“I did some research. It apparently means your phoenix is more present than you. Your magic is in control, which means it’s harder to calm you.”
I gulp. “You know what I need.”
I hate to admit it.
I hate that it goes against everything I fought for today, but as I gape at them, I know there's no placating me.
This is the worst I've ever felt.
Despite my reservations, I have to trust them.
“Ivy, are you aware of what you're asking for?” Teddy murmurs, and I nod.
“Please, I?—”
“Ivy, we can't ground you when we are this distorted. It's not right,” Baron says, and I shake my head.
“Help me, please, I’m…”
My eyelids fall closed as I fall further against the wall, heat coating my veins, but as I pry my eyes open, desperate to plead with them one more time, I realize it's not just my veins that are on fire, but my entire body.
Curses ring around the room, barely audible behind the flicker of flames as Archer steps closer, cupping my cheek and embracing the heat that thrums through me.
“I can't fight it any longer,” I breathe.
“I know, we're here, and we're not going anywhere, but I'm not going to be able to help you come down if you're on fire.”
“Are you sure?” I clarify, mesmerized by how handsome he looks bathed in flames too.
My hands clench at my sides and he grins.
“I can withstand the heat, Ivy. I just don't know if I can withstand you.”
The magic consuming me flickers, and the flames engulfing me moments ago disappear, but they nestle beneath my skin, ready to explode at any given moment.
Teddy exhales from behind Archer, while Sax clears his throat.
“You can't hate me any more than you already do by the time we're done,” the Land Protector states, and my nostrils flare.
“Ground me,” I rasp, the hoarseness that I assume is coming from my phoenix flickering through my veins.
“Grounding you means we all need to be touching you while you come,” Archer explains, capturing my gaze. “Can you handle that?”
I nod. “More than I can handle this,” I admit, and Baron steps forward.
“It will also connect us all further,” he clarifies, and I gape at him.
“How?”
“I don't know,” he murmurs, shaking his head, “But there is no coming back from this,” he adds as Archer reaches for my hand, letting me feel the heat through his fingertips.
Truth.
“Then there are no others,” I declare, that same hoarseness rippling through.
“Others?” Teddy repeats, and I nod.
“It doesn't change anything between us, but you can't ground me and connect us on a higher level if you're only going to go and flirt with others.” An orange haze filters my vision, confirming the command is coming from deeper within, but I don’t do anything to stop it.
