Page 108 of Hero of Havoc

“We maintain the peace.”

“Where, specifically?” Ivy pushes, and Viola frowns, but it's Professor Carbon who speaks.

“What do you mean by that?”

Ivy clears her throat, sitting up straight in her seat as she rolls her shoulders back. “I mean, that can be interpreted in many different ways if there's not more to that sentence. Do they mean keep the peace within the Fifth Kingdom and keep our sodalities united, or do they mean keep the peace among all the kingdoms? Because from what I can see, and excuse me for my lack of experience, but there is no peace among all of the kingdoms. Otherwise, they wouldn't keep attacking us. What it seems like to me is we need to keep the peace within the kingdom, strengthen ourselves as a whole, and that's where our focus should be.”

Silence drenches the room as everyone stares at her. Some out of spite, but most in surprise with a good hint of awe.

“If I didn't know you were Hugo's sister already, the determination in your voice proved it,” Silas declares, and I grunt, trying not to roll my eyes at his declaration.

He's at the top of my list of people likely to be working for the enemy, but I'm not currently allowed to prove that, so I keep my mouth shut.

Professor Viola stands, hands still placed on the table as she uses it as a prop, her chin dipping to her chest as she takes another deep breath. After a moment, her eyes skim across the room, connecting with every single person here before she speaks.

“I don't believe I've misinterpreted The Fates, but maybe⁠—”

The room rattles as the double doors shake open, cutting through the air and spiking the tension.

“A breach! We've got a breach on campus!” the girl cries, panting for breath.

“Where?” Hugo barks, rising so fast his chair falls backward with a thud.

Everyone waits on bated breath, trying to calculate who the right person is to respond.

It takes the girl two sharp inhales before she can summon another sentence past her lips. “The breach shows at the edge of the forest.”

I'm moving before she can finish her sentence.

“Sax,” Ivy calls after me, but I don't wait.

One of the others can inform her of what's going on, but right now, my job is to follow protocol, chase the breach, and protect my fated mate.

The second I dart outside, I’m greeted by the cliffs to my right, the academy to my left, and the forest off in the distance. I need to move, and I need to move now. Without wasting another second, I shift, my white tiger taking control as the taste of fury lies heavily on my tongue.

The chilled air around me is like ice through my fur as I race toward the danger, my paws pounding against the ground, and I don't slow until I reach the edge of the forest. Nestled among the trees, the rest of the academy a distant memory, I take a deep breath and connect with my senses.

My ears twitch, seeking out every sound as the smell of danger thickens in the air. I strain, desperate for a hint, and respond instantly to the sound of pattering footsteps echoing in the distance.

Charging through the forest as fast as I can, the noise grows louder, spurring me on, but I falter at the sound of a cry that rings through the air. Racing deeper into the layers of trees, I come to a halt, my steps turning into a prowl as I hide among the hedges, eyes locked on a silhouette in the distance.

Another scream.

Another layer of terror.

My eyes latch on a trembling figure scooting backward on the dirt. I follow their line of sight, right to the looming threat.

A figure dressed head to toe in black stalks toward them, a heavy hood hiding their face from view. My gaze snatches back to the terrified girl on the ground, and panic surges through me when I realize it's not just any girl.

It's Meadow.

Of all the people in the world, especially of the Land Protectors, she's the most untouchable.

Ivy has never been given the opportunity to care about many people, but Meadow's one of them, and right now, protecting her is the equivalent of protecting Ivy.

A snarl slips from my lips as I launch into action, barrelling toward the figure. My erratic attack catches their attention, allowing them to easily spot my approach, and with a quick clap of their hands, I'm flying backward.

A tree breaks my fall, and I collapse in a heap on the ground, a grunt rumbling from my throat.