Page 103 of Hero of Havoc

I really do hate that woman.

“What did she do now?”

“She fucked with him, a lot, but she said some things as we were trying to leave that I know messed with him. We barely made it back to campus before he jumped from the cliff tops into the water below.”

“At least one of us can survive that fall,” I mutter, the air stiffening at the reminder of one of their many errors.

“We’ll get back to that,” Baron murmurs, confusion furrowing my eyebrows, but before I can draw attention to what he said, he continues. “She said that his father wasn’t the hero he thought he was.”

My heart stills at his admission as Teddy dips his head, defeat getting the better of him.

That bitch.

Anger burns through my veins, rage teetering at my fingertips, ready to escape.

“She’s a lying bitch, who⁠—”

“She wasn’t lying,” Teddy murmurs, interrupting my tirade, and all I can do is blink at him, disbelief choking my words in my throat as I see the despair seeping from him.

“I think we may have seen a glimpse of Teddy’s power enhancements from the grounding,” Baron states, my eyes widening further. One glance at Archer and I see the same level of surprise. “His eyes were blue, and his siren call was practically vibrating in the air; she didn’t stand a chance against him,” Baron adds, and I gulp.

“I’m sorry, Teddy,” I breathe, cupping his cheek, and he leans into the touch.

“It should be me who is apologizing,” he mutters, making my eyes narrow at him.

“How do you figure?”

He shrugs, unable to respond as Archer exhales.

“Is there anything else we should be aware of?”

“Not right now, another time.”

The call ends before I can press for more, leaving me to glance between two of my hated mates. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do right now.

“Let’s get him inside,” Archer states, dragging a hand down his face, and I nod, brushing off my knees as I stand before extending a hand toward Teddy.

I shouldn’t be shocked that it’s because of his mother that he’s in this state, but it still bewilders me that people can be so callous and vindictive. Between my parents, Teddy’s mother, and Archer’s father, we really did get the crap end of the stick. But I can’t continue to let our lives be manipulated at their every whim; their selfishness is reaching new heights, and something has to be done about it.

My stomach twists.

The reality is, with the kind of people they are, it’s not as simple as going no contact or chastising them for their shit. It needs to go much deeper than that.

Bloodier.

As Teddy accepts my offer and pulls himself up, Archer reaches for my door handle, but he barely makes it over the threshold before he stumbles to a halt, a curse on his lips as he peers over his shoulder.

“How long were you out there, Teddy?” Archer asks, nostrils flared with agitation as my Water Protector shrugs.

“I don’t know.”

“Fuck.”

“What’s going on?” I ask, taking a step toward Archer, who tries to shield me from my room, but with one pointed look, he relents, shoulders sagging with defeat as he steps to the side, revealing the familiar ivy nestled atop an envelope with a golden sphere beside it.

“Fuck.”

“What’s so bad even Ivy is cussing?” Teddy mumbles, appearing at my side, but no answer is required when his gaze lands on the items perched on my bed.