Chapter 38 #2
Ivy nodded, pride shining through her tears. “I did. And you are awakened. By the Six, Gisela.”
Orion’s face was slack, glancing back and forth between them. “How could you hide this from me? I’m your husband.”
“Please, Orion. You must understand the danger I would have put you in. Especially as Village Lord—”
“How long?” he asked, pain in his voice. “How long have you been a Mystic?”
Ivy met his gaze, her heart heavy with the truth.
“I met you when we were twenty,” he said slowly. “Were you already a Mystic then?”
Ivy nodded, tears welling up. “I’m sorry, Orion. I loved you and I couldn’t risk—”
“What about me?” Noah interrupted. “Is this going to happen to me?”
“Not necessarily,” Gisela replied.
Vivi sat silently, absorbing the revelations.
Orion paced, dragging his hands down his face.
“There are more pressing matters,” Gisela said. “The King is letting everything fall apart, and these beasts . . . something bigger is at work. We can’t keep pretending he’s going to bring the Stones back.”
Ivy sipped her tea, gathering her thoughts. “Helena . . . she knew this would happen. She came to warn me. I didn’t believe her.”
Gisela nodded. She had seen that warning.
In her dream.
“I know her husband and daughter. They’ve been helping me.”
“Helena was my best friend. I learned herbalism there, eventually taking over before meeting your father. Helena was engaged at the same time, and we went our separate ways. But she came here to warn me about what she had learned. I couldn’t leave. I hoped she was wrong.”
Gisela’s mind raced.
“Helena had been trying to grant Mystics safe passage to Mystic Isle,” Gisela said. “But the King has been forcing awakenings. He’s corrupting the bond entirely.”
Ivy’s hands were shaking, seemingly communicating with Glacia.
“I’ve had no communication with the King aside from his men searching for Thorne Alderose,” Orion said, still pacing. “Every raven, every messenger I’ve sent has gone unanswered.”
“Do you know where Thorne is?” Ivy asked.
“He’s been with me,” Gisela said.
Noah scrunched his face in disgust. “Thorne? Gisela, he’s been nothing but trouble our whole lives.”
“You don’t know him, Noah,” Gisela snapped.
Noah recoiled but didn’t push back.
Ivy studied her daughter, her eyes narrowing. “You’re in love with him.”
“We’re Soulbound.”
Ivy gasped.
Orion finally halted, fingers rubbing his temples. “What does that mean?”
“It means we’re . . . tied together. Mind and body. We can speak to each other through our minds when we’re close by.”
Gisela’s family was stunned into silence.
“I know this is a lot,” Gisela continued. “But I needed to come here. I needed to make sure you were all okay.”
Gisela told her family everything.
Orion listened with care, his fingers absently drumming against the wooden armrest of his chair.
All his life, he had been fed lies about Mystics, believing them to be dangerous and a risk to humanity.
One had lived under his roof for years. Now the burden of that truth rested with his daughter as well.
Ivy, who had worn a careful mask for decades, was visibly relieved. Her hand rested lightly on Orion’s, a simple yet genuine reminder of the bond they have.
Gisela’s heart warmed at the sight. Her father loved his family unconditionally, and seeing it now grounded her.
Noah, her brother and best friend, leaned forward, eyes bright, absorbing every word. She could sense his pride in the woman she had become, but she also felt the weight of his concern.
The conversation stretched into hours. The soft crackle of the fireplace filled the room as Gisela described Mystic Isle.
Ivy’s posture stiffened with every mention.
Once Vivi had drifted off to sleep in Orion’s arms, Gisela pressed a gentle kiss to her little sister’s forehead, feeling the warmth of her soft hair against her lips before Orion left to put her to bed.
Noah hugged Gisela fiercely, and she could feel the unspoken understanding that she would need to return to Aquamere that night—or risk not going back at all.
Before going to sleep, Orion pulled Gisela into his chest and rubbed her head. “I hope you know I love you, no matter what. We’ll figure this out. I won’t let them hurt another Mystic again. Not in my village.”
Gisela’s relief swelled, a bright, fierce light inside her. She had the push she needed, the motivation to fight for the people she loved and the world they deserved.
Ivy was the last to leave, and Gisela seized the opportunity to speak with her mother in private.
“I told you I came here through the Guardian Tree. Do you know how I’m able to do that?”
Ivy shook her head, curiosity sparking in her eyes.
“It’s because I’m descended from the First-born Mystics. Which means you are too.”
“I didn’t know that. My father left my mother when she was pregnant. He was a Mystic. When he found out, he left shortly after.”
Gisela pulled her mother close, feeling the tremor in her frame. She held her for a moment longer than usual, then pulled back to meet her eyes.
“I’m scared for you,” Ivy whispered.
“I’m scared too,” Gisela admitted. “But I have the best people on my side. When this is all over, I can’t wait for you to meet them.”
“Can I walk you to the tree?”
“No. It’s dangerous out there. I froze a lot of the beasts, but there could be more.”
Ivy laughed, raising a brow. “Do you think I don’t know how to use my power? It’s been far too long since I have, but it was formidable, thank you very much.”
“The power is weak here though.”
“Gisela, I have decades of power lying dormant in my body. It’s time it came out.”
The crunch of snow beneath their boots echoed in the silent night. Gisela’s heart ached with every step she took to the tree. She didn’t want to leave her family. Not yet.
But she could go back to Aquamere with a renewed sense of relief.
They reached the clearing.
Ivy saw the bodies of the creatures, scattered around. “You’ve outdone yourself, my girl.”
Gisela let out a breathy laugh.
Ivy lifted her gaze to the Guardian Tree. Her lips pressed tight, holding back the swell of sadness.
“I love you,” Gisela said, pulling her mother in for one last hug.
Ivy clung to her, her fingers digging into the fabric of Gisela’s cloak.
She asked her mother one final question. “Where did he go?”
“Who?” Ivy said, tilting her head.
“Your father. Where did he go when he left? Do you know?”
“Mystic Isle.”
Gisela’s face paled. The thought that had lived in the back of her mind surged forward. “Do you know his name?” she asked, hesitantly, but she feared she already knew the answer.
“Darian.”
Gisela clenched her teeth so hard she thought they would break. Before she could process the revelation, a rustling sound came from the bushes behind Ivy.
A daunting figure stepped into view, silhouetted against the moonlit clearing.
His face was a disturbing sight—half of it was burnt beyond recognition, the charred skin twisted into a grotesque mask. The other half retained the harsh, familiar features of someone she knew, the remnants of long black hair hanging in uneven strands.
“Gisela and Ivy Valor. What a lovely surprise,” Cillian Alderose said, his tone dripping with malice.
“Cillian,” Ivy nodded, keeping her tone steady though her fingers trembled. “We were out here seeing if there were any plants to salvage for the shop.”
“At this hour?” He stepped closer, boots crunching on the frosty ground, one hand resting on the hilt at his side.
“Well, you’re out here Cillian,” Gisela shot back. “Why is that?”
“I came to collect Selene. Seems my wife’s gone missing,” he said, his tone clipped.
“It’s fortunate I’m here. Had these beasts not frozen to death, they might’ve killed you.
” A ghost of something like regret flickered in his one good eye, though his scarred side remained a frozen mask.
“But now that you’re here, you’re under arrest for aiding and hiding a Mystic. Who just so happens to be my son.”
“He’s not here. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Do not reveal yourself,” Eira’s voice whispered in Gisela’s mind, icy and calm. “There is opportunity.”
She took a step closer to Ivy and leaned close to her ear. “If he takes me, you have to let me go. Don’t reveal yourself.”
Ivy’s lips pressed together, and she gave a faint shake of her head.
Gisela gave her a firm nod, grounding herself in the certainty of the plan.
“Do you think you haven’t been seen with him? You were in Aquamere together,” Cillian pressed, stepping so close that the shadow of his figure merged with hers.
Gisela hesitated, not knowing how much Cillian truly knew.
“Well, I doubt it was you who saw me. It doesn’t look like you can see much at all,” Gisela taunted.
Cillian’s fury twisted his scarred face. “Vaughn,” he spat. “Such a weak excuse for a man. He gave you away with very little effort.”
“Little shit,” Gisela muttered. She attempted to reach Thorne through their bond, but the connection felt impossibly distant.
“Eira, I can’t reach Thorne.”
“He is too far away, but he is coming. They know you are here,” Eira responded.
“Come quietly,” Cillian said, restraining his anger. “And I won’t have to hurt you too badly.”
“You touch my daughter, Cillian, and I will hurt you myself,” Ivy threatened.
“Threatening the King’s guard, Ivy? Tsk tsk. You know better than that,” Cillian mocked.
A group of armed men emerged from the shadows, the glint of their weapons catching the dim moonlight.
“It’s okay, Mother,” Gisela whispered and took a cautious step toward him.
Cillian lunged. The iron hilt struck the base of her skull. Pain flared, stars exploded in her vision, and she crumpled to the ground, barely conscious.
“Gisela!” Ivy screamed, the sound cracking the still night air. She staggered back as the guards formed a barricade around Gisela.
“Ivy, go home to your pathetic husband.” Cillian hoisted Gisela’s limp form over his shoulder. The winter wind whipped through the clearing as he hauled her toward the iron-bound carriage, the door slamming shut with a final, echoing thud.