Page 28 of The Blackened Blade

Ivy Harris sits with two other girls, and five boys, all blatantly staring my way while smiling and chuckling.

“Seems like she's scared.” The petite blonde to the right of Ivy sneers.

Scared of catching fleas maybe.

Ivy smiles, an expression across her face as if knowing something that everyone else doesn’t.

She brushes a hand through her ginger hair, her gaze focused fully on me as she opens her mouth.

“That little outburst on Friday was a little out of character for you Micai…has something been bothering you lately?” Her brows scrunch together as a few stifled chuckles fall from behind her.“Have you been having friend troubles?” Her eyes widen mockingly as she bites back her grin. “Sorry for a second I forgot, you don't have any friends.”She shakes her head before tapping a manicured finger on her lips. “I meant anyboytroubles?”

“Boys? What boys would want to be nearher?” Laughs a girl with a black bob to Ivy's otherside. “What sane person would want to be around someone so pathetic and weak?”

I roll my eyes. Is this the best they could do?

Just as I’m about to ignore it and turn away, Ivy opens her mouth again.

“Or is it yourdaddyissues? Having problems at home, are we Micai?”

“Hey–” Shouts a voice from the front row before it quickly cuts off.

“Ivy.” Seria stands up, her lips pinched as she gazes toward the students around Ivy. “Don’t mention my father.” Her gaze narrows as she meets Ivy. “Remember who you're dealing with. The Bane clan is not one you want to mess with.”

The room falls into a pin-drop silence as Seria speaks, their gazes flickering between Seria and Ivy as they look at one another.

Ivy’s complexion turns ashen. “I didn’t mean any disrespect Seria. I–I would never–”

“Don’t use my fathers name in the future, Ivy.” Warns Seria again, her expression calm but tone cutting. “I won’t allow it.”

Ivy nods repeatedly, “Of course. The Bane clan is one of the founding nine families, I would never disrespect you or your father,ever.” At this Seria’s eyes seem to curve with pride at the praise.

A bitter grin stretches my lips at her words. Because I, unlike Seria, don’t have my father or family's backing. So that made me fair game, right?

Seria gives her a small smile and nod as Ivy breathes a sigh of relief.

She takes her seat again as Xander stands beside her. He looks down at her, his hand brushing against her cheek gently as she smiles and calls his name sweetly.

A long time ago, something like this would have bothered me. It would have pulled painfully at a part of me that still had hope for the love and friendships we used to have. The younger me would have turned away, too hurt by the picture perfect image in front of her, watching the boys she used to love give their hearts wholly to her younger sister.

But thankfully none of that affected me now. The love I once had for them had withered quickly with each day I spent in captivity.

I realised I had been holding onto something that was never really there to begin with.

If they loved me like they told me when we were younger, then they never would have left me so easily for Seria.

They never would have turned away and grown cold. To allow the torment and abuse I suffered at the hands of students in the academy to go on and just watch or walk away with ease from me, as if all the years we had spent together never existed.

Even with Seria’s schemes and sweet words, loyalty and love came hand in hand. If they believed her over me, who they knew for years, then I couldn’t have meant much to them to begin with.

With years imprisoned to think, I learnt that love can't be extinguished so easily if it'strue.

If it's real, then nobody can take it away, not even time or death itself. You’ll cling to it with everything you have, because to lose it, would be to lose a part of yourself.

“We'll talk again another time, Micai.” Calls Ivy, pulling me from my thoughts as she goes to take her seat.

Another day?

I sigh, glancing toward Ivy. “You clearly have more issues to worry about than I do, so maybe you should focus on your own shit instead of mine.”

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