Page 19 of When Death Called Life Home (When Deities Awaken #1)

Chapter 19

Little Sister

ASCIAN

T he brattiness and snark that made up a large part of Alora hadn’t changed in the slightest. Ascian should have known that Earth, no matter how different, couldn’t change her. Except, that is, for the small detail of her most definitely not remembering him.

“You survived the night without Kallias, I see.” Ascian’s gaze flickered quickly around the area for the hundredth time since he’d awoken at dawn to her unconscious body beside his.

Alora shrugged. “I have two very good protectors.”

He nodded, glancing towards the pair. His own guardian, Alamea, stood watching them while the jaguar tried to get her to play. Apparently Alamea didn’t trust his mostly healed state enough to relax. She had done as he’d asked her plus more. Keeping Alora safe was one thing, to bring her back to him directly meant a hefty reward. One that consisted of her favourite meal and extra nap time.

His attention lingered on the jaguar, though. A guardian he’d never seen in his life, not even before Alora first went through the portal. He wasn’t a threat, at least not that Ascian could tell.

Alora snapped her fingers in front of his face, bringing his attention back to her as she rolled her eyes. “His name is Basilius, and he’s prevented others from eating me already in the two days I have known him, so stop looking so distrustful.”

Ascian’s brows shot up. “You named him?”

The calm rage on her face paused, faltering slightly. “Not exactly. You will think me insane.”

Ascian threw her a bewildered look. “My damsel in tight clothing? I think not.”

When she cracked a smile, but still showed hesitance in explaining, Ascian brushed his thumb across her knuckles. The smooth skin so different to his own, rough and scarred. Though she didn’t seem to mind the feel of it considering she still hadn’t pulled her hand back. The gesture guided the answer from her as he’d hoped.

“He told me it,” Alora murmured softly. “And, I know how that sounds, okay? I have no other way to explain it, but he came to me once I’d finished healing you the best I could and showed me his life as I slept.”

Ascian’s gaze snapped back to the jaguar now laid out behind her, bored of getting no response from Alamea in his play attempts. They’d bonded. Basilius had chosen Alora as his partner. He bit back the smile that threatened to escape.

“That doesn’t sound insane to me, amorsa,” he replied, studying her for a second. “Why would you think it would?”

She swallowed, finally realising their hands were still connected and pulling hers back. When her strength faltered, Ascian almost tore Elysia apart to ensure she’d never experience it again. The fatigue and pain that came with draining your energy to the last drop. Death knew how many times he’d experienced it himself, to the point the pain no longer hit him as hard.

“No reason,” Alora replied, eyes closed and breath shaky. “Just someone in my past.”

The muscle in Ascian’s cheek twitched. If he ever found out who’d put those thoughts into Alora’s head, he’d make sure they regretted it. He’d tried to keep his distance since learning of her return, tried to ensure they didn’t end up in the same position as they had three years ago and it wasn’t working. He couldn’t keep sending Alamea away with Alora to keep her safe, and Basilius was basically still a baby. The jaguar could only protect her to a certain extent on his own. With Kallias now captured and awaiting trial, Ascian needed to keep her close.

He cursed under his breath. A trial that would have now been postponed or hijacked by Osiris. Neither option was the greatest. The Elders would only give so much leniency to him for being beaten to death, if it weren’t for Alora, which he couldn’t tell them.

“Do I want to ask?” Alora asked, arms wrapped around her middle.

“No. Better you didn’t know,” Ascian answered after a moment of thought.

Alora watched him, her brows again rising in question like she didn’t believe him in the slightest. “Okay, well, could you maybe explain the headstone with, I’m guessing, my name on it?”

Ascian turned away from Alora and limped to where his scythe lay in the tall grass. Alamea appeared before he crouched to grab it and collected it into her maw, lifting it for him instead. He offered her a thankful smile, grabbed it with one hand while he dragged the other over her head.

“Ascian, why is there a headstone with my name on it?” Alora’s voice filled his ears again, more demanding this time.

He sighed. “Because I thought you were dead.”

“So you knew me before I ended up on Earth?”

Ascian turned to face her, keeping his walls up. He could do this, protect her, keep her safe from the Elders and her own damned family, but he needed to keep focused. The look he saw on her face threatened to destroy that focus immediately.

“I did.”

“Do you know who my family are?”

The question shattered any effect her hopeful eyes held over him. “Yes, though I thought Kallias would have told you who they were.”

Alora frowned at him. “Why? What do you mean ‘were’? Are they not still alive?”

Ascian’s eyebrow lifted, a slow smirk twisting his lips. “He didn’t tell you.”

The frown slowly morphed into a glare. “Tell me what? I swear to god, Ascian, I will beat the damn answers out of you if you do not stop dragging this out.”

His deep chuckled vibrated throughout his body. “Oh, amorsa, I’m not dragging this out. I am simply delighted I get the pleasure of answering these questions.”

“So. Answer. Them,” she ground out.

“I said ‘were’ because your parents disowned you a day before you disappeared, and I’m not even surprised that Kallias didn’t tell you because that would mean breaking the news to his little sister all over again. I imagine he loved finding out you’d lost your memories.” Ascian tilted his head to the side, ignoring the sharp pain down his back that followed.

Alora stared at him blankly and then chuckled. “I’m sorry, did you just say Kallias is my brother?”

Ascian hummed in answer. “You’re welcome to join my damaged family.”

“From the sounds of it, I have my own,” she responded, running her hands through her hair.

He shrugged and leaned on the staff of his scythe. “Yes, but at least with mine you know they’d die for you.”

“What did I do for my parents to disown me? Did Kallias disown me, too? I mean, he might as well have, considering he didn’t tell me he was my brother,” Alora rambled out the words, barely a breath in between them.

“You’re sure you want to know why?”

“Please,” Alora begged. “You are the only person I have met here who has answered my questions.”

“And how do you know I’m not lying?” He countered.

Alora paused. “Because the answers you are providing me with are brutal.”

“Maybe I enjoy hurting people.”

“You do not,” Alora scoffed. “Not me, at least. You wouldn’t have gotten so mad when you found out I had healed you if you liked hurting me.”

Ascian’s jaw slackened. She had him there and he could think of no comeback or excuse. “You were friends with me. That’s why they disowned you.”

“Friends?”

Ascian hummed in response, glancing towards the morning sky.

“They disowned me because I had a friend ?” She asked slowly.

“Because your friend was me,” Ascian repeated. “A Reaper .”

Alora’s gaze dropped to the ground directly in front of her feet, her eyes glazed over and unfocused. Ascian pushed off his scythe and stepped closer. He studied her face, frowning at how void of emotion it was.

“Alora?”

Nothing. No response, not even a flicker to show him she’d heard him.

“Alora?” He pressed, hooking a finger beneath her chin and lifting it to get a better look. Her pupils and iris’ shuttered, shaking side to side quickly. Nothing broke her from whatever trance she stood in and so Ascian waited.

Five minutes went by before Alora blinked, her gaze lifting to his. “I wasn’t just friends with you. There were others.”

Ascian took a step away from her, swallowing down the memory that threatened to rise.

“There were five of you. One, sh-she was your sister, right? Gods, what did she call her…” Alora trailed off, drawing her lip between her teeth.

“Maelo,” Ascian murmured, muscles tight.

“Yes!” Alora refocused and paused when their eyes collided. Her face fell, like something else occurred to her and then the words followed, “The one with the bear, he was my– our friend?”

Ascian dragged a hand over his face and through his hair, anything to not focus on that day but he couldn’t stop the memories of before from slamming into him, reminding him of everything being good and then it just, not. All it took was one day and they were destroyed.

“Osiris was, yes. He wasn’t … always like he is now.”

Alora’s eyes widened. “Are you excusing his torture on Xylia?”

“You shouldn’t have been there to witness that.”

“Answer my question.”

“No,” Ascian snapped. “Damn it, Alora, no, but he’s not the only one who has changed since whatever memory you just watched. Your parents disowned you. That was bullshit, but that wasn’t the worst thing they did before you lost your memories.”

“Then tell me.”

“Why?” Ascian asked. “Why are you so desperate to learn of the horrors your parents caused others? What could it possibly provide you with?”

“Answers!” Alora exclaimed in exasperation. “My brother brought me back as leverage against your kind, which begs the question; how in the world do I mean so much to the Reapers that my own brother could use me as leverage against them?”

Ascian didn’t answer her so she continued.

“I know there is an ongoing fight between your two kinds. That you have differing opinions.”

“Differing opinions?” Ascian muttered, brows pinching.

“But eventually either one side will give and the other gets complete control over this place, or you form two separate countries, regions. Earth may not have the power you do here, but every single damned person thinks the same and every war has similar outcomes.” Alora’s face reddened as she drew in heaving breaths, fury in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, you think this is because of differing opinions ?” Ascian asked incredulously.

Alora shrugged. “That’s what Kallias told me.”

“That’s what…” Ascian chuckled darkly, shaking his head slowly. He grabbed Alora’s arm and dragged her back towards the field of amorsa, only the young jaguar woke and stepped into his way. The beast’s lip curled, a snarl sneaking out and echoing around them. A threat, and not an empty one.

“If I were you, I would remove your hand from my arm,” Alora informed him, yanking it free herself the moment his grip loosened. “You want to explain this thing between the Reapers and the Vitarce?”

Ascian flicked his gaze towards her for a mere second, not willing to keep his attention off Basilius any longer. “What do you think I’ve been trying to do? A lack of knowledge will get you killed.”

“Then tell me,” Alora pleaded. Something in her voice drew Ascian’s full focus off the jaguar and onto her, the shine to her eyes causing his expression to soften. “Show me, Ascian, because I have not only lost one family now, but two. One of which I still do not remember. And both, I know, want to use me for their own benefit. That memory I just saw made me think maybe I still have a chance at a real family.”

Ascian called Alamea over without shifting his gaze and then held out his hand to Alora. “I’ll explain everything, show you everything, but I can’t do that here.”

It felt like forever passed before Alora finally placed her hand within his, heat sparking and lighting up his veins. He helped her onto Alamea’s back and then climbed onto her himself, Alora’s arms wrapped around his torso to keep herself in place.

“I know how to make daggers out of ice,” she muttered near his ear.

Ascian chuckled, “I’ll keep that in mind.”