Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 15.3: Frustration

Ari woke to the sound of footsteps. He groaned but did nothing more. His head pounded. He did not want to open his eyes. However, a familiar scent made him crack his eyes open. Hair tickled his nose as he moved his head. Ari smelled more of the scent then causing him to burrow his face into it. He could not quite put a word to the smell, but he relished in it. It was not long before he realized just who that smell belonged to. As always, he made Auovin trouble.

"You do not have to carry me," Ari mumbled near his ear. Auovin shivered. It was small, but Ari felt it.

"I think I do. Your legs will be like jelly and you will become disoriented."

"Because of these memories...?"

"Yes and the after effects as well."

Ari tightened his hold around Auovin's neck. "After effects?"

"Do not worry about it right now."

"And these memories? Should I not worry about them?"

Auovin tried to turn to look at Ari, but he stopped himself midway.  "What use is it to remember now... They are not your memories. You are not that person anymore."

Ari closed eyes and nodded. "No, I am not that person any longer. Does that upset you?"

"It does not matter."

"Because I am not the person who you were in love with?"

Auovin turned to look at him then. "Only you would become jealous of your own self."

"You preferred his blue eyes over his grey ones... did you not?"

"Ari..."

"You said mine belonged to some Great instead."

"Ari."

"I do not have blue eyes. I never have."

Auovin answered him with silence. The only sound that came from Auovin was from his feet stepping into puddles of water. He would not press Auovin about it for the time being. It was true. Ari was jealous of his own self but not for the reasons that Auovin was thinking of. He sighed into Auovin's neck and tried to busy himself with the labyrinth walls covered in intricate markings. Auovin no longer carried a torch, so Ari did not understand why he could he see as well as he did. Even his leg was feeling a little better.

Had he given him his blood? Ari tried to taste for it, but he knew he would have realized it long before now. Auovin's blood had a certain taste to it that lingered in his mouth and filled him with nothing but want. Just the thought of it made him salivate. Being as close to his neck as he was did not help.

"There is a little light up ahead. We are almost outside," Auovin said. Ari looked up and saw as the light becoming brighter and brighter as they inched closer. "Cyrus will see to your wounds and keep you fed."

Ari knew he wanted to say more but stopped himself. He squinted. His tongue itched to say something. "And where will you be?"

"I know you can have a massive appetite, but do not take so much from Cyrus again."

Ari blinked away from him as guilt nestled in the pit of his stomach. "I did not mean..." Ari trailed off. "Why can I not take from you then?"

"Ari, you know why."

"No, I do not. Tell me."

Auovin stopped walking. The light from the outside was shining in Ari's face, blinding him. Soon Auovin began unwrapping Ari's arms from around him and slid him down onto the ground.

"If you do not know why then you really should not take my blood," Auovin said as he stared into his eyes. "Cyrus, it is us. Come and take him."

Ari squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away from him. "I understand why you are doing this— pushing me away. But is not my fault. I am not him. I am me. It is a weak excuse but I—"