Chapter 37 #2
Anastasia leaned in and placed gentle kiss on her lips. Though fleeting, its tenderness left lingering sparks, igniting a sense of warmth and affection.
“Speaking of life,” she said sheepishly, “I probably should go.”
“He is physically removing the tail from on top of you as we embrace.” Anastasia commented with a short chuckle, “Before you go though.” It took a step back from her and stood with its hands together.
“Call me, and I will come. You do not need to come back to Purgatory to see me. Be damned the laws of man and gods. If you need me, I am there. No matter what.”
Azahara nodded with a shaky smile, not wanting to leave but knowing she needed to. “Thank you, Anastasia. I love you.”
“I love you, my Keeper.”
Coming back from Purgatory was always easy.
The realm was not ready to separate itself from her and welcomed her with open arms. It was always colder, and while she could have chalked it up to being soaked, it wasn’t because of that.
Death had never been the cold, dark place that text and scholars warned about.
“Jayce…” Her throat felt raw, a consequence of swallowing saltwater during her drowning.
“Aza?! Azahara Rhay Starfall. By the Mother, what the hell!?” Jayce, visibly upset, scooped her up into his arms, his embrace so tight that she had to exhale to create some breathing space within her lungs. “Why? Why would you do that?!”
“You didn’t instruct me to tell him, “ Ilkiz commented.
“How could you do that, Ilkiz?” He nearly shouted.
“Azahara, he threatened to take my tail!”
“I should have—”
“See! See!” The ground beneath them quivered as Ilkiz edged closer. A deep growl emanated from her, and as Azahara finally opened her eyes, she witnessed Jayce baring his teeth defiantly at Ilkiz.
“Stop, both of you,” she managed to force out, bringing her hand up to her head. “It was always so quiet when I came back before…” She groaned.
Ilkiz tilted her head so she could look straight down at her, along with Jayce, who gave her a bewildered look. “Please don’t…”
“Oh yes, the dozen or so times before, right?” Azahara’s mouth fell open in disbelief. Had Ilkiz just openly told on her as if she were a child?
“That was—get in here,” Azahara slapped her hand against Ilkiz, feeling the peculiar tugging sensation at her palms. The colossal form of her Spirit Dragon began to disintegrate into smoke, withdrawing amid the tendrils of her marking, seamlessly melding with her own spirit.
Strength like she had forgotten soaked into her, and the sluggish soreness of death dissipated entirely.
When she attempted to sit up, Jayce restrained her, his expression revealing a rare anger directed at her.
There had been numerous instances when she longed for him to scold her for recklessness, but now, she regretted ever desiring that.
“I—” She cut herself off.
His chest was raising and falling quickly as he tried to catch his breath.
“Do you understand why I’m upset?” He asked, his grip tightening.
“Because I just killed myself?” It was so matter of fact, it only seemed to anger him more.
“No,” His eyes closed and he shook his head, “Well yes, but no, you didn’t tell me. Why? I would have listened—”
“Jayce, I wasn’t killing myself to die.” Her voice was gentle. There was no reason to fight. His being angry at her was rightfully placed.
“I know... you weren’t. You didn’t tell me because you thought I would stop you.”
Her eyes widened, “You would have.”
“No, I wouldn’t have. I would have been right here, sucking away the pain for you to sleep and see Death. Instead, you chose to assume I would not support you and ended up sending me all your pain as you died. At that moment, I had no idea if it was voluntary or if he—”
“Oh fuck…”
Jayce was pulling her up then, his head buried between the crook of her neck.
“I did not think about that…”
Ilkiz, go to sleep.
“Sorry—”
“Gods be damned, Sunshine!” The arms that had been trembling slowly began to calm, and she wrapped her arms around his torso and molded into him. “I beg of you, just tell me. You don’t have to do it all alone anymore.”
She snuggled her head against his, her heart racing in her chest and feeling his pound against her. “I’m so sorry, Jayce… I didn’t even think—”
“No, you didn’t,” his hand was at the back of her head, gripping her soaked hair, lacing his fingers through it, “As much as I’d love to stay angry at you, I can’t because I understand why you did it. You didn’t want me to hurt, even if it had the opposite effect.”
She had hoped to be in and out before he realized she was gone, but of course not.
Their souls were interlocked in fate, and the other will strike when one fate is threatened.
She hadn’t even considered what he might feel if he had not sensed her anymore.
His turmoil was unmeasurable when he shared that he couldn’t feel her when Goddrick took her.
“Just promise me, next time, you’ll tell me.” He pulled her back, pressing his forehead to hers.
“I promise,” she released a sigh before continuing, “though there won’t be a next time.”
He hummed in question.
“Death, they told me its name,” Jayce’s eyes went wide, “and said I could summon it whenever I needed. Damned be the laws of man and gods.” She repeated Anastasia’s words back to him.
His anger had vanished, or at least been concealed, replaced by the absolute shock etched on his face. She allowed the moment to linger before inquiring, “Why are you surprised?”
Jayce shook his head, letting a minuscule laugh come from his throat, “You know Death’s name. Try to tell me it.”
Her eyebrows furrowed, “It’s–” When she opened to speak it aloud, she couldn’t. It was as though her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. “What? Its name is–” Placing a hand on her throat, she rolled her tongue around in her mouth. “What the?”
“I’m still upset with you,” he promptly threw in before adjusting them, allowing for her to sit up and out of his arms. “But knowing Death’s name has more significance than you think.
” She was looking down at her soaked-through clothes, taking in his words.
“It has never been known for anyone to know Death’s name beyond Death, or the Grim Reaper, which is such an outdated title. ”
“I wish I could share it, it’s beautiful.”
“Death gave it to you and only you. It means the two of you belong to one another, beyond the scope of what any mortal or immortal deem being together forever means. It’s not like a belonging between, say, you, Kaed and I.
It’s deeper than that. You and Death will be forever interlocked when this world ends, and another is created.
Death will never allow anyone to take you from them, not I, not Kaed—no one. ”
The prospect of having Anastasia never allowing anyone to take her, made safe not feel like a strong enough word.
While she understood that meant her life beyond death was safe, it still gave her sanctuary knowing Jayce protected her life and Anastasia her death.
It was a strange sensation, and she felt her skin tingling under the prospect.
Jayce ran his fingers through his hair, clicking his tongue against his teeth. “You are incredible, but also incredibly frustrating.”
“How can I make it up to you?” She asked, her eyes drooping, her lips pulled downward. “I really am sorry.”
A smile slowly lined his lips, “Oh, Sunshine, don’t look at me like that.” He grabbed her under her arms and pulled her back to him. “I can think of one thing, but afterward, you are going to help me fix Alyse’s ship.”
She gasped, “What happened to—”
“It’s not that bad,“ He said pointedly.
She was a bit nervous to see the damage but would take full responsibility for it.
“What do you have in mind? Don’t say lose at chess because I’d rather walk naked through Isis than do that.”
He threw his head back laughing, and like a plague, she was infected with it, joining in on the hysteria.