drops the cigarette and crushes it under his heel. "Who are you then? You new?"

"No," I spit out. "I've been here for three years, you oblivious piece of shit."

His eyes widen, and I groan inwardly. Sometimes, I just can't help myself. As much as I wish I were Ivy, sweet, unassuming, nerdy… Poison is more my dominant personality. There is no getting away from that.

Torin's eyes narrow dangerously as he steps closer, invading my personal space. "What did you just call me, little girl?"

I swallow hard, cursing my big mouth. But I can't back down now. "You heard me. Or are you deaf as well as oblivious? "

A low growl rumbles in his chest. "You've got quite the mouth on you. I wonder what else it's good for besides insulting your superiors."

My cheeks flush with anger. Superiors? "Fuck you," I spit.

Torin's hand shoots out, gripping my chin roughly. "Careful, sweetheart. You're playing with fire."

I glare up at him defiantly, even as my heart races. Part of me is terrified, but another part is thrilled by the danger. This is exactly the kind of situation I usually avoid as Ivy, but right now, Poison is itching to come out and play.

"Let her go, Torin," Tate says, his voice tight. "This is getting out of hand."

Torin ignores him, his eyes locked on mine. "What's your name, little firecracker?"

"None of your fucking business," I hiss.

A slow, predatory smile spreads across his face. "Oh, I like you. You've got spirit."

"I said let her go," Tate growls, grabbing Torin's shoulder.

Torin releases me and steps back. "Relax, Tate. I'm just having a bit of fun."

I rub my chin where his fingers gripped me, glaring at them. "Are we done here? I have a class to get to."

"Not so fast," Bram says, moving to block my path. "You still owe me for earlier."

"I already apologised. What more do you want?"

"Go," Tate says, his tone low, dark and with enough danger in it for me to wonder what his angle is. But I don't need to be told twice. Without looking back, I turn and head back the way I came, now having to take the long way around and probably be late for the lecture.