Back at Noctis, the three of them head straight up the stairs to Celeste’s room. All thanks to Aster for sending a message in advance. Coming into the room, Celeste smiles at them with Iris sitting on the couch diagonal from her.

Jace ushers Zye to the vacant couch where they can both take a seat. Aster, however, stands off to the side. Seeing that everyone is gathering, Iris goes to rise.

“I’ll be—”

“Iris, you can stay. In fact, I offered the others to join. However, they’re busy which is understandable. The Nether are getting more aggressive.”

“O…okay.”

She settles back onto the cushion while Celeste turns to address Jace. As they do, Aster takes a seat on the couch down from Iris.

“How did it go?”

“Callua let me know the souls have gone on. A large group were able to make it out as well.”

“That’s great news! Iris tells me the rest were routed and cleansed as well.”

“The ones that got out will be spreading the information that a new Infernal is on the move with us to fix what’s been happening. Hopefully, that’ll make it easier to go forward.”

Coming off the landing, Orion inserts himself into the conversation. “Soren has made no moves. However, Aster said he saw someone who matches his description when he was leaving to chase after you.”

Jace’s gaze flicks up to meet Orion’s. “He saw everything then.”

“Are we sure he won’t hunt down those you got out?” asks Orion as he moves over to stand by the couch.

“No. And we can’t fully know who comes in and out of the realms either. Those that are in fear should go to their rooms and stay unless they’re with a group.”

“Do we have any further information about Soren?”

Watching the conversation go back and forth, Zye leans back against the soft cushions as Jace answers.

“He has a man, Ren, and a woman, Ayre, who his closest allies. A blood and ice magic user respectively. As for Soren, he has the other piece to the necklace he gave Vespera.”

“And it does?”

“I’m not sure. The choker seemed to absorb and nullify the abilities of those who wore it. I’m assuming the other piece will do the opposite.”

Celeste hums, “That’s not ideal. A very dangerous tool that’s left in the field.”

“Perhaps not,” Jace says with a wave of his hand. “Still, with Daichi gone, we can start making plans to move around Soren. Kerse won’t be far from his side.”

“Then we can’t show restraint with her either.”

Orion’s words make Zye more nervous than he should be. He doesn’t know very much about Kerse and yet he recalls what he does. Especially the conflicted way Hax would speak of her. The look on his face always said so much.

“Actually…what if we don’t do what we did to Daichi to Kerse.”

All eyes sweep over to land on Zye. Orion, in particular, doesn’t seem pleased with the sentiment. “You can’t be serious. She’s dangerous. Not to mention the longer we leave her alone, the worse it gets.”

“She’s alone.”

Celeste cuts them both off. “I agree with Zye. We don’t know her side of the story. Thus, we shouldn’t make a judgment. Daichi was different. He had his second chance and proceeded to repeat his mistakes.”

“Celeste, you can’t—”

“We abandoned Kerse when we separated the realms. She never came to visit me after that. Her loyalty to Hax kept her from doing so, I’m sure.”

“I…” he cuts his eyes away before sitting down. “That would be my fault, yes.”

Zye is quick to shoot back. “I don’t care who you say is at fault. We need to get her to talk.”

“She’s going to want to fight first and foremost,” Jace says with a nudge over at Zye. “But we might be able to tire her out.”

“Or, we do what Hax did to me and take out the core she took from Charmilla. Then, she’s on our level again.”

Zye keeps Orion’s gaze. He’s trying to study the way those eyes glance back at him. He just can’t read Orion for the life of him. “And how do we do that without killing her?”

“We can focus and see the souls or even each other’s cores if we try hard enough. The core gives off a different light, so to speak, than our bodies. Trying to see a core is harder if the subject isn’t pushing out enough power.”

“So we get her to go ham and then pounce. And you’re sure it won’t kill her?”

“Positive.”

“Fine. I can be satisfied with that. Plan away.”

Celeste giggles at that. “I think it’s worth a try. We couldn’t help Charm or even Hax at this rate. The least we can do is try to be there for Kerse. She’s not in her right mind as it is right now.”

Finally perking up, Aster leans against the arm of the couch, closer to Orion. “When should we set this off?”

Jace, Celeste, and Orion all share nods to each other. They’re the ones with the most experience after all. Of them all, Jace makes a suggestion first.

“Scouts should be selected and set up. Once Soren and his team are busy, we can lure Kerse to us.”

Celeste nods in agreement. “I believe it should be most of us. If not all, just in case. The only ones I’d wish to keep out of the fight are Ilista, Xerxes, Aster, and Iris. I believe they’re capable of keeping Soren’s attention drawn.”

“The less likelihood that he’ll rush to Kerse’s aid, the better,” interjects Orion. “If things are too much, they will retreat and let us know so we can prepare.”

Of them all, Jace is the one who gestures to Iris. “What do you think?”

Her eyes go wide. The last thing that Iris expects is to get a say in anything. Still, she’s been listening the entire time and is able to swallow the nerves.

“I believe you should take Callua with your group. We should have a healer on our side as well but I think it’s more important for your side since we can always plan to escape.”

Celeste reaches over, patting her on the arm. “That’s a great idea. Perhaps I can find someone to go with you all. We’ll have to reconvene later. For now, you’re both welcome to stay as long as you wish.”

Zye immediately perks up. “Is Xerxes here?”

“I believe so.”

“I’m off,” he says as he elbows Jace playfully. “Coming with or staying here and talking strategy?”

“Here. I need to check on a few things as well. If you’d like, I’ll come get you when I leave.”

Zye shrugs as he stands up. Heading toward the landing, he gives a wave over his shoulder. “Just don’t do anything stupid without me.”

The second he’s out of sight, Orion sits near Jace. There’s enough distance between them that he can look over to the dark-haired man. “How’s his training?”

“Adequate, all considering. He activated his full power against Daichi from what I can tell.”

“You weren’t here? That’s surprising.”

“I only caught the tail end of it. From what Charm showed me, I’m positive that was it. Except, he said he didn’t feel like he had control at one point.”

Orion mutters under his breath, “Hax.”

“Um, could I ask a question?”

Celeste smiles over at Iris, “Of course. What is it?”

“What if we lure Kerse to a place that gives our side a power-up. Jace and Zye would be at a disadvantage and so would she.”

“Goodness…you’re so smart. That’s a brilliant idea. I’ll get looking for…” Celeste trails off. They notice something strange with the energy coming off of Jace. As well as the fact that he’s grown silent. “Jace, are you alright?”

Loud in his head, all he can hear is Vespera’s desperate plea. “Please, Jace, one of them is here. I need help!”

He’s up on his feet and opening a portal without a second thought. “Vespera is under attack. I’ll be back.”

Iris jumps up as well, ears flat against her curls. “I’ll go with you.”

Jace eyes Orion and then Celeste. Orion nods. Celeste gives a sweep of her hand. “Let her go. If you need more, say the word.”

“Thank you. Stay close to me, Iris.”

Going through the portal, the two of them end up in the back bedroom of the safe house Jace set Vespera and Sigil up in. Except it’s not how it should be.

There’s a chill that seeps in from under the closed door. One that has Jace concerned. Even more so when he can’t open the door.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure. Be ready.”

Iris calls forth her scythe while Jace places a hand on the door. As he does, he incinerates it. The wood crackles and burns away enough to duck through. Not to mention see that the walls of the corridor are coated in thick ice.

He knows it has to be Ayre. No one else would be capable of this. More than that, he’s worried that they found this place to begin with when they’ve taken such strict precautions.

Cautiously, they move down the hallway. It’s not until they get close to the living room that they hear it. Sobs come from the way they’re headed with Sigil desperately crying out.

“Please! Stop!”

Jace narrows his eyes and summons fire to his hands the second he rounds the corner. Except he’s caught dead in his tracks by the sight of blood dripping from the deep cuts on Vespera’s legs. Worse yet as Ayre twists the wrist she’s caught.

The sickle Vespera was holding clatters to the ground as Ayre keeps going until there’s a sickening crack. Vespera’s scream splits the air as she’s allowed to collapse to the ground. Once she has, Ayre lifts her gaze.

“You made it, Keeper.”

“Get away from her.”

Ayre nudges a steel-toed boot against Vespera’s shoulder. It forces the blond to tumble to the ground clasping at her broken wrist.

“Iris, I trust you to have this. Call Aster if you need to.”

“U-understood!”

Jace gives no further warning. He throws up an arc of fire that cuts Vespera off from Ayre. He draws it around himself to cut them off from the three women. It forces Ayre to inch closer to the open kitchen where the ice is at its thickest.

Meanwhile, Iris bounds over to Sigil and holds out her hand. “It’s okay. I’ll protect you. No one will hurt you while I’m here, I promise. Now let’s get her out of here.”

Tears still dripping from her eyes, Sigil nods and takes the offered hand. Together they rush over to Vespera. Despite the shock racing through her system, Vespera is able to stay on her feet and allow Sigil to support most of her weight.

Iris scans the area as the waves of power from the fight she can’t see hit her senses. It’s not safe here. The least she can do is run to the door and cut through it with her scythe. It falls outward with her ushering Sigil through. All the while, she’s letting Jace know that they’re out— he can let loose.

Something that’s still challenging considering he doesn’t want to endanger the populace around this home. Even so, he knows he can’t let Ayre walk out of here unscathed.

She tilts her head with a sigh. Pointing her sword at him, she waits for him to make the next move. A feat he’s not sure he wants to accomplish. Amidst trying to plan, he can see a butterfly broach clipped to her outfit.

It’s terribly out of place.

It has to be the other tool that Soren has.

He also knows that her ice is powerful. And as powerful and unyielding as it is, his fire is just as unpredictable and full of life. Jace swallows hard and allows the flames to begin building around his feet.

They lick along the wooden floor and dare to begin melting any ice they reach. Steadily, the fire grows in intensity until he has them both completely surrounded.

“So, you plan to turn me to ash?”

“We both know you’ll survive this. If you weren’t following him, Charm might have promoted you.”

“You filthy people can keep your titles. I don’t need them. You should feel proud that you’ve gotten me to use my magic.”

Ayre stabs the sword down to the ground, chipping through the grout line of two intersecting tiles. As she does, ice begins to sprout outward much like his flames.

Not that Jace cares. He doesn’t need to beat her right now. The ones escaping are the only ones he cares about. Lives first. A score can be settled later.

Regardless, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Flooding the house with his magic, he sets it ablaze. And yet even as he does, he makes sure it’s contained to not catch any other home nearby in the fire.

A task that easily distracts Ayre for she has to shield herself with ice. Much like a cocoon before the butterfly can escape.

Except Jace is fire. His magic doesn’t burn him. If anything, it parts around him as he runs out into the yard just in time to see a silhouette leap from the roof next door.

That red coat he’d recognize anywhere.

He can’t let her get to them. She’ll massacre them.

“Kerse! I’m right here!”

Heels skid to a stop over the sidewalk. She turns and the sides of her hair that are tied back sway as she does. Piercing crimson eyes glare at him, narrowing once she can see him.

At that moment, he knows he has her. She’s full of vitriol and ire. It’s all he really needs as it allows Iris to open a portal and escape. Jace, however, spins on his heel and makes a break for the beachfront to this property.

He has to get her away from anyone that could get caught in the crossfire. A feat that has her even more pissed as she runs after him.

“How dare you show your face! You went against my orders, you piece of shit!”

Jace bites his retort and keeps running. It’s not until he’s halfway to the water that he stops. Sand kicks up around him when he finally turns to face her. As he does, he raises his fists.

The only thing he’s grateful for is the moon high in the sky above them. They’re both on semi-equal footing. He only needs to get enough distance between them— throw her off long enough to escape. He takes a deep breath as he tries to fathom which plan will work.

“You don’t know what you’re doing, Kerse.”

“I do! You tried to kill Soren! The only good thing is that little worm Daichi is gone. I wish I could have handled him myself…but you’ll do.”

He watches her begin to close the distance between them. One slow step leads into a longer lunge until she’s racing at him with no reprieve in sight. The only good news is that they fight similarly, with their fists.

The first punch, he dodges. The second catches him on the side of his face. A dizzying level of force that has him tasting blood and hearing a buzz in his ears. Jace quickly bats away her next attack and puts distance between them.

He rubs the back of his hand over his split lip, hating how it burns. “I did what I had to do. Soren isn’t the good guy here.”

“And you lied to me! You were supposed to be different than those other pathetic insects!”

“And you killed Charm.”

Kerse stops dead in her tracks as if he actually hit her. She glances from side to side while fists shake angrily at her sides. “I had to! She tried to kill me first! If I didn’t, how could I help Hax? He’s too weak to make any moves— too weak!”

Jace balls up some fire in his hand. “Did you even really know him? What he wanted?”

“You shit! I knew him best!”

She lunges forward even through the fire he throws at her. Armored gloves shimmer into existence on her hands as she bats it away. While her speed is slow, the force behind her punch has him stumbling back.

Huffing, he braces for the next hit and yet she stills, staring at him. Jace reaches up and unclasps his coat. He throws it to the side, landing in the sand, as he levels his gaze with hers once more.

“If you did, you’d know he worked for centuries to find the soul that he could trade places with. He wanted to be human and get away from all of you.”

A low blow and he knows it. Knows it even more when she bellows at him.

“No! NO!”

He begins to walk to the side, putting a set distance between himself and his coat. Enough that he believes will tell him he can get away. All as long as he plays his cards right.

“Orion and Charm tried to silence him for what he was researching. Celeste didn’t even know. Did you?”

Kerse shakes her head back and forth. The hair is beginning to slip from their ties— black and white blending together. Her shoulders visibly tremble from where she stands.

“No, shut up! I was always there for him!”

Her eager rebuttal ends in a shrill scream that has a chill racing up Jace’s spine. It’s in that moment that he realizes she’s not stable. And he’s only made it worse by trying to distract her— set her on edge.

“You…you’re all the ones that keep leaving. You don’t look at anyone other than what you want. It’s all about what you want!”

Jace doesn’t move and he’s glad that he falters as the lightning strikes down into the sand next to him. It scares him, truly. Charmilla always had such poise with her devastating strength. To think someone has it and isn’t able to control herself has him wondering if he can even get out of this.

Kerse takes a step forward.

“What about what I want?”

“What do you want, Kerse?”

Crimson eyes seem to stare through him. The question makes her hesitate. The hesitation angers her. She shouldn’t be second-guessing anything. And yet, she lowers her tone. The deep rumble in her throat contrasts so perfectly with the gentle sound of waves lapping up the shore behind him.

“I’ll give you one chance to tell me where Hax is.”

Staring back at her, he knows he has to tell her. Even if it backfires.

“He’s dead.”

Kerse doesn’t move— doesn’t even blink. Her fingers slowly uncurl from the fists they’ve formed into at her sides. Proud shoulders begin to slump and her mouth opens ever-so-slightly.

He can only watch as the devastation rips through her like a slow-building tidal wave. Kerse takes one step back. Her heel digs into the sand while her other wants to move forward. She begins to shake her head as if she can shake the words back out.

Hands delve up into her messy tresses, not caring that the pointed tips of her gloves scratch over her own scalp. The pain doesn’t register. All that does is the agony welling up inside of her as the wave finally begins to recede.

From where he stands, Jace can hear the soft mutterings of ‘no’ over and over again. It has him inching away from the direction he should run to. He’s betting on her to lose it, not collapse.

That’s just how Kerse is.

And he’s not usually wrong in these situations.

“No!” she screams, her throat already growing hoarse. “His…his door is still there!”

“That’s because a new Infernal took his place and has his power.”

“You’re a liar! Prove it and bring him to me!”

“I can’t let you near him. Not until you calm down.”

“Damn you!”

Kerse kicks away from the ground. Her coat is thrown off as she rushes at him with relentless fury. There’s nothing he can do but try and parry some of the blows away. Her claws rip through his shirt and scratch across his chest as he ducks away.

Only to have to move back to her as lightning strikes behind him. So close that he can feel the heat singeing through his pant leg.

Jace catches one fist and forces her to run forward with her momentum. She stops just before the water and spins back to face him.

He’s only concerned because her normal style is gone. The strong piercing blows are far more erratic. It makes it difficult for Jace to read what to do next. Relying on his instincts, he braces most of his energy into shielding his body the best he can.

Even still, Kerse is a force to be reckoned with as she runs at him once more. This time he’s able to dodge to the side.

It infuriates her.

She grabs at the back of his shirt, claws catching through material and skin.

Jace trips around another bolt of lightning stabbing into the ground in front of his face. It allows her to grab his arm, cutting through the skin as he spins around.

His fist never means to hit her. Nonetheless, it has her ducking down and slamming her shoulder against his torso. The force alone has him stumbling. Her smacking into him again until they’re falling down is what does it.

Back against the sand, Jace catches one of her fists. The ridges of the armor bite into his hand while his other is caught at his side. She saddles over his stomach with her free hand grasping at his throat.

The tips of her gloves pierce into the skin. Orange drips from the cuts she makes. An orange that mixes with the deep purple that is her poison.

Fire burns in the palm he keeps clasped around her fist. Jace increases the heat until Kerse has to recoil. The second she lets her guard down, he throws his weight into flipping them over. Except she’s not going down that easy.

They roll through the sand until finally, he ends up on top of her, pinning her wrists to the ground. He expects her to keep fighting. He doesn’t expect her to go completely still.

She stares up at him with wide eyes that seemingly begin to mist over. Her crimson gaze follows the drops of blood that drip from his mouth and nose to land on her cheek.

Disheveled, he can see the way the pale skin is creeping up her neck. It’s almost reached her jaw. To say he’s concerned is an understatement. If she’s progressed this far then it might not be possible to save her. It’ll be a dangerous bet.

One he has to be alive for to even attempt.

“I’m sorry. Maybe if you hadn’t stopped cleansing, we could talk instead.”

He leaves her stunned on the sand. Shoving himself up and running to his coat, Jace throws up a ring of fire around himself. The second he does, he’s activating the jewel on his coat and dashing into a portal.

________________________

Heading straight to Ilista’s room, Zye hesitates before the door. He wants nothing more than to see Xerxes before they leave. Yet he can’t deny he’s nervous. The unmistakable feeling of not being or acting as he should have is killing him. Once again, he doesn’t feel that he is good enough.

It’s why he scrambles to smile when the door opens.

Xerxes stands before him with blue eyes that search for any sign of something being wrong. Even so, there’s a petite smile on his lips as he gestures for Zye to come in.

“Ilista won’t be back for a while. And Aster already let me know everything went okay and…what happened?”

Zye stops walking. He lifts his hand, holding onto the other arm and rubbing at his elbow. The nerves are fluttering in his stomach. He wishes he could proudly proclaim that he’s avenged Xerxes.

Except he feels like he’s done no such thing. Barely feels like he’s done anything for himself.

Xerxes turns back to him. “What’s wrong?” he asks while pulling the mask down. He had planned to go out and find Zye himself. Now that he’s here, he doesn’t need the cloth whatsoever. “He’s gone, it’s okay now.”

“It’s not.” Zye squeezes his arm. He wants to force the words out and stop being a coward. “I couldn’t even pretend to be Jace and stand up for any of us. All I wanted was to run away and let him deal with it. He killed you, Xerxes. I should never have hesitated to where someone else had to help.”

Staring up at him, Xerxes is quiet. He slowly moves forward until they’re standing together. “All that matters to me is that you came back.”

“Come on, you—”

“No. I…I won’t lie. I never liked him and he scared me. But even I could see how he made you feel. The…you would have all these marks you would try to hide after he’d visit. I’m not stupid and I wasn’t then either.”

It takes Xerxes a second to pry Zye’s long fingers away from his own body so that Xerxes can hold his hand. A feat that always calms Zye down. It reminds him of all the times that Xerxes’s gentle presence is so innocent— so bright and forgiving.

“I didn’t like that you went there. And I don’t think you should have. I…well…the old lady I lived next to took care of me a lot when I moved out. And when she died and I didn’t know what to do, I’d remember what she’d say or think of what she’d say to do.”

“Yeah? I’m glad you had someone. That must have been hard.”

Xerxes pouts up at him, almost daring to scold him. “Don’t change the subject.”

“S-sorry.”

“That couldn’t have been healthy to go back and do. I don’t need you to fight for me. Or avenge me. Or try to be my knight in shining armor.”

He squeezes Zye’s hand. The words hit so hard that Zye has to retreat his gaze to the small, pale fingers wrapped around his own. He always did try to be there in ways Xerxes needed— to fight back in his honor and shake a fist to make others treat him right.

Gazing down at Xerxes’s hand, he struggles to realize once more that Xerxes is older. The hand is a bit larger with thin fingers. The nails have been painted a bright, sparkling blue. He can only imagine that’s Ilista’s doing.

Xerxes gives a small tug, encouraging Zye to meet his eyes once more. “S-so, please don’t be sorry. It was…traumatic, yes. Celeste has been talking with me about it and…you shouldn’t blame yourself.”

“He only went after you because of me, you can’t say—”

“I can. And I am. You’re not responsible for anything he did. I’m not saying it’s okay he did it. I…it’ll take some time for me to get through it. I should have said something sooner…I was just…processing, you know? I like that you don’t want to hurt people.”

“I’m pretty sure that means I’m a coward.”

Xerxes huffs. The bangs shift between his eyes as he tries to stand up a little taller. “Callua always told me I need to be more forceful. So, stop it, Zye. You’re nice, kind to everyone, and always trying to help others and…and…”

“And I’m pretty, too, right?”

“And you’re pretty— Zye! S-stop th-that!”

The hand around his flails away as Xerxes huffs and puffs. In an effort to show he is listening, Zye catches one of Xerxes’s wrists. It’s so easy for him to wrap his fingers around it. The man before him may be taller, but to Zye, he’s still small and fragile.

Yet, he’s so much stronger than he used to be.

“Thank you, Xer. Really…you’ve been through a lot of my ups and downs. Even if I didn’t want a kid to witness all of that.”

“So…does that mean you’ll come and see me more?”

“I still feel a little guilty. But…yeah. I will.”

“It’s, um, you can…talk to me about things too. I know it’s probably weird.”

Zye lets him go and turns, gesturing for him to come along. “Maybe a little. It’s hard to get used to you being older now. But, sure, maybe once this is all over we can sit down and talk. Whatever you want to know.”

Xerxes, bounding to catch up behind him as he gets to the door, is smiling wide. “Where are we going?”

“I figured we could see Aster. You’ve talked to him before, right? Well, I’m going to see if he’ll let us look at his collection of…whatever the hell it is.”

Stifling a laugh, Xerxes follows Zye out into the corridor. It’s a short walk from Ilista’s hallway to Aster’s. Even shorter to get to the door. The very thing that opens as Zye goes to knock. He’s surprised that Aster answers before he has the chance.

“How did you know?”

“You don’t mask your presence for shit, Zye. I could feel you wandering around the second you left Ilista’s room.”

“Oh…uh, I’ll work on that.”

“You should. Then again, I’m not surprised Ilista didn’t drill that one in. She’s definitely a bru— Why did you bring the kid?”

“Because you two would get along, I think. And I know you didn’t take the first step. So, I brought him to you. Aster, show Xerxes your cool room.”

Aster glares up at Zye. “Fine, far wall check there first.” He steps aside and allows Xerxes to slip inside. When Zye goes to follow, Aster stops him. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Uh-huh. Alright, then come on.”

He follows Aster. Except he doesn’t make it very far. While the two of them are beginning to discuss the figures Aster has displayed in a case along the wall. He wants to listen and yet he can’t.

A pain pierces through his chest and for a split second, there’s only agony that vibrates through his body. It’s enough to make him stumble, nearly drawing him to his knees.

The two men notice something is wrong. They’re talking to him and he can’t hear them. All he knows is the message from Jace that he gets has knots creeping into his stomach.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon. Stopping at the cabin first.”

Xerxes moves over to him. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. I think that idiot went and did something stupid. He could at least take me with him when he does that.”

Zye spins on his heel and tries to concentrate on the cabin— on Jace. He can get back there. Never again is he letting his inability to do as everyone else hinder him. Besides, no way he’s not jumping after that message. It takes far more concentration than he’ll admit to summon up the colorful rift.

Aster is by his side almost immediately. “You’re not going anywhere alone.”

“It’s just to the cabin.”

“I don’t care. If you’re going, all three of us are.”

Zye doesn’t argue further. He hurries through the portal. It’s the only way to quell the feelings that have been stirred up by Daichi. The thought of losing someone drove that poor man to the brink. In some way, Zye gets it.

Receiving a message that starts off with ‘Don’t worry’ is never a good sign. Not when they’re being tracked down by Soren. Not when he could lose Jace to an ambush. It has him picking up his speed.

The only problem is he lands them in the front yard and not inside. It has Zye huffing as he hurries to the front door. Doing so allows the meager light of the day to seep into the cabin’s living room.

Zye glances around as he walks in, confused when he doesn’t see Jace. Until Xerxes perks up beside him.

“Um…Zye? There’s blood on the floor.”

Every terrible possibility is rushing through his mind as he darts to the hallway. Zye skids to a stop as he grabs the door frame and stumbles into the bedroom. Aster and Xerxes are hot on his heels and even they can’t stop him from storming in.

It’s hard not to with Jace sitting on the floor, back to the bed with an empty ampule in his hand. The other vials are still wrapped in cloth atop the bed.

However, it’s the wounds littering his body that has Zye stomping over. He can see that some, specifically the ones on his neck and arm look to be festering. As if they’re infected.

“What the fuck, Jay!?”

Jace looks up after setting the empty ampule down on the ground. Surprise is wrought across his features. Even more so when he sees Aster in the room and Xerxes lingering by the door.

“They found Sigil. Iris and I went to take care of it.”

Aster’s eyes narrow. “Iris? Is she okay? Why didn’t you call for us?”

“It wasn’t necessary. She got Vespera and Sigil out. Ayre and Kerse were the only ones there. I just needed to get away, not fight.”

“Anything we can do?”

“No. I just need rest.”

Zye is already grabbing one of the other vials. “You need more than rest. Take another of these things.”

“We should save them. It’s fine.”

“It’s not.”

Aster cuts in, seeing as they’re not getting anywhere. “I don’t think a second would hurt. It could at least help finish closing the wounds. Kerse’s poison isn’t weak.”

Zye turns on his heel. He has other plans since he knows good and well that Jace will fight them on taking water. He’ll have to do this his way.

“You two go back. Check on Iris. I’ll take care of him.”

“But what—”

Aster is already leaving the room, ushering Xerxes out. “Come on, let’s go.”

Once they leave, Zye glares down at Jace. “Seriously? You said you’d be careful…you’re telling me that this is what running away got you?”

“It’s alright. It’s not actually that bad. Besides, I told you not to worry. I’d come get you.”

“And I felt something…weird. Before I got your message it felt like I was going to die standing on my feet.” Zye watches as Jace looks away at that. It allows him to take one of the vials and pop the cork out of it. “Did you contact Cal?”

“I did. I told her to rendezvous with someone and get to Noctis. She’s not to leave until I get back to her. If Vespera has been attacked then I can’t risk someone going after Cal as well.”

Jace doesn’t notice that Zye has taken the liquid from the vial. He holds it in his mouth as he leans down. The movement catches Jace off guard. The kiss that follows even more.

Not that he’s one to push Zye away when they have a chance. He’s eager to open his mouth. The second he does, he swallows every drop while Zye pulls back. The smirk on his face has Jace coughing past the liquid burning down his throat.

“I’m serious. It doesn’t hurt, that wasn’t necessary. If we want more I have to go back to Solis and we shouldn’t chance it.”

“Yeah, I know. I can’t hide my presence or whatever for shit.” Zye leans forward and grabs a fistful of Jace’s shirt. “So open a damn portal or I’m calling Cal. And I know she’ll hit you for coming back looking like this.”

“I’m sure she’d understand that it got out of hand. It happens.”

“Jace, last chance.”

They stare at each other for a moment. They both know damn well that Callua would not be happy no matter what excuse Jace can give her. Her protective nature isn’t to be trifled with. Jace would rather deal with only one of these two than both together.

Together, he’d never win.

A portal opens in the doorway behind Zye and it has him smiling. He stands and extends a hand to Jace. “Now come on, let’s get you healed. Properly.”

Jace is grateful for the assistance. Is even happier about the arm wrapping around his waist. Together they walk through the sunrise colored rift and into Jace’s room.