Page 34 of When Death Called Life Home (When Deities Awaken #1)

Chapter 34

The Plan

ASCIAN

V erena found him a few days later as the sun showered through the trees in an afternoon light. To sit and do nothing was a new form of torture. Tallulah roped him into training with her, utilising his pent up energy so that he didn’t start a fight with one of the novice’s. Death knew they were trying his patience and control.

Triggering his deity powers was put on hold, not that he thought about it when Alora wasn’t around. To go back to a world without her in it created a dullness Ascian hadn’t noticed previously. It was as though the sky was constantly cloudy, reducing the colours to a muted version of themself. Even the novices didn’t appear to have as much bounce in their step.

The same couldn’t be said for Verena as she leaned against the tree in front of where he sat on the fallen log. It’d become a ritual each morning and evening. Like he was trying to connect with Alora’s mind through where he last knew her presence to be. He could never reach it, though. She was too far away from him.

“I received your letter,” Verena hummed, by way of greeting.

“And?” Ascian asked, shifting his attention from the claw marks to Verena’s blood red irises.

Verena studied him, her eyes shifting over his body. She pushed off the tree and joined him on the log, her legs stretched out before her and crossed at the ankles. “She’s at the Golden Grotto, in the dungeons.”

“You’ve seen her yourself?” He needed direct confirmation from her lips. A ‘ yes, ’ not just a ‘ she’s there. ’

Verena let out a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’ve seen her with my own two eyes. She had no bruises or wounds, just gagged and cuffed. ”

“None that you could see,” Ascian grunted.

“No, none that I could sense . They were even chatting before he shoved the gag in her mouth, but I think that’s because she was trying to pry into his past too much,” Verena informed him.

Ascian couldn’t stop the laugh that left his chest, cracking his heart at hearing Alora had tried to connect with Osiris. Of course she had. The curiosity of their past friendship with him hadn’t disappeared, and Alora never stopped following her curiosities.

Verena’s brows shot up at the sound, her back stiffening. “Is…Is that a laugh? Not once in three years and now a mention of this girl and it just comes right out?”

Ascian cleared his throat as he forced the laughter back down. Now wasn’t the time to lose his sanity. “She shows me where the light is even on the days I don’t wish to leave our bed.”

Verena hummed in response. Her forehead wrinkled in thought. Ascian waited until it smoothed to speak again, to ask further of her.

“We need to get her out, but I need your help for that.”

“He’s been going off about replacing you as commander,” she replied, staring into the darkness of the forest as the sun lowered further. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to kill you before the Elders do.”

Ascian straightened. “They’ve made their intentions clear?”

“They have. You abandoned the Reapers and your duties. The Vitarce are overjoyed by their decision.”

“Of course they are,” Ascian scoffed. “Which only makes it that much more ridiculous.” And goes to show things aren’t how they’re portrayed. Not that Ascian would say that out loud, yet. Not without proof.

“So, what’s this plan of yours?” Verena asked, turning to watch him.

Ascian took in a slow breath, steadying his racing heart. “We’ll return with you to the Grotto.”

“We?”

“Maelo and I,” Ascian answered before continuing. “However, we’ll remain hidden in the surrounding forest while you find out where everyone is situated inside, then when you know everyone is in their rooms and away from the dungeon entrance, you'll signal to us. From there, Maelo and I will get down into the dungeons, release Alora and leave before anyone wakes or realises we’ve been there.”

Verena slowly nodded along as Ascian explained the plan. When he finished, she lifted a finger. “One flaw. You’re going to need a Solar.”

Ascian frowned. “Alora’s a Solar.” He didn’t expand that she was also all the others. He trusted Verena, but not that much.

Verena shook her head. “Not right now she isn’t. She can’t access her energy reserves.”

Ascian’s frown deepened as he tried to figure out how on Elysia Osiris blocked Alora from reaching for her energy. Verena must have noticed because she motioned to cuffs around her wrists.

“Nymph cuffs? I thought only the Elders had them?” He asked.

“They do, but they gave Osiris two pairs. For you and the little blonde Vitarce you’d found.”

Ascian cursed the man, his thumb creating circles on the staff of his scythe. He could only think of one other person with solar energy to help them get Alora out, and it might be too big of an ask.

Riven hadn’t seen or spoken to his twin in years . Far beyond when Raine died. It must’ve been when Riven decided to pursue his scholar training rather than a Reaper future. They hadn’t parted on bad terms, but they also weren’t on good terms. Not with Osiris gaining so much more trauma than his brother. Not when Riven still had the love of his life and Osiris didn’t.

“I’ll get a Solar,” Ascian confirmed.

“An experienced one,” Verena clarified. “If you wish for your little flower to come out of this alive, and with both hands still attached.”

“I know, Verena. Nymph energy is complicated and delicate. I wouldn’t do anything to endanger her.” Ascian stood and stretched, eyeing her. “Why are you so invested in keeping her safe?”

“I’m not.” He raised an eyebrow at her and she ground her teeth. “I don’t know. She’s … different to everyone I’ve met here. When she looked at me…”

She trailed off, almost lost for how to explain it but Ascian knew.

“Like she saw you? Whoever you truly are behind the shields you put up?”

Verena’s gaze darkened but she nodded. “Yes. I don’t think she even realised she was doing it.”

Ascian shook his head. “She doesn’t. It’s just her.”

“And she must be protected,” Verena murmured. She stood, bowing her chin deeply. “We will need to leave as soon as possible. I fear Osiris is growing tiresome of her stubbornness.”

“I’ll speak with the Solar and see if he can accompany us. Meet at the exit?”

Verena nodded, moving to walk passed him but pausing and lifting her hand to his arm. She wrapped her fingers around it, careful not to catch his skin with her sharp nails, and gently squeezed. “We’ll return her to your side, Commander.”

Ascian simply nodded and Verena let go of his arm and disappeared around the side of the Academy. Ascian took another moment for himself before making his way to the library where he believed Riven would be. Lo and behold, he exited the library doors as Ascian approached. Riven stopped at the sight of him.

“No.”

“I haven’t even said anything,” Ascian grunted, narrowing his eyes.

“You don’t have to, I can see it on your face. You want something and the answer is no.”

“I need your help.”

Riven continued walking and side stepped around him. “And my answer is no.”

Ascian immediately followed after him. “She has Nymph cuffs on, Riven, I need a skilled Solar to get them off.”

“What about that new recruit you found? The part-nymph one?”

Ascian’s brows bunched together. “Mace? I overrode any Nymph abilities they had when I accepted them into the Reaper ranks.”

“That doesn’t mean the instinct isn’t still there,” Riven countered.

Ascian shook his head. “No. I need you . You’ve mastered your energy, and that’s what I need to ensure we get Alora out of the cell with her fingers intact.”

“Are you sure she needs her fingers?” Riven muttered the words to himself, and Ascian was sure he instantly regretted it when he smacked the man up the back of his head. Riven cursed at him as he rubbed where Ascian smacked him.

“You’re coming. End of discussion.”

“I don’t answer to you, you know?”

Ascian folded his arms. “Who do you pray to when you seek comfort?”

Riven paused and pursed his lips. His answer came in a mere whisper. “Death.”

“That’s what I thought.” Ascian nodded. “We leave in an hour. ”

“You haven’t even woken Him within yourself, we could be wrong.” He was grasping at spiderwebs and he knew it. Ascian knew it. The whole academy would know it if they knew the evidence, too.

“Should I go inform Tallulah of these thoughts of yours?” Ascian asked slyly.

Riven’s jaw tensed, then his shoulders curved ever so slightly inwards. “I’ll meet you out front in an hour.”

Ascian hummed and turned on his heel, heading towards their bedrooms to let Maelo know what was happening. He rapped his knuckles on the door when he reached it and waited. Hushed voices spoke within, quietening for a moment before starting up again. Ascian frowned.

“Should I come back when it’s time to go?”

The door swung open, Maelo in its place. “When?”

Ascian glanced passed her, to Emilia sitting curled up on their bed, and raised an eyebrow. “An hour. Is everything okay?”

Maelo glanced behind her before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her. She tapped her fingernails against the handle. “She hasn’t been settling in as well as we thought, and she’s stressing about us going to get Alora.”

“We’ll only be gone a couple of days if everything goes to plan,” Ascian murmured.

“It’s not that.” Maelo dropped her gaze. “She wishes to return home, Az, to Earth .”

“And I take it you’ve already informed her it’s not as simple as stepping through a crack, again?”

Maelo nodded.

Ascian sighed, looking at the door to her bedroom as though he’d be able to see right through it to Emilia’s curled up body. “Tell her we’ll discuss it more in depth when we return. The Elders already want me dead, opening the portals won’t change anything.”

“You need a Nymph,” Maelo reminded him.

“Good thing I still have control over little Xylia’s soul, then.”

Maelo’s eyes widened. “She’s still alive?”

Ascian hummed in confirmation. “I wouldn’t expect the Elders to kill her, or order her death in front of the other council members, though. After the camp massacre, they’d likely be far more lenient on her, or the Nymph’s Council will demand it so.”

“And you’re not worried about the witchy signs she’s been giving off?”

Ascian dropped his attention back to his sister, tiredness settling into his body. “Honestly, Mae, I’m just focused on getting Alora back. Everything else is currently unimportant.”

Maelo offered him a sympathetic smile. He noticed her hesitation, and then she removed the space between them as she wrapped her arms around his torso. He stiffened for what had to be a minute before he realised she wasn’t going to remove herself until he returned the embrace. He grumbled as he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her to his chest. She laughed, snotty and breathy, and when she finally pulled away her eyes were lined in red with tears staining her cheeks.

“It’s nice seeing you light up, again, Az.”

Ascian couldn’t fight the small smile he offered back, or the hope that bloomed in his chest, “It’s nice no longer being surrounded by darkness.”