Page 21 of Torn Ivy
“So it takes what I have and makes it better?”
She nods. “I think so. Although, we have no case studies, so…” She shrugs. “But it appears that your natural shifter abilities are clearly influencing how the chaos magick manifests. The connection to plants, particularly defensive or poisonous ones, seems especially strong.”
I wave my hand, and the vines recede, leaving no trace they were ever there. It feels natural, like breathing. “This is wild. But how do I make it do specific things? Last night, I accidentally brought Tate here when I was just thinking about the guys.”
“That’s actually a perfect example of how chaos magick works,” Cathy says. “You had a clear intention, and the power found the most direct way to make that happen. The trick is learning to be more specific with your intentions while still allowing the magick to find its own path.”
She demonstrates by holding out her hand. A small flame appears, dancing on her palm. “Normal magick is like this - contained, directed, purposeful. Chaos magick...” She waves her other hand, and the flame explodes into a swirling vortex of fire that fills the room before vanishing completely. “It’s wild, unpredictable, but infinitely more powerful.”
I stare at the space where the fire had been, my heart racing with excitement rather than fear. The chaos magick inside me responds to my enthusiasm, making the air crackle with electricity. “How do you know, though, when you have no reference?” I ask a question that suddenly seems important.
“It’s a good question, and really, we are flying blind. That wasn’t something we should admit, but you need to know. Thisis all guesswork based on what little wedoknow. All magick is about feeling the energy, letting it flow naturally while gently nudging it in the direction you want it to go. But think of this like riding a wave,” she explains as I try to manifest the power again. “You don’t control the ocean, but you can work with it, use its power to take you where you want to go.”
I nod, focusing on the buzzing energy under my skin. Instead of trying to force it into shape, I let it rise naturally, feeling it swirl around me. Pink light fills the room as the chaos magick responds to my call.
“Good,” Cathy murmurs. “Now, think of something you want to happen. Don’t try to make it happen, just hold the intention in your mind.”
I think about protection and keeping my guys safe from Death. The magick surges, stronger this time, and suddenly, the room is filled with thorny vines again, but these are different. They pulse with a toxic-looking pink glow, dripping with some kind of luminescent sap.
“Those look nasty.”
Cathy nods approvingly, careful not to touch the vines. “Very. The magick appears to respond to your subconscious desires and natural affinities. Your connection to plants, particularly poisonous ones, is clearly strong. It’s as if the power knows exactly what you are, both Ivy and Poison, merged into something new.”
I wave my hand, and the vines recede like the last ones, leaving no trace they were ever there. But I can still feel them, like they’re just beneath the surface of reality, waiting to be called forth again. “It’s getting easier each time.”
“That’s good, but also potentially dangerous,” Cathy warns. “The easier it becomes, the more tempting it will be to use it for everything. You need to learn restraint as well as control. Now, let’s try something more challenging. I want you to?—”
A knock at the door interrupts us. Ramsey pokes his head in, his face all healed up from my attack last night. His eyes widen at the pink energy still crackling around me. “Sorry to interrupt, but Josh thinks he’s found something interesting in the old texts. Also, your hair is floating.”
I quickly pat down my levitating locks and follow them down to the kitchen, where Josh has several ancient-looking books spread across the table. Josh’s usually cheerful face is serious as he points to a particular passage.
“Where did you get this from?” I ask with a frown at the decidedly spooky-looking books.
“Your Dark Fae,” he replies. “Seems this power may be tied to the ancient Fae somehow, as he had these in his family library.”
“Which is?”
“In the Dark Fae Kingdom.”
I press my lips together. “Where is he?”
“Catching some winks. Look, we can talk all you want about the hottie later, right now, this, please.” He jabs the book emphatically.
“Yeah, sorry,” I mutter.Priorities.
“It’s an account of another Death candidate who rejected the position.”
“Oh? Who? When? What happened to them?”Not so unique after all, then. Boo.
I lean in to examine the faded text, written in a language so archaic that it gives me a headache just looking at it.
“They became Death.”
I blink as Cathy draws in a raspy breath.
Ramsey has his arms folded tightly as he stands beside Josh, his gaze on me.
“I see. So, there is no way out for me. I either die or become Death.”
