Cordis looked at the newcomer intrigued before another gracious smile crossed his face as he flopped back on the couch next to Ladnavia. Offering an amused chuckle of his own, the blonde rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“Another illusionist, huh?” he mused aloud. “I wonder if I had sent you instead would I have not wound up with a wounded leg.”
“That wasn’t my fault,” Caecius griped as he crossed his arms against his chest. “He attacked me first and that was because you gave me bad information!”
Cordis simply waved his hand dismissively as he continued to smile. “I didn’t say it was, Cae.”
“Don’t call me that.”
The corner of his mouth ticked upwards before the blonde looked back at the latest arrival. “You even say that you’re a necromancer? That’s rather… interesting.” Green eyes flickered to gold momentarily. “Excuse me for a moment but please do make yourself at home.”
I had searched this room for anything that could be used as a weapon but couldn't find anything remotely useful. Even more, the door had been locked from the outside, not leaving me with much options as the window was also securely fastened in place.
The sound of the door being unlocked had me looking over my shoulder to see Cordis humming as he strolled in. I stiffened as his gaze fell in my direction before his lips curled upwards to form a smile.
My apprehension turned to aggravation soon after.
“Ani–”
“Fuck. You.”
He looked at me baffled. “What did I do?” He combed his hand through his hair in thought as he looked around the well-furnished room. “I’m not entirely sure what I’ve done wrong to get the cold shoulder, Animae. You get to stay in this nice room with a full bathroom, a large bed, a closet with a new wardrobe, a nice radio…”
I continued to glare at him as he listed amenities until the corner of my eye started to twitch. “You’re fucking soulless not brainless.”
“Are you mad about the whole Aidan look-a-like thing?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“How could you do something like that?!” I snapped before clutching at my chest. “That’s… that’s low even for you.”
“How else was I going to get you here?” he questioned as he walked over to my side of the room only stopping as I took a step back to maintain the distance. “What, want me to apologize?”
“What good would hearing a goddamn apology from you do me?”
“Living up to that heartless mentality, aren’t ya, Animae?” he snickered as he clasped his hands behind his back. “At any rate, I’ve learned something quite interesting. Would you like to hear it?” I grimaced at the idea of him relaying any factual information. “One of our new guests is a necromancer.”
“A… necromancer?”
Cordis hummed in acknowledgement. “Isn’t that great? We can go home and–”
I shook my head at the idea of it. “It’s like talking to a wall with you. I keep telling you that there is no body and nobody to go back to! If you need to me to spell it out for you, there’s no body because it was fucking cremated!” I yelled as I took a step towards him. “Our body got fucking cremated and our ashes were scattered!” I staggered as my chest ached from the recollection. “And even if it wasn’t cremated, our body would’ve rotted away a long time ago! There wouldn’t be anything but bones by this point! So please, Cordis, please… just stop.”
“But… but Aidan...”
I stared at the crestfallen expression before frowning as Cordis clutched at his chest. “Aidan is gone, Cordis.” He lowered his head with his fists at his side. “He’s been gone for a while.”
“A while, huh?”
“Seven years in Central is not the same as seven years in the living world,” I explained quietly. “Time flows differently in Central, Cordis. You wouldn't have known that since you can't get to the world of the living yourself.”
“So that’s what tipped you off…” he mused to himself before growing silent momentarily. “But Aidan…”
“Is gone, Cordis. He’s gone,” I muttered.
“He’s gone…” he repeated. “Is that so?”
I frowned at the statement as it left a dull throb in my chest. Glancing over at Cordis he seemed affected by it too seeing how tightly he was grabbing his shirt. I at least thought we’d be on equal ground with this bit of information but any hope of that was dashed when he chuckled. First it sounded bitter then a bit more lighthearted.
“Cordis…?”
“You’re lying to me,” he laughed.
“What?” I was confused as to why he would even think that. “What good would lying do me?”
“If he was really dead then you wouldn’t have fallen for the look-a-like, right?” My eye twitched at the idea of Caecius tricking me the way he did. “You’re a reaper; you would’ve seen him if he died.” He then grabbed my hands, grinning like a fool as he began bouncing around. “That means he’s still alive!”
Cordis reminded me of an overzealous child in that instant as he bounced up and down. The large grin plastered on his face could’ve passed as normal for one not so familiar with him. The accompanying laugh could’ve been enjoyable if it weren’t for the golden color in his eyes once they opened once more.
“Cordis–”
“We’re going to go home, Animae,” he stated as he spun us around. “The necromancer is going to help us!”
I shook my head as I tried to pull my hands back. “You’re not listening to me!”
“Don’t you wanna go home?”
“There’s nothing to go back to!” His hold tightened. “What makes you think the necromancer is even going to help you?!”
He scowled before shoving me onto the bed. “You have a very poor attitude,” he scolded before snapping his fingers at an idea. “You’re probably just mad from not sleeping properly.” He then turned away in thought. “I suppose a bath and fresh clothes would do you good as well.” I shrank back as he grinned at me. “Food too. That being said, you’ll be cooking for everyone as a show of good faith.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Excuse me?” He hummed in question. “I am not a chef you can order around! I’m not cooking for you and your… your… friends!”
“At least I have some… as flimsy of a relationship as it may be, unlike someone I know… Then again, you are heartless.” He then clapped his hands twice. “At any rate, Gideon will help you get ready,” he added as he headed out the door. “Do try not to take too long.”
I glared at the door before noticing how it didn’t lock in place. Running to it, I threw it open before taking a step back as the suited Umbra took one forward, eyeing me critically before sighing as he entered the room. He then pushed it closed quietly as his gaze drifted towards the bathroom then back at me.
“I suggest you shower as I have no intentions of bathing a grown man,” he replied as I continued to glare. “Unless that’s what you prefer.” I made a face but grudgingly headed for the bathroom. “I thought so.”
I tugged at the collar of the button-down shirt before scowling at the idea of wearing this formal getup. I hadn’t expected the Five, Gideon as Cordis called him, to present me with clothing. He mentioned how it was in good manners to look presentable when meeting someone new, but I didn’t want to meet anyone my other half considered to be a guest yet alone a friend.
“Look at you!” the Level Four mused as it bounced over, yellow eyes revealing themselves once it was at my side. “I didn’t think I’d see anyone else in such boring attire aside from Gideon.” Its signature grin split its face when Gideon sighed irritably. “Cordis was starting to get a little impatient.”
“Like I care,” I muttered before the Four pulled me into the main room.
“Look who finally came out!” he announced.
I grimaced at the choice of words before looking over to see Cordis looking pleased with himself as he sat on a bar stool. His attention then panned towards the masked man sitting on the loveseat a small distance away.
“Well, you already had the pleasure of meeting Cae.”
“I told you not to call me that,” he reminded the blonde as he folded his arms. “Hey, Jaybird.”
“Fuck you,” I replied, making Cordis snort in amusement before his attention landed on the woman in red standing at the bar with a wineglass in hand.
“This is Ladnavia,” he replied.
I eyed her carefully as she drank before noticing the knives at her waist.
“Eyes up here,” she ordered, making me suck my teeth.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I scoffed. “You ain’t my type.”
She hurled a knife though it was caught by the Four who handed it over to Cordis without delay.
“Navi is a live one, isn’t she?” Cordis questioned as he toyed with the edge of the knife. “So many sharp things to play with.” He chuckled before turning his attention to the brunette sat comfortably on the sofa. “And that is Iggy, the necromancer. He’s going to help us get home.”
“Actually, the name’s Shadow,” he corrected.
“But Iggy is cuter.” The pair looked at each other before Cordis hopped to his feet. “At any rate, everyone this is Animae. He will be cooking for us this evening.”
“I didn’t agree to that!” I argued as he walked over, brandishing the confiscated knife.
“I wasn’t asking,” he reminded, grabbing my hand to drag me into the next room. “So, I would suggest being a bit more cooperative.”
“You not being an ass would be a good start if you're asking me for anything.” He shoved me into the kitchen. “A please would be nice too.”
“You’re asking for a whole lot, you know? Even if I was being polite, I don't think you'd be so inclined in helping me anyway.” His irregular gaze then panned over to the shelves then fridge. “I’m sure you’ll find everything you need in there.”
I walked over to the cabinets and looked through them before pulling out the drawers to see the various knives and utensils. “What makes you think I won’t do something to the food?” I asked. “I am heartless as you so kindly like to remind me.”
“Perhaps but you’re not stupid and neither am I,” he replied as he eyed the knife in hand. “There’s poison under the sink. Do what you will with that information just know that I won’t be the one to eat the food first that you make. No, I’ll have that healer of yours try it first.”
“Healer…?” My answer was a smile. “You have Nu?”
“A lot can happen you’re off making bedroom eyes with an imposter.”
I grabbed a knife from the drawer before pointing it at the blonde only for him to do the same with the knife he had. “Let her go.”
“Put the knife down.”
“Let. Her. Go.”
He hummed before his eyes shifted past me. Going to look over my shoulder, I hiss under my breath when my hand with the knife was wrenched behind my back and held at a sharp angle.
“He told you to put the knife down,” came the singsong commentary of the Level Four Umbra. “You should listen better.”
“Thank you,” Cordis replied as he lowered his own knife. “At any rate, your friend, I mean healer will be trying my food first. If you did anything to it, her death will be your fault and I’ll let her know that it was you who poisoned her. Now then, I’ll leave you to the meal preparation,” he said as he turned to leave, signaling the Umbra to release and follow along.
I rubbed at my shoulder before looking at the knife left on the counter. “Wait.” The footsteps stopped. “If… if you want me to cook for all of you, I’ll need some help.”
“You heard him,” Cordis replied, shooing at the Umbra.
“No, not from the Umbra” I clarified. “I want Nu to help me.”
“The healer?” I nodded. “The Umbra should suffice.”
"I wouldn’t trust the cooking prowess of an Umbra,” I said before holding my hands up to said being. "No offense."
“None taken,” it snickered as yellow eyes panned towards the other blonde.
“If I agree, you better not try anything,” he warned. “If you do, I’ll cut her head off right in front of you.”
“As if I’d try anything with a room full of psychopaths,” I reminded him as I went to preheat the oven.
“Fine.”
There was a snap of his fingers before he walked out. There was a bit of a commotion in the other room after a while before it settled down. Quiet, almost unsure footsteps on tile had me looking up from chopping vegetables to see the nervous form of the healer stepping away from the grinning Umbra that had brought her into the kitchen. My attention then drifted to the grinning Umbra that was waving excitedly from the doorway before disappearing into a plume of shadowy mist.
“Jayden?”
“Hey, Nu,” I greeted calmly as I resumed chopping, “do you mind assisting me with dinner?”
Credit to Reddit
