Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 18.2: Scabs

The onslaught of rain continued to pour pit pattering against the tiled roof.  Plip-plip-plip. The sound woke Ari from his sleep. There were leaks in the hallway roof along with many others in different parts of the house.  

Thunder clapped sending a small tremor through the house. Normally, the sound would frighten Ari, but he was more tired than anything. The blood he had given him was not enough. "Like water..." Ari muttered with sleep still heavy in his voice.  He rubbed his head and rose with careful steps. The head pain and fog was gone, but he felt as though that was the least of his worries now. 

Ari searched the room, seeing where Sascha had lain was empty and in its place were pillows. Where had Sascha gone? The black cat came and purred up against his leg causing his eyes to soften. He bent down and scratched underneath her chin. 

"Shall I give you name...? Perhaps, a bath too?" 

The cat meowed and snuggled up against his hand. He picked up the cat and cradled her pressing her cheek up against his. She slept next to him last night giving him more comfort than Sascha's presence. With her, Ari did not feel so alone and he did not know why. He had no prior friendly interactions with animals before.

"Ah, you are awake, at last," Sascha said as they came through the door with a towel over their head. 

"At last... How long was I asleep for?"

"Three days." Sascha put down the towel and shuffled through the drawers until they pulled out a vial filled with black liquid. 

"Three days?" Ari exclaimed rousing the cat from his arms. 

"It was as expected given your condition." Sascha spared him a look before continuing on what they were doing. "You look much better now. Your complexion is brighter."

"I do feel better. Thank you for taking me in."

"It is the least I could do... after everything." 

Ari's eyes met with theirs before they shifted. Were they always that tall? Ari thought they were around the same height but they were much taller with more muscle mass than him. Of course, he was older, Ari thought. He would be bigger.

"You do not have to keep apologizing to me." Ari scoffed. " I am used to being tricked by now." 

"I do not want you to mistrust me because of it. You are the first one like me since—" He bit his lip and continued rummaging through his things. "What I mean to say is that it has been a long time since I met another like myself."

Sascha brushed their hair back and let out a weary sigh.

"Where had you gone to?" Ari said as he approached closer wanting to get a better look at the vial in their hand. As if sensing his approach Sascha stowed it away in their pocket and gave Ari their full attention. 

"I just had a bath."

"And before that?" Ari asked with narrowed eyes. 

"Mars and Lyn and the others had a meeting of a sort I attended."

"I see."

 Whatever trust he had in Sascha had long since disappeared and in its place was an emptiness waiting to be filled. He did not want to dawdle in the city for much longer. There was nothing there for him any longer.  

"You can come! With me... if you like. Next time."

"... I do not think there will be a next time. I have someone to find."

"Ari." Sascha tried to reach for him but Ari moved away in time. "I would love to say that you should go and find the person who you lost, but it is dangerous and considerably foolish to go after someone like Sin."