Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 11.4: Deceit

It had been many days since they left the town Sai and Ra resided in. All that was there to greet them were trees and many rocks and demons. There were always demons. Still, in all of its emptiness, Ari somehow felt filled by it all. Was it the sense of freedom or the possibility of seeing Cyrus and Auovin again that set his heart at ease, Ari did not know. But it was that feeling of the unknown that made him fill with nervous excitement. 

Ari slowed his steps to match Koli's small but quick ones. He watched her as she turned her head left and right. Ari did the same, thinking he would be able to notice the things she was noticing, but he did not see a thing. In the next moment, Ari hit the ground as something lunged out from the fog. It tackled Koli to the ground, but she snapped its neck and flung it away from her. Gradually, Ari rose and looked at the demon with its mouth agape and eyes wide open. It was one he was unfamiliar with. However, it had the same look as the others down below in the dark place. There was fresh blood on its mouth. Ari smelled it more than he could see it. When he turned to look at Koli, he noticed her shoulder was bleeding. 

Koli did not say a word to him, though. She did not even grimace. Instead, she tore a piece of her sleeve and wrapped it around her shoulder as best she could. Ari tried to go and help her, but her glare kept him away. She was like Cyrus when he had first met him, but worse. Ari knew without her having to say it aloud that she did not approve of his human mannerisms. To her, no, to them, he would never truly be one of them no matter how much he tried to change to suit their tastes. But, still, Ari did not think that was enough reason for her to despise him so much. Even before, when they first met, she was not this awful towards him. 

"I want us to be friends... " Ari finally said, breaking their long days of silence. 

Koli scoffed away a laugh and kept forward. 

"I cannot apologize if I do not know what I did wrong." 

"Do you not remember me?"

"I do... from the castl--"

"No, before that."

Ari pursed his lips and shook his head.

"I kept you away from this, from us. For so long, and, still, you managed to find yourself back here."

"Did you know my father?"

"Of course, but I knew your mother well. She died because of you, leaving me with nothing but a burden and loneliness."

Ari's stomach turned. 

"I wanted to kill you myself.  You were so young and so fragile then." She caressed his face before moving down to his neck. "A simple squeeze was all it would have taken. But look how you have grown... and how you look so much like her... You look like him as well... but your complexion and your nose and cheeks... You may not have her eyes and hair, but you do have her face. "

There was not a word Ari believed coming from her lips in that moment. She could not have possibly known anything about his parentage. She could not have been the one to have left him there near the Khaeo for them to find. Why would a blood demon ever do such a thing to one of their own? 

"No matter what you think or anyone thinks... I did the right thing."

"You say that, but why are your eyes so filled with guilt?"

Her eyes widened. She quickly looked away and shook her head. 

"I do not believe you. If you had, why did you not say anything sooner?"

"Why would I ever? I tried to warn you. I tried to tell you, but you did not listen to me." 

"I do not believe you."