Page 70 of Torn Ivy
Ivy’s body lifts slightly off the ground, suspended in a cocoon of swirling magickal energy.
Fingers of icy cold walk down the back of my neck and my spine, making me shudder and try to pull away. Bram’s magick has reached depths I didn’t even know were possible.
“Tate Blackwell of the Well line,” he croaks. “Are you ready?”
I gulp and fall to my knees, still having no idea what to offer up. If I lose my magick, I’m no good to Ivy, but if I don’t do something, she is lost to us for eternity. Suffering and in torment and fuck only knows what else. I close my eyes and let whatever feels right bubble up to the surface.
And then it hits me.
The purest part of myself, the truest part that makes me who I am right now, isn’t my magick or my strength.
It’s my love for Ivy.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I’m about to do. My love for Ivy is the core of who I am now - it’s shaped every decision, every action since I met her. To give it up is like tearing out my own heart. But if that’s what it takes to bring her back, I’ll do it without hesitation.
“I’m ready,” I say, my voice steady despite the fear churning in my gut.
Bram nods grimly; his face strained as he continues channelling power into the ritual. “Do it.”
I close my eyes, calling up memories of Ivy. Her laugh, her smile, the fire in her eyes when she’s angry. The mark she gave me on my chest, mine on her lower back. The way she feels in my arms, the taste of her kiss. The depth of emotion I feel for her, a love so profound it changed everything about me.
Opening my eyes, forcing myself to look at her, tears stream down my face as I gather it all up, this most precious part of myself. Then, with a ragged sob, I shove it away from me and into the ritual circle.
The pain is immediate and all-consuming. It feels like my chest has been ripped open, leaving nothing but a gaping void where my heart should be. I scream, doubling over as agony rips through me.
But I feel it working. The circle is responding to us.
“Keep going!” Cathy shouts. “It’s not over yet.”
“Fuck,” Torin grunts and passes out.
Bram is holding on, but just barely. His skin is undulating like there are a thousand beetles crawling under his skin. Black veins have appeared all over his body and face. His eyes are now black voids. He retches, and a black snake curls out of his mouth, and I resist the urge to recoil as it slithers through the circle and settles on Ivy’s body, curling up and hissing.
“Don’t stop!” Cathy yells. “You’re almost there!”
I force myself to keep channelling, even as I feel hollowed out. The love I gave up leaves an aching void, but I cling to the memory of why I’m doing this. For Ivy. Even if I can’t feel it anymore, I know it matters.
The air crackles with energy. Reality bends around us. Ivy’s body lifts higher, suspended in a cocoon of swirling magick. For a moment, I see glimpses of a thousand or more other realms through cracks in the air.
Then, with a sound like reality tearing, everything implodes.
The magickal energy rushes inward, slamming into Ivy with such force that I’m knocked backwards. Blinding light fills the circle, forcing me to shield my eyes and then… nothing.
35
IVY
Time.
Is that even a word anymore?
Do I even still exist?
Where am I?
Who am I?
I am nobody and everybody. Maybe I am even time itself.
