Page 73 of Wild Ivy
“So we’re doing this?” Ivy asks.
“We’re doing this,” I confirm.
“Together,” Torin adds firmly.
“Always,” Tate seals it with a kiss to her temple.
Here at MistHallow, where ancient magick runs deep, and secrets are meant to be unravelled, we’ll learn to be what the universe needs us to be.
But more importantly, we’ll learn to be ourselves - together, balanced, complete.
The way it was always meant to be.
38
IVY
The healing wingof MistHallow is quiet in the early morning hours. I’ve been standing outside Lila’s room for ten minutes, trying to gather my courage.
Vex said she was asking to see me, but that was a few days ago. I was unconscious, but it still makes me feel guilty for not coming sooner.
But at the same time, I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready.
How do you face someone whose life you inadvertently helped destroy? Someone who was possessed and tortured because of their connection to you? The guilt sits heavy in my chest, a constant weight I can’t seem to shake.
You can do this. For Lila.
The guys offered to come with me, but this is something I need to do alone. Some conversations need to happen without witnesses.
Taking a deep breath, I push open the door.
Lila is sitting up in bed, looking through what appears to be one of MistHallow’s textbooks. She’s still pale, but there’s colour in her cheeks now, and her hands no longer flicker betweenrealities. Her hair is pulled back in a messy bun, and she’s wearing one of the academy’s soft grey sweaters.
She looks up as I enter, and for a moment, we just stare at each other. The last time I saw her conscious, she was being controlled by Life, her eyes cold and cruel. Now they’re just Lila’s eyes. The warm brown I remember from years of friendship, currently filled with uncertainty and something that looks like hope.
“Ivy,” she says softly, closing her book. “You came.”
“Yeah.” My voice cracks. “I’m sorry it took me so long.”
“Don’t be. I understand.” She gestures to the chair beside her bed. “Will you sit?”
I move to the chair, perching awkwardly on its edge. Up close, I can see the faint traces Life left behind as subtle silver scars that spiral up Lila’s arms like frost patterns, remnants of being used as a vessel for such powerful, corrupted energy.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, then immediately want to kick myself. What a stupid question.
But Lila just gives me a small smile. “Better. Professor Blackthorn’s healing methods are intense, but effective. The episodes are less frequent now.”
“Episodes?”
She looks down at her hands. “Sometimes I still slip. Between realities. It’s like echoes of what she did to me. But they’re getting shorter, easier to control.”
Guilt crashes over me in a fresh wave. “Lila, I’m so sorry. If I had known?—”
“Stop.” Her voice is firm. “This isn’t your fault, Ivy. None of it was your fault.”
“But she chose you because of me. Because we were close.”
“She chose me because I was vulnerable and available,” Lila corrects. “And because she was a monster who enjoys destroying beautiful things. You didn’t make her do any of it.”
