13. Torin
13
TORIN
Ivy’s face hardens as we approach my mother’s car. She’s right - we need to stick together. But part of me wishes I could shield her from whatever fresh hell my mother’s about to unleash.
The back window rolls down smoothly, revealing Mom’s cold blue eyes.
“Darling,” she purrs, ignoring Ivy completely. “Do get in. We have matters to discuss.”
Ivy bristles beside me. “Anything you have to say can be said to all of us.”
Mom’s lip curls. “Death.”
Her eyes never leave Ivy’s, and I see that this was her whole reason for coming. She is aligned with Life in a bid to be a true immortal, and she is checking out the competition.
“You heard?” Ivy drawls, unconcerned. “Did Life send you to have a look, to see if you could spot any weaknesses? Hmm? Too fucking bad, I don’t have any.”
Mom raises an eyebrow. “No? Seems to me you have three.” She holds three fingers up and waggles them.
“Did you just threaten my guys?” Ivy splutters as I press my lips together, trying not to laugh. “You utter bitch. Try it, and you will see who wins that fight.”
Mom’s eyes narrow dangerously. “Such language. I see you’ve been a terrible influence on my son.”
I can’t hold back my snort of laughter this time. “Trust me, it’s the other way around.”
Ivy shoots me an amused glance before turning back to my mother. “Look, we don’t have time for cryptic threats and family drama. Either say what you came to say or fuck off.”
Mom hisses softly but recovers quickly. “Very well. I came to offer you a choice, Torin. Join us—join Life in this fight—and secure your place in the new world order. Or stay with... this,” she waves a dismissive hand at Ivy, “and face extinction.”
“Wow,” I drawl. “Such a tempting offer. Let me think...erm, how about no?”
“Don’t be foolish. You have no idea the power Life wields. Those who stand with her will rule. Those who don’t...” She lets the threat hang in the air.
“Will die?” Ivy asks, arms crossed. “Kind of smacks Life’s agenda right in the big, fat lips, doesn’t it?”
“Pretty much,” I murmur and lock gazes with Tate. Pretty fucking much. Have we just cracked something open here, even if we don’t know what yet? Tate raises an eyebrow as he seems to think so too.
Mom’s eyes flash with rage. “You little cun?—”
“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.