Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 9: Enigma

Ari started towards Auovin, but Sai pressed him back behind him. It did not register with Ari then how Auovin would take to Sai and Sai would take to him. And how he looked took Ari aback for some seconds. Why was he like that and in so much blood?

"Why do you look like that?" Sai said.

Auovin continued to wipe the blood from off his face as he walked closer.

"Why? Well, if you would have cleaned up here--" Auovin made a quick gesture of motioning all around him. "--Then I would not have had to."

Auovin cut his eyes from Sai to him, causing Ari to only stare, unsure of what to do next. He did not want Sai and Auovin to get into a confrontation because of him. Though Auovin did not express it with his voice, Ari could tell that he was angry just by the emotion seen in his eyes. With him or with Sai, Ari could not tell.

"Clean yourself up then. You look rather frightful, like a true beast," Sai said with some dislike sifting through his voice. "This young one should not have to see you as you truly are. A beast from the sands."

Auovin scoffed before shaking his head and growing closer to them. It made Ari sink his nails deep into the thin shirt Sai was wearing. Soon he stood in front of him and pressed a wary hand against Auovin's chest, stopping him for a moment.

"He is a friend. He has helped me... so do not hurt him," Ari said softly, hoping Auovin would take what he was saying into some consideration.

Auovin only lifted his chin up with a finger dripping blood. He looked at him with those same eyes that looked as if he wanted to devour him time and time again. Ari steadied himself when Auovin bent down as if to kiss him. Instead, he sniffed his neck and backed away once satisfied.

"He did not harm you?" Auovin asked, looking at him as if he was going to bite him if he lied.

Like all the times before this, all he did was worry and care for him. It mattered not what he looked like and so much as what he did to find him, Ari thought, trying to reason with himself. He was not a terrible person even though he had done terrible things. He was not.

Ari gave him a small smile before shaking his head no. He looked back at sigh and motioned for him to go back in. It would be best to keep them separate for now until both their moods had settled and grown use to one another.

"Are you sure?" Auovin asked again, pressing for more.

"He took care of me was all." Ari intertwined his fingers with his. He did not care much for the blood coating them. After all the years spent at the Khaeo, the sight of so much of it did not bother him in the slightest. He just wondered what he had done and if he had done it for the right reasons was all.

Ari looked around searching for Cyrus. When he could not be found, he set his eyes back on the pair of honeyed ones staring at him. It made him feel so small and young, his gaze did. There was the feel of ages and power wafting from there the more he looked on. Truly, he wondered then just how old he was and where he had come from.

"Where is--" Ari stopped himself before he said his name. He had not given him it, so he would not say it. He tucked in his bottom lip and shook his head. "Nevermind. Let us speak inside. You must be tired. As tired as your need for a bath."

That caused Auovin to laugh and tighten his hold on his. He followed him inside without argument which was strange. Ari soon came to learn the reason as to why. Cyrus had a blade to Raoul's neck. Sai rose from the floor covered in broken glass and vases. There were many cuts along his arms and lower torso that made Ari drop Auovin's hand and go towards him. However, Auovin grabbed his wrist and yanked him back like a rag doll.