Ancient Monsters (Chasing Titania #3)

Anything for Love

"Arn," a voice whispered. "Can you hear me?"

I nodded my head, curling up tighter in my sheets.

"I know I shouldn't be doing this," they sighed. "But if anyone understands what you're doing, it's me."

My eyes fluttered open momentarily when they set their hand on my head. It was Ezra. He soothed me, brushing his fingertips through my hair.

"Love is very hard," he spoke. "I'm sure you've come to learn. You sacrificed so much for him. He loves you dearly. But lessons have to be learned from this experience. You need to use your words. He's been trying to tell you that from the beginning."

Ezra chuckled. "As if I can say anything. I didn't learn the power of words for a long time. You have been alone for a while now. Your parents have left you alone for a bit, too, since you ran astray."

His thumb rubbed my cheek. "I wanted to let you know that Orpheus is safe with us. You need not worry. Please, I beg of you. Arn, come home."

Tears hit my shoulder. What was so wrong? Ezra, why would you cry?

I began to cry. My body racked with sobs. Ezra, I had been looking for so long. Why wouldn't anyone tell me? Where has he been?

I woke up with a jump. Blood stained the pillow below me. I sat up, my head still extremely dizzied from the loss. I held every surface as I stumbled to the bathroom. Hands shaking, I removed the bandage from the previous day. I couldn't look at it. I still couldn't bring myself to meet that empty hole. I pressed cotton into the wound and wrapped it.

The rest of the scratch had scarred. From my forehead down my chin, a nasty trail of red on my otherwise flawless complexion. However, I couldn't escape the festering madness of missing an organ. My eye. Gone. Lost to the war, like many things.

I closed my eyes again as I sat on the lid of the toilet. What had I been dreaming? Ezra had come to see me. He said...

He told me Orpheus was with them.

I looked towards my sleeve. Yes, there were tears. Ones where I couldn't reach them. Ones that were exactly where Ezra was.

Now I was awake. Years, I had spent so much time searching every planet on my way back to Newartic for Orpheus. He had run. He had made it back to them. Over two cycles, I had searched. It was nearly three at this point. He was home all along. Ezra told me the truth.

I gathered everything I had. It wasn't much, just my clothes and the pocket watch Tiang had given me on Medowlark, along with the bag Charleze and Laurent had left me. I paid my tab and apologized for the blood.

Then, I took the remains of my money and myself to a shipyard. I took the next trip back to Newartic.

I was going to find Orpheus once and for all.

~*~

I lied to Forrest.

I didn't intend to lie to him maliciously. I knew it was better for him to finally spend the night in a peaceful household rather than glowing with happy, cheerful love right before me on stage while I bled my heart out for my audience.

I did,  however,  perform my ritual of going to my family's house for dinner. When I got there, nose still bent out of shape, Levi took quick concern.

"You did a great job not aggravating the wound," he commented,  leaning closer to inspect what had been done.

"I remained calm," I explained. "Just as you taught me."

"I am pleased my lessons are sticking around," he grinned. "You may feel a sharp sting, but it should quickly subside. It may make your eyes water."

I nodded and held still. Leviathan pulled off his glove on his right hand. He held a knife in his other.

"Commutatio!" He shouted.

There was a sharp pain. My eyes flashed with tears that quickly went away. There was no blood. No remnants of fingers where they were severed. Levi pulled his glove back on, wiggling fingers I knew weren't there.

"Magic trick," he commented.

"Why your right hand?" I asked. "I know you're right-handed, so wouldn't your left fingers have sufficed?"

"That's exactly why I had to use my right hand," he explained. "Since I need them to write or read or do anything important, they have more value in exchange than my left. That's why I could fix your nose with them. It helps you see the world as you need, as my fingers do."

"Alchemy is an equivalent exchange," I pieced together. "Right."

"Let's get to dinner, shall we?"

Dinner was painfully silent. I knew better than to ask. No progress had been made. I did recall my day, with no labor and only fixing familiar bonds. Something my family commended, but I still felt like I wasn't as proud of my actions as they were.

Towards the end of our meal, Ezra jumped to alert. He received odd glances from everyone around the table.

"Sorry," he apologized. "It's nothing. Just... my senses. Future things."

"Are you sure you're all right?" Argus set a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine," Ezra wouldn't meet his eyes.

"I'm going to head home," I stood.

"See you on the morrow," Leviathan offered me a wave.

Calliope left her seat, wrapping me in a tight hug. "Are you certain you want to leave?"

If I didn't, I would suffocate.

"Yes," I forced a slight grin. "I love you. I'll be back tomorrow."

"We love you too," she answered. "Okay, until tomorrow."

With that, I took my path through Mother Gaia's cavern back to Citadel. I calmed myself again before I traversed the streets for the bar I had agreed to play in tonight. Rau und Laut, the bar Arn and I had gone on a date to once. It was bittersweet, but Reza was still there and still encouraged my performance more than any owner.

"Hey there, Sunny boy," she greeted me. "Ready to knock them out?"

"Knock them dead," I corrected her. "Of course I am."

"Go to your battlefield," she handed me a glass of iced tea and Nectar.

"Thank you," I gave her a smile and a slight bow.

The piano greeted me with a gleam. I sat on the bench and waited. When the audience was about to lose interest, I pressed into the keys and began my set.

~*~

Citadel was filled with Lexington's magic. I could taste it. It filled my head with noxious fumes. He had to be here.

Gripping my bag by the strap, I ran through the city streets. Alvara Academy loomed behind us, standing bravely at the top of the city. I flew down the stairs towards the town below.

Several strings bloomed before me. I searched them to find the strongest presence because that was where he would be.

The Blackwater Grund held much of his magic essence, but I felt he would be further in the city right now. I thought for a moment that I heard a piano.

His magic filled my head. I followed it. At first, I didn't even realize where I was. The Medusa at the bar dropped a glass on the floor at the sight of me.

And there he was, singing his woes into a microphone. The air was filled with his toxic sorrow and heartbreak. Heartbreak I caused.

I used what little magic I had recovered from sleeping on the ship. I disguised my wounded eye as I peered up at him.

I caught his eyes, and he froze. The music ceased. I could almost read that argument in his head.

"Folks and fae," he spoke. "I'll be back in a moment."

I held my breath as he ran for me.