Tossing more ideas into the ether, so I was thinking of the whole trip where Edicus maneuvers his way with Issa. The night before the shanenighans she is visited by Aaron -- dream or what not, not sure yet, anyhoos--Aaron tells her to let him go, that he will always be with her. She refuses to. He then warns her that he'll be forever changed by what she is doing and not to go through with it. Again, she says she can't let him go. The following day she asks Edicus if Aaron will be altered in some way from the ceremony. Edicus tells her that personality wise he'll be the same but he will suffer lasting side effects--nerve related--when he is brought back to life. Even knowing this, Issa goes ahead with her plans.