Across Time

11 - South Dakota

South Dakota 2023

Anastasia

All of the lights are out when I pull up to Ajak's cottage. Something is wrong; very, very wrong. I manifest a sword and make my way to the open front door. My eyes adjust to the darkness as I make my way through the house. I hear movement outside as I make my way through the kitchen. The lights suddenly come back on and I see Ikaris and Sprite surrounding Sersi and . . . Holy shit, is that Ajak? I sprint over to them, any fear for my own safety has vanished from my mind.

"It was a deviant." Ikaris tells me.

"No. It can't be. We, we, they're dead. They're extinct. They're supposed to be gone."

"Anastasia," Sprite says before hugging me.

"This isn't real. I'm having some awful dream. I'm back in my house having another nightmare. Yeah, that's right." Ajak being dead makes no sense. Especially looking like she was killed by a deviant and had the life literally drained out of her. I stumble back, Ikaris catches me before I fall. This can't be.

"We have a lot to talk about." Sersi tells me.

"Clearly if the deviants are back. So, catch me up." She tells me about the deviant attack in London, how they would have basically been toast had Ikaris not shown up. The deviant knowing where Sprite and Sersi were even through Sprite's illusions. I crack a joke that she's lost her touch. Sprite gives me a scowl before continuing what happened and telling me that the damn thing healed itself. That would only make sense if it killed Ajak, but it's also nothing like we've experienced before. Ikaris stays awfully quiet during this, too quiet even for him. I choose to write it off as him processing Ajak's death. Sersi also tells me that the sphere that Ajak used to talk to Arishem is now inside her.

"There's still a possibility that it's Mahd Wy'ry." Ikaris cuts in.

"Did her eyes gloss over in a gold sheen?" I counter. He should know better than to mention that to me.

"Not that I know of."

"Did she try to kill you or use her powers on you in any way?"

"No."

"Then I highly doubt that she has Mahd Wy'ry." I'm close to seething anger that he would think that instead of believing Sersi, that he would throw that out without foundation.

"It's okay, Anya." Sprite tries to calm me down. She would defend him. I just take a breath, trying to calm down because I really don't feel like going up against Ikaris right now.

"Well, I'm glad you're all not dead. But I guess this means that it's time for a family reunion. Where do we start?"