Torn Ivy (Thornfield Supernatural Academy #2)

17. Ivy

17

IVY

The nausea fades as Death’s presence settles in my bedroom. His eye sockets seem to hold galaxies as he studies me.

“What do you mean, it comes from you?” I demand, pulling my oversized t-shirt down self-consciously. “And before you even try it, lay one gross finger on them and I will end you even if it means ending myself in the process.”

Death’s laugh echoes like bones rattling in a tomb. “My dear girl, do you think I care about killing them? No, this is all for your benefit. With regard to your power, did you think your remarkable abilities came from nowhere? The chaos magick that flows through your veins is no accident. It’s evolution.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Evolution of what?”

“Of the most powerful witch bloodline to ever exist.” He waves a skeletal hand, and reality ripples. Suddenly, we’re no longer in my bedroom but in an ancient library, having left the guys back in my bedroom. Books line the walls from floor to ceiling, their spines crackling with ancient power. “You come from my line.” Death moves to one of the shelves, pulling out a massive tome that looks older than time itself. “Many, many generations ago, before I became Death, I was the patriarch of the most powerful witch family in existence.”

The book floats between us, its pages turning on their own until they stop at a family tree. Names and dates spread across the parchment, some so old they’re barely legible.

“Your chaos magick is old power evolved. When you rejected becoming Death while still in the womb, you didn’t just create a cosmic glitch, you transformed our family’s inherent witch magick into something entirely new.”

I stare at the family tree, watching as lines of power pulse through it like veins. My name sits at the bottom, glowing with that familiar pink energy. Above it, through countless generations, the line traces back to… “David Beech.”

“Indeed,” Death says, sounding almost proud. “Our bloodline has always been different. We don’t just use magick; we are magick. But you, my dear descendant, you’ve taken it further than any of us could have imagined.”

“The Ancient Fae magick? Does that have something to do with this evolution?” Despite my anger and fear of this arsehole, he is actually being forthcoming and telling me shit I need to know to kill him. It’s like everyone is always telling me that I roll with the punches, think on my feet, think outside the box. Well, right now, I’m doing all three plus playing along with him, so he will tell me everything and think I’m being amenable—the old double cross.

“The witch magick in our bloodline has always had an affinity for Fae power. Something about the way we perceive and channel energy. But your transformation has merged them completely.”

My head spins as I try to process this. “So I’m not just some cosmic accident? This was all predetermined? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Not predetermined,” Death corrects. “Potential. Our bloodline has always carried the potential for transformation. You’re simply the first to achieve it.”

“But why?” I demand. “Why did it happen to me?”

Death moves closer, and I resist the urge to step back. The stench of darkness and death surrounds him, and it’s truly terrifying. “Because you were strong enough to reject what was meant to be. Strong enough to create something new from something ancient.” He reaches out as if to touch my face, but stops just short. “The chaos magick isn’t fighting your witch nature - it is your witch nature, evolved into something more powerful than either has any right to be. This...” he gestures to the pink energy crackling around me, “this is beyond anything we’ve seen before.”

“So what happens now? What do you want from me?” I ask, watching as my magick reaches out instinctively towards Death’s power. Where they touch, reality shivers. “What does this mean for me?”

“It means, dear girl, that you have choices to make. The power you possess could reshape everything. The natural order, the balance between realms, even death itself.”

“Is that why you want my soul?” I demand. “Because I could potentially fuck up your whole operation?”

Death’s laugh echoes through the library. “Oh no. I want your soul because it’s the key to something far greater than mere death and souls.” He waves his hand again, and we’re back in my bedroom. “But that’s a revelation for another time.”

“Wait!” I call as he starts to fade. “I have more questions!”

“Of course you do,” his voice echoes as he disappears. “But some answers must be earned, not given.”

“Well, that was fucking helpful.”

“Actually,” Bram says thoughtfully, “it was. We know more now than we did before.”

“You heard?”

“We saw. Like it was on TV.”

“That information is valuable,” Torin says. “It explains why you can do things no other supernatural can. Why your power feels both ancient and new.”

I look down at my hands, watching the pink energy dance between my fingers. “It doesn’t explain everything, though. Why now? Why did the power wait until now to manifest?”

“Maybe it didn’t,” Tate suggests. “Maybe it’s been there all along, just dormant. Your shifting ability when it evolved to include the vines could be part of it, an expression of the power before it fully awakened.”

“So, what do we do with this information?” I ask, looking between the three men who have become so essential to my existence.

“We use it,” Bram says simply. “Knowledge is power, and now we know your magick isn’t just random chaos - it’s inherited power that’s evolved. That means it can be understood and controlled. It’s not what everyone seems to think it is. It is chaos, yes, but it’s not complete entropy.”

“And what about Death?” Torin asks the question we’re all thinking. “What’s his real game here?”

I shake my head, remembering the way our power had resonated when it touched. “I don’t know. But I get the feeling we’ve only scratched the surface of what he’s planning.”

Tate pulls me closer, his magick wrapping around mine soothingly. “Whatever it is, we will figure it out. This revelation is surprising but, truthfully, not that unexpected.”

I lean into his embrace, feeling the other guys move closer, too. Their presence grounds me and helps me focus through the whirlwind of revelations.

“He said some answers must be earned,” I murmur. “I think it’s time we started earning them.”

“How?” Torin asks.

A slow smile spreads across my face as an idea forms. “By doing what I do best - causing chaos. But this time, with purpose.”

The pink energy surges around me, stronger than ever now that I understand its origin. I’m not just some cosmic glitch or random accident. I’m the evolution of an ancient power.

“Death wants to play games?” I say, watching as my power responds to my intent, creating patterns in the air that look like constellations being born. “Then let’s show him how chaos really works.”

They know as well as I do that this changes everything, not just what we know about my power but also how we approach using it.

I’m done being reactive. Done letting others dictate the rules of engagement. I might be Death’s descendant, but I’m also something entirely new.

And it’s time to show everyone exactly what that means.

After I crash and sleep until I can’t sleep anymore.