Torn Apart

Just Start Again

Shhhhhhnk.

Arthur cracked one eye open, scanning the room. Chloe's glow had faded out and she lay fast asleep at the end of the bed, but the walls offered a dim luminescence to see by. Thick, dark lines spread themselves along that luminescence, crisscrossing in a distinct, rectangular shape.

He released his breath. The lack of any door in the room had unnerved him for some time until Mystery had reminded him that he was the guest of a god who controlled every aspect of this realm and who would return a door to the room when it was needed. No doubt Hades still had reservations about having him as a guest, and Arthur didn't blame him for taking precautions. It was hard to rest easy, no matter how luxurious the bed, knowing he was entombed.

Once the lines completed their shape, the door swung open, allowing soft pink light to pool in the doorway. Vivi stood there with Lewis right behind, and Arthur's heart rose, a smile on his lips.

He'd finally done it. Lewis would be so proud of him. If there was even a tiny bit of resentment left over his death, Lewis would release it, forgiving Arthur for getting angry and not keeping his guard up. Once they got back to the surface, Vivi could take the reins of the group again and they could sort the mess they'd left, but it would be together. They'd bring in new cases, work out their problems, and be a team again.

His hopes shuddered to a halt. Lewis' hand was on Vivi's waist, steadying her. Her arms braced against the doorframe and her eyes were hidden by her bangs. The sound of knives scraping against each other filled the room, but he couldn't discern the source.

Somewhere in his mind, a mocking laughter began. Happily ever after.

Vivi straightened, tugging her sleeves down to the wrists and marched into the room, her chin at sharp level and Lewis no more than a few inches behind. Lewis wouldn't meet Arthur's eyes and Vivi wouldn't look anywhere else.

Happily ever after.

The edges of Arthur's vision paled, bands squeezing his chest until his breathing crackled in short, staccato bursts.

"Vivi, whatever you have to say, say it quickly." Mystery pressed his forelegs into Arthur's lap, and Arthur seized on the sense of pressure as an anchor. "He knows something's wrong."

Lewis' shoulders hunched and he reached toward Arthur, but Vivi intercepted his hand. "No. Mystery's right. He needs to hear it all at once." She took a deep breath. "Squire, Kay's back, but like Hades said, there was a cost. Aji volunteered herself to take Kay's place."

The laughter in his mind swelled. Happily ever after.

He couldn't breathe. He'd lost one of them. He'd failed. He hadn't been able to keep the family together for Lewis' sake.

It wasn't right. He wasn't going to face Lewis again until he had Aji back. It had to be complete to be a victory, to be a family again they all had to make it! He tore the sheets back, struggling to the edge of the bed.

"Knock it off, Kingsmen. And get that panicky 'I failed' look off your face. You've aged yourself enough already."

He lifted his head as the sound of scraping knives filled the room and a burning scarlet figure lit on Lewis' shoulder. It was a hawk with an iron beak ground to fearsome hooked tips, each feather of its broad wings tipped and edged in steel that sharpened with every rustle of feather over feather. It wore elaborately engraved steel guards molded to fit its legs and toes while leaving the talons bare.

Aji's soul. Arthur's face crumpled, his shoulders sagging.

"Hey. Hey, Kingsmen." Aji glided down, landing on the bed. Every step she took sliced the thick sheet like butter. He held very still. "It's better this way. Hades and I had a long talk. He's offered me a home here. I can work for him, y'know? He's been hoping to get a good messenger for a while because he thinks Hermes is turning into a real brat. He says as soon as I've finished my business I can come and work for him."