Page 27 of Wild Ivy
“Careful,” I warn, bending down to glare at Mom through the open window. “Choose your next words very carefully.”
Mom takes a deep breath, composing herself. “You’re making a grave mistake, Torin. Life will reshape this world. Those who stand with her will be rewarded beyond measure.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to think this is all a bit inflated,” Ivy spits out, and for one fleeting moment, her skin disappears, and she glares down at my mother through hollow eye sockets.
“You have no idea what true power is,” Mom hisses, unperturbed by this display.
“Oh, I think I do,” Ivy says coldly. “And I’m not impressed by Lila. She is a selfish cunt, and I will smash her into little pieces if it’s the last thing I do.”
Mom’s eyes widen slightly as she latches onto Ivy’s… slip-up? I’m not sure if it was intentional or not… “We’ll see how unimpressed you are when she rips your soul apart.”
Ivy tenses beside me, but her voice remains steady. “I’d like to see her try.”
Mom’s eyes narrow. “This is your last chance, Torin. Come with me now or suffer the consequences.”
I meet her gaze unflinchingly. “I’ve made my choice. I stand with Ivy.”
For a moment, something like regret flashes in Mom’s eyes. Then it’s gone, replaced by icy disdain.
“So be it,” she says softly. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
The window rolls up smoothly, cutting us off from her glare that could wither an ancient oak tree.
As the Rolls Royce pulls away, I’m not sure what to think.
Ivy turns to me, her eyes blazing. “Well, that was enlightening. Did she do this because she cares about you or to split us up?”
“As if that would happen. But I’m intrigued by this entire conversation.”
Tate nods, his expression thoughtful. “Life’s agenda. The whole ‘new world order’ bullshit. It doesn’t add up.”
“No, it doesn’t,” I agree. “If Life is all about, well, life - why is she so keen on the extinction of those who oppose her? Is it all a front, or is she really that hypocritical?”
Ivy’s brow furrows. “Yeah, exactly. We’re missing something.”
I take Ivy’s hand, lacing our fingers together. “We need to dig deeper. Find out what Life’s real endgame is.”
Ivy nods decisively. “Agreed. But first, we deal with the soul army. We can’t afford any more distractions.”
As we head across campus to the forest, we see everyone going about their lives, and I wish that we could do that. Instead, we are dealing with more problems than you can shake a stake at, and they keep piling up.
The forest looms ahead, dark and foreboding. As we step into the shadows, I feel a chill run down my spine. Whatever we’re about to face, I have a feeling it’s going to be unpleasant.
14
IVY
The forest grows darkerand more oppressive the deeper we walk. Something about it feels different now - like reality hasn’t quite settled back into place here. Or maybe it’s just my new Death senses picking up on things I couldn’t feel before.
“Far enough?” Tate asks as we reach a clearing about half a mile from where Morrigan is bound.
I nod, trying to ignore the cacophony of voices in my head. The souls are restless, eager to be set free again. “This should work.”
“How many are you going to summon?” Torin asks, scanning our surroundings warily.
“Ten,” I decide. “A small test group. Enough to see how they respond to commands without being overwhelming.”
“And you can control which ones you call?” Tate’s voice holds a hint of concern.
