Page 86 of Wild Ivy
“Thanks,” I mutter, feeling pleased, if not a little irritated, that I had the option to begin with. I guess in the grand scheme of things, I was meant to be here. I never would’ve met the guys or become Poison, or Death, or any of those things if I hadn’t been here.
“You’ve done something remarkable, you know. Your parents would be proud.”
“They are,” I say softly, thinking of those intertwined souls in the space between. “I saw them, Aunt Cathy. In the soul space. They were waiting...”
She nods knowingly. “Of course they were. Those two always did have a flair for perfect timing.” She reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “Did you help them transition?”
I nod, throat tight with emotion. “It was beautiful. And hard. But right.”
“Like most important things in life,” she says wisely. We sit in comfortable silence for a moment, drinking our tea and letting memories flow between us.
“I couldn’t have done any of this without you,” I finally say. “You took me in when I was lost, taught me when I needed guidance, believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself, even if it was from the sidelines.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Aunt Cathy’s voice is gentle. “I just gave you a safe place to become who you already were. Everything else was all you.”
“Still.” I meet her eyes. “Thank you. For everything.”
She stands then, moving to one of her many cupboards. “I have something for you. I’ve been saving it for the right moment.” She returns with a wooden box, beautifully carved with symbols of life and death intertwined.
“Your father’s grimoire,” she explains as I open it carefully. “He was working on it for years with spells to help you through life. I found it in the house after… they passed.” She smiles sadly. “There’s room at the back,” Aunt Cathy points out, “for you to add your own discoveries. Especially about the soul space. Future Guardians will need to understand how it works.”
Future Guardians? It hits me when she gives me a lewd wink that she means my children with the guys. I hadn’t even thought about that. Is it even possible? I’m a true immortal. What does that even mean in the cycle that I’m the centre of?
Fucked if I know, but I guess we will find out one day.
For now, I’m happy with the way things are.
“Will you visit?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Wild horses couldn’t keep me away,” she promises. “Besides, someone needs to make sure you’re taking proper care of that herb garden your dad told you to plant.” She taps the book, and I giggle.
“The boys are waiting outside, aren’t they?” Aunt Cathy asks knowingly.
“Yeah. It’s been three days since we came back to tie up the loose ends. I think we got them all.”
“Well, you can always come back if you didn’t,” she points out. “Ramsey and Josh will miss you.”
“I know. I will be back.”
“You’ve found yourself a good team there,” she says, pulling me into a tight hug. “Hold onto that.”
I hug her back. “I love you, Aunt Cathy.”
“I love you too, sweet girl.” She pulls back, wiping away a stray tear. “Now go on. Your new life is waiting.”
The guys are waiting outside, talking amongst themselves and look up when they hear me close the front door.
“Finally,” Tate says, “I was starting to think we’d need to send in a search party.”
“Or someone to help carry all the specialised weapons I’m sure Cathy tried to send with you,” Torin adds with a smile. “That woman is a badass.”
“She is. I just wish I’d known sooner. I thought for a long time she tolerated me because I was her dead brother’s daughter. But I think I was projecting, and she didn’t want to push herself on me. It’s a lot of time lost between two stubborn women.”
“But you are good now,” Bram says. “And there is a lifetime to be family.”
I nod. “I know.”
“You okay?” he asks quietly, gripping my chin and forcing me to look up at him.
