36

IVY

I HADN’T been able to sleep, despite the comfort of Elias and Rowan, and the quick release of magic in the shower at the skilful hands of my shifter. Not even an orgasm could knock me out. So, I was exhausted by the time morning classes began.

There was a split between morning classes, evening classes, and night classes, and I had a mix of all three that really fucked with me. I supposed it was like college. But instead of work and babysitting, it was Magical Defences: Practical and A History of Vampires: From Born to Changed .

I braided my hair back from my face with a yawn. From the corner of the bedroom, Rowan watched, a freaking tie in his hand.

I wanted to moan about the uniforms again, but I held back. Instead, I finished my hair and looked myself over in the mirror. The blouse fit, but stretched a little tightly over my chest. The tie would hide the worst of it. The skirt, thankfully fell right above my knee with no chance of riding up, but just in case, I decided to wear stockings. The black ankle boots were a little more me, though I wasn’t excited for the possible blisters I’d have later.

“Are you done with that?” I asked, motioning towards the tie.

Rowan glanced up at me with an easy smile that made my stomach flutter. With the tie in hand, he stalked towards me and quickly wrapped it around my neck before planting a chaste kiss on my lips. “There.”

I blinked up at him and shook my head. “You are going to make this so hard,” I muttered.

That easy smile turned to something else, and heat filled his eyes. “You already do.”

I pressed my lips together to stop myself from laughing, but I wasn’t sure if I was amused or exasperated. “Rowan...” I warned.

He shrugged. “I said nothing bad.”

Elias, freshly showered and dressed in gear, exited the bathroom. He rolled his eyes as he came over and kissed the top of my head. “We both know that’s a lie, right?” he asked me.

Well, at least there’s no fighting , I thought. Elias was acting as security, my shadow for the day. Meanwhile, Rowan had to be a professor’s aid, which made me snort with laughter. I had no doubt he’d be kicked out before the day ended.

The one thing I hated was the sneaking around. Both had to leave after me, so I kissed them goodbye and entered the witch’s corridor, which went quiet with my appearance. Last night was a blur, and nothing about it felt right. But it either made me a target, or less of one. That worried Elias the most, and after explaining it to Maeve and Adrian over a video-call, they’d been equally worried.

Not Rowan, though. If push came to shove, he believed I’d be able to kick their asses.

Although I appreciated his vote of confidence, I still couldn’t shake how bad it had been.

I spared the door to my room a longing glance before squaring my shoulders. Vanya said we’d meet in the common room, so I veered towards the communal space. I thought the dorms would have been laid out in separate buildings, but because of the weather, the entire academy was basically connected by corridors and hallways. Apparently, not even magic could save the campus from turning into a bog.

Vanya was already waiting inside, her back to me, though today she wore her hair in a similar fashion to Thea. My heart clenched. I had a standing date with my best friend that included uncovering what she was, and this weekend we would start our search. I just had to get through the next four days, first.

“I grabbed some muffins and fruit,” Vanya said without looking up. “So we don’t have to go down to the dining hall.”

I blew out a breath and joined her. “Any chance for coffee?”

“I wish!” She groaned and popped a berry into her mouth. “But no.”

Ugh. Strike against Oberon. How hard would it be to get one of the guys to smuggle me in an espresso machine? “This place just keeps getting worse and worse.”

Vanya snickered, and I finally noticed the piles of books already spread out around her. My stomach dropped as I glanced down at my own rather small selection of textbooks. I only had five classes today out of six, though one was supposed to be spent with my Magical Defence mentor.

“Come on, we should get moving if we want a good seat,” Vanya said, handing me a muffin. It looked like it might have been raspberry, but after giving it a sniff, I wasn’t sure.

There were a couple of other students entering the common room as we left, and they gave us wide berth. Rumours about what’d happened in the dining hall had spread.

“We only technically have this class for two weeks before it turns practical,” Vanya explained. “My brother did the class in his final year. He said that during one of the full moons, they opened a mirror portal to the Old World to observe how magic has changed there.”

She sounded excited about it, but my stomach twisted. “That sounds...”

“Dangerous, right?” She raised a brow, winking at me. “I know. You don’t want to mess with Old World monsters.”

I wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that, but I nodded instead.

The familiar hum of students eased some of my anxiety, and seeing everyone else in these ridiculous uniforms made me feel like I wasn’t sticking out like a sore thumb.

Vanya talked a little more of what to expect, and I was immediately thankful for her. She had the kind of energy that didn’t sap someone dry, but was also lively and bright, so much so you kind of fed off it. I wasn’t much of an extrovert, and it didn’t seem like she was either, but she appeared genuine and sincere. A total contrast to what I’d been told to expect.

My skin tingled, and a shiver raced down my spine. The block was still firmly in place, and our bond still remained dormant. But he knew I was here. He had to. So, why wasn’t he showing himself? Why couldn’t he be here, with me? Why was he still hiding?

“Ivy?” Vanya rested a hand on my forearm, breaking me out of my thoughts of Ry. The feeling of being watched disappeared. “We’re here.”

I glanced into the classroom—or, well, small lecture hall. There were already quite a few people finding seats, and I sighed. Most were witches and mages, but there seemed to be others, too. “I thought this was a class for...”

Vanya nodded and started towards a row in the middle; I hurried to catch her. “Yeah, but you know, hybrids are common now. Even here where bloodlines and families are determined to keep their power untainted.”

I cringed. “And that seems—”

She glanced back at me. “I know.” Sitting, she crossed one leg over the other and put her book bag on the chair beside her.

I didn’t comment on it any further. Soon, the room filled, and our lecturer entered. I sat up a little straighter, noticing she was the same woman from yesterday, the one who had helped me through the mental attack. Her dark grey hair was pulled into a ballerina’s bun, and she wore a sleek black dress that went to the floor. It looked like she floated; when she clapped her hands, the room went silent.

“Welcome to A History of Witches & The Rise of Mages . Many of you will have a basic, biased, understanding of how we creatures of Nyx came to power. This class builds on what you already know. It delves into how Nyx gave us our magic. And when we were forced to leave our first world, how that shift in power gave way to mages.” She clapped, and the wall behind her shifted in colour, the shadows churning until an image appeared. “Let us begin.”

~

How are you enjoying your classes so far, Sweetheart? Adrian asked after my second lesson.

I hadn’t felt this excited over going to class since my freshman year when I’d been naive and still had hope.

I really enjoy my History of Witches class, I replied, trying to keep my smile to myself . I followed Vanya through the halls towards the Defensive and Offensive Magic gym, where I was meeting my mentor. I knew Elias was close, his bond a constant hum in my chest, but I appreciated Vanya—even if she had kind of been forced to be my guide.

Adrian’s end of the bond brightened with amusement. I liked that class, too.

You were a history nerd? I asked.

His amusement blossomed into something more, a hint of shyness woven in. Something like that .

If he were here, I’d question him further, but Vanya stopped in front of a hallway that led out of the main academy building. It was a covered walkway, like the bridges at the palace, with magic keeping the elements out. Either side of the hall was open to the misty, cool mid-day. The skies were a gloomy grey, and a dark fog covered the ground. It was eerie and the perfect backdrop for something wicked to happen. Almost like I expected Frankenstein’s monster to rise up from the fog.

“The Defensive and Offensive Magic arena is down there,” Vanya said, pointing to the dark building at the end of the walkway. “The change rooms are to the right as soon as you walk in, and your mentor should already be waiting.”

I nodded, chewing my bottom lip. “Thanks for showing me the way,” I replied, offering her a nervous smile. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

At that, Vanya grinned, but she didn’t respond. Instead, she started walking backwards, wiggling her fingers in a wave, before disappearing down a bend.

Blowing out a shaky breath, I reached for Elias. He was nearby, though he kept his distance. I could feel just how much he hated that, but he’d assured me he could do this. That he was a soldier first, and if that’s what was needed in order to protect me, then he’d be that for as long as possible.

You’re hesitating , my mate grumbled. It’s not as bad as you think it is.

I shook my head. You have no idea how bad I think this will be . I still thought about, from time to time, the humiliation of high school gym. Part of me was glad this was just an intro to my mentor and had the possibility of private classes, but I still had to prepare myself for it.

Why couldn’t you or Maeve be my mentor for this? I asked as I started the slow walk towards hell —the gym . But what had Vanya called it? The arena? That made my stomach sour.

Elias’s chuckle sounded down the bond, and it gave me a little bit of ease. Would you listen to either of us?

I frowned, but didn’t respond. I would, normally. And I’d let Maeve teach me how to hold the dagger, so I was definitely capable of listening to them.

The walkway ended, and I found myself, one hundred percent, hesitating at the door.

You’ll be fine. And if not, I’ll make sure you get a better mentor. I love you.

With those parting words, I mustered as much confidence as possible and pushed on the door. There was an echo of thumping, like fists hitting a punching bag, and the soft hum of voices as I entered. My nose crinkled at the smell of leather and sweat, which assaulted me when the door closed.

It was so much bigger than I’d anticipated. Where I stood, there was an actual gym set-up, which included bags, treadmills, and other human contraptions that I really wanted to ban from this world. In the centre, down a set of stairs, was an arena that made my blood run cold. A running track surrounded it, but the centre was like two different ecosystems that blended into one. And it was the size of a football stadium. I didn’t even understand how. One half was a forest, filled with real looking trees, and the other was rocky, almost sandy from this angle.

What the hell did they do here for training?

A throat cleared behind me, and my skin tingled with the proximity of...

I turned and sucked in a breath. Hawk stood with his arms crossed, dark eyes drifting over my body. He went rigid, his entire body tensing as his eyes met mine. Like always, he wore gear, but his shoulder-length dark hair was tied back, revealing the points of his ears. He was still annoyingly handsome, but after witnessing him with the woman on his lap at the bar, I tried to tamper down on those feelings. It only made my anger—and worse, my magic—rise.

“What are you doing here?” I snapped, taking a step back. A couple of the other students using the gym equipment looked over, but no one said anything.

Hawk smiled ruefully. “I’m your mentor, Princess.”

No. I shook my head, but when he chuckled, I stopped. “Absolutely not.” I was hoping I would be done with him. That after the other night, I wouldn’t have to see him again.

Hawk took a single step towards me and lifted his chin. Determination darkened his already black eyes. “I am. And there’s nothing you can do about it. Now, go change into your training gear, Your Highness, and meet me out here in five.”

“Hawk—”

“No,” he said, cutting me off. My mouth snapped shut, though my anger continued to boil in my chest. “Or I’ll make the next hour hell.”

I read the promise in his voice, but instead of arguing, I turned towards the changing rooms. I ducked into them and went straight to one of the lockers, which, according to Rowan, would answer to my magic for the next hour. I threw my book bag inside after grabbing my change of clothes and spent the next few minutes calming myself.

I kept a block up between me and the others, mostly because I didn’t want to worry them, but also because I was capable of looking after myself. Elias would come storming in here if he knew, and I couldn’t help but feel like this had to be some kind of test.

Deal with the jackass who constantly pisses you off. If I couldn ’t handle Hawk on my own, then how the hell was I supposed to do anything?

Ugh . I changed, set my actual uniform in the locker, and made my way out of the changing room. I had no other choice than to deal with him.

By the time I made it out to the gym, Hawk had two long sticks in either hand, a dark smirk on his face, and too much confidence.

“Today we figure out just how much you know. No magic yet, just physical.”

I gulped. “I can already tell you the answer to that one, asshole. It’s none.”

Somehow, he seemed brighter at that. “Then this will be fun, Princess.”