33

IVY

WHO needed an alarm when there were two kids under ten living with you?

I groaned as the first body hit me. Forget sleeping in with your mates the first day of academy hell. No, I was assaulted by the smell of maple syrup, sugar, and cinnamon first thing in the morning, as well as semi-sticky kisses and perfectly warm snuggles.

A body wiggled its way across the bed, and for some reason, decided to attack my feet.

“Okay, okay! I’m up!” I said, though my voice sounded groggy in my own ears. The sticky-sweet kid giggled and one of those syrupy kisses landed on my cheek.

“You gotta come out now,” Maisie whispered. Dammit, someone had made pancakes for her—again.

If it weren’t for the fact that Adrian was groaning behind me, I would have blamed him. But alas, since he hated mornings more than me, the blame went to Thea. As did the attacks. Elias was in the bathroom, therefore no help. I lifted Adrian’s heavy arm from my waist and scooted away from him as Ginny crawled her way up to steal my warmth.

Two weeks here, and she was happier than she’d been in months. It probably helped that she had actual things to do to keep her mind off Kerry.

Maisie was still Maisie, though the overabundance of toys helped.

“Why do I have to come out now?” I asked, barely stopping myself from yawning.

Maisie blinked up at me with those wide, blue eyes and her rosy cheeks dimpled as she said, “Because Thea said so.”

I frowned. “Since when do you listen to Thea?”

“Since she made cinnamon pancakes,” Ginny said, though she said the word ‘cinnamon’ wrong.

“Yeah!” Maisie jumped as Elias exited the bathroom, launching herself into his arms.

Despite the early wake up, it was mornings like these that gave me hope. They promised me everything, one day, would be okay. It also gave me insight into something I’d been trying not to think about. It was hard not to when Elias—and sometimes Adrian—promised to put a baby in me.

And there was something about those words that made me anxious and had me hoping that one day it could be a reality.

I shook my head. So totally not the time for that .

I shoved those thoughts aside as I scooted out of bed. “Alright. How about you guys wait in the kitchen, and I’ll be out in a bit, hmm?”

The kids shared a look, but they relented after some assurances, eventually leaving me with a bare-chested shifter, and a barely awake mage.

Elias moved first and pulled me into a panty-melting kiss. His tongue languidly swirled against mine, not his usual domination, but still a possessive claiming, nonetheless. When he drew back, I sucked in a breath. “Good morning, Angel.”

“Morning,” I murmured, planting my face into his warm chest, sighing as his arms wound around me. “Today’s the day.”

He tensed. “I know.”

I released a shaky breath before pulling back. “It’ll be okay, right? They’ll be okay?”

Elias’s eyes softened. “Of course. We’ll be rotating so they aren’t alone and so you have direct communication with them at all times.” Although I knew this, his words reassured me.

I nodded. Even though I told them I’d be right out, I took my time showering, enjoying the heavenly shower as my last moment of freedom before the academy claimed me. When I finally stepped out, I dressed comfortably before joining everyone in the kitchen. Despite knowing how today would end, there was an air of happiness that surrounded everyone. Even Eloise seemed a little...lighter, somehow.

It made me hope that leaving them would be okay. Even if it was for a few days a week.

~

It was a two-hour drive to the academy, though it felt longer as I watched the palace turn to a speck in the rearview window.

Apparently, we couldn’t just...go through the mountain. There were no tunnels straight through, so around we went.

I wasn’t mad about that. In fact, it was kind of exciting. The limo was quiet as we followed the winding road through the forests, catching glimpses of stone cottages through the trees, or shifters taking to the underbrush. There was another smaller city between us and the academy, but we didn’t stop. We passed through where it sat on the outskirts of the mountain. Its prime feature was a temple built into the mountain, a place of worship to Nyx. There was one at the academy, as well as a few hidden throughout the palace grounds. It was a reminder of just how little I knew about the world I would soon rule.

After a while, the sky darkened, and rain crashed down around us. The downpour only made me more nervous, but the driver seemed unbothered. The only thing keeping me from a full-blown panic attack was the strong presence of Elias on one side, and Rowan on the other. The rain felt like a bad omen, a promise of horrible things to come.

And I was rethinking all my confidence and bravado. I thought I’d be able to do this, but now, I was second guessing myself.

“Breathe,” Elias murmured, his hand tightening on my knee. He’d been holding me in some manner since we left the palace. “You’ll be fine. We’ll be with you every step of the way.”

I sucked in a breath and released it slowly as Rowan took one of my hands. “You won’t even be able to get rid of us when you pee.”

I spared him a look that said, ‘ don’t you fucking dare’ and all I got in return was a goofy smile. It warmed my heart . At least it let me know that we were going to be okay.

My chest loosened, and there was no longer a pressure restricting around my heart. “How much longer until we get there?” I asked.

Elias looked out the window, his expression unreadable, but when he turned to me, he dipped his head. “We just made it to the gates.”

A shiver rolled down my spine. I couldn’t see much from where I sat in the limo, but based on the windows either side of me, there was forest. “Are you sure?”

The limo slowed to a crawl, and I tensed. The forest was still, thick, and water-logged from the heavy rain. But spaced out between trees were dark, stone figures with heavy wings spread wide. I looked to Rowan’s window, and again, more were spread throughout the forest.

“What are they?” I asked.

“Gargoyles. Protectors of the Academy,” Rowan explained. “Mean motherfuckers if you try to sneak off campus.”

I couldn’t help but snort, and when his head whipped to me, I covered my mouth. “Were they...mean to you?”

His eyes narrowed. “I won’t deign that kind of question with an answer.”

From my other side, Elias chuckled.

As we passed the gargoyles, the forest thinned. We reached a towering, stone wall. I leaned over Rowan’s lap to get a look at it, but from that vantage point—and probably because of the rain—I could barely make out where the wall ended. Our limo crawled right on past, where a small booth with a couple of male’s sat waving people through. Others stood in the rain, and I would have felt bad for them if it weren’t for magic surrounding them like a bubble, keeping them totally dry.

That would have been helpful when walking to work. No umbrella needed.

Slowly, I sat back and sent Rowan an apologetic smile as I did, but he seemed unbothered by me almost climbing into his lap.All he did was grin in response. At this point, they had to be used to it.

Gates lined either side of the road, open for now, but beyond them was...something else. Once again, I was basically climbing into one of their laps—Elias pulled me into his so I could look out the window, and now I understood Maisie’s constant curiosity. On his side, I watched as we rolled by rows of buildings all connected by pathways. They were darkened by the weather, but those that branched off the main building had glass for walls and ceilings and surrounded an outdoor field. There were gardens too, and like the guards seeing us through, they were protected by a shield that stopped them from flooding.

“Holy shit,” I whispered. The long road finally circled around to the front of the academy. I wasn’t even sure if I could call it that. It was like a castle in its own right, dark and Gothic thanks to the heavy rain. My mouth popped open at the line of people waiting for us. The limo pulled to a stop at the base of the stairs, and suddenly, there were people opening our door.

My cheeks flushed red as I accepted a hand off Elias’s lap. What a great first impression I’d made.

Don’t worry, Angel. They’ve likely seen worse.

For some reason, that didn’t make me feel better, and I let him know it.

The hand helping me pulled away as soon as I was out of the limo, and where I’d expected rain to hit me, I was completely dry. Thank you, magic.

Elias appeared behind me and rested a hand on my waist. Rowan slid out last. Now I could see more; there were several more limos and large SUVs behind us, and others were pulling away. But in front of me...I was a glutton for good, old architecture, and this place had me excited. I liked to say it was the writer in me, but that would be a lie. It was one of the few things Kerry and I ever agreed on.

Before I could do much more than take in the front of the building, Elias guided me up the stairs. My trunk and the duffels he and Rowan were going to be carting to and from the Academy were taken away by a couple of staff members. There was an itch to help and do it myself. I never expected others to carry my bags when I stayed in hotels, mostly because I’d worked in one, but also because that hadn’t been how I was raised.

But I gritted my teeth. That wasn’t my life anymore, and here, at Oberon, I had to pretend I belonged.

I had to be like the rest.

I squared my shoulders and made my way up the stairs to the front entrance where a group of people waited. There was a woman dressed in a vibrant pink pantsuit that was giving Elle in Legally Blond —golden hair and all. She had eyes a similar shade of green to Adrian and Sir Theon, which meant...

I hadn’t met any of his siblings yet, and here I was, doing it without him. My palms turned clammy as we met her in the doorway. “Ivy,” she greeted warmly. What had Adrian said about her? Something about her being the resident mean girl when he’d attended?

She wasn’t giving me that impression, but then again, I didn’t know her. “It’s nice to finally meet you,” I stuttered out. “Adrian told me about you.”

Her thin, light brown brows rose as she gave me a half-smile. “Ah, probably about how I let him get bullied by—” Her eyes swept over Rowan. “ Him. ”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, there was mention of blue hair.”

She chuckled and motioned towards the inside of the castle—academy. “I am Headmistress Sylvia. Everything you need will go directly through me, for obvious reasons.”

“Do you meet all students at the door?” I asked.

“Of course not,” she replied, sparing me a look over her shoulder. “Only the important ones.”

My stomach twisted, but I nodded.

“Before you go to orientation, we’ll have a chat,” she continued, “then you’ll be added to the rest of the populace. I just want to go over some paperwork.”

Something about the mention of paperwork almost had me giggling. It seemed so...mundane, considering I was in a literal academy for supernatural creatures.

Creatures I’d one day rule over.

The entrance of the academy reminded me of older colleges, like the one Thea and I had attended, only more...opulent. This one, unlike my old college, had a large chandelier dangling from the ceiling. It gave off a golden light, and on either side of us were statues of Nyx and current paintings of Queen Greer, which were kind of unsettling.

We stepped into what looked like a sitting room, which had a secretarial office to one side, a few gold and green loveseats scattered around low tables. It opened up to two massive hallways that lead around the campus, as well as ornate, dark-wood stairs that went up to the next floor.

“I’m sure your mates can give you a proper tour later,” Headmistress Sylvia said. “But this is where we request families to wait in order to see me or their children. The hallway to your left leads off to the south side of campus with your dorms, and the hallway to the right, you’ll find my office, as well as the offices of some professors and other faculty members. We boast one of the best faculties our world has to offer.”

She sounded extremely proud of that. Which made me hope it wouldn’t be as bad as everyone had made it out to be.

The hallway was dark, but in a cozy way. The lights floated at intervals between doors with cards detailing which office belonged to who. The headmistress slowed and pointed to a set of double doors. “Infirmary. You may find yourself there more than once, but we have the best healers on staff—not like you need it with your power.”

This time, I wasn’t sure I liked the pride in her voice. It sent a shiver down my spine, drawing on all the worries I’d tried to bury.

I’ll make sure you don’t ever have to be there, Elias promised.

I spared him a look over my shoulder and hoped it didn’t reveal just how nervous I was.

Headmistress Sylvia stopped in front of another set of double doors, which had her name along the front. The dark wood had been carved into, with an interesting forest-like design. Dark and whimsical, with towering, almost bendy trees, which hid the faces of creatures. Freaky .

She opened the doors without a word. It was exactly how I imagined it would be: heavy dark-wood furniture, built in bookshelves overflowing with tomes, even a large bay window that overlooked the campus, specifically a murky looking lake with a building submerged in the centre.

Circling the desk, Headmistress Sylvia motioned to the chairs in front of her. “Please, sit, and we’ll get started.”

Paperwork, it so happened, was more to do with magical signatures and such. Things I wasn’t really confident about but was starting to understand. She made keys that understood not only my magic, but also Elias’s and Rowan’s—though Ro’s would need to be altered once the bond was complete. Maeve and Adrian would get their own when they came to take over from Elias and Rowan.

There were also rules to my admission, which she explained, ones I hadn’t considered. Like my magic.

“The ring you wear needs to stay on and be re-charmed once a week,” she stated. “This isn’t just about your safety—but the safety of all students here. You may only be attending for this semester, but your presence, despite being wanted, is also a worry.”

I swallow hard and nod. “I understand.” And yet I still can’t get out of it.

“You will also have to...tone down your mate bonds.”

At that, I stiffened. “What?”

“As I’m sure you’re aware, the more mate bonds, the more powerful. That doesn’t just apply to you and my mother, I’m afraid. Here, mate circles are a reminder of power. Take Adrian for example: when he came of age, you can imagine how many vied to be his mate or at least, part of his circle. When he didn’t show signs of a mate, he was considered less powerful. He was the Queen’s son—he should have found his mate amongst the most powerful of Avalon. But he hadn’t.” She glanced at Rowan, who ducked his head. “This one faced similar scrutiny but survived it—fortunately for you. But usually, three to four per circle is normal in the more powerful families. Several groups like this have popped up over the last couple of years, and you’ll notice as such when you start attending the final year classes.”

“So, I can’t be with all of my mates?” I asked carefully. My magic didn’t like what she was saying, but since being anchored, I found myself more capable of bottling it up.

The headmistress sighed. “I know, from my mother, that it will be difficult for you. Especially if you find additional mates while you’re here. But that’s why we’ve given your mates roles at the academy. They will be with you, but not as mates. Unfortunately, because you can’t go long without being with them, it makes it harder, but you’ll be in a private room with them so your needs are met.” My cheeks flushed red, and it was my turn to duck my head. “It’s normal. But here, the rest of us don’t require being with our mates all the time. Mates can be parted for long periods of time without harm.”

“Lucky,” I muttered, which earned a growl from Elias. “What? It’s true! This whole pull thing is kind of annoying.”

“Are you saying you don’t like being with us?” Rowan asked teasingly, though there was a hint of insecurity in his tone.

I turned to him and shook my head. “Of course not. But it unfortunately makes everyone’s lives a little harder.”

“I wouldn’t change it for anything,” Elias grunted.

“I know.” Rolling my eyes, I turned back to a very amused headmistress. “So, basically no PDA with anyone and keeping it to the room. Easy. Rowan already warned me of common-room orgies and to expect a hell of a lot worse, so I think keeping to myself won’t be too hard.”

Headmistress Sylvia grinned. “I like you,” she said. “Other than that, you will also have a student guide. Think of her as a friend. I made sure to pick the least awful student, and she will be in most—if not all—of your priority classes. You’ll get your final schedule during orientation as well as your study material, and your guide will meet you there.” She stood from behind her desk and passed me what looked like a map. “Just in case Rowan doesn’t remember where the hall is, since he rarely attended any of the assemblies or orientations himself.”

Again, Rowan ducked his head, and I grinned as I took the thick paper from her hand. “Thanks.”

As we stood to leave, Headmistress Sylvia spoke again. “Also, you have full ability to leave for the weekend. Just make sure you keep up with your work. You might be our future Queen, but I do expect all classes to be attended, and assignments submitted.”

With that, the doors shut behind us, and I was forced to release a heavy breath. “Great. No leeway for being the Daughter of Nyx. Good to know.”

“I thought you hated special treatment,” Elias groused, circling a strong arm around my waist.

“No PDA,” I whispered, smacking his chest. “Anyway, I don’t. But I also didn’t ask to be sent to an academy. ”

Rowan grabbed my other hand, planted a kiss on my knuckles, and gave me a wicked grin. “Speaking of the academy. You have an orientation to attend.”

My stomach tightened with anxiety. But I pressed my lips together and let Rowan take the lead as I was thrown into a whole different world.