Having the realms connected makes it far simpler for Zye and Jace to make their way to Celeste’s abode. The door is open to them once they get there and step inside. Considering how many people are here, Zye’s immediately on edge. The last time everyone was gathered it was to discuss heavy information.
His eyes immediately find Kerse, shocked to see she’s changed into something that’s not her typical red and black attire. She looks far more ready for battle now. He can only assume she took Aster’s words to heart.
Even sitting on the couch he can see more skin than she usually shows. Her long, light-brown pants have cutouts on the sides to show off the black shorts beneath them. The scale-like pattern fades up toward the thick waistband.
One that clings to her waist and shows off her stomach before the start of her sleeveless crimson top. A small window is cut out with a gossamer material covering it— the transparency showing off her collarbones.
Gone is the dark red coat with fingerless, shoulder-length gloves taking its place. Three yellow strings keep them tight to her arms. A yellow that matches that of the inside fabric of her pants.
One facet Zye notices is the anklet on her left leg. It reminds him of Hax if nothing else. What he doesn’t expect is for her to notice his eyes. Once they meet, Zye glances at everyone else.
Beside Kerse is Callua and Vespera. The other has Ilista, Iris, and Aster on it with Xerxes standing next to where Ilista sits at the end of hers. Celeste is in a chair between both couches with Orion idling beside her.
“Wow, everyone’s here.”
Orion places a hand on Celeste’s shoulder. “It’s an emergency and has escalated since I called for you. We have a large gathering of Nether that Callua’s contact spotted. Additionally, there are some from Soren’s faction that have been moving in that area. I believe they’re trying to get our attention.”
Jace easily switches back into planning mode. Something that Zye is rather envious of that he can do so flawlessly. “Both are problems. Have you all already decided how we should proceed?”
Celeste nods and gestures toward Iris. “Orion will be taking Iris, Aster, and Kerse with him to deal with the Nether. The raw power should be able to handle the number of Rank Ones that have been reported. Especially since Orion and Kerse have the most experience with them.”
There are a few nods from those sitting down. On the other hand, Zye can feel the anxiety bubbling up in his stomach. Every time there’s a development, he can’t help but expect the worst to come from it. Even more so if Soren is involved in some way.
“I’d like for you two to take the others with you,” continues Celeste. “That should give you all of the range of attacks you need. If Orion’s team finishes, they’ll head to your location.”
Celeste stands and opens two portals. One appears beside Orion while the other is next to Jace. It takes a moment for everyone to stand and make for their designated team.
Jace leads this team through the portal. Zye is quick to follow behind and is more than surprised when they come out in a forest. Rather, the remains of one. The moonlight streams down to meet them considering how barren and empty it is. There’s no foliage. Only the trees and their bare branches creaking in the breeze.
Not to mention it’s cold.
The tinge of the weather lingers on Zye’s skin despite his new disposition. He resists the urge to shove his hands into his pockets when Callua steps up beside him.
Jace glances back at them before they dare move another step. The air is saturated with the presence of those lurking further in. The enemies are on their way now that they can sense all of them as well.
“Xerxes, stay back or up high once we spot them. Cal, work on containment. Ilista and Vespera, you’ll work through one side of them while Zye and I handle the other.”
Ilista grins. “A pincer, I like that. I can barely catch how many there are…”
Jace can sense it. It’s different than when he was just a Keeper. The privilege of being an Infernal has his ability to detect other presences extending far further than before.
“At least ten.”
Vespera claps her hands together and then summons her weapons. “I’ve set up a barrier. Feel free to burn the forest down.”
Zye glances between her and Jace. “Wait, is she serious?”
Jace turns around, ready to welcome the forces. He pinpoints the largest focus of energy and points. Vespera and Ilista catch on immediately and part ways with them.
“Orion explained a barrier will fix things afterward, didn’t he?”
“I— yes?”
“There are some that are trained specifically in setting them up. They’re stronger and can handle more. That way we can let loose a bit.”
Callua and Xerxes settle behind Zye who walks beside Jace. It doesn’t matter how quietly they try to step, the dead leaves and brittle sticks give them away without fail.
The second Jace catches sight of the first one, he stops dead. At the same time, he gets a message from Ilista. One that has him quickly sending a follow-up to Orion before turning back to them.
“Change of plans. They’ve encountered Ayre. Xerxes, go give them cover fire. The three of us will handle these and catch up to her flank.”
Xerxes sprints off with his guns manifesting into his hands. As he does, Jace taps Zye’s arm. “Send me into the middle of them.”
“What?”
“I trust you can get me back out if need be.”
“Fine. We’ll cut our way to you.”
Zye creates a rift that Jace dashes into. He’s gone from their sight. The bright fire he uses is all they can use to know where he is. Already locked into combat with the majority of them, Zye hopes they’re ready for this.
He gives a glance back to Callua. “Ready?”
“Don’t move too far from me. I can block attacks.”
“Got it. Yell at me if I do.”
The comfortable weight of his sword rests in his hand as he moves forward. Two have split off from the pack as he gets closer. One appears to have no weapon while the other carries what resembles a small firearm. Not caring to deal with that one, Zye dodges toward the empty-handed one first.
He tries not to look into the hollow eyes or cringe when his sword slashes through their chest. The veins curling up along their bodies seemingly glow in the darkness. It keeps his eyes on those instead, pushing the one back that tries to grab at his blade.
Don’t hesitate.
It’s a mercy. They’re practically Nether— worse than that.
A message from Callua echoes in his mind. “The cores are predominately where you know a heart to be.”
Cutting off the arm that swipes at him, Zye stabs his blade into their chest. As he does, Callua’s orb sails past him and slams into the one raising its gun. The water absorbs the shot, slowing it down.
It allows Zye to kick the first away and spin around, dodging the blast that finally exits the bubble. He slashes through them before they can ready a second attempt. The lithe and trembling body drops to the ground, already turning into a sprinkling of dust that shimmers in the moonlight.
Small glowing orbs are all that’s left behind. The soft yellow light is distracting only for a second.
Zye steps through a rift and blocks the swipe of a blade a third foe carries. Callua stares up at him and steps away so Zye can finish them off. They crumble to the ground after a couple of hits.
“Why are they so weak? Thought they were a threat?” asks Zye as he turns back to her. Even so, his mind is trembling with the need to detect any other surprise enemies.
“Because Jace is filtering the easy ones to us.”
She gestures to where Jace handles the five that surround him with ease. Three of them are sectioned off by a ring of fire that comes up to their waists. It scorches them each time they try to pass through it. All while he deals critical blows to the other two.
A flurry of punches and they fall backward. He doesn’t mind the scratches that they litter across his arms or the nicks from the blades they carry. Only that the second those two are gone, he spins back around to send out a point-blank burst of fire.
The three left fold easily and hit the ground as Zye runs up to him, Callua right on his heels. Zye skids past Jace and calls a rift that’ll send him toward where he can see Xerxes’s shots in the distance.
“Go to them. We got these two.”
“I don’t—”
“Go. You know how tough she is. These guys are easy Callua will be right behind you.”
Not able to deny it, Jace runs through and to where Ilista and Vespera are engaged in battle. His first impression is that Ayre’s condition has worsened since last the he saw her. It completely covers up one arm.
Ilista is the primary combatant, parrying and shielding each blow. All the while Vespera intervenes to deal small slices at Ayre before she’s shooed away. From up in a tree, Xerxes sends warning shots at Ayre should she dare to try and chase after Vespera.
Some of these hits she takes. It doesn’t matter that one strikes her in her back. There’s no hesitation as she sweeps her slender katana up to knock away Ilista’s follow-up attack. Her eyes flicker over to where Jace is running toward her.
Jace passes by Xerxes and then Vespera. As he does, a thin sheet of ice rises up from the ground. It sections Vespera off for the moment while also blocking Xerxes’s sight lines. As he runs, Jace conjures fire beneath his feet.
It melts the ice that connects to the wall so that she can’t continue to extend it.
Ilista brings her spear back down only for Ayre to lift her leg and kick at Ilista’s stomach. A split-second decision that wins out. Ilista grunts, attempting to bear through it, only for Ayre to dodge the spear’s prongs.
A scream rips from Ilista’s throat as she stumbles back. She doesn’t dare let go of her spear. It hangs loose in her grip as blood drips down her arm. The long vertical cut isn’t deep enough to slice through, only enough that she has to rely on her other hand to keep the spear raised.
Ayre, however, returns both her hands to her sword and slices through the air at Jace. He’s immediately on the back foot and darting to the side. Any chance he can get closer and ruin her range advantage, he’ll take it.
From behind her, Ilista screams, “Ayre! You bitch!”
The words aren’t what has Ayre moving. It’s the spear that’s hurled in her direction. It cuts through some of her hair and misses Jace by a breath as he dashes toward the woman. She can’t raise her sword fast enough to stop him.
His fist collides with her cheek and yet she barely steps back. Her sword rotates in her hand as she slams the handle against his solar plexus. Jace tanks the hit despite how badly the pain ripples through his body.
Losing this chance would be foolish. Push past the pain and keep going— that’s what Charmilla taught him.
Jace grabs her wrist before she can pull her sword away. She jumps over the foot that kicks out at her legs. The second her feet touch the ground, she lets her body weight drag her down. She forces Jace to bend over as she slumps downward. Ayre uses the weight of her body and momentum to slide across the ground and behind him.
Jace has to let go lest she snap his wrist. He spins around as she rises to her feet. In her stance, she glances at him over her shoulder. Meeting her eyes, he can see the blood lust. The way she holds his gaze renders him still— patiently preparing to counter whatever she’s going to try.
Stepping out of his rift after finishing off the last lackey, Zye watches in horror as Callua runs over. He’s not within range of Ayre and yet Zye can feel it.
That feeling that something is going wrong.
Bad things are about to happen and he can’t get there fast enough.
The rift is barely forming when Callua shatters her orb and slings the water. It sprays out in hopes of getting between Ayre and Jace.
Ayre half-turns and takes a hand off her blade. Her free hand touches the water as it comes toward them. The droplets freeze the second they make contact. It sections her and Jace apart while also allowing her to kick off the ground.
She slings forward until the distance Callua had kept between them is gone. Only to be replaced by the sword that runs through her stomach.
Everyone moves so slowly yet so fast at the same time.
Ilista is up and running toward Ayre. Vespera is there faster with her blades hooking and catching Ayre’s as soon as Ayre pulls it away from Callua. Xerxes has scooted from the tree and to hiding behind another. He sends a slew of shots toward Ayre’s back— the woman taking most of them with a few grunts.
Ayre shoves Vespera back and raises her blade above her head, preparing to split Vespera in two if she must. She brings it down in time to be blocked by Zye’s sword.
Behind him, Jace catches Callua as she falls. He’s stunned and floundering as he clings to her. There’s ice forming around the wound and it worries him the most. “Cal, no—I…please, hold on.”
Zye hears and sees none of it. Unlike the other times, he’s let his magic flow freely through him, now it’s of his own accord. The horns shimmer in the darkness as they flicker like the flames of a candle. He glares down at her with glowing eyes against dark sclera.
He won’t let this happen. He’ll use whatever he has at his disposal to prevent it. He is strong enough to do it, he just has to act like he is.
Ayre scoffs behind the mask, “All of that for me? It still won’t be enough.”
“I won’t let you kill anyone.”
Knocking his sword away, Ayre shifts her grip on the sword to slam the hilt against his chest. Her free hand darts up, grabbing at his chin and yanking him down to her level.
“Everyone’s lost someone. People die.”
Zye grits his teeth. Her grip is insane. It’s made worse by the ice that takes the form of her pinky finger. It bites into his skin and has frost forming where it touches.
“Then you should know how it feels.”
“So should you. Fight better.”
He knows damn well he’s not as good as her with a blade. This much is obvious.
Her nails scratch over his skin as he shoves her back. Ayre allows space to form between them. Once she does, Zye takes a deep breath and calls for at least half a dozen rifts to spring up around her.
As he does, Xerxes is back in position. Activating more of his own power, he sends out a flurry of shots to cover Zye moving in. Zye steps into a rift and comes out behind Ayre.
She locks her blade against his.
Vespera sprints in between two of the rifts just as Zye disengages from her. Ayre spins around with a slash to knock Vespera back. But also catch Zye’s follow-up attack as he comes out from another rift.
The three of them continue to trade in and out, landing blow after blow. Every so often a cut makes it through; her arms, legs, and back. All while Xerxes stands by with Ilista. He’s running out of steam yet still sends in small shots here and there to keep her busy.
Zye doesn’t stop.
Muscles burning, he keeps running and slashing at her. He catches the back of her leg with the tip of his blade. Not a shout is drawn from her. Only the darkened blood.
Yet it doesn’t matter how many cuts he makes against her, she remains standing. She’s a force to be reckoned with and he’s not sure how to get her to give up. Knocking her out seems implausible unless he gets lucky. Especially considering he’s not used to managing his energy yet where she is.
Vespera dashes in as Zye steps back into a rift. They’re slowly snuffing out with him being down to three. A fact Vespera notices as she makes a move. She takes the chance to try and catch Ayre’s sword with her curved sickle.
Ayre allows it only to step forward and slam her forehead against Vespera’s. Not willing to risk it, Vespera dismisses her weapons and drops low. She rolls to the side as Zye steps out beside her.
Zye catches Ayre’s next swing with one of his own. Vespera slips away and leaves him to it. He’s not surprised when Ayre angles her blade in just the right way to knock his sword from his hands.
While her blade swings back toward him and slices up across his chest, he watches his world get cut off right after. Ice surges out from the toe of her boot and then shoots up, encasing him in a circular prison.
He’s not sure he can even go through solid surfaces. Zye isn’t sure if it’ll work and yet he doesn’t care. He’ll make it work.
The rift opens beneath him and he drops into it.
Zye appears from the sky behind her and calls forth his sword one last time. He parries the swing she slams against his. It’s with enough force that he can feel his wrists shudder and his body quiver. His heels dig into the hard dirt, trying his best not to be moved.
A rift to her left makes her pull away from him. She knocks the copy of his sword away. Doing so, she doesn’t see the one on the ground to her right. The sword slings out and slams against her blade, knocking the weapon from her hands.
She glares at him as the others begin to converge on them. Ilista, despite her injury, holds her spear out toward Ayre. Vespera and Xerxes cover the other two sides, trapping her completely between them all.
“You’ll never win,” she states coldly.
Zye steps closer, holding his sword in both of his hands out toward her. He’s trying hard to ignore how much energy he’s used— to ignore the blood soaking into the waistband of his pants.
“I’m not here to win, just stop you.”
“Fool. Soren will crush you all.”
“Zye, right!”
Aster’s voice rings loud and Zye immediately follows the command. He steps to the right as Aster runs past him. He’s already swinging at Ayre and forcing her to back up while dodging him.
She slams her heel to the ground and forces spikes of ice to shoot out toward Vespera. The latter moves away and it has Ayre using it as her chance. She turns, runs, and tries to make a break for it while sending up a curved wave of ice back at Aster.
Zye watches, breathless, as strings he knows so well sail through the air. They catch her as she’s trying to open a portal to escape. The strings wrap around her and yank her toward a tree, bouncing her back off of it before holding her there.
Orion and Aster hurry over to her. As they get close, she sends up jagged and broken pillars of ice in front of her. Orion doesn’t expect it and can’t sharpen his strings fast enough. As they try to cut through the ice without hurting her, Aster slips between two pillars.
Except he’s too late. The slight bit of slack the strings give before they change is all she needs.
Ayre jumps off the ground and brings her legs up into the air while holding back onto the tree. The flip in the air has her feet against the crunching bark. She kicks off the tree and sails through a portal she summons in front of a pillar of ice.
Once she’s gone, the magic can’t hold itself together and begins to dissipate. Zye stares at it all as it happens. Even if he wasn’t coming down from the fact he just used almost all of his energy, there’s no way he could have kept going.
“Shit…”
While Orion and Aster head back over to them, Zye feels as though he’ll fall over any second. At least, until there’s a firm hand on his back. He glances over his shoulder to see Kerse shaking her head.
“Fool, too much too fast.”
Even as she says that the visage of his power is fading.
“Where’s Jace? He should have been here to keep her from getting away.”
It hits him— just why he was fighting so hard. He turns to the side, stumbling as he does, and lifts his hands. He wills for a portal so badly. Except he can’t go straight to Jace’s room and he’s floundering to find anywhere to establish one.
“No, Cal was hurt, and I—”
Orion nods to Kerse. “Vespera told us she was hurt. Kerse, help him.”
She rolls her eyes and summons a portal. One that he runs through with her having to hurry to keep up. It takes him to the main floor of Solis with eyes glancing at him as he enters. He looks like hell and he doesn’t care.
The stairs might as well be a mountain to him. All he can do is cling to the railing as he drags his feet to move. Kerse is behind him, a hand always on his back. A touch he doesn’t notice as the panic keeps him moving.
He hasn’t heard back from either one of them and it worries him to the point he’ll be sick.
Skidding into Jace’s door, Zye braces one hand against it to stop himself from running into it. The other slams against the door when it doesn’t open for him. A few breaths later and it finally does with the Mark stepping aside for them to come in.
Zye trips over himself as he rushes to the open bedroom door. He clings to the door frame once he’s there. He can see straight to the cot on the floor. The place where Callua lies with a soft smile on her countenance.
The damp curls of her hair cling to her face as she looks up at the man kneeling at her bedside. Jace holds onto his knees with his head bowed, leaning down enough that he’s within her reach. She brushes a hand against his face to wipe away some of the tears.
“Shhh, it’s alright.”
“It’s not. You almost— I couldn’t…what good am I if I let you die?”
“You saved me, Jay. Smile.”
All he needs to know is she’s okay. He doesn’t want to intrude. Not while he’s about to pass out on top of it. Except when he tries to back up, Kerse is shoving him in. The flash of movement has Callua smiling up at him next.
“Zye? Are you okay?”
Jace turns his head and their eyes meet. Zye is so tired and in pain yet none of it matters. He can see the sadness swirling in those eyes. It hurts him more than the wounds.
He stumbles over to them and drops to his knees rather unceremoniously. Jace holds onto his arm to keep him from falling in any direction. As he does, he doesn’t expect Zye to reach over and grab the back of his neck. Zye brings their faces close.
“Shut up. You did fine. You’re both alive and that’s all I care about.”
“I—”
Zye knows where Jace’s mind has gone with this. It’s not the first time he’s made the choice to value one over what he’s been told to do. What he thinks his duty is, anyway. It’s why Zye slowly pulls away and squeezes Jace’s shoulder.
“No. You made the right choice.”
Callua catches both their attention as she speaks up from where she lies on the bed. “Zye’s right. Only you could have stopped that from freezing me from the inside out long enough to get me in the water. You said it yourself.”
From the doorway, Kerse raps her knuckles against the door. “Listen to them. Nurse your wounds tonight. See you later.”
All three of them stare after her. Once she’s gone, Zye returns his attention to Callua. His tone softens as he tries to stay conscious. The desire to pass out is terribly strong. Zye isn’t surprised that Jace notices and reaches over, holding onto his hand.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He glances over at Jace as well. “Both of you.”
“I’m fi—”
Zye cuts him off before he can finish the thought. “You can say it. It’s just us now.”
Jace lowers his gaze. He stares down at the way Zye flips over his hand. Palm-to-palm, Zye holds his fingers tight against Jace’s.
“I haven’t been that scared in a while. I’m sorry. I…” He takes a deep breath. It tells them both just what kind of state he’s in. “I know I can’t keep you both locked away from this fight. And it’s not right even if I did because I’m in just as much danger.”
Callua reaches over, brushing her hand over his knee. “Jay…”
“I’m sorry for leaving the fight. I want to say it’s because I trusted you all to handle it. But I was only thinking about Callua.”
Zye knocks his shoulder against Jace’s. Lightening the latter’s mood with ease.
“That’s fine. It worked out and it was still the right call.”
Callua nods as she sits up. The second she’s moving, Zye scoots closer to the bed. He’s already leaning forward when she puts her hands on his shoulders.
“No.”
“What?”
“You’re gross. Bath first.”
“Screw that! You almost died.”
Zye yanks her forward and into a tight embrace. He’s unrelenting and holds her there. Burying his face against the robe on her shoulder, he tries to stop any of the emotions bubbling up the back of his throat. He’s upset and relieved all at the same time. To the point where even when she pats his head, he doesn’t move.
“Zye…I’m fine.”
It only makes him cling tighter to her. Zye can’t believe he almost lost her. A vivid reminder that life after death doesn’t mean she can’t be robbed from him. All of them, it can happen again, and it has him grateful that Jace’s hand lands on his back. A comfortable weight that grounds him so well.
Jace smiles at Callua and it has her beginning to tear up. “D-dammit…you two are such babies.”
Pushing her away and sitting back on his knees, the very things that scream for him to stand or lie down, Zye huffs. “Okay, but you tell us to be careful. Don’t do anything stupid. And look what you did! You’re supposed to be the cautious one that doesn’t do that shit!”
“What if Jay had gotten hit by that instead?” she counters, voice raising ever-so-slightly.
“He’d have been fine!”
She looks to Jace and he can only shake his head.
“I’d assumed I’d have been fine as well. My well of power is deeper than hers and my fire is stronger. You scared me to death. What would we do without you?”
Her gaze flicks down and then back up to both of them. She hardens her eyes and holds her head high. “I’m not sorry. That was…a gut reaction.”
They’re both about to retort when she raises a hand.
“I would give my life for either of you and I’d do it again. I love you two, too much to not. You’re my best friends. I can’t imagine the worlds without either of you, even if I wasn’t in them.”
While Jace doesn’t want to push her while she’s still healing, Zye thinks nothing of it. He surges forward and hugs her tight once more. He buries his face against her neck while she drapes her arms over his shoulders.
“I still don’t like you doing it,” he mumbles to where they can barely hear him.
Callua pats his back. “Calm down. I made a promise to your mother, you know. I intend to keep it until neither of us exists here. Got it? I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“Takes one to know one. Now sit up and let me see what you did.”
“What?” asks Zye while he sits back up.
It takes him a moment to realize what she’s talking about. His shirt hangs loose on his shoulders considering it was cut straight up the middle. Left where it was together is a wound that’s already tried to heal— staunched the blood at least.
Callua sighs and touches her fingers next to where some of the orange blood splattered across his stomach. “I hope you beat her up a bit for that.”
“As best I could.”
“Then go get in the water. I’ll get changed and bring the Mark so you can get some clothes, too.”
Zye can’t argue with her. There’s no sense when he already wants to collapse on the spot. Zye is grateful Jace holds out a hand. He uses it and then Jace’s shoulder to help himself stand up. Shoulders slouched and legs growing numb, he makes his way out of the room.
As he does, Callua smiles softly at Jace. “Thank you.”
“You don’t need to. I told you. I’d do anything for you two.”
“Go, get the run down from the rest and come back. I’ll take care of him for you.”
“Are you sure? I can—”
“I’m fine enough to be up and moving. Look at it like you have something to return to if you hurry.”
Jace stands and leans forward, ruffling his hand through her hair. To which she immediately begins swatting him away. As he leaves the room, he summons his Mark for them to use.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
