Returning to the house where they first met Lucile is bittersweet. Zye wants nothing more than to meet with the being that craves release. As promised, she’s waiting for them when they step out of the portal. At the same time, this world is rather dreary.
The world is as they left it; dark, overclouded, and with the rumble of thunder crawling through the sky. The onslaught of rain is threatening as they stride over to the shadows of the side of the house where Lucile waits.
Her azure dots that make a shape of her eyes seem to widen at their approach. She keeps her arms, and tendrils, at her sides as they do. “I have tabs on him.”
Jace nods, “Then we’d like you to take him to us. Is there a way you can do that?”
“Of course. He’s here albeit some distance away.”
Zye shoots Jace a look. He knows the man didn’t mean for there to be a coincidence, however, it’s still odd. Jace gives half a shrug back at him.
“Hax opened the portal that brought us here. Maybe he knew something we didn’t.”
“Figures. So, let them know and we can get going.”
Callua gives a hum of thought as she steps up to Lucile. “Don’t take us too close.”
“I don’t dare get close at all. If I’m to help you, I can’t afford to be cleansed yet.”
“And why value helping any of us to begin with? You could have gone on into the cycle and reincarnated already.”
Lucile’s form seems to shrink ever-so-slightly. Her tendrils shiver as she meets Callua’s gaze the best she can. “It was for Hax’s research, to help others. Besides, most run from me.”
Callua hums in understanding. “I suppose that does make sense. With how things are, we don’t usually run in teams how we should. And we’re not calling for our Keepers as much.”
Jace, having been speaking with Celeste privately, gestures to the portal opening behind them. Aster steps out and mossies over to them. “Then let’s get this fixed sooner rather than later.”
Placing his hands on his hips, Aster comes to stand next to Zye. “Are we ready to…is, uh, is this the one you were talking about?”
Lucile remains quiet. She seems to think leaving it to Jace is the safer option regardless of how obvious it is.
“She is.”
“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Lucile. If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”
“That is very kind of you. Thank you.”
The smile he wears is blinding and smooth. It both feels empty and gives comfort at the same time. Despite the strange lull of silence, Lucile half turns toward the shadows of the house.
“Are we leaving?”
“Actually, before we leave I wanted to make amends. Get something off my chest.”
Zye glances over his shoulder with one hand shoved into his pocket. “Go ahead. Or did you want to talk privately with one of us?”
“No…it’s fine. I wanted to tell you something was all.”
“Me? You haven’t done anything.”
“I have. I was on duty to keep watch over you the night that you died. Orion said to not let you out of my sight since Hax’s fingerprints were all over your soul.”
“And?”
“And I wanted to run in and beat the shit out of that Nether. He told me to wait and I did. It’s not normal for them to behave like that, at least not that we know of. And I just…let it happen. So if you hate me, I get it.”
Callua gives a shrug as she turns her back to Aster, eying Lucile. “I guess we don’t know a lot of things, hm?”
“Yes. If there are any questions and I can help, I’ll try my best.”
Aster laughs. His hand claps against the back of his neck, rubbing at it. “Yeah, we’re pretty slow on the uptake you could say. And sorry for being on edge with you. I saw Callua with you once and when I found out she was with the Surge, well…”
Turning to wink at him, Callua finally gives him her attention. “You’re not the only snake in the grass, you know.”
“Hah! Got that right. And you’re way better at it. I mean, I figured Adrian wouldn’t lie to me when he said you were trustworthy.”
“Why’s that?”
“We’ve known each other for a while. I actually met him on a mission forever ago before the big split happened. But, back to my point, sorry.”
Zye shakes his head. “It’s fine, Aster. Really. Are you ready to go?”
“Sure. I’ll be on the lookout for you when you head in. Message if you need me. I know this isn’t exactly a bed of roses you’re all walking into.”
“We’ll be fine. Are you sure you can handle it?”
Aster rolls his eyes at Zye’s tease. “Of course. I put in the work after I was told I needed to train more, blah, blah, blah.”
Jace turns away from the quiet conversation he’s been having with Lucile. “If you want any tips, let me know. Our styles aren’t too different.”
“Other than the fire? Sure. Maybe one day. If you three do your jobs we won’t have to worry.”
“Then let’s hurry. The longer we wait, the more of a chance something else happens.”
Aster gives a questionable look at the fact that this is the place Daichi is. Regardless, he says nothing else. Jace, however, returns his gaze to Lucile.
“You can take us through whichever path has the fewest prying eyes.”
Lucile turns, beginning to lead them to where Daichi is holed up. As they all begin to file in line after her, Zye holds back. He glances over at Aster in an attempt to catch the man’s gaze. Once he has, he asks, “Is he doing okay?”
“Orion? He’s fine. I’ll make sure of it. I think he’s worried about everything. He hasn’t been talking to me as much.”
“Ah…gotcha.”
“Just focus on this. Celeste and the others will show up if needed. Not that I think it will be.”
“Why’s that?”
“You have a one-man army with you and his healer. Those two can probably handle more than Ilista. Don’t worry too much.”
Zye nods and watches as Aster quickens his pace to join Callua’s side. He ambles slowly after them until they jump to the roof of a building that hasn’t been destroyed. He takes a deep breath and follows after.
As they make their way, Jace allows Aster and Callua to take the lead behind Lucile. He’d rather stay next to Zye and make sure he’s doing alright. While he knows he’s trained and has the stamina to keep up, he enjoys the time together. Even if it’s not under the best circumstances.
Together they run and hop from building to street and then back to another building. While they do, Jace is quick to make sure the jewel clasped to his coat has enough of his energy to cover them both. He knows far too well that Zye hasn’t quite figured out how to mask his presence.
Before either man is ready, they arrive on the roof across from an abandoned theater. It looks dangerous to go into even from this distance. The crackles of thunder through the sky above them aren’t helping. Jace holds out Zye’s jacket to him.
“What’s that for?”
“Remember, the less of your markings he sees the better. While most don’t know of the ones on the back, everyone knows about the arm.”
“I’m wearing a long-sleeved shirt?”
“And it’s cut short.” Jace proves his point by hooking the tip of his finger under the belt cinched around the bottom of the crop top.
“I don’t plan on doing show and tell, it’ll be fine.”
Despite that, Zye does begin to shrug into the jacket. He tugs it close and flips the hood up considering it’s already starting to sprinkle. He doesn’t need to give Daichi a reason to give him something else to wear because he’s wet.
He watches Lucile shrink backward, further out of view than the rest of them. “Are you going to be okay?”
“I will be fine and watching from here.”
“Did you need any more light?”
“No. Thank you, I’ll be fine until you all are out.”
“I’ll be here, too. And if I’m not, I’ll always have someone in my place,” adds Aster.
Jace draws his hood up as well at the feeling of droplets hitting his face. “Be careful.”
Aster smirks back at him. “Don’t want me getting hurt? I appreciate the sentiment.”
To the side of them, Zye is already moving. He tugs on the side of Jace’s cloak before jumping off the roof. It’s never not going to be strange that he can withstand doing so. Or even making the leap when a normal human wouldn’t be able to.
“The sooner we’re in, the sooner I can leave.” Zye glances back up at Jace. It warms his chest when the man smiles back at him.
Those silver eyes never leave him while he finishes talking to the two of them. “It should take a couple of days at most. Cal, stay here and wait for Daichi to message for you.”
Aster shoves his hands into his pockets. “Haaa…just go before I change my mind. Don’t die on me before I can get there if there’s an emergency.”
Callua shifts closer to Aster while Jace hops down to join Zye. Together, they walk across the debris-strewn street. Rubble, pieces of trees, tipped-over strange-looking cars— it all gets in their way as they head to the theater. Right before they get there, Jace lightly knocks the back of his hand against Zye’s.
“It’ll be okay. Quick and easy.”
“Yeah.”
The sidewalk grows closer. Zye knows he can’t do anything that someone might see— something that might jeopardize their mission. Yet he wants to grab that hand so close to his and run away from this. It’d be so much easier to let someone else handle it.
Steeling himself, Zye glances over at Jace as they step onto the sidewalk. He’s going to apologize or change the plan. He wants to so badly. And yet when those silver eyes meet his, he can’t.
Jace has worked so hard to keep them all safe. He can’t throw that away when they have the perfect in on this. The perfect way for Daichi to let his guard down and not pay attention to what Jace or Callua are doing.
Noticing the strange glint in Zye’s gaze, Jace reaches out for him. He wants to pry and yet Zye is quickening his stride. There’s an anxiousness to the gait that takes him to the front doors. The awning stretching out above them is mostly intake and saves them from the rain that begins to pour down.
He doesn’t want to start a conversation here. It’s not safe. The only thing Jace can do is push one of the doors open and step inside. The small entry hall allows them both to fit inside and shut the door. If only to come face-to-face with two people standing guard.
Zye tries not to stare. Then again, it’s rather hard when a woman at his height has short, pointed ears. Not to mention the pale pink skin. Her attire is made up of black with a dark red half-skirt cinched around her waist.
The fiercest thing about her isn’t her tall, slender frame or sharp, angled horn on the right side of her head. It’s her eyes. The dark gaze catches him off guard. Whether she sees through what they’re about to present or is merely suspicious, he can’t tell.
Next to her is a person about Xerxes’s height. Any hair they have is tucked up into the yellow and orange baseball hat. Two overlapping suns are patched onto the front while a hole is punched into the bill of the hat.
Their attire is vastly different than the pink woman. While hers is airy and light in appearance despite the dark colors, this other person has one that looks heavy. From the thick trench coat with its sleeves cut off to the steel-toed boots that could fall apart any second.
Zye glances away from their bright blue eyes. They’re so clear that they remind him of the water near the house during the afternoon sun. A place he’d much rather be right now.
Both of their gazes turn to Jace. The girl plants her hands on her hips. “Sorry, sir. But even you can’t just come in.”
“Then call for Daichi. He’ll be happy to know I found who he was looking for.”
She nods and hurries off. The soft click of the heels on a dusty floor is all they’re left with. The one left behind stands in their way with arms crossed over their chest. They’re blocking the way as they’ve been told to do.
Not that either of them plans to barge in. They can wait for her to return. It doesn’t take long, either. Before they know it, the woman is returning with Daichi on her heels with his loud footsteps resounding through the entryway.
Zye doesn’t get a chance to move away. There’s a flurry of movement and a splash of purple in his vision before arms wrap around him. Being yanked into this hug, he can see the soft brown hair he remembers all too well. What he doesn’t is the feeling of horns poking against him as he’s clung to.
Every nerve in his body bristles and screams at him to run.
Except he can’t.
He has to try and not screw this up. A loose hug in return is as much as he can do. Anything to not reveal he doesn’t want to be here. Not that Daichi seems to notice in the slightest. He’s far too overjoyed to catch the look in Zye’s eyes as their gazes briefly meet.
Pushing away, Daichi grabs at Zye’s arms. He glances over his shoulder. “Livi, Caz, make sure everyone knows that he’s off limits. Anyone touches him, I can’t promise I’ll be lenient.”
The smile on his face is one that Zye remembers all too well. Long, thin, and not as comforting as it used to be. When he’s faced with it again, he can only try to keep his lips in a straight line.
“Daichi, that’s not necessary,” he tries to interject.
The man shakes his head. The short ponytail whips back and forth from the action. “It is! I mean, look at what Soren did! I didn’t think he’d do that and it still happened.” His hands slide down Zye’s arms until they clasp with his clammy palms. “Come on, I’ll show you to our room.”
Zye lets one of those hands lace their fingers together. Daichi tugs him away from Jace before looking at him. “Anything you ever need, you let me know. I’ll make it happen by doing this.”
“I need information.”
“Let me get him settled in and we’ll talk. Wait…is the bond gone or not?”
Jace stays level and calm. “It’s gone. I made sure to check.”
Daichi’s eyes narrow. “Did you now?”
“Would you rather the job not get done? If you want him to stay out of Noctis you’ll need to find someone who can get water from there. Callua should be able to with her connections unless you’ve pissed her off.”
“Fine. Livi, take him to the stage. I’ll be there in a minute. Now, come with me, cutie.”
As Daichi tugs him away, Zye gives Jace a fleeting glance. He doesn’t want to go.
God, he doesn’t.
Two steps into this place and his anxiety is skyrocketing. It’s a good thing he doesn’t need to breathe because he’s sure he would have stopped minutes ago. Not knowing the layout of this place is even worse.
Everything looks the same minus a door broken in or a wall that used to be there but isn’t anymore. Any landmarks he can find, he locks onto while Daichi leads. Then again, he knows if anything did happen he only has to summon a portal. That or call for any one of them to come get him.
The fingers tighten against his own and reminds him to be careful. One wrong move and he’s going to get burned.
Again.
From what Zye can gather, he’s being taken to the back of the theater. Not that he’s ever been into one where plays and such are held. He’s well out of sorts in this building. It’s safe to assume, however, that these are the dressing rooms.
The only problem is that he’s seen no one on the way back here. Even if they’re with Daichi, he’d still prefer to know that there are people around. He’s taken into one of the rooms in the middle of the hall. Daichi quickly ushers Zye inside and shuts the door behind them.
It’s only then that their hands disconnect.
Daichi rushes about the room. He moves things, shoves others, and throws clothes off of the bed. The room itself is already a mess without Daichi living in it. From the peeling red wallpaper, that’s become muted with time, to the obvious holes in the ceiling here and there.
Zye tries not to pay much attention to any of it. Daichi was never a clean person. He always said he could do it later, it was fine. Much like this.
He smiles as he carries a couple of wrinkled towels over to Zye. “They’re clean just, you know me, cleaning isn’t my thing. In case you got too wet out there. It’s been pouring all day.”
“Yeah…thanks, Daichi.”
“I’ll be right back. Let me take care of him and it’ll give us time to catch up.”
“He…um…mentioned Callua?”
“And I’ll make sure she can bring you what you need. I’m sure you’ve missed her. Then again, I bet you didn’t expect her to be like one of us either, huh?”
Zye rubs at the back of his neck while pushing the hood away, “Yeah, that was a surprise.”
It’s not entirely a lie. It was a surprise even if it made sense if he thought more on it.
Watching Daichi leave and the door shut, he has to check. Zye hurries to the door and jiggles the knob. When it turns all of the way and opens, he sighs in relief. He shuts it and crosses back toward the bed. As he does, he sends Jace a message.
“Coming your way.”
“Alright. Stay safe. Reach for me if things cross a line.”
Zye’s aware of what he means. Not that he plans to stay around long enough for it to. Zye finds a chair that’s been toppled over and sets it upright. Once he does, he drapes his wet jacket over it. He tries to spread it out a little and dab it with one of the towels. The other drops to the floor.
Realizing there’s no way to get it dry fast enough, he drags himself over to the bed. He plops down on it and dares to lie back. It’s not very soft. The sheets are thin and they smell a bit musty. Not quite dirty…just old.
Still, it’s a bed and far cleaner than the floor.
Lying there, he wonders if he should try to leave or not. Surely neither Jace nor Daichi want him to attempt to do that. Remaining idle in a room isn’t his favorite thing to do either. At least, not when it’s somewhere Daichi has put him.
Come to me.
The words enter his mind much like a whisper. One like the many he would hear as a child from the shadows he would shrink away from. It comes from the darkness of the room and dares to lure— if not to scare.
Except he knows this voice. And yet, he shouldn’t be able to hear Hax.
Zye can see the light leaving his vision. The black creeps in from the corners. Pinching his eyes shut, he hopes that it’s fixed when he opens them.
It’s not.
He’s met with the sky above him that’s filled with stars and galaxies strewn across it. Zye groans as Hax bends over at the waist, interrupting the pleasant sight.
Zye glares up at him. He promptly sits and then stands up. All while trying to level Hax with the most intimidating look he can muster. Not that anything ever seems to phase this man.
“How the fuck did you do that? Have you always been able to do that? Also, why? That’s pretty rude. What if I was in the middle of fighting!”
Hax gives a small shrug. “And were you?”
“Well…no. But that’s not the point!”
“Right, right,” he begins with a chuckle. “You’re off to take care of Daichi, am I right?”
“Can you…hear things? You’re not eavesdropping on me are you?”
“I respect your privacy.”
“I really don’t believe you but I’ll pretend I do. And yes we are. Why? Regret letting this one loose again?”
“Perhaps I was simply naive and thought everyone deserved a second chance.”
“Or you wanted to pick his brain on what he learned and how he was going to pull it off.”
Another shrug. “Can’t it be both?”
Zye sits back down. He’s exhausted trying to get through a single conversation with Hax. He’d rather train with him than talk. It’s far easier.
“Why did you call me here? I need to get back.”
Hax moves a bit closer, not caring for the distance that Zye put between them. “Why? Is he truly that dangerous?”
“That little weasel will put his hands where they shouldn’t be without my knowing so yes. Talk and let me go.”
He raises an eyebrow while deciding it’s not a subject worth broaching. Not when there’s so much hostility beneath the surface already. “I see. Would you rather I wait to tell you about Soren then?”
“Hurry it up or are you planning on telling me your whole life story about how this is your fault and how sorry you are?”
“I suppose a lot of it is my fault. I’m sure most blame me for what’s happening and I can’t quite argue that. Well, I could but that’s splitting hairs.”
Zye huffs. It’s always like this. Why did he think this time would be any different?
“Look, you did some shit. That doesn’t mean others aren’t responsible for their part, or lack thereof, in it.”
“So he does have a brain.”
“I swear to God I’ll kill you.”
Hax begins to pace around Zye in a tight circle. “Maybe you’ll do better where Charm and I didn’t. I don’t think she wanted to see Kerse lose herself. Nor do I think she ever had planned to lose that fight.”
“Celeste actually had a message for you. They said they’re sorry.”
“Ah…that’s…quite like them. A much better leader than any of us to be honest. So,” Hax comes to a stop behind Zye with a pat on his head, “do you ever tire of being my therapist?”
“I made more mistakes than I care to admit but I still do. And I learn from them sometimes. So give me my damn reward and tell me about Soren.” Zye holds his hand to the side, summoning his sword. “Or I’ll hit you with more than just my fist.”
Hax can’t help smiling at that. Especially since Zye can’t see him. At least, not until Zye tilts his head back with a raised eyebrow. It has Hax pulling away and beginning to walk around him to come to stand in front once more.
“Soren is a special case. I didn’t train him. Callua did at first and then he fell under Charm’s watchful eye because of his unique ability. He wasn’t able to harness it well at first and some are better at teaching than others depending on the magic in question.
“He has the power of sight. It allows him to see ahead for a small blip of time. I believe a few seconds. Jace probably has more information. However, I know Soren. He’s spiteful, angry, and I’m sure he’s honed that ability and found its intricacies.”
“Meaning?”
“Knock him down before he can do anything. Overwhelm with the sheer number of forces.”
“Got it.”
“He’s a very frustrating person to talk to. He hates every one of us above him.”
Zye scoffs, “I’m used to frustrating.”
“And he’ll hate you even more. You just got an easy shot at a bigger power bank than him without having to do anything.”
“Whose fault was that?”
Hax seamlessly ignores the jab. “And do you need anything on Daichi?”
“No. I think I can handle him. And even if something happened, I doubt he’d kill me.”
Turning to give Zye his back, he mumbles low and is thankful that Zye is swaying a bit. He won’t remain here much longer.
“Let him try. I’ll make sure he doesn’t succeed.”
Zye blinks in an effort to take control of whether he’s staying or leaving. He heard part of that— he heard that right, didn’t he?
“What?”
“Ah, right. You’re on a time limit. I’ll see you again soon. Maybe not. I do like the peace and quiet. A shame you can’t bring me a book.”
Vision growing fuzzy, Zye flops backward onto the water’s surface. It ripples out around him as if he dropped a boulder through it. He pinches his eyes shut and tries to let it take him away.
Don’t fight against it.
“I really hate you sometimes,” he mumbles before he’s ripped back to reality.
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Following Livi into the theater area, Jace watches as the pink and magenta tail sways back and forth. He’s led down the middle aisle where he’s given a sweeping view of both left and right. There are some seats completely missing while others are folded over. Now and then he can spot someone bundled up across two.
Up onto the stage and well away from the earshot of anyone else, Jace watches her closely. She idles with a look on her face proving she wants to say something. But dare she?
He’s seen her around quite a bit. Usually, she hangs near Daichi. Although never participating. Only watching and listening. For that, Jace feels as though he can take a chance.
“You can speak normally with me, it’s fine.”
“Okay. What’s a Keeper doing here? I thought the rumor was that you’re with Soren?”
“I’m not with anyone.”
“Is that so? Kinda gotta be though, right? If you’re not with Soren or Daichi, then who? There’s no place for little rogue stars trying to do the right thing.”
“Would you like to do the right thing?”
She stares over at him— hard. After a moment she exhales and looks down. Fingers clasp together in front of her person. Livi turns her back to the seating, ushering him further up the stage.
They move closer to the curtains that have holes eaten through them by bugs. It’s there that she gives one last glance out. Her short pink hair bobs about her face as she does.
“It’d be nice to know where to stand. At least with Daichi, we don’t have to do that shit and become Nether.”
“What if I told you a secret, could you keep it? It’s only for a short time.”
“Hmm…if it helps Caz and the others I care about, I’ll keep you to your word. If I have to haul ass from here because you’re trying to watch that weasel’s back? I don’t care if you’re a Keeper, I’ll come after you.”
“Same to you.”
“Go on then, out with it.”
Jace leans over as if he’s looking behind the curtain. He doesn’t sense or see anyone. Besides, it’s better to try than to try to be Hax or Orion and do it all themselves.
“There’s a new Infernal and he’s not happy with what those two have gotten away with. It should be like it was before.”
“He wants us to work together with the others, huh?”
“More than that.”
“And Kerse?”
“He’ll deal with that, as well.”
“When?”
“He’s on his way.”
At that, Livi holds out her hand in a way no one behind them would be able to see. “Let me know when so I can get my people out of here.”
Jace takes her hand and gives it a solid shake. “If you need help I’ll send someone to you afterward.”
“Thanks, but we can handle ourselves as long as we don’t get caught in the fighting.”
Feeling Daichi coming before he hears the steps across the stage, Jace turns. Livi steps away as if to hang around in case Daichi needs her. However, she merely intends to eavesdrop on the conversation.
Not that Daichi seems to mind. She’s surely earned his trust by the fact that he lets her get away with it.
“So, Jace, what do you need to know?”
“Have you been in contact with Soren or Kerse?”
“Are you serious? I’ll kill that bastard if I ever see him again. And Kerse nearly killed me when I went to meet with her. What’s her problem?”
Jace ignores the small rant. It’s not worth it to even answer the question. “The two that are closest to Soren, know anything about them?”
“What are you up to, Jace? Gonna go make a mess of it?”
“If it got Soren out of the picture, would you care?”
“Hmm…I just want to find a nice little place to set up for me and my man. I couldn’t care less about that prick. Do what you want.”
“What about everyone that’s followed you?”
“If they stay with me, we can all protect each other. Especially if that Celestial comes calling for him. Oh, and Kerse is looking for you, by the way. And she didn’t seem happy.”
“I’m aware. She wants my head for helping you with Soren.”
“Then you need a place to stay, huh?” Daichi settles his hands on his hips. It has the wrap over his shoulders fanning out. Striding back to the edge of the stage, he smiles over his shoulder. “You can stay here if you need to. You brought him back to me, it’s the least I can do.”
Jace nods in thanks. The action is far easier to pull off than words will ever be. “I’ll help out where I can.”
“Could use it. This world is pretty dead but that doesn’t mean there aren’t Nether. So many of us in one place seems to be drawing them closer.”
“Isn’t it dangerous to bring someone you care about here?”
Daichi shrugs. “I can handle it. Besides, he’ll be fine. A little skittish, but it’s cute. Callua should be here soon and he’ll calm down. I knew she’d drop everything to come see him. Actually, let me go—”
“First, the information.”
Laughing as he spins on his heel to face Jace once more, Daichi shakes his head. “Right, right. Business first. There’s a woman, Ayre. She’s a Dark Star with ice magic. From what I hear, she doesn’t like to use it. The other is a man, Ren. He is too but with blood magic. Pretty useless. Why Soren keeps him around, I’ll never know.”
“That’s all you have?”
“I’m not a dictionary.”
Jace tries to keep his expression even. He wants to correct this idiot. Instead, he holds it in and nods. “Thanks. That’ll work for now.”
“Good!” Daichi claps his hands together. “Now let me go get him before Callua gets here.”
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