56

IVY

THE numbness of losing the children and Thea turned into fire as soon as the gates of the academy appeared ahead of us. The security around the campus increased, but I had a feeling the False King wouldn’t test the school again.

He didn’t have to.

My hands curled into fists as I sat back against the leather seat of the limo. Even the team had taken to silence, donning their Phoenix Agent personas. All wore gear with my own charms woven into their suits. I hadn’t let the children leave without making sure they were completely protected, too.

It was all I could do until I found the asshole.

I was fucking done.

No one spoke until the new wards around the campus let us through. “Your class schedule is still the same, minus mentoring,” Maeve said, glancing up at me, her tablet in hand. Without checking in, I knew what she was doing.

I hadn’t been the only one to make sure the children were protected. Maeve had slipped tracking runes onto all of them—Thea included. Rowan had marked them with additional runes, and Adrian had given them more intricate charms I couldn’t do. Elias had given them something—what, though, I didn’t know. He hadn’t told me, keeping it as his secret with them.

My heart warmed—no, almost exploded—knowing they cared as much as they did. And I knew it wasn’t just for my sake—I wouldn’t love them if that were the case. They did it because they truly cared about the kids.

A lump formed in my throat, but I pushed it aside as the limo drew closer to the main building. “What will take the place of mentoring with Hawk?” I asked, glancing at Maeve first, then the others.

“We’ll discuss an alternative later. For now, though, Headmistress Sylvia is having a mandatory class on Safety and Magical Control during that time,” Elias replied.

I nodded just as the limo pulled in. Rowan slid out first, followed by Elias, who took up protective detail ahead of me, while Adrian and Maeve took the rear. A couple of people rushed to meet us, pulling duffels from the trunk. There was no need for the team to haul their belongings back and forth anymore.

Not when we were stuck here.

It won’t be long until we’re back at the palace anyway, Rowan reassured me, glancing over his shoulder to give me a wink. The ball will make you wish you were back here .

I sighed without comment. Though I highly doubted it, the mention of the ball made my stomach twist.

In a few days, literally everything would change for me here.

I wouldn’t be the transfer charm witch from the human world.

I’d be Ivy, Daughter of Nyx, future Queen of Nyx’s Domain.

And everyone would know it.

Blood pounded in my ears as we entered the main building; the sitting room where parents and families were expected to wait was eerily quiet. Not even the fireplace was warm. I twisted my fingers as we made our way through the halls towards my first class of the day.

It was a miracle we’d made it in time, especially with the city of Aster still on lockdown after the attack on the temple.

The halls remained quiet the longer we walked. Through the open windows, I caught sight of the ruined gym and quickly averted my eyes. Guilt still burned within me from my part in the explosion, but I didn’t blame myself anymore. I couldn’t even put it on Ry.

It was on him . The False King.

Goddess above, I wanted to roll my eyes.

He was a coward, and it sure as hell was starting to piss me off.

You’re projecting your thoughts, and you are angering yourself , Maeve warned, brushing the bond calmly.

I pulled back the anger, and the magic that came with it. Completing the bond with Rowan had helped in healing it, but there was still an issue of…control. One, I believed, would be fixed if I found Ry.

As we entered the Strategies of Power class, I stopped in the doorway, my body locking up as the weight of so many stares fell on me. The class itself hadn’t started yet, so it wasn’t like I was interrupting anything.

But still, they stopped what they were doing to run their critical eyes over me. What were they thinking about? Were their thoughts on the explosion? How it had been my magic to trigger the runes and destroy the gym?

I waited for that familiar pit in my stomach to yawn open and for the panic to fill me, for my ears to ring and my heart to race, but nothing came.Once, I would have buckled under their stares. But the numbness took over. I couldn’t bring myself to care.

Everything is okay, Sweetheart , Adrian said. All they know is you were hurt during the explosion.

I gave him a barely perceptible nod and searched the room for Vanya. She stood at a section of tables towards the back where we usually sat, and waved when I caught her eye.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I rushed to join her. Apparently, that’s all it took for everyone to start their conversations again. As I passed, I caught snippets about the ball and what they planned to wear, the most recent attack on Aster, and the tampering of the sparring rooms in the arena.

I slid into a chair beside Vanya, while the team took up positions throughout the room, though Maeve and Elias remained outside, keeping watch in the hall.

“How are you?” Vanya murmured, just as our professor appeared.

I shrugged. “Could be better.” I glanced at her from the corner of my eye, and she smiled reassuringly. “A lot of new developments.”

She nodded and flipped open her textbook. “Yeah. I’ve heard a lot of whispers,” she replied quietly. “Especially about you.”

I shivered, but didn’t respond, not as the lecture on maintaining peace through power began. Despite knowing better, I searched the classroom for familiar, silver-white hair. I waited for that prickle of familiarity, and yet…

Orion Black wasn’t in class.

My stomach dropped as I ran my eyes over the other students again, but he wasn’t there.

Carefully, I reached for my bond with Ry. Unlike my other bonds, which were bright and steady, his remained dark and fragile. But I prodded it carefully with no response. No tingle of him near, no warmth at his proximity.

It could have been a coincidence, but I was starting to believe that wasn’t the case. Not anymore.

Rowan had told me how Orion and his mind witch friend, Blythe, helped move the rubble so I could be freed from the sparring room. They’d been some of the only few who stepped in to help.

Maybe he recognised my power as more than the charms we had in place and that’s why he helped.

Or maybe…maybe it meant more.

But I wouldn’t know until I found him.

The class ended, though I didn’t retain anything about strategies of power and how it pertained to peace. With everything else, it didn’t seem important. At least, not until after I secured my crown.

Vanya looped her arm through mine as we walked to our next lesson. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she said, glancing at me with a smile. “You really had me worried.”

I sighed, the weight of it all dropping my shoulders. “I know, I’m sorry. I should have reached out when I woke up, but—”

“But you had to be with your…” She coughed, rolling her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“I do,” I replied, smiling. “In a couple of days, you’ll be free of the enchantment, you know.”

Her brows rose, and we stopped in the hallway of our next class. “Really?” she asked, leaning against the wall. “That lines up with…”

“The ball.” I kept an eye out for Orion and left my end of the bond open for any sign of Ry as we waited. Even the slightest prickle of electricity would be enough. “Then things change.”

“But you’ll still be stuck with us, apparently.”

I snorted, catching sight of Maeve hiding in the shadows. She had the tablet in her hand, and she gave me a nod as if to tell me everything was okay elsewhere.

Vanya pushed off the wall with a sigh. “You okay? You seem a little distant.”

“Yeah, it’s just…” I stopped and pushed down the emotions swelling within me. “I’m okay. But question. Have you seen Orion anywhere?”

“Orion Black?” she asked, brows rising. Glancing around the now busy hall, she frowned. “No…granted I haven’t seen him in days.”

I pressed my lips into a firm line until I spotted familiar dark hair and goth make-up. “I bet Blythe knows,” I replied. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Ivy…” Vanya warned, but I walked away before she could convince me to stay. I passed Elias, who narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t question me as I made it to the other witch.

Blythe looked up as I stepped in front of her, expression unreadable. Her eyes were a blue that almost seemed grey, which came across brighter from the dark eyeliner outlining them.

I offered her a smile, meeting her stare. “Hi.”

Her dark eyes narrowed as she assessed me. “What do you want, charm witch? ” Though her tone came across as don’t-fuck-around-with-me , there wasn’t nearly as much venom in it as expected. And when her gaze flickered to the side, I understood why.

The Fae who usually hung around Orion stood nearby, eyeing us darkly. The girl who usually clung to the Fae Prince’s side sneered in my direction, looking me over with distaste before turning back to the others.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Blythe return their glares with one of her own.

So, she doesn’t like them . That was interesting to know. “I wanted to thank you. For helping the other week.”

Blythe’s eyes snapped back to mine. “Helping?”

I nodded. “During the…tampering. I heard you and Orion helped.”

The witch watched me for a long moment without saying a word, while the other students started disappearing into their respective classrooms. But she didn’t make a move to join them.

It was only once the group of Fae left that she released a breath. “I haven’t seen Orion for days, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

I stiffened. “What do you mean? Is this normal for him?”

Her dark eyes left mine for a moment to search the hall, almost like she was looking for someone. Fear tinged her expression as she turned back to me. Blythe stepped in closer. My bonds warmed in warning, but I waved them off, hoping they’d back down.

“Ever since what happened to you in the gym, he’s been dark.”

I frowned, heart stuttering a beat as I processed her response. “What do you mean?”

Her jaw clenched, and again, she looked around the hall. “I mean, not only have I not heard from him, but his mind went quiet. Not unlike how yours was when you were knocked out.”

A cold chill rolled down my spine and I sucked in a breath. There was a chance that he was Ry, then. Or at least one of my mates. Whether he knew it or not. The only other person outside my immediate mate circle to get knocked out during the healing process had been Hawk.

But my money was on Ry.

My heart raced as I nodded to Blythe. “Thank you.”

The witch swallowed hard and took a step back. “Don’t talk to me again until he’s back,” she warned. “Trust me.”

And with that, she strode off in the opposite direction of the classrooms.