Death's Reason

Chapter 19

Nico spent his free time reading up on the country Alasdair once ruled, what happened to it, how Alasdair and Aila had died. What had happened after his own death. The story was happy for once, or it was for Alasdair and Aila.

(He was happy for them, the life they got. He really was. Keeping Alasdair alive and well had been his goal, his reason for living, and to see that he didn't fail that goal when he died created a great sense of accomplishment)

But he didn't have too much time to focus on it, to try and remember more, remember Jacquette, because it was finally time to see his little sister again and just the thought of it brought tears to his eyes.

Gods, how he missed Hazel. Her optimism despite everything, her selflessness, just her. His little sister. A sister that wasn't supposed to die so he could damn well protect. A sister he was going to make happy because her death had destroyed the biggest part of him.

But she was strong, she fought until the end, and even though she hadn't done that in this life, she deserved all the happiness and peace he could give her, because she still would do it if needed.

Nico found her sitting in the Fields of Asphodel, back against a poplar tree and gaze saddened as she watched the gray shades around her. But she was the same. It was Hazel. He wanted to hug her, tell her he loved her, but all he could do was kneel in front of her and offer out a gloved hand.

"Come with me."

"Who are you?" she asked. "You're...alive..."

Nico nodded. "My name is Nico. You're my sister, aren't you? I can tell. You're not a shade."

"You're...my brother?"

He nodded again. "Come with me. I can save you from this place."

"But dad-"

"Will ignore it, I promise." He smiled at her, an action that hurt too much but made them both feel better. "I'm on good terms with him, and he does care about his children. And you- you are his daughter, are you not?"

Hazel's golden eyes looked him over, had hope but hesitance. He was only a stranger to her, afterall. "I don't think I should say his name."

"Yeah, probably shouldn't." Nico sat across from her, stretching his right leg out and curling his left below him. He couldn't fully bend that right one anymore. It clicked when he re-positioned it, felt as if the bones were rubbing together and wearing each other down. The ache of an old injury.

"What's your name?" he asked.

Hazel moved a little closer. No matter if he was a stranger or not, he was living in a field full of shades. "Hazel. Hazel Levesque."

"Hazel, it's really good to meet you."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Eun woke the morning after Alasdair and Aila laid together for the first time, the morning after their wedding, the morning after that dream. The one about drowning. The cold water.

The birds were chirping and the sky was bright, but everything felt wrong. Heartache felt as if he had been poisoned, and if he hadn't been feeling it all his life, he would have been sure he was dying.