Page 4 of When Death Called Life Home (When Deities Awaken #1)

Chapter 4

A Lady’s Guard

ALORA

O xygen wouldn’t enter her lungs, couldn’t enter her lungs, with the mass amount of water around her. And, no matter how hard Alora tried to turn around and get back to the surface behind her, her skirts dragged her further away. She was pulled into the depths until the light illuminating the space behind her switched to be in front.

Goldfish no longer brushed against her skin as the tornado whipped around her, instead what appeared to be ginormous bettas weaved about her as she left through the bottom of the tornado and into calm waters. The material at her shoulders and neck slowly shifted downwards, back to her bare feet. The sting in her fingers and hand from the sharp wood dulled to a throbbing and then faded into nothing as the blood swirled and dissipated into the water. Her wounds closed.

Alora’s chest grew tighter and tighter the longer her lungs begged her for the oxygen she desperately needed. Each sweep of her hands through the water did nothing but bring her an inch higher which she easily lost while shifting her arms back to do another sweep.

The bettas circling her brushed their tails against her skirts, jaw’s opening and cutting the material with small, sharp teeth.

Helping me, she realised.

Her fingers immediately started working on the strings tying each layer of her skirts around her waist, fighting off black spots and a burning chest. Each second that ticked by was followed by even slower movements from Alora’s fingers. Less urgency and more acceptance of her fate. Fear ebbed away into the plants shifting against whatever movement was in the water. It wasn’t a horrible place to die, at least she had that.

Another nudge against her leg had Alora blinking away a few spots, bubbles leaving her lips and floating in the opposite direction of where the surface should have been. One of the bettas, fluorescent purple lining its indigo fins, bumped against her again. She lifted her foot, fighting the intense urge to take a breath in. The betta dove below it and pressed its back to her sole. She felt pressure, a desperate attempt to push her upwards. Downwards.

Alora wondered whether her confusion was due to the situation or her lack of oxygen. Though, if she had a truly clear mind, she’d come to realise those thoughts were of the least importance.

She shifted her attention past the fish and towards where the tornado had been, because as the spots in her vision took over, Alora witnessed the whirl of water decrease rapidly and then turn into a solid pond floor. And, despite the fact that death closed in on her, Alora smiled and parted her lips, her body relaxing into the water’s depth as everything around her disappeared.

“How did you not notice her following you?”

“Shut up, Xylia.”

Repetitive pressure slammed into her chest, directly between her breasts. Enough so that Alora jolted to the side, a rush of cold racing up her throat and splashing on whatever was beneath her. Long grass, if she went off what brushed against her skin. Long, itchy blades of grass. So unlike that of the neatly kept gardens that surrounded the tea party.

“Fucking breathe. Please, Alora, breathe for me.”

The pressure stopped, a hand wrapped instead around her bicep and holding her on her side. Alora drew in a long breath of sweet oxygen, blinking her eyes open to find the white haired man staring down at her intensely. She pulled her arm from his grip, landing on her forearms and heaving until the compressions weren’t the only reason her chest ached.

“Alora?”

Alora managed to get enough air in to respond, “Get away from me.”

“Alor-.”

“Get. Away. From. Me.” She ground each word out between long breaths.

“Kallias…” The more feminine voice warned whoever Alora assumed to be in her space.

The heat from his body disappeared from her back, a chill breeze seeping deep into her spine. Only the whistles and songs of birds littered throughout the trees filled the voiceless space. She needed time to get her breath back. She needed time to reacclimatise herself to her surroundings. Beautiful, wild surroundings that allowed her the breaths she needed.

“Where am I?” Alora asked. Her gaze shifted back to the man, to his piercing eyes. His lips parted but no answer to her question left them. Alora readjusted herself, her bare knees sinking into the soft ground. She’d heard a second voice, someone who might actually give her answers. Behind her stood a petite, feminine figure. Their skin would’ve appeared sickly had their hair not also been a shade of green, or furthermore, layers of leaves. A guard shielded over their teal eyes as they, too, took Alora in.

Their jaw worked before they said, “Forest nymph.”

“I didn’t … “

“Nobody ever does, so let’s get it out of the way. Female? Yes. Blood? No. Does it hurt to cut my hair? Yes. Do I sleep? Yes. Am I sick of these questions? Yes.”

Alora swallowed, her eyes narrowing slightly. “I was just going to ask your name.”

The nymphs' cheeks deepened into an emerald green. Is that how they blushed? “You may call me Xylia.”

Alora nodded slowly. “And can you tell me where I am, Xylia? Because this sure as hell is not the gardens of the Lexington’s mansion. They would not be caught dead with the grass higher than the top of someone's foot, let alone leave the trees and shrubs to grow in such an unkempt manner.”

Xylia scoffed, her blush disappearing fast. “Unkempt? They’re free from blades and destruction. I hardly think that’s a bad thing.”

Alora rolled her eyes, putting more weight onto her heels. “Never mind the tornado-portal-thing that closed after dragging me through it.”

Each visible muscle of the man’s, Kallias’, body tensed. His attention snapped back to Xylia who threw a glare before the man could say another word. A silent battle between them, and each had their own kind of power whispering towards the other.

“You closed the portal?” Kallias’ voice was cold, his body still, like a mountain.

“Don’t even think about putting this on me. You should have been more observant if you thought she wasn’t the one you were searching for. It was dangerous enough to keep it open for as long as I did.” Xylia paused, examining her nails of bark. “You know how stupidly curious humans can be.”

Alora couldn’t help the flare of annoyance that rose up inside her, hands clenched into fists. “Curiosity is not a bad thing.”

“You did almost drown because of it,” Kallias piped in, and cringed when Alora sent her worst glare in his direction.

“If you didn’t want me to follow you, then you shouldn’t have commented about the screams deafening me,” Alora ground out between clenched teeth.

Kallias’ eyes closed as though he braced himself, a slight cringe already forming on his features. Then, Alora heard an intake of breath. She shifted backwards, putting space between herself and not only Kallias, but Xylia, too.

Diving into the pond after him had been a mistake. Almost losing her life trying to save another had been a mistake. All of this had been a mistake, so why did this place feel like anything but?

“She heard screams when the portal opened? And you were still going to leave her on Earth?”

The fact Xylia’s hair hadn’t burst into flames yet with the amount of rage flowing off her, surprised Alora. “So no one is going to answer my question, then?”

Both Kallias and Xylia ignored her as Kallias replied, “She didn’t know who I was! Bringing her back here would have only led to more confusion. And problems.”

“Worse problems than we already have? That decision was not your choice,” Xylia argued back. Around the pond, trees and bushes shivered from the dangerous tone to her voice. They leaned in towards her, and offered what Alora could only assume was comfort. A reassuring touch. It didn’t go unnoticed by Kallias. His fingers and hands flexed as though he’d need them ready to fight nature itself.

Alora found herself putting her bets on nature in that fight. Though, she wouldn’t be here to see it. With Kallias and Xylia distracted, Alora took careful steps backwards, away from the pond and the portal that led her home.

Not that it ever felt like home.

The Lexington’s had given her more privilege than she ever remembered, but she’d no longer be their prize offered to a rich man in exchange for new wealth. Finally she understood how housed dogs felt when they were let outside to run. Why would she wish to return home with so much freedom at her fingertips? With so many things to explore and learn on her own free will?

Each step backwards loosened the muscles lining her back and chest. Each step away from the portal made it easier to breathe. If she closed her eyes she swore the forest helped her, pulled towards her as bushes brushed against her arms and enclosed around her. Kallias and Xylia disappeared from view and Alora turned away from their direction. Here — wherever here was — she could do anything. Be anything. No need to worry about asking for permission, or being told it’s not ‘ladylike.’

Another cool breeze glided over the back of her neck, her short hair shifting with it. Tiny bumps exploded over every inch of her exposed skin and Alora realised, with more shame than she’d like to admit, that she wore only her undergarments. A harsh reminder that the fish within the pond tore her top and skirts from her body, and she needed to find something to cover herself with. She could only imagine how the people here would react to her current lack of dress.

Twigs snapped to her left. For a start, no movement showed and nor could Alora see any type of body. Then, the long stalks of grass shifted, parting as something moved through them towards her. Her feet froze to the ground, gaze locked on the creature's path. She caught split second views of white scaled skin and while everything in her body told her to run, she couldn’t do it.

Perhaps curiosity would be the thing that killed her.

The creature slowed and stopped three metres from her, its scaled skin easier to catch glimpses of as it rose through the grass and its head broke through into empty air. Red eyes pierced her own. Small spike-like ridges peaked up from the back of its head, and leaning to the side slowly revealed them lining its spine where it disappeared beneath the grass. The spikes grew larger as they got closer to the head, but something told Alora they would still be considered small compared to others of the same kind.

Its teeth confused her the most. Two points sat just below its top lip on either side, another set in front of them, and a third centred right at the front. The snakes she witnessed in the mansion’s garden weren’t as big, nor did they have as many teeth showing when their mouths were closed.

The snake's head swayed, its mouth parting enough for its forked tongue to slip out and taste the air. Taste her scent. It repeated the action a few more times before a footstep almost drew Alora’s attention from the creature.

A hooded figure approached, a long, curved weapon spinning slowly within their grasp. Their focus and actions directed towards the snake-like creature. The creature’s head flicked towards the figure, lifting higher from out of the grass and revealing more of its ridged spine. They moved against each other in harmony, keeping the same distance until a low whistle pierced the air from the figure and the creature disappeared in an instant, the grass shifting as it left.

“You’re lucky you’re still breathing.”

Alora turned her attention to the figure, a man. A ruggedly, beautiful, dark haired man with piercing grey eyes. When she didn’t say anything, he took a step closer to her.

“The young are the most savage in their kills,” he added. “They normally don’t think twice before striking. Yet, you had it pausing…”

The man trailed off, his steps turning into an assessment as he circled around her. Like she was some oddity displayed for him. No different than being paraded around in her best dress waiting on a rich suitor. When he reached the front of her, his fingers pressed into her chin and lifted her head higher. She met his gaze with fire in her own and her jaw set. His lips twitched.

“Why…?” He mused quietly.

Alora tore her chin away from his fingertips, ignoring the tingling they left and stepped back from him. She needed the space, could barely breathe with him so close.

“Perhaps I do not smell appetising,” she retorted. Again his lips twitched like they wanted to morph into that of a smile, the tiny spark in his eyes only encouraging the thought. The guards in her mind stretched and strengthened like the wings of a freshly formed butterfly. She would not fall for a mysterious stranger who may or may not have saved her life. She would not be some damsel in distress. “What is it? The creature?”

The man studied her more closely and any lightness he’d been trying to shove down disappeared in a heartbeat.

“We simply call them serpents. Some say only the witches truly know what they are, but their existence is dwindling, too,” he answered. “Most Elysian’s know that.”

Alora swallowed. “Elysian’s?”

Too late. She realised too late what she’d confirmed to this stranger, and what that potentially meant for her future here.

“Alora!” Kallias’ voice carried through the bushes she’d entered, hard and sharpened.

The stranger’s eyes widened slightly, flickering over her again before looking in the direction of Kallias. Alora followed it and when she returned her gaze to him, the space where he’d stood was empty.