8. Ivy

8

IVY

The tension snaps and hisses between Tate and Vex as they square off. I can feel the buildup of magickal energy in the air, making the hairs on my arms stand up.

"Last chance, Vex," Tate says, his voice deceptively calm. "Let her go."

Vex's grip on my arm tightens further. "Or what? You'll fight me? For her?"

A cruel smile spreads across Tate's face. "I don't really give a shit about her. I just want you to do as you're told." Before I can blink, Tate flicks his wrist, and Vex flies backwards, slamming into a bookshelf with a loud crash. Books rain down around him as he crumples to the floor.

I stumble as Vex's grip on me is suddenly released. Tate steadies me with a hand on my elbow. It's extremely hard to ignore how his touch, so much softer than how he handles Poison, sends tingles up my arm.

Vex groans and starts to push himself up. Tate shoves me behind him.

"Stay down if you know what's good for you," Tate growls, using magick to push Vex back to the floor.

Vex glares at him, wiping blood from a cut on his lip. "This isn't over."

"Oh, I think it is," Tate states and watches as Vex scampers off.

I'm more than a little concerned about this. Vex is powerful. Extremely so. If Tate can knock him on his arse, that means he is even more powerful. It makes me shudder involuntarily.

Tate turns to me, his emerald eyes assessing, but he doesn't say anything.

I try to keep my expression neutral. "Thanks."

He shrugs. "Didn't ask for it, and it wasn't about you. Vex is an arsehole who needs to be put in his place sometimes, and I take every opportunity to do that."

I bite back a smile at the irony of Tate, of all people, calling someone else an arsehole. "Well, good for you," I mutter.

Tate's eyes narrow as he studies me more closely. "You're not scared of me."

I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. "Should I be? "

A slow, dangerous smile spreads across his face. "Most creatures are."

"I'm not most creatures," I say, meeting his gaze steadily.

"No," he murmurs. "You're not, are you?" He takes a step closer, his gaze searching mine for secrets I definitely don't want him knowing. "What's your name?"

I hesitate for a split second before answering. "Ivy."

"Ivy," he repeats, as if testing how it feels on his tongue. "Well, Ivy, you should be more careful about the company you keep. Vex is bad news."

"And you're not," I say, bristling slightly at his condescending tone.

Tate chuckles darkly. "You have no idea."

Deciding I need to get out of here before this conversation moves too forward in a direction I can't hide from, I take a step around him, but he blocks my path. "Not so fast. I think you owe me something for my heroic rescue."

My stomach drops. "I didn't ask for your help," I say carefully.

"And yet, you got it. You owe me a blowie, at least."

I stare at Tate in disbelief. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

He grins, all teeth and menace. "You're not my type, little girl. I prefer my women a bit stronger. "

"Yeah, well, looks can be deceiving," I grumble, a bit pissed off that he backtracked on the blowie. Not that I would, or maybe I would. I mean, he might not know who I am exactly, but I know who he is, and that dark, dark, twisted part of me craves him and his friends. I'm all sorts of fucked up, but I have issues, and bad boys are definitely one of them.

Tate's eyes flash with interest at my words. "Is that so? And what exactly are you hiding under that nerdy exterior, Ivy?"

"Nerdy?" I huff, insulted, but then look down at myself and realise, yeah, he's probably right. I might not have wanted to come to Thornfield three years ago, but once I got here and discovered how there was a world of knowledge out there waiting for me to absorb it, I dived in with both feet, and I love it.

Tate's eyes darken as he considers my reaction.

My heart races as I look up at him. This close, I can smell his cologne - that dark and spicy scent that makes my head spin a little. I know I should move away and get as far as I can from him, but there's a thrill coursing through me that I can't deny.

His hand comes up to grip my chin, tilting my face up to his. His eyes have taken on a hypnotic swirl, and I force myself to lower my gaze. He is trying to probe my mind, to learn those secrets I'm desperate to keep.

"There's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there, Ivy? "

"None of your business."

He smirks and releases me. "Run along now, little Ivy, and stay away from Vex if you know what's good for you."

I narrow my eyes at him. "Thanks for the warning, but I can handle Vex."

"I'm sure you can," he says, his tone patronising. "But consider this a friendly warning. Next time, I might not be around to save your arse."

"Won't need it," I grit out and turn on my heel to march away from him, hearing him laugh at my retreating form. "Bastard." I grimace and then inhale deeply, trying to clear the smell of him from my senses. "Why do I want you so fucking bad?"

But I can't have him. Nor Torin nor Bram. They are Poison's, err, poison. Not mine. Not Ivy's. Ivy has no business sniffing around those cruel guys when they are tormenting and lusting after Poison every chance they get. No, I need to push them from my mind and focus on why I'm here and this arsehole assignment that was delivered to me last night. Time is already ticking, and I have to figure out a way to get this done, sooner rather than later.

"Ivy," a chilling voice says from between the stacks at the back of the library where was I was going to slip out for the shortcut to Runic Objects class.

I freeze and plaster a smile on my face, even though I want to run and never look back. "Professor Swann. "

He reaches out his too-thin hand with his creepy long fingers and grasps my wrist, pulling me further into the darkness. "We need to talk."