The noise isn’t as startling as his brain finds it. Considering Jace has been sleeping peacefully, the last thing he expects to hear is a hushed shout of a response in the same room.
“I just told you he was sleeping!”
Jace knows immediately that it’s Callua and hurries to open his eyes. It takes a few blinks to make the bleary sensation go away. When it does, he realizes he’s not where he was the last time he was awake. He’s still on the couch except now he’s on his side with a hand combing through his hair.
He doesn’t have to look to know it’s Zye. As for Callua, he spots her walking over. She’s following Kerse as she comes closer to where he lies.
“And I heard you. Figured he didn’t get to tell you both not to do anything. Especially training. Besides, someone needed to check on you three.”
“You can see he’s not going anywhere. I wouldn’t let him even if he wanted to. Besides, Jace already told me.”
“Always so quick to defend.”
Callua huffs, mumbling under her breath, “I do not.”
Jace watches as Kerse turns on her heel with a smirk on her face. He knows she’s having fun considering Callua will push back against her. Kerse stops near the couch with a wave.
“Good morning.”
Callua groans and pushes past Kerse, proceeding to shoo her toward the door instead. “Go on, you see they’re awake.” She glances over at Jace. “Sorry, Jay. I really didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s fine,” he replies. Yet, he doesn’t move. He enjoys the way those fingers massage over his scalp and push the bangs from his eyes. It’s far too tempting to remain still and enjoy the moment.
From above him, Zye glances over to Kerse who is allowing Callua to guide her away from them. “What’s going on?”
“It’s time,” Jace answers for her after she glances at him. “Once we’re all dressed and ready, the plan starts. Adrian heard back from Ren while you were training with Cal.”
“Ah… Right.”
Kerse gives a wave over her shoulder as she proceeds toward the door. “Don’t be mopey, you’re ready. Orion says to meet at the stairs in Noctis and we’ll go from there. I’ll start getting them rounded up.”
Once the door shuts, Callua sighs and strides back over to them. “Well… I should go get ready.”
Zye shifts and closes his eyes. A moment later and he opens them. Nodding to the Mark standing by the bedroom door, he smiles at her. “Go use the little guy. The bedroom is yours.”
Pleased, Callua hurries over to the small being and scoops it up into her arms. She proceeds to grab the doorknob when Zye startles a bit, his hand stilling in Jace’s hair.
“Wait! Shit. I forgot to tell you. Sigil had a message for you both from Charm.”
Callua spins back around. “Zye, really? You forgot that?”
“Look, things have been busy. Be glad I remembered eventually.”
Jace rolls over onto his back. Looking up at Zye, he chuckles. “It’s fine. What did she say?”
“Uh…” He has to think for a moment to pull it back from the back of his memory. “Something about her being proud of you both. That you’ve done more than she imagined and to carry on her pride. Oh, and she’s sorry for doubting you, Jace. What about I have no idea.”
“Thank you,” Jace says quietly.
From across the room, Callua takes a deep breath and squeezes the Mark in her arms. “Gods… Thank you. I’ll make sure to tell Sigil as well.”
Before either of them can say a word, Callua hurries into the bedroom and shuts the door. With nothing else to do, Jace reaches up and takes the hand that’s still in his hair. His fingers gently hold Zye’s wrist while his thumb rubs against Zye’s palm. At the same time, he brings it toward his face.
A kiss to Zye’s fingertips and then his palm. When Jace’s lips dust over the inner side of Zye’s wrist, the latter laughs softly.
“Quit that.”
“I don’t want to.”
Zye relaxes back and allows Jace to pepper a few more kisses on his hand. “Are you sure you got enough sleep on the couch?”
“I had you two, it was good.”
“You’re so sappy. Come on, sit up for a second.”
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
Slowly doing just that, Jace stifles a small yawn. He sits beside Zye as the man turns to him. He doesn’t get a chance to react before Zye grabs the lapels of his shirt and leans in. A soft kiss dusts over his lips. A light, warm feeling no different than the breeze off the ocean during a hot summer day.
Zye smiles at Jace as he pulls away. He brushes his hands along Jace’s shirt to straighten it back out. “It’s a very good thing.”
Jace waits for Zye’s hands to begin to fall away before catching one, giving it a small squeeze. He’s worried and always will be. “Promise me you’ll be careful out there.”
“Promise me you won’t shoulder it all and take hits for everyone. I need you to be okay, too.”
“It’ll be fine. We’ve made some adjustments. Orion, Celeste, and Callua will join my team once I have eyes on Soren and I know it’s not a trap.”
Zye’s both ecstatic and mortified. It means things are coming to a head sooner than he’d like. Even if he does want to kick Soren in the ass.
“If he was smart, he’d leave.”
Jace chuckles and scoots a bit closer. It makes it all the easier to lean over, resting his head on Zye’s shoulder. “If he is, yes. That’s why the three of them are on standby. We’ve found out that Soren has a large force of Nether under his thumb. It’s our first priority to deal with while you’re grabbing Ren.”
“Got it. Do you want us to come to your group when we’re done?”
“No. Or, at least two of you should stay with Ren just in case. Get him back here safely first.”
Peeling away from Jace, Zye stands up to stretch his arms over his head. As he does he strides to the bedroom door that begins to open. “Can do,” he replies over his shoulder.
He steps to the side to allow Callua to slip out of the room. She’s in a much different outfit than normal. Gone are the blues of her clothing to be replaced by a violet mini-skirt over black leggings. Her usual boots reach up to her knees, covering her legs completely. Her arms, however, are bare beneath the sleeveless, pink shirt.
She adjusts the thick straps on her shoulders as she strides past him. “Something wrong?”
“No, just different. Pink looks good.”
“Mm… I figured I should be ready to fight. You know, just in case.”
Passing by her, Zye pats the top of her head. “Don’t forget to heal.”
“Don’t forget to dodge,” she retorts while knocking his hand away.
A laugh leaves his lips as he playfully swats at her hand in turn. “I’m good at that.”
“And I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“We’ll train for real next time.”
“That was for real, stupid.”
Neither of them realize Jace has moved until he’s standing behind Callua. Zye flashes her a smirk before ducking back into his room to get ready. While he does, Jace meets Callua’s eyes as she turns to him.
“Are you waiting for us or going on ahead?”
A soft sigh slips from her lips as she looks away. “I’ll go help Kerse gather everyone. If anything, I can let you know if you can take your time or not.”
Jace brushes a hand over her shoulder as she leaves. Once she’s made it out, Jace turns to the bedroom door and opens it. Zye stands by the bed tying the laces on his sneakers. Ones that match the blue trim on his gloves and jacket left on the edge of the bed.
Zye stands up, adjusts the pants on his hips, and turns to Jace. His shirt hangs in his hands as he nods toward the Mark lingering by the closet. “Anything you need just tap the lil guy.”
“I should be fine.”
He strides to where Zye shrugs into his shirt. Once he has, Jace scoops up the gloves and holds one open for Zye. Appreciating the help, Zye slips his hand into the glove and allows Jace to help put it on him. While he’s working on the second one, Zye watches Jace’s fingers work.
“Do you think this is it?”
“I want to hope so. It’d be easier if it were.”
Gloves on, Jace holds the hand in his with utmost tenderness. He wishes things were easier and they didn’t have to do this. Even so, he turns and guides Zye back out into the main area. He takes him to the couch. There, Jace picks up his jacket and hands it to Zye.
“I have a jacket already. I can grab it real quick.”
“I know. I’d rather you wear mine. Please?”
Zye raises a brow at that, “How come? Am I missing something?”
“The jewel on it. If you press your finger and channel your power into it, it’ll activate. A little blood works, too. It’ll mask your presence and give you an edge.”
“Are you sure you don’t need it, instead?”
Jace chuckles as he flourishes it around Zye’s shoulders. He takes his time in making sure it drapes just right and clasps it together. “The difference is I want them to know where I am. I need you to be safe.”
Once he’s done, Jace lifts his head to meet the gaze that’s been staring at him the entire time. Jace isn’t sure if he should say something or urge them to move on. They need to meet up with the others after all.
His lips part as Zye leans forward, dusting a kiss over his cheek. “Remember I love you and be safe.”
A smile slowly appears on Jace’s countenance as he nods in return. “I love you.”
Jace slides one hand down Zye’s arm before pulling away. Together, they leave the room and make their way down the stairs. From there it’s straight across the hallway to the staircase that has no one gathered around it as promised. Concerned, Jace reaches out to Callua.
“Is everything alright?”
“Just waiting on a few. We’re coming now. Can you get Zye to grab Orion? He’s taking a while apparently and I already sent Aster.”
Zye leans closer to Jace. “Hear back from her?”
“You knew?”
“Well, I can kind of tell. You don’t seem to really look anywhere when you do that. Like you’re zoning out.”
“They’re on their way, but was wondering if you can go hurry Orion along.”
“Sure,” Zye responds as he turns to leave and do so.
It’s almost comical that the second Zye does, Jace hears the footsteps coming from above him. Jace steps to the side to allow Kerse, Vespera, Iris, and Celeste to join him where he stands. Celeste is barely off the last step when they’re over by his side.
“Jace, I was wondering. You’ve been there before. Can you set a portal somewhere away but still within range? That way our team can be nearby and you can get Zye’s closer.”
“I can, yes.”
Vespera crosses her arms as she moves to the side. An action that has Celeste giving her a smile. An encouraging one that has Vespera glancing at Jace from the corner of her eye. “Adrian told me there’s a wall in the back that’s broken and cracked that we can slip through. From there we won’t be in long.”
“I believe I know where that is. I’ll get you as close to it as possible,” Jace replies. All the while, he can feel Kerse’s gaze on him. “Do you have an idea?”
“Not really. Just wondering if you lot are sure you don’t want me to go with them. Extra muscle. I don’t mind having to save their asses.”
“I thought you were with me where all the action will be.”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t get there in a second. I know that place like the back of my hand.”
Celeste chuckles from where they stand. “It’s a shame you aren’t stealthy at all, Kerse.”
“It’s faster to get in and get out. Doesn’t matter if it’s noisy, but I’ll go along with it this time.”
Vespera shakes her head and looks toward the noise. Callua, Xerxes, and Ilista are on their way over. The closer they get, the more eyes that are starting to watch them. Jace can see that the large gathering is drawing attention from those meandering back and forth between the realms.
He only hopes this works. To keep them all safe, it’d be better if this ended in one last fight.
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Reaching Orion’s room, Zye gives the door a solid knock. It opens almost instantly by Orion’s Mark. As he enters, he can already hear Aster’s voice loud and clear.
“You have my word. If anything goes sideways or looks wrong, we’ll be out the next second.”
“Only if you can get that Dark Star. I’ve done some research into those that know of him. He can’t be left in their ranks.”
Walking up to where they stand beside the bed, Zye shoves his hands into his pockets. “Why’s that? It’s just blood, right?”
“I don’t trust him not to bend under Soren’s thumb if threatened with death,” Orion replies plainly. “We also aren’t aware of what magics and attributes he has access to. Let alone which ones he’s trained with to be able to use properly.”
“I’ll make sure we grab him.”
“It’s not that simple. It could—”
“Relax, it’s fine. The three of us can handle this. So let’s get going already. Everyone is waiting.”
Aster shakes his head and pats the back of Orion’s shoulder before stepping around the both of them. He’s already to the door by the time Zye turns on his heel. Except, the second he does, there’s a hand sneaking forward to grab his wrist. His hand is pulled out of his pocket and his steps stalled.
“What now?” Zye asks as he swivels back around to face Orion.
“Just in case, I wanted to apologize again for…everything.”
“Look, we’ve been over this and if you really want to we can work on it later. As far as I’m concerned, we’re fine. Not great, but fine.”
Orion hangs his head, clearly thinking as he mumbles, “I see.” Yet his grip doesn’t loosen in the slightest. “I feel it’s only fair that afterward, you can ask me whatever you want. Aster says I need to be more open with others. Considering I was able to see your memories, it’s only right I tell you some of mine.”
“I appreciate it, but now really isn’t—”
“I’m very serious about this.” Finally, Orion lifts his gaze. His brows knit together as he stares up at Zye. “For instance, Aster and Ilista advised us on new outfits. They were rather mouthy when they came on board as Keepers with how we dressed. I also would like to get out more now.”
Zye tries to hold back his amusement. It’s rather fascinating to see Orion worked up. And not over him and something that’s happened at that. A small blip of a moment that shows just how ‘human’ Orion can be.
“It’s fun when you get fussy like this.”
“I’m not— Haa….I don’t have anything I can share with you. I wasn’t like the others. I woke up, did my duty, met with them, and cleansed. If we’re going to work together, it has to be amicable.”
“Relax. It already is. I’m not going to throw you off a cliff and I’m not even mad at this point.”
Orion seems to think for a moment, finally going silent. It leads Zye to speak up again in hopes of lightening the mood.
“How about this, when this is over maybe try knitting. Yue could teach you.” The look Orion gives Zye has him chuckling. “You know, because you use strings? Never mind.”
Zye steps back only for Orion to move with him, still not releasing his grip. Despite wanting to pull away, he tries to simply give a wiggle versus yanking his hand away. It seems to do the trick as Orion finally loosens his grip.
“Do you think you’re ready? If you want to stay, I can convince the others.”
That has Zye bursting out into laughter. He turns away and tries to calm himself. It’s the last thing he expected from Orion. Having learned a little about the man, he knows it’s not a jab in the slightest. Simple concern and he shouldn’t react negatively. However, it’s the perfect combination with his own nerves.
Not to mention he knows that if Orion did, Callua and Jace would be on his side in a heartbeat. Anything to keep him safe back in Solis.
Calming himself down, Zye takes a deep breath. “I’m fine. No, I’m not feeling ready for this. I’m anxious and nervous because my life has always been a series of ‘ah, that went wrong’, so no. But I’ll make it work if it is and meet up with everyone once we have Ren.”
“Hmm… I see. You have my word, I won’t let anything happen to Callua while she’s with me.”
Zye waves a hand at Orion to gesture for him to start moving. To which, he finally does. “Don’t worry about it. She’s a big girl and can handle herself.”
“I mean it, Zye.” The use of his name catches Zye off guard. He stops mid-step and glances back down at Orion. The man stands beside him with a rather determined expression etched into his features. “She’s under my care and I plan to protect her like I would Celeste.”
He wants to tell Orion how much it means to him. Considering Jace will be busy with his own team, it’s reassuring. And yet his reply is anything but sweet as he smirks at Orion.
“Playing favorites already, huh? Don’t you think you forgot about Aster in that list?”
“This is why I don’t like talking to you and think you’re frustrating. How does anyone get along with you?” Orion huffs and begins to storm around Zye.
Following behind him, they join with where the others have gathered. Once he’s there, Jace glances at the both of them before stepping forward.
“Vespera has the instructions. That team will go first,” he begins with opening a portal to the left of the group. Once they’ve gone through, Jace summons another. “Celeste, this should take you far enough out that they won’t sense you all if you try to suppress your power a bit.”
Orion, Celeste, and Callua enter it. Left with only those who are going with him, Jace turns his back to the last portal he calls forth. He glances at them each in turn.
“If you have to retreat back here, do so. It’s fine to know your limits and keep yourself from creating opportunities for our foes.”
There are a few nods before he turns on his heel. Leading them through the portal, Jace steps from polished tile to grass that neither dies nor grows. He’s taken them to the front of the broken castle and its crumbling walls. There’s not even a gate at the center.
All that’s left is a large opening with bent and rusted metal hanging down and stones that are scorched black. In that threshold, he sees nothing waiting for him. There are no Dark Surge members anywhere that he can see even as he waits for everyone to step out of the portal behind him.
Jace pushes and stretches his mental reach. The power has the back of his neck tingling as he tries to make his presence known without letting the visage appear. It’s an easy way to lure out his enemies as well as the Nether. The latter crave the light he’s giving off and they don’t keep him waiting.
Some of the Nether exit through the missing doors. Others crawl and slither over and down the crumpled walls. There are even a few that skitter through the holes in the wall or from around the sides of them.
Concern is the first emotion that hits him.
There are so many Rank One Nether. The amount of Rank Fours rushing about worry him the most. If only because of the sheer numbers. While there aren’t as many Rank Threes, they do seem to be of a troubling type with how black flowers sprout up in a wide circle wherever they stretch.
From around the two dozen hare-like Nether, each with two or three heads, look like sea creatures that drag themselves over the ground. Long, jagged claws dig through the dirt to propel themselves forward. All while their three tails sweep back and forth. Tails that look like they’re filled with brambles.
“Um, Jace,” Iris speaks up from his left.
He doesn’t have to follow where she’s pointing to know what she’s concerned about. Four large Nether hover in the air above the walls. Insect-like creatures with bulbous bottoms and multiple large stingers for their arms and legs.
Those aren’t what he’s waiting for. Each of them have their strengths against the various types and they’ll mow through them with relative ease as long as they work smart. Aside from the typical scrapes and bruises at least from being surrounded. What he’s looking for is the equine Nether that marches out alongside the Rank Ones.
Two long thin tails full of thorns sweep back and forth behind the beings that are surely as tall as two of him stacked on top of one another. Once they’re further out, they all seem to part enough to allow Jace a chance to see the man of the hour.
Soren steps up to the entrance but doesn’t come out. His voice raises enough to reach Jace where he stands.
“It seems our little bird was right about your oncoming attack. Did you really think I’d let you walk in to take us out?”
“It’s worth a try.”
“Then please, do try. We’ll see if you can get in here before I leave. If you put on a good enough show, I might stay around to watch them tear you to pieces.”
As Soren moves backward, at least a dozen tainted Stars and Dark Stars amble forward to hold the line. It’s then that Jace knows the second they get through the Nether he’s on a time limit. Soren will leave when he tries to breach that last defense.
He’ll have to be smart and quick about how they maneuver. While they haven’t all fought together as much as he’d prefer for an altercation of this size, he knows they still have the upper hand. He just has to wait for Zye to let him know they’re out. For now, they’ll slowly begin making their way forward through the horde.
ns 15.158.61.5da2
