Page 75 of Hero of Havoc

“Leonardo,” Archer answers, and I frown.

“What do you mean?” I rub a hand over my chest, trying to ease the ache forming inside me.

“How else would he get in here?” Archer asks, and I shake my head.

“When I was with my father in the cells, he just appeared in the corner of the space,” I explain, and Sax clears his throat, using my desk as a seat again.

“The dorms are different. We can’t even use our compass to enter straight into the building. The magic intertwined into the entryways is impenetrable.”

“Unless you’re a hot phoenix who can replace the entryway with ease,” Archer muses, awe in his eyes as I slip a loose curl behind my ear, my thoughts racing.

“Compass?” I ask, aware there’s one on my door, and I recall Archer mentioning it when he was trying to intimidate me, but beyond that, his comment doesn’t make sense.

Archer stuffs his hand in his pocket, revealing a worn brass compass. “It’s our talisman and our navigator through the lands. We use it to travel greater distances,” he explains as I blink at the device in disbelief.

My father had a talisman, but I never saw it; I wasn’t allowed to use it. Another part of his control was ensuring I used only the modes of transport he assigned.

“So to get into your room, he either has to have someone helping him into the building, or doing his bidding for him,” Baron declares, and I gulp.

“How do we figure it out?” Ember asks, determination thick in her tone as Sax snarls.

“We sniff them out.”

17

IVY

Asharp rap at my bedroom door echoes just as I finish sliding on my shoes. Hurrying toward the sound, I shove my device into my bag before they can knock again, swinging it open to find my escort for the day. I’m only marginally surprised to see it’s Baron.

“Hey,” I breathe, desperate not to falter under his heavy gaze as he stands tall, forcing me to tip my head back even more to meet his stare.

It takes everything in me to keep my focus on his eyes rather than letting myself appreciate how devastating he looks in his uniform. It’s as if the material molds to him like a second skin. I could spend hours devouring every inch of him.

He clears his throat and I jolt, acutely aware that I’ve failed as I snap my attention back to his pools of green.

“Firefly.”

“Baron.”

I’m certain the corner of his mouth twitches, but the moment vanishes too quickly to be sure.

Our silent standoff lingers for a few seconds before he takes a step back, severing the connection. My gut winces at the loss, but I keep my expression neutral as I pull the door closed behind me.

I barely manage three steps before I collide with a solid frame, stumbling with a humiliating lack of grace. My back hits the wall, stealing my breath, but my mind goes completely blank as Baron crowds my personal space. I blink up at him, wide-eyed and disoriented, but the feeling only intensifies as he captures my chin and crushes his lips against mine.

Intoxicated by his proximity, I melt into his touch, my fingers white-knuckled as I cling to the lapels of his blazer. He claims my mouth so intensely that I’m floating by the time he pulls back. Not far, just enough to brace his forehead against mine.

“Firefly,” he breathes, and I gulp.

“Baron,” I repeat, our names holding more gravity than they did moments ago. This time, there’s no missing the curl at the corner of his lips as he drags a thumb over the spot I just tasted. “Unfortunately, we’re going to be late,” he mumbles, and I exhale sharply.

“Right.”

Imagine if I hadn’t insisted on eating breakfast alone just to grab a bit more sleep. I’d gladly trade rest to explore… this.

Baron exits my space, but his hand finds mine, tugging me along. I follow willingly, feeling weightless as we head downstairs and out onto campus.

“Did you sleep okay?” he asks as we pass the wildflowers, and I nod, though a part of me hates the fact. “Well, while you were resting, I was doing some digging.”