Page 53 of Wild Ivy
“Do you think we did the right thing?” I ask finally, voicing the doubt that’s been gnawing at me. “Changing everything like this?”
Bram is quiet for a long moment, his blue eyes reflecting the starlight. “I don’t think there was a ‘right’ thing to do,” he says finally. “The old system was broken. Life had become corrupted, Death was fragmented. Something had to change.”
I nod, mulling over his words. “But what if we’ve made things worse? What if this new cycle, this rebirth of souls, leads to chaos?”
“It might,” Bram acknowledges. “Change always brings uncertainty. But it also brings possibility.” He reaches out, taking my hand in his. “You’ve given everyone a second chance, Ivy. A chance to learn, to grow, to be better.”
“Or to be worse,” I mutter.
“True,” he concedes. “But at least now there’s hope for redemption.”
I lean my head against his shoulder, drawing comfort from his solid presence. “Every soul, every life and death, it’s all connected to me now.”
Bram’s arm wraps around me, pulling me closer. “That’s why you have us,” he says softly. “We’re your anchors, remember? You don’t have to bear this burden alone.”
As if summoned by his words, I feel Tate and Torin’s presence before I see them. They emerge from the house, looking sleepy but concerned.
“Everything okay out here?” Tate asks, his voice rough with sleep. The marks on his skin glow faintly in the darkness.
I nod, managing a small smile. “Just couldn’t sleep. Too much on my mind.”
Torin yawns and stretches before plopping down on the grass at our feet. “Join the club. My brain feels like it’s been rewired.”
“That’s because it has,” I say, reaching out to run my fingers through his hair. “We’ve all changed.”
Tate settles into the chair on my other side, his hand finding mine. “Change isn’t always a bad thing,” he says, echoing Bram’s earlier sentiment.
“No,” I agree. “But it is scary. Especially when you’re the one responsible for it.”
“You weren’t alone in this, Ivy,” Torin says, leaning back against my legs. “We all played a part.”
I smile at them. My anchors. My loves. “I know,” I say softly. “And I’m grateful for that. For you. But I can’t help wondering about the consequences. About Life.”
“We’ll find her,” Tate assures me. “And when we do, we’ll deal with whatever comes next. Together.”
I nod, feeling some of the tension ease from my shoulders. Above us, another soul streaks across the sky, its energy signature distinctly supernatural - a vampire who lived for centuries, now heading toward rebirth.
“It’s strange,” I murmur, tracking its path. “I can feel each one’s history, their nature. That one was a vampire who’d grown tired of immortality and ended his own life, but with regrets. They’re happy about the change. Ready for something new.”
Torin’s new chaos magick ripples in response to my words, creating subtle patterns in the air. “So they maintain some awareness during the transition?”
“No, not really,” I try to explain what I sense. “They retain their essence, their core self, but the memories fade. It’s more like carrying forward lessons learned rather than specific experiences.”
“That’s why some choose to cluster together,” Bram observes, watching another group of souls pass overhead. “They’re hoping to find each other again.”
“Exactly.”
Tate’s fingers trace one of his new markings thoughtfully. “So it’s not just about dying and being reborn. It’s about choice. About what they carry forward and what they leave behind.”
The sky begins to lighten with the first hints of dawn, and I feel some of my earlier anxiety settling. The responsibility is still there, but it feels more manageable and shared between us, less of a burden than it did before.
“We should try to get some more sleep,” I suggest, stifling a yawn. “Who knows what today will bring?”
“Probably chaos,” Torin grins, his geometric markings glowing faintly.
“Definitely chaos,” Bram agrees, helping me up from my chair.
“Good thing chaos is kind of our specialty now,” Tate adds, pulling me close as we head back inside.
