Torn Apart

Together Soon

Aji settled on Lewis' arm and he could feel her. It wasn't as if Vivi was intangible to him, but it always felt like he held her through multiple layers of plastic wrap. In contrast, he experienced every minute shift and curl of Aji's toes, the talons held as loose as she dared while still keeping a perch on his forearm, which he curled inward just enough to bring her face to face with him. He had no doubt those talons, unlike any earthly weapon, could pierce him through and do lasting damage.

It was harder to tell where her eyes were pointed now, but it was easy to read the ducked head and hunched wings. He lifted his other hand and stroked her head. Gentle. Soft. Every feathery trace slid under his fingertips in full tactile detail.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I couldn't keep my cool."

His own skull sank in toward his neck hole. "I didn't either. And I had a choice." He drew her close to his chest and cradled her, carefully. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. This shouldn't have happened for a really long time."

"Well. This is the only way I can start fixing things." She leaned against him, shutting her eyes. "I'm going to miss you. I'm sure I'll have some business back home eventually, but I don't know when and how often."

"I'll miss you too. Find me if business brings you our side."

"Never far from Miss Bluevi, right?" she joked, her voice cracking slightly. "You'd better believe I'll find you."

He straightened, and she carefully clambered up to his shoulder, perching there as he hovered out of the room and down the hall. Mystery had left a few minutes prior with Chloe, they wouldn't be too far ahead.

"She'll forgive you. Eventually." Aji nudged the side of his skull. "Kay. She adored you."

Lewis' fingers curled toward his palms. Kay had no sooner drawn breath than she'd locked up on sight of him and used that breath to begin screaming. He'd retreated out of sight, and she'd begun a mournful cry of "Lost!" but no longer screamed.

"I lost her trust, Aji. I burned that bridge hard."

"You'd have to burn a lot longer and harder to lose that bridge totally. It's probably missing a lot of planks and has no handrails, but it's still there."

"I hope so."

He stopped as the tunnel spilled out into a crystal cavern. No surprise that he'd come to a different room. Hades seemed to enjoy shaping his realm to suit his whims. Up ahead, Arthur knelt on a white path, clinging to Kay like she was about to vanish. Chloe and Mystery lay nearby, waiting. Hades had just entered on the opposite side of the cavern, bearing a linen-wrapped body in his arms. Persephone came close on his heels, holding Dulcie by the hand and speaking quietly to her. Teles followed at some distance, her head bowed.

Aji nudged Lewis' cheekbone once more before spreading her wings and gliding off. Hades turned, setting the body in Teles' outstretched arms, before extending a wrist for Aji to light on. Aji kept her head straight, eyes forward.

Vivi was not there. Panic sliced through Lewis as he realized she was the only one missing.

"She went on ahead." Hades eyed him. "I will overlook her rude departure. We have business to attend before you go, though it would be best if you return to your anchor before you are noticed."

Of course Hades was right. Lewis dissipated, collecting himself back into the locket that still hung around Dulcie's neck. No sense sending Kay into another round of hysterics, he could listen just as well from where he was.