#tw past character death

Continued from here

CW: Suicidal character, past character deaths, past murder, past trauma

“My name is Echo.” The stranger said as the carriage started to move. “I’m Calder’s younger sibling.”

Angel’s heart stopped in their chest. “Y… you…” They breathed, mind racing and yet numb all at the same time. Suddenly feeling weak and dizzy, Angel put their face in their hands.

“Are you okay?”

Angel yelped involuntarily as Echo touched their shoulder. They pressed themself as far away from Echo as they could, tears of fear streaming down their cheeks. “I’m sorry— I— please don’t hurt me— just take me back— don’t tell Calder— please, please don’t tell them—”

“Angel— Angel, stop.” Echo interrupted. “I am Calder’s sibling, but we are related only by blood. We don’t speak to eachother. We have no familial relationship.”

Angel’s mind processed this information slowly, unsure what it meant for them. “S-so… so this… isn’t a test of some kind..?”

“No. Angel, I am acting of my own accord.”

“… I wouldn’t bond to Calder and I won’t bond to you either— I’d sooner die than subject myself to that again—”

“Stop, stop— I really don’t know what you’re talking about. What do you mean bond?”

Angel hesitantly relaxed a bit. Maybe Echo really didn’t know. “I… If you’re trying to trick me into opening my eyes, it won’t work— I won’t do it no matter who you are.”

“What does opening your eyes have to do with bonding..? What is bonding?” Echo’s voice was gentle, not demanding like Calder.

“I… I-if I open my eyes, I will irreversibly bond to the first person I make eye contact with.” Angel said quietly, shrinking back as they felt Echo shift in their seat.

“Why..?”

It occurred to Angel suddenly that Echo might not know what they were or anything about their species.

“I-I’m an Avian.” When Echo didn’t say anything, Angel continued. “Avians… we have an ability to bond to the first person we see— which is supposed to be our mother. I-if the person we are bonded to dies, then we bond again to the next person we see— which is supposed to be our chosen mate. There are traditions and safeguards in place among the Avian people to make sure that it happens that way… but…” Angel trailed off, a tear falling to the ground.

“But sometimes things go wrong..?” Echo offered, placing a gentle hand on Angel’s shoulder.

“When… When we bond to someone, we’re compelled to take care of them— to keep them safe… and, to a lesser extent, we’re compelled to obey them. We become linked at the soul and we can tell when they’re upset, or sad, or in pain. But we also share in their joy. We know when they die and it’s… it’s like… a part of us dies with them… We’re only meant to bond twice… but we are able to bond an infinite number of times…”

Echo was silent for a moment. “And you’re not bonded right now..?”

“No…” Angel whispered. “I’ve… I’ve already bonded three times— I… I’m tired…”

“Three times..?” Echo’s voice was laced with incredulity as they withdrew their hand. “But you’re hardly older than twenty! I mean… aren’t you..? Or do you age differently?”

“I’m twenty-three… I… things went like they were supposed to at first… I bonded to my mother, then, when she died four years ago, I bonded to… to my mate.” Angel’s voice cracked. And then there was a tragedy that struck my tribe— not many of us made it through… my mate died… I… I lived… Disease destroyed my tribe. I had to flee. I got… I got lucky… the first person I saw after my mate’s death was a human— but they were kind. They knew my culture, too…“

Echo shifted closer to Angel, causing them to flinch a little bit, but Angel didn’t draw away.

"Hayden… the human I bonded to… they weren’t angry that I had bonded to them… usually humans are. They’re not used to it… they don’t like it— especially when it’s forced upon them without their consent, like it was with Hayden… I didn’t mean to look at them… I… I sort of just thought I’d become sine vinculo— alone without a bond. I didn’t expect them to be there… If… if they hadn’t been there… it was my fault… it’s all my fault…” Angel broke down into sobs, hugging themself.

Angel didn’t fight the warm embrace that Echo surrounded them with next. They leaned into it, sobbing uncontrollably as Echo rocked with them.

After a few long minutes, Angel started to quiet down a bit. “What happened to Hayden..?” Echo asked softly.

“They… Calder ki…” Angel fought to get their breathing under control. “Calder killed them.” They breathed.

Echo didn’t say anything for a moment. “… I’m sorry… I know I’m not Calder— we’re nothing alike, but… I still feel somewhat responsible for their bad choices…”

The carriage began to slow and Echo released Angel from their embrace. “Come on. Let’s get out.”

Angel didn’t move as Echo tried to guide them out of the carriage. “Kill me…” They whispered, closing their eyes tighter.

“I… I’m sorry, what?”

“Just… just kill me… you said you want to help me— kill me. I can’t… I can’t do this again… Please— I can’t live with my eyes closed for the rest of my life and I can’t bond with someone else just for them to die again!”

“… I’m not going to kill you, Angel.”

“Why not?” Angel asked, desperation creeping into the edge of their voice.

“There’s another solution. One that doesn’t involve your death.”

“What is it?” Angel allowed Echo to help them out of the carriage.

“… I… I don’t know yet.”

Angel pushed Echo away, stumbling back and falling to the ground. “No! No, there isn’t another solution! Calder wants me to bond with them. If I bond to anyone else, they’ll kill them too! I can't—” Angel pressed their face to the dirt. “You don’t understand— I can’t do it again! I can’t lose someone else!”

Angel fought back as someone— probably Echo— pulled them up off the ground. “Calm down— calm down, please, everything is going to be okay.”

“No! No it isn’t! It’s not okay— it’s not—”

Echo began to stroke Angel’s wings gently and Angel stopped yelling, their tone quickly losing it’s passion.

“It’s… it’s not okay…” Angel breathed, starting to have difficulty thinking as their body relaxed.

Angel found themself leaning into Echo, an odd sense of peace sweeping through their limbs.

“Just calm down.” Echo insisted softly. “You’re scared and upset— I understand— but you’re not thinking clearly. You don’t have to die. There is another solution. We just need to think of it, okay?”

“I don’t like this…” Angel whimpered.

“I know… I know, but it’s going to be okay.”

“Why did you even break me out..?” Angel asked, finally able to get control of their breathing.

“Honestly..? I don’t trust Calder. I heard they were up to something and decided to check it out when they left town this weekend. Then I found you. I don’t know what Calder wants with you, but if they were keeping you locked up in sensory deprivation it can’t be anything good.”

“They… they want me to bond to them and… and something after that, but they wouldn’t say what.”

“Let’s go inside, Angel. You can rest and we can talk more later.” Echo led Angel across the threshold into a building. Angel couldn’t tell very much about their surroundings as Echo led them down halls and finally stopped inside a room.

“This is a guest room. There’s some clothes in the dresser if you find some that fit. Theres an adjoining bathroom as well. You can open your eyes once I leave the room, right?”

“… I can.”

“Good. Then I’ll leave you here for now. I’ll knock before I enter so I don’t take you by surprise.” Echo steadied Angel against a wall before leaving.