37

ELIAS

IVY glanced at me as she exited her Defensive and Offensive Magic class. Well, more like glared.

Everything okay, Angel? I asked, partly out of worry, and partly to tease her. Ivy was capable of keeping up with the rest of us, and I knew she needed to be able to defend herself. But not if it came at the expense of her mental health. If it turned out these classes were causing problems, then I’d either tell Headmistress Sylvia I was taking over, or work with Grey to pull Ivy out. There was no way I’d torture her with a class she hated—or worse, made her relive trauma from her mother.

Ivy made her way down the hall towards her final class of the afternoon, Communications between Realms, quietly. I kept an eye on the way she moved and assessed the bond. She didn’t appear to be hurt, but she wasn’t giving away whether she enjoyed the class, either.

It was fine, I guess , she replied slowly, her eyes finding mine as I stalked the shadows beside her. As badly as I wanted to reach for her, to pull her into my arms, I held back.

Fucking rules. The only reason I agreed was because it protected Ivy.

And how was your mentor? I asked, trying to get an idea of what happened.

She shrugged, glancing at me warily from the corner of my eye. He was okay. A hard ass, but nothing I can’t handle. Don’t worry.

My jaw clenched. No matter what, I’d always worry, and I let her know that.

It didn’t take long for Ivy’s new friend, Vanya, to catch up. The pink-haired witch appeared nice. She had a floral scent, one that never gave away anything dangerous. Either that would serve Ivy, or it wouldn’t.

Based on the witch’s background, and her extremely powerful family line, she would make a good ally, or a terrible enemy. The Blackwood line was as old as Nyx. It was one of the first witch bloodlines, and one of the few that survived the creation of Avalon, according to her file. But unlike her family of ancestral witches, she had inherited her mage father’s affinity for illusions.

“Was it as bad as everyone makes it out to be?” the witch asked.

Ivy sighed. “Yes and no. Not too horrible physically, but my mentor is...interesting.” An ass , she clarified down the bond, sending me a look. And one I will handle .

I couldn’t help but smile to myself. My girl was fully capable of taking care of herself.

“Mine during first year loathed working with me, ” Vanya replied, ducking her head. “Something about not liking women.”

Disgust rolled down the bond as Ivy scoffed. “Gross.”

“Right? As someone who very much loves women, it was a rude shock. And she was a woman! ” Vanya shook her head, and we turned down another hall towards the lecture theatres. I was amazed she hadn’t noticed me, though she seemed genuinely interested in conversing with Ivy. “Let’s just say she got what was coming to her.”

Ivy’s grin warmed me, and it seemed her irritation from before disappeared. “How so?”

Vanya stopped at an intersection between halls to allow a large group of Fae to pass. One in particular eyed Ivy. I’d noticed him yesterday during the mind witch’s attack, and I couldn’t tell if his curiosity was because he sensed her power, or if he wanted something else out of her. So far, though, he wasn’t a threat. But if he approached her, I would make sure he knew she was off limits.

Unless he’s a mate . I had to remind myself that it was possible she’d find one here. Or more. Just because Grey found out our team had been designed with Ivy in mind, that didn’t mean we were the only ones destined to bond with her.

There was that bastard mystery mate, too. It made five of us now that Archer had confirmed their bond. But only the Goddess knew how many more were out there.

Selfishly, I hoped there weren’t others. But the more she found and claimed, the more protection she had—physically and magically.

Ivy and Vanya moved on after the Fae group passed, talking amongst themselves about the crappy mentor.As soon as we made it to the hall, the comms device attached to my belt pinged.

I’ll be out here, I just got an alert, I told Ivy, frowning as I stepped away from the door. She paused and glanced over her shoulder, her worry clear through the bond. I’ll tell you if it’s an emergency, Angel. Don’t worry .

She nodded before turning back to her friend. I moved away from the classroom, noting Archer’s presence within. He spared me a look, but he remained by the Demon professor’s side. Good. At least one of us had eyes on Ivy.

I moved to another part of the hall, which had open arches overlooking the campus. It was fucking dreary. The best school for nobility, and the ground was slush. Walking through it during rounds earlier had been a pain. The weather would be like this for the next few months, too, according to everyone I asked. How the hell had Kingsley and Archer survived this shit hole?

Shaking my head, I picked up the comms device and hit the accept button, waiting for Grey to respond. The halls emptied, but a strange energy filled the air as I waited.

“ You have eyes on Ivy?” was the first thing Grey asked.

I growled under my breath. “She’s in class with Archer. What happened?”

“There was an attack at the Briarwood Academy campus. Three students are dead, Beckham. And one of them looked like Ivy. ”

~

My heart crashed painfully against my ribcage as I slipped into the classroom. Already, there were whispers of the attack. About the dead. One witch, one shifter, one vamp. Two mages had been hurt, but not killed. It was a message; one we couldn’t ignore.

Ivy found my stare as I settled into a corner of the room. Her eyes narrowed, anxiety spiking in the bond. Is everything okay? Was that about the attack?

The professor droned on about the demon realm, seemingly unaware of the change in energy. Archer lazed nearby, clearly bored out of his mind but just as anxious as everyone else.

I was almost tempted to pick Ivy up and carry her away from this fucking hell hole. Hide her away somewhere in the wilderness where no one would ever find her and let Queen Greer’s people handle the False King. Ivy wasn’t Queen yet—it wasn’t her responsibility to deal with any of this. And it took all my power to just stand by and watch her, because that was all I was allowed to do.

Grey updated me about the attack , I replied finally, while the professor began discussing the different rulers of Hell. It doesn’t look good .

A wave of sadness from the bond had me clenching my jaw. My skin itched with the need to hold her, to have her nearby. The shift was close, too. There was an urge to find the fuckers and tear them apart with my teeth.

Fuck. It was hard controlling myself, but I buried it for her.

They were after me? she asked carefully, her mood darkening. But surely, they know I’m here. Why would they attack a different academy?

They wanted to send a message , I replied. One they knew we would receive. I’m sorry, Angel .

From where she sat, she looked defeated. I knew she was blaming herself. Thanking Nyx the kids were okay while condemning herself for being grateful it wasn’t them.

The palace is on lockdown. Thea and the kids are with Kingsley and Grey, and they are safe. I promise .

Ivy’s shoulders slumped, and she lowered her head. Thank you .

It didn’t take long for the class to be dismissed. The chatter about the attack grew louder; some claimed they knew the dead; others were in talks with the students in lockdown at Briarwood. Ivy and Vanya took longer to leave; Ivy’s magic was unsettled from the stress, but she did well in taming it. If it weren’t for the fact that it was time for an evening study session with an appointed tutor, I’d have taken Ivy into one of the many empty classes to help relieve some of the magic.

But just as much as she needed relief, my wolf needed to escape.

Archer looked up and our gazes locked. I motioned to Ivy, and he nodded as if understanding what was needed. I couldn’t attend her tutoring class anyway. Not as her mate or her guard. But Archer could.

Fuck, I hated this set up. I couldn’t wait for the day where Ivy didn’t have to attend this stupid academy. Even if she could be open with her bonds, it would be difficult to navigate. No, I imagined the days where we could simply exist without the constant threat of danger. Waking up to her in my arms without worrying she might be late for some class. Hell, I’d take early morning wakeups with the children.

And one day, with our children.

As much as I liked to joke about putting a baby in her, I knew it wouldn’t be safe until we had the False King in custody.

Or dead. I’d prefer the latter after everything he’d done to hurt Ivy.

I rolled my shoulders as the shift tingled across my skin. I made my way out onto one of the few outdoor fields before letting the shift ripple over my skin and claim my body. Since bonding with Ivy, my wolf had felt stronger, larger. It was a risk, taking this form in front of the students, but I didn’t care. Let them fucking talk.

I took to the boundary, running through the underbrush. The protective wards around the academy were stronger now, and the building was mostly under lockdown, too. The gargoyles were activated, taking to the outer perimeter, and Grey had a small army of Phoenix agents in training on the way to secure the academy in the off chance the attack at Briarwood was a distraction.

Other shifters, as well as a few Born vamps, joined me. The entire campus was searched in a matter of hours. It didn’t stop the unease building within me, though.

Is everything okay ? Ivy asked.

I slowed to a trot, making my way out of the thickest part of the forest. My fur was a matted mess from the sludge and mud. Other than needing to be hosed down, it looks safe out here.

Her amusement made my chest warm; as soon as I reached the guard housing, I shifted. I’d ask to join, but I don’t think anyone wants you dragging mud through the halls.

I snorted. Three other shifters joined me, transforming from beast back into their human forms. There are outdoor showers here, I replied. Not as glamorous as the one at the palace, but it’ll do.

The guard block was surrounded by marsh, and close enough to the academy’s main building to always be on alert, but far enough away that we wouldn’t have much interaction with the students. Most of the guards were agents from the Phoenix Compound, while some were personal bodyguards dragged in by the most powerful families. That was my cover, and for the most part, I wore it with pride. It gave me the perfect excuse to follow Ivy between her classes and keep an eye on her.

The block had a path leading into the forest and an old set of sheds that were filled with shit no one was ready to destroy yet. Other than that, we were left little, just some bunks, a mess hall, and training equipment. Thank fuck I got to stay with Ivy while I was here.

Someone hit a rune burned into the side of the wall, and the outdoor showers kicked on. I blew out a breath and entered one of the stalls. Before mating Ivy, I would have stripped down to nothing. But I let the water run over my gear, mud clumping and falling off the material. I wasn’t too fond of anyone else seeing me when I’d been claimed by my girl.

Other shifters didn’t care. They stripped, but I kept my eyes on the wall in front of me.

“You think there will be an attack here?” one of the other guards asked.

I stiffened, but didn’t respond, waiting for someone else to give their thoughts.

“I heard there have been attacks in the human realm,” another said. “Rumours of someone hunting the Daughter of Nyx.”

My jaw clenched, but I stepped out from beneath the spray. “Rumours or fact?” I asked. “Because if you’re just spreading rumours, that puts a lot of people in danger.”

The male narrowed his eyes as he turned. “You know something?” he asked.

Shaking my head, I ran a hand through my wet hair. “Good luck with your rumours.”

A female in one of the other stalls snorted, but I stalked off in the direction of the academy proper. I might be settled now that I knew the campus was cleared, but I still needed to see my girl, even if she was supposed to be at the dining hall.

As I made my way through the halls, my device pinged. I stopped short of the dining hall, gritting my teeth in frustration, but I backed away and moved into an alcove.

“What?” I snapped.

The male on the other end chuckled. “Don’t get smart with me. ”

I stiffened and pushed myself further into the shadows. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t...expecting any outside communication.”

Cyrus snorted, and I heard the scrape of something against wood. “ Never mind. You want to know what I found out, or what? ”

Flood lights switched on around the darkening campus, and the halls grew brighter in anticipation of the night classes. “Yes.”

“ No news about a Fae male with exceptional power that could be related to a mate bond. But doesn’t mean there aren’t any powerful Fae.”

I blew out a harsh breath. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“You might have to look at the bloodlines. I’ve got feelers out, and there are a few names coming back. The Black Bloodline is one to look at. Powerful, yes. But the son shouldn’t be as powerful as he is. Same with the Starling Bloodline. Both are Heads of their Courts.”

I nodded, despite him not being able to see me. “Noted. I’m at Oberon Academy now. I’ll keep an eye out.”

“ I don’t think I want to know how you wound up there, Beckham. But be careful. There’s political unrest with the Courts right now. And that’s bleeding through the ranks.”

I rolled my shoulders to release tension, but it only made my stomach clench. “Also noted,” I replied. “Do you have any information about the attack at Briarwood today?”

Cyrus was quiet for a moment before sighing. “ Damned shame. ” He made a sound in the back of his throat before continuing, “ All I know is the unrest might be related. I’ve already put feelers out. I’ll be in touch soon. And this time, don’t be a prick. Answer my comms .”

He ended the call. I lowered my device back to my belt, and scrubbed a hand over my face, doing what I could to push the darker thoughts aside. For now, she was safe.

And I’d do anything within my power to keep it that way.