Chapter 30 Ivy
IVY
The second test at Freya's apothecary went better than Ivy had dared hope. Much better.
"Ready?" Freya asked, positioning herself near a small table where she'd placed a broken violin string wrapped with what looked like Sebastian's binding magic. A practice target, something safe to test the free-song's effectiveness without risking Ivy's own magical connections.
Ivy nodded, settling her guitar across her lap and finding the familiar chord progressions she'd worked out with Moira and the others. "Ready."
"Remember," Twyla said from her position near the protective circle they'd drawn in salt and crushed herbs, "if you feel any backlash starting, stop immediately. Better to try again tomorrow than end up unconscious."
"I know." Ivy took a steady breath and began the opening notes of her free-song.
The melody came easier this time, her voice finding the magical frequencies that would unravel binding threads without the hesitation that had marked yesterday's attempt. She could feel the power building in her chest, warm and bright rather than the cold possession of Sebastian's magic.
"I will name myself, I claim my voice," she sang, directing the energy toward the hexed violin string. "I speak my truth, I am making my choice."
The string began to smoke.
"No binding contains what I release
No contract holds my inner peace."
Black threads became visible around the violin string, the remnants of Sebastian's magic made manifest as Ivy's free-song took hold. They writhed like living things, fighting against her power.
"The words I sang in dark days
Are reduced to ashes now, the magic frays."
The binding threads snapped one by one, each break accompanied by a small flash of light. Ivy felt the magic flow through her cleanly, no backlash or burning in her throat like yesterday's test.
"I am my own, I am singing free
My voice, my will, my destiny."
The last thread dissolved, and the violin string crumbled to ash that scattered in the breeze from the apothecary's open windows. The oppressive weight of Sebastian's magic was simply gone, leaving behind clean air and the satisfied hum of successful spell-work.
"Well," Freya said after a moment of stunned silence. "That was considerably more effective than earlier."
"No backlash at all," Diana observed, checking Ivy over with the careful attention of someone monitoring for magical exhaustion. "How do you feel?"
Ivy flexed her fingers, rolled her shoulders, tested her voice with a few clear notes. "Good. Better than good, actually. Like something that's been pressing on my chest for months just lifted."
"That's because it has," Moira said, studying the ash that had been the hexed violin string. "The binding magic is completely gone. Whatever Sebastian did to that string, your free-song unraveled it entirely."
Relief flooded through Ivy's system, loosening tension she'd been carrying so long she'd forgotten what it felt like to breathe without restriction. The free-song worked. Really worked, not just in theory but in practice.
"So the real performance should go even smoother," Twyla said, beginning to clean up their testing materials. "You'll be singing to break your own bindings rather than artificial constructs."
"About that," Ivy said, setting her guitar aside carefully. "I want to speak with the Council first. Formally request permission for a public dissolution ceremony."
"Permission?" Diana's eyebrows rose. "You don't need permission to free yourself from illegal bindings."
"No, but I want their official sanction.
I want it on record that Hollow Oak's supernatural authority approved of my methods and witnessed my choice.
" Ivy stood, brushing salt from her knees.
"Sebastian's going to claim I violated the terms of our original contracts by breaking them unilaterally.
But if the Council observes the ceremony and rules it legitimate, his legal standing becomes much weaker. "
"Smart," Freya approved. "Cover your bases legally as well as magically."
"When do you want to meet with them?" Moira asked.
"Today, if possible. I want this settled before Sebastian has time to prepare counter-measures."
Twyla was already reaching for her phone. "I'll call Varric. He'll want to hear about your test results anyway."
An hour later, Ivy found herself in the Council Glade.
"Miss Lane," Elder Varric said, settling into his carved chair with the other four Council members arranged around him. "Twyla mentioned you've made progress with your research into dissolution magic."
"I have. I've successfully developed and tested a free-song that can unravel Sebastian Crowe's binding contracts without permanent damage to either party." Ivy kept her voice steady and professional. "I'm requesting Council approval to perform this magic in a public ceremony."
"Public ceremony?" Emmett leaned forward with interest. "What did you have in mind?"
"Tomorrow night, at the festival stage. In front of the entire community, with Council oversight to ensure everything is conducted legally and ethically."
"Why public?" asked Elder Bram, his pale eyes sharp with suspicion. "Dissolution magic is dangerous enough without adding the pressure of an audience."
"Because Sebastian's power over me has always been about control and humiliation. He silenced me publicly to prove his dominance. I want to reclaim my voice just as publicly to prove his contracts have no hold over me."
"And if something goes wrong?" Varric's voice carried genuine concern. "If the magical backlash is stronger than your tests predicted?"
"Then I'll face the consequences of my own choices instead of the consequences of his.
" Ivy met each Council member's gaze in turn.
"I've been running from Sebastian Crowe for months.
I've tried hiding, tried legal challenges through mundane authorities, tried simply hoping the distance would weaken his magic enough for me to break free naturally.
None of it worked. This is my choice to make, and I'm making it. "
The Council members exchanged glances, some kind of silent communication passing between them. Finally, Varric nodded slowly.
"The magical theory is sound?"
"Moira Marsh has reviewed my work extensively. The free-song targets binding threads specifically while leaving natural magical connections intact."
"And you've tested it successfully?"
"Multiple times. The most recent test showed complete dissolution of Sebastian's magic with no adverse effects."
"What safeguards are you planning for the actual ceremony?"
Ivy hesitated, then decided on honesty. "Whatever protections I can arrange. Healing potions, protective circles, medical support in case of magical exhaustion."
"What about ward-work? Sigil reinforcement of the performance area?"
"I... hadn't considered that level of preparation."
Varric's expression was unreadable. "The festival stage has been reinforced with advanced protective magic since yesterday evening. Absorption runes, deflection wards, amplification sigils. Whoever did the work knew what they were doing."
Ivy's breath caught. "Someone warded the stage?"
"Someone who cares about your safety more than your permission," Emmett said with what might have been amusement. "The magical protections are comprehensive and unobtrusive. They won't interfere with your casting, but they'll absorb backlash and defend against external interference."
Dorian. It had to be Dorian, working with Moira probably, making sure she'd be as safe as possible during the ceremony without trying to control her decision to go through with it.
"The Council approves your request," Varric announced. "Tomorrow night, under our oversight, you may perform your dissolution ceremony. We'll witness the breaking of Sebastian Crowe's contracts and enter our findings into the official record."
"Thank you." Relief made Ivy's voice slightly hoarse. "I won't disappoint you."
"You couldn't," Varric said gently. "You're taking control of your own fate instead of waiting for others to rescue you. That kind of courage always deserves recognition."
As the Council session concluded and Ivy prepared to leave the glade, she found herself thinking about those protective wards someone had carved into the stage. Dorian had found a way to support her choice without overriding it, to help without controlling.
Maybe there was hope for them after all. But first, she had to free herself from Sebastian's bindings once and for all.
Tomorrow night, in front of everyone who mattered, she would sing herself free.