14. Ivy
14
IVY
The forest grows darker and more oppressive the deeper we walk. Something about it feels different now - like reality hasn’t quite settled back into place here. Or maybe it’s just my new Death senses picking up on things I couldn’t feel before.
“Far enough?” Tate asks as we reach a clearing about half a mile from where Morrigan is bound.
I nod, trying to ignore the cacophony of voices in my head. The souls are restless, eager to be set free again. “This should work.”
“How many are you going to summon?” Torin asks, scanning our surroundings warily.
“Ten,” I decide. “A small test group. Enough to see how they respond to commands without being overwhelming.”
“And you can control which ones you call?” Tate’s voice holds a hint of concern.
I shoot him a wry smile. “Guess we’ll find out.”
Closing my eyes, I reach into the void where the souls are contained. It’s like dipping my hand into a churning ocean of darkness. Countless entities brush against my consciousness - some ancient and terrible, others more recently claimed. I try to be selective, grabbing for souls that feel more... manageable.
“Um, Ivy?” Torin’s voice holds a note of alarm.
My eyes snap open to find not ten, but dozens of spectral forms materialising around us. Fuck.
“That’s more than ten,” Tate observes dryly.
“Really?” I mutter, sarcasm dripping from the word as I struggle to maintain control. The souls press in around us, their ethereal forms flickering with barely contained violence. I can feel their hunger for freedom, their desire to break free of Death’s control.
A massive warrior spirit lunges forward, spectral sword raised. Before I can react, Torin steps between us, his vampire speed letting him intercept the attack. His hand passes through the spirit’s form, but his mage magick crackles, forcing it back.
“Stop right there!” I command, channelling every ounce of Death’s authority I can muster. “Stand down, all of you!”
To my surprise, they actually listen. The warrior backs off, lowering his weapon. The other spirits settle into loose formation around us, waiting.
“Well,” I say, trying to hide my relief, “at least they can follow basic commands.”
“Great,” Torin mutters. “Now what?”
I straighten my spine, surveying my supernatural army. “Now we see what they can do, and more importantly, if they’ll actually fight for us when the time comes.”
But as I look at their hungry, violent faces, I wonder if I’m making a huge mistake. These aren’t soldiers - they’re monsters.
And I just might be unleashing hell.
There is only one way to find out, though.
The spirits shift restlessly, their forms rippling like heat waves in the air. Each one radiates different levels of malevolence, and I realise with growing unease that I can feel their crimes, their darkness, seeping into my consciousness.
“Right,” I say, trying to project confidence I don’t entirely feel. “Let’s start with something simple. I need to know your capabilities.”
A harsh laugh echoes through the clearing. One of the spirits, a woman with long dark hair and eyes like burning coals, steps forward. “You want to know what we can do, little Death? Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
I meet her gaze steadily. “I wouldn’t have called you if I wasn’t.”
“Liar,” she hisses, but there’s amusement in her tone. “You have no idea what you’ve got yourself into.”
“Then enlighten me,” I challenge. “Who are you?”
“I am Lilith.” She pauses, clearly expecting a reaction. When I roll my eyes, she sneers. “Not that Lilith, you ignorant child. Though I was named for her. I was a witch in life, burned at the stake for crimes that would make your blood run cold.”
“Fascinating,” I drawl. “It’s good to know the witch hunters got something right. But don’t hand me your CV. I need to know if you’ll fight when I command it.”
Another spirit pushes forward. This one is a large man with battle scars crisscrossing his spectral form. “Fight? Of course we’ll fight. It’s what we were born for, what we died for. The question is, what’s in it for us?”
And there it is. The question I’ve been dreading.
“You get to exist outside the void temporarily,” I say. “Isn’t that enough?”
The warrior laughs, the sound like grinding metal. “You think that’s a reward? To be yanked from our eternal rest to fight your battles?”
“Rest?” I scoff. “Is that what you call it? Floating in darkness, reliving your worst moments?”
That gets their attention. The spirits stir uneasily.
“What are you offering?” Lilith Junior asks, her eyes narrowing.
I take a deep breath. This is the moment of truth. “Serve me well in this fight, and I won’t obliterate you all completely.”
“Obliterate?” the warrior snarls. “You don’t have that kind of power.”
“Don’t I?”
He blinks and shifts slightly. None of them really know what I can do. I don’t even know. But as long as they think I can do this stuff, then that’s all I need for now.
I note that the ex-Deaths are silent as the grave. It’s both annoying and a relief. I don’t need them wittering in my ear while I’m trying to be the big bad.
“In case you’ve forgotten, you’re all here because you earned your place in that void. I don’t care if you go back there, or I annihilate each and every one of you. The choice is yours.”
Torin and Tate move in closer to me, their magick crackling in warning as the spirits grow agitated. But I hold my ground.
“Besides,” I continue, “if Life wins this fight, there won’t be any more death. I’m guessing that means, no more of any of you.”
The spirits exchange looks. That got their attention. I can feel their growing understanding of what’s at stake now.
Lilith gives me a searching stare. “You speak of Life as an enemy. Yet isn’t she the natural opposite of Death? The balance?”
“She was,” I say grimly. “But now she wants to upset the natural order completely.”
“And you think you can stop her?” the warrior asks sceptically.
I lift my chin. “With your help? Yes.”
“Prove it,” Lilith challenges. “Prove you’re worthy to command us.”
I feel Tate and Torin tense next to me, ready for a fight. But this isn’t about physical combat.
“You want proof?” I ask softly. “Fine.”
I close my eyes and reach deep into the well of Death’s power. When I open them again, I know they’re completely black, void-dark. My skin becomes translucent, showing the darkness flowing through my veins.
“I am Death,” I say, my voice echoing with the power of all those who came before me. “I hold dominion over your souls. I can grant mercy or eternal torment. The choice is yours.”
The spirits recoil as Death’s essence shimmers all around me. The trees wither around us, moaning and weeping. Lilith takes a step back, her burning eyes widening as she takes in the scene around us.
The warrior drops to one knee, others following his lead. “We serve Death,” he growls. “But make no mistake - we serve for the promise of something better, not out of loyalty.”
“Fair enough,” I say, letting my appearance return to normal. The drain of channelling that much power makes my knees weak, but I refuse to show it. “Now, let’s see what you can actually do.”
A slow, wicked smile spreads across Lilith’s face. “With pleasure.”
She raises her spectral hands, and dark energy crackles between them. The air grows thick with malevolent power as other spirits begin demonstrating their abilities.
The warrior manifests ethereal weapons, his expertise with them evident in every movement. Others show skills ranging from ancient magick to more modern combat techniques.
“Impressive,” Tate murmurs. “But can they affect the physical world?”
As if in answer, Lilith flicks her fingers at him, and he goes flying backwards, hitting a tree and slumping to the ground.
“Does that answer your question?” she asks smugly.
“Do that again, and it’s annihilation time,” I growl. “We are not your enemy.”
A ripple of discontent moves through the spirits, but none challenge me directly.
“What would you have us do, commander ?” Lilith asks, making the title sound like an insult.
I’m about to answer when a familiar voice cuts through the clearing.
“Well, isn’t this cosy?”
My blood runs cold as I turn to see Morrigan standing at the edge of the clearing, her green eyes gleaming with malicious amusement.
“I thought she couldn’t leave her spot,” I hiss at Tate.
“She couldn’t,” he replies grimly. “Something’s changed.”
Morrigan laughs, the sound like breaking glass. “Oh, many things have changed, little Death. Your meddling with time again has had interesting consequences. For me, at least. Or did you forget that I was there?”
The spirits shift restlessly, sensing the power all around her.
“What do you want?” I demand, though I already know the answer.
Her gaze fixes on something behind me. “I think you know exactly what I want.”
I don’t need to turn around to know Bram has appeared. I can feel his presence, feel Morrigan’s power inside him responding to her proximity.
“Still no,” he growls.
Morrigan’s smile turns predatory. “We’ll see about that.” Her eyes sweep over my assembled spirits. “Nice army you have here. Shame if something were to happen to them.”
The threat hangs in the air as tension crackles between us. I can feel the situation balancing on a knife’s edge, ready to explode into violence at any moment.
And somewhere in the back of my mind, I hear David’s voice: “Now you see why we needed them. The real war is about to begin.”