Page 36 of When Death Called Life Home (When Deities Awaken #1)

Chapter 36

Betrayal

ASCIAN

T he journey to the Golden Grotto was tireless with no breaks. Verena rode her fox guardian at the front, weaving between trees and ducking beneath branches that Ascian didn’t sense until they were upon him. Maelo stuck close to Alamea’s tail on her lion, and Riven chased them up at the back with his black bear. It kept pace with them surprisingly well.

Basilius also ran with them, his ears pinned back against his head as though that would help him reach Alora faster. He remained as close to Verena’s fox as he could get without angering it.

Ascian had debated whether or not to let him out of the guardian stables. Watching him run, he still questioned the decision. If the feline didn’t listen or wasn’t patient enough, he might get them all caught.

Ahead, Verena signalled for them to slow and then stop before they left the cover of the trees. The last of the sun's rays fell behind the mountains. Only the moon's light illuminated their remaining distance to the Grotto. The last remaining distance to Alora, then they had to get back out.

Ascian nudged Alamea up and passed Basilius to Verena’s side. Her dark eyes remained locked on the entrance way. “You know what to do.”

Verena nodded. “When you feel the ground shake, that’s your signal. Keep an ear out for anyone who hasn’t returned yet, though. I can only be certain about those already in the Grotto.”

“I always do,” he hummed back.

Verena grunted in reply and nudged her fox forward. It elegantly pranced across the river, barely dipping its toes beneath the water before they were pulled out again. Once across, Verena slipped from its back and they both disappeared through the archway.

Maelo and Riven moved their guardians to stand either side of Ascian, watching and waiting for the signal.

“Go over it again,” Ascian murmured, his body tense. He sensed rather than saw Maelo look at him.

“We head across the river at the signal. Once inside, I wait at the top of the dungeon staircase and keep watch while you two head down to grab Alora,” Maelo started.

Riven cleared his throat and continued with his part. “Once in the dungeon, we find Alora and I delicately unlock the Nymph cuffs without severing her hands from her arms.” Ascian shot him a look to which Riven ignored. “Once free, we get ourselves out and return to the Academy.”

“A very shortened version, but otherwise, good job.” Ascian shook his head, letting himself relax into Alamea’s back. It shouldn’t be much longer to wait if Verena’s timing was as impeccable as it normally was.

Sure enough, a couple minutes later the ground rumbled beneath their feet and Ascian pushed Alamea onwards, over the river and then slipped off her before they entered the Grotto. He pressed his head to hers and closed his eyes, whispering a prayer to the forest that everything went smoothly.

The guardians couldn’t join them. They were too big, too bulky and noticeable should they need to hide quickly. And as handy as they would be in a fight, Ascian didn’t plan on one happening. Alamea and Maelo’s lion blocked the entrance from Basilius as the three Elysian’s disappeared into the dark.

They spotted no Reapers on the quick walk to the dungeon door where Ascian saw Verena waiting. She gripped the handle, keeping the door slightly ajar until they reached her.

“Be quick,” she whispered.

Ascian nodded and slipped past her, down the steps into the cold. Only silence greeted him the further down he went. No voices, no muffled screams or grunts. Nothing. Not even the rustle of clothes.

Warm torch light slowly built and illuminated the cells at the bottom of the staircase. Ascian’s gaze flickered across each one until it landed on the small curled up body of Alora. Her hair was soaked, dripping on the ground beneath it and Ascian could clearly see knots had formed. That alone worried him, but it was the tiny cuts over her exposed skin that created ice in his blood.

Red droplets slid down towards the clay, creating stripes of colour against her paled skin. The cuts were freshly made .

Ascian quickened his pace in a bee-line towards her, falling to his knees and gently cradling her head in his hands. Her eyes fluttered open, flashing with fear until she registered it was him before her. Only, the fear didn’t subside. Her eyes widened instantly, tripping over her tongue as she coughed words Ascian couldn’t understand. He pulled his water flask from his bag and laid it to her lips. Alora drank from it greedily and then shoved it away with her chin.

“Not. Safe.”

Ascian frowned. “I know, amorsa, we’ve come to get you out.”

Alora shook her head, clearing her throat again at the same time Riven cleared his like he wanted Ascian’s attention.

“I think the word she’s looking for is, ‘trap,’” Osiris hummed from behind him. The grumble of a grizzly followed, loud enough that Ascian slowly got to his feet and turned to face the threat.

Suoh stood beside a cuffed Riven, arms folded with a sly smirk on his lips. Cónán held a knife to Maelo’s neck as she fought against him clamping the cuffs around her wrists, too.

Deja vu washed over Ascian. Kallias in the same position as Cónán with Maelo, making him choose between his sister and his best friend. Now, however, it was Osiris. Someone Ascian never thought he’d need to worry about threatening his sister.

Ascian turned his attention back to the man, his focus zeroing in on Osiris as a sole target. Too long had he allowed the man's leash to remain relaxed. Too long had he let others do the punishing for him, because in his mind it’d never truly been his place. In his mind, the man had suffered too much for someone his age. No longer would he allow that.

Chains and larger pieces of metal clanged behind Ascian as he launched himself at Osiris. His knees and toes pressed into the hard floor either side of Osiris’s body, fists connecting with his jaw, nose, temple, cheek. Each hit drawing bruises and blood forward, and a smile to the downed man’s lips.

Osiris mouthed something but Ascian didn’t hear it, or the movement behind him before claws dug into his shoulders and dragged him yelling from Osiris’s body. Osiris didn’t move. His gaze followed Ascian as he was dragged away, but his physical body didn’t move an inch, and Ascian never stopped struggling to free himself from the claws putting distance between the both of them .

Slowly, with each inch that separated them, his surroundings came back into focus. The damp walls of the cells, the chains and shackles every two metres, the blood spotting the floor around the almost lifeless body. Kaida and a couple healers rushed past him.

Cold bit into his wrists as cuffs were clamped around them and Verena’s claws withdrew from his flesh, leaving behind a stinging that overpowered the aches. His head buzzed as his energy fizzled out and dispersed into the glowing swirls etched into the metal around his wrists. Ascian glanced down at them, his mind registering too late what had happened. What he hadn’t considered to be a possibility and it had cost him his freedom. Alora’s freedom, and Maelo and Riven’s, too.

Slender, muscular legs stepped into view, pulling Ascian’s eyes upwards to her dark hair and red eyes.

“I know you’re still pissed at me for questioning you in front of the half-blood, but I’m on your side, Ascian. I’ve always been on your side.”

“You’ll forgive me if that’s hard to believe right now, Verena,” Ascian bit out.

She studied him, uncertainty shadowing her eyes. “You have punished us so many times for nothing. No questions. So certain your Reapers were at fault. Perhaps now, upon witnessing your own punishment, you’ll rethink your past actions.”

Bitterness flooded his mouth like blood he couldn’t spit out. “You have no idea what I have done for my Reapers . Things none of you would even consider.”

“You abandoned us!” Verena snarled, her eyes flashing black. “For what? A little caterpillar who you hoped would find her wings? She’s not the answer to this war, she never was. Do you want to know what Tallulah made you forget three years ago?”

Ascian stared at her, silent. His breaths heavy. She knew. She fucking knew and had said nothing .

“She made you forget that there are no ‘Reapers’ or ‘Vitarce.’ We’re all the fucking same. Though, I’m sure you figured that out, again, didn’t you?” She raised an eyebrow but didn’t wait for him to answer. “You will face your maker before the Elders, as will she. I only pray you’re still on Death’s good side.”

Ascian tore his gaze from her to watch as the healers and Kaida moved Osiris’ body off the ground and up the stairs. His chest still rose and fell in a steady rhythm. His eyes were no longer open, though. Verena remained until Ascian couldn’t see Kaida’s feet going up the stairs. She turned away from him, lifting her lip at the sight of Riven.

Scholars were adored in so many ways, but to abandon the life of Reapers often meant you were unwelcome at the best of times. Riven bared his teeth back, displaying a rage only ever witnessed on his brother. A rage, Ascian knew, Riven controlled every day of his life.

“You’re going to regret this,” Maelo muttered as she slumped back against the stone walls.

Verena hummed. “I don’t see that happening.”

“Verena,” Ascian called. She glanced back at him over her shoulder. “I hope you’ve enjoyed your life so far, because when I get out of these chains, I’ll make it a living hell.”