“Are you okay?” I blurt when I finally remember how to use my tongue, and the humor on her face grows stilted as she freezes, clearing her throat before she speaks.
“What do these meetings mean exactly?”
“The academy meetings?” I clarify, and she nods.
“Yes, I think I'm finally ready to understand a little more than what Baron offered earlier in the week.”
“And you trust in me to explain this properly?” I clarify, and she hums, nodding softly. “Then let me show you, because there's one tonight.”
22
IVY
Neverbound Academy at night is something else.
It's like the place glows with magic.
I can't help but think about when I first arrived. How I looked into the forest at the entryway to the academy and felt no fear. Not like how I felt when I gazed off into the distance from my bedroom window back home.
Home.
It's such a funny word that should hold so much meaning. It's only four letters, formed in a way that roots you somewhere, and for the first time, my reference to that place doesn't feel the same.
My parents' fortress.
My prison.
The brick and mortar of my demise.
Each title rings truer than that four-letter word,home.
Yet I'm still undecided if this replaces it.
I feel like I'm floating, still trying to find purchase in where I truly belong, and as I quietly head through campus at Sax’s side, my mind continues to wonder about anything and everything.
It plays as the perfect distraction, so I don’t overthink what it is I'm actually walking into. My stomach grumbles like I didn'tjust eat, and I sigh, placing my hand against my abdomen as I try to will away the discomfort.
“I shouldn't have eaten so much,” I mumble.
“Why? Are you nervous?” Sax asks, and I scoff.
“No, I can barely move. It’s your mom's fault that her cooking is too good,” I admit, and he snickers.
“Don't tell her that,” he insists, and I roll my eyes.
“Please, she deserves all the hype.”
I'm slightly devastated that I didn’t get to see Greta and the girls earlier today, but that didn’t stop her from leaving me a little gift: a home-cooked meal. Sax, of course, jumped on the bandwagon too, insisting we share the lasagna.
“She is pretty awesome,” he admits, and the air falls quiet again, as if impending doom lurks in the distance, but I'm ready for it. As much as my mind might swirl in every direction during the silence, I know I'm doing the right thing for me.
Instead of being the hot topic on everyone’s lips, I want to be the one doing the talking. I want the control.
As I follow Sax down the winding path, I startle when we draw closer to the arena.
“You meet here?” I blurt, eyes wide in surprise as I wrap my cardigan tighter around my shoulders.
“It changes,” he explains with a shrug, and I frown.
