Daevari -II-

Chapter 5.1: Covenant

Ari sat perched atop the massive sill of a window, gazing at the scenery below. The confines of his room made him anxious, so he had ventured around the building, eventually finding this spot after much exploration. He wanted some time to think, yet he missed speaking with Sascha and Kaval. Despite their history, Sascha had not sought him out, and Ari had not bothered to seek Sascha either.

The thought of Sascha being upset with him once more made Ari uneasy. He had done nothing he felt sorry for, so he could not extend the apology Sascha might be expecting from him. It bothered him that Sascha had not come to him after all this time—apology or not.

"You, up there!" a familiar voice shouted.

Ari looked down and saw Zaiza waving at him. "Come down, and let us talk."

"There is nothing to discuss," Ari said, disinterested. He remembered how she spoke to Cyrus, and he did not like it.

"I am sure there is. Come down now; there is much to say. Would you not like to know more about this place?"

Ari gazed at her, curiosity piqued but still unwilling to entertain her. He had once thought she could be a possible ally, but he quickly realized how wrong he was. When she saw he would not come down, she scoffed and continued to walk on.

Day turned to dusk after a few hours. Ari yawned and stretched before he jumped down, landing gracefully on the ground like a cat. The years spent with his cat had taught him to mimic her movements and follow her along high buildings, making him more flexible and limber.

Perhaps he could try his hand at finding Cyrus. He missed him but had stayed away due to his conversation with Auovin. Auovin seemed upset with Cyrus for sharing that place with him, and Ari did not want to add more stress to their relationship, no matter how strained the relationship between Auovin and himself was. He intended to head back to his room, but his feet had a mind of their own and led him astray to somewhere unfamiliar.

Voices drifted from an open room. Familiar voices, one of which Ari knew quite well and intimately. He found Sascha and Xaaza talking, with Xaaza laughing through every other word. The sound warmed Ari's stomach. How dare she set her eyes upon his– Ari closed his eyes, annoyed with himself. He said he would not be this way with Sascha. He said he would change. Sascha was allowed to have other friends and lovers... and anything in between. Whether he liked them or not should not matter.

They stopped talking once they noticed Ari's presence which was not long. Ari smiled through his disdain of the entire situation he found himself in. He wanted no part of it.

"Sascha... it is nice to see you again."

Xaaza stared at Ari for a moment before cutting her eyes away from him, fixating now on the drink in front of her.

"Likewise," Sascha mumbled.

"You are still angry with me?" Ari said, approaching him.

"I would not say angry."

"Then what?"

"I do not know," Sascha confessed.

Just as Ari was about to respond, Zaiza entered the room with her brother, Zaiz. Zaiz sat close to Sascha, while Zaiza took an armchair opposite them, leaving Ari the choice of sitting beside Zaiz, Xaaza, or in the armchair in the center. Something felt off. Ari took several steps back, considering leaving.

"You know Nis tasked us with keeping an eye on you. Make sure you do not find yourself in any trouble," Zaiza said, casually assessing her nails.

"I need no looking after."

"It seems as though you do," Zaiz chimed in. "Already one has come to visit you. There will be more, I assure you."

Ari suppressed a glare as Zaiz draped an arm around Sascha, pulling him close. What did it matter if Sascha became friendlier with others? Ari knew Sascha would take to Zaiz quite well. It came as no surprise. Let him be with others. He was young, after all. Experiencing someone new could be good for him. However, since they served under Nis, Ari was not sure just how good an influence they could be.