Fortune and Fortitude

Chapter 7

Jared bowed his head against the pew in front of him. Father Martin's sermon droned in the large space, filling the ears of the small crowd in the church. It was on Luke 15, Jared noted dully.

But his mind was anywhere but here. Normally he'd be upright, listening intently to find the lesson buried amidst the many words of the preacher. But today... Today he was saying goodbye.

It was strange to him. For many years, the church had been a sanctuary of peace to him. He had struggled, repented, been forgiven, and come back, year after year. But suddenly, he had been thrust into a place where that wouldn't work anymore.

He had come to terms with it, for the most part. If Father Martin was to be believed, or even Miss Senguine, he stood little chance of reaching any kind of heaven. At least, beyond this life.

His thoughts turned to Quinn, and, subsequently, to Kiara. He closed his eyes, picturing their faces in his mind. He'd known more happiness and grief in the past few weeks than in the rest of his life put together - and he wouldn't trade that in. Any heaven without Quinn in it just wasn't heaven to him.

Doubts still struggled in the back of his mind, and he sighed. He had nearly killed Kiara, or at least, severely hurt her. And the more he invested in this life, the stronger those impulses would become. Without a religious handhold, what was he supposed to hold to in order to stay as himself?

He tuned back into the sermon, letting his thoughts fade into the background.

Suddenly, a line jumped out at him as Father Martin read.

"Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you..."

He blinked. After a moment of shock, he quickly flipped open his Bible that he had left on the seat next to him.

Sure enough, Luke 16. The parable of the unjust steward.

He stared at it for a moment, unsure of what to think. A few weeks ago, he would have thought it was a sign.

He bit his cheek. Well, maybe it was. Or, at least, it was a sign enough for him. He looked up at the ceiling, and beyond, to the sky above. His doubts began to slowly fade, becoming little more than background noise.

Thank you

.

If that was you, at least.

He bowed his head once more. It was time to focus.

Senguine was insistent that he get more vassals - three, apparently, was far from enough. The other protégé's had offered themselves, which couldn't be overlooked. In fact, he had promised Annika that he would sleep with her by Tuesday.

And that was okay. He took a deep breath, feeling the fire within his gut roar softly as he focused on it. It was strong, but hungry. Ravenous, even. Like any fire, he needed to use it, not smother it, yet keep it well in check, lest it destroy everything around him.

He opened his eyes and sat up. The meeting was almost finished, and he wasn't feeling like hanging around for it to close. People might talk to him, ask him questions. Questions he couldn't really answer.

He scooted out of the pew and made his way to the exit, ignoring the stares. He could even feel Father Martin's gaze drilling into his back. But he didn't really care what they thought about him anymore.

As he entered the parking lot and began looking for his car, he froze. Leaning against it was Officer Mecham.

He hesitated, debating going back inside and waiting for the man to leave, but before he could decide, he was spotted.

Mecham pushed off the car and pushed his hands into his pockets. Jared sighed and slowly walked towards him. He supposed they needed to talk sooner rather than later.

The older man folded his arms as Jared approached. "There you are, Jared. It's been a while. Haven't seen you at Church lately."

Jared raised an eyebrow as he came to a stop a few feet away. "I didn't think you went to Church."

He grunted. "I don't."

Ah. So he had been looking for him.

Mecham sighed, his confrontational stance becoming more relaxed. "Jared, what's going on? First, you basically disappear, then I hear that you captured a minor, and then, to top it all off, you show up for a field trip that ends in a mysterious disaster." He put his hands back in his pockets. "You're not a normal case in any situation, but this has gotten weird, even for you." His eyes narrowed in concern. "Are you okay? Have you gotten tangled up in something?"

Jared shifted uncomfortably. "It's... complicated."

After several seconds of silence, Mecham spoke again. "Anything you can tell me about?"

Jared gave a pained smile. "Nothing that you would believe." Mecham was a very sound-minded man. He wasn't opposed to religion, but he wasn't interested on account of his practical views. He was cautious in what he believed, be it science or religion, or even cases that he dealt with. There was no way he was going to accept Jared's story, and he couldn't really think of a good lie that would adequately explain everything.

Mecham folded his arms. "Try me."

Jared shook his head. "Would you believe me if I said it had to do with demons?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I'd believe you thought it did. And I'd probably say you should find a good counselor." He frowned. "Or are we talking about a cult?"

When Jared didn't respond, he pressed further. "That man that was there the night your mother died... Something seemed off about him. Who was he?"

My father

. Jared shrugged. Sure, why not? "That was my father."

Mecham stared at him blankly. "Jared, I knew your father. He died a couple years after you were born."

Jared shook his head. "No, my birth father. I was adopted."

Mecham's eyes widened. "How did you learn about that?"

"Well, for one, you just confirmed it."

Mecham slapped his hand to his forehead. "You cheeky b****d."

Jared raised his eyebrows. "Language, sir. We're at a church."

Mecham stared at him. "You're still the same sweet kid I know." He scowled. "But you've clearly gotten tangled up in something you shouldn't have. Come on, Jared. Just tell me what's up!"

He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "You mentioned a cult. It's... kind of like that."

Mecham nodded seriously. "So let me help you out."

Jared shook his head. "I don't want out, not really. And even if I did..." He pondered on the coming apocalypse. "I don't think there's anyway I could really leave."

Mecham huffed. "Nonsense. There's always a way out." He gestured to the church next to them. "Haven't those years of religion taught that to you?"

Jared pinched his nose. "Okay, look. I feel confident that there is NO WAY that you will understand my situation, or at least believe it." He walked up to the side of his car. "I'm going to leave now. Just know that I'm okay, alright?"

"I can't let you do that, Jared."

Faster than he could react, Mecham pounced, quickly putting him in a professional hold. "Look, you've got a lot of allegations, and I've got to bring you in. We should be able to get you a much lighter sentence, if anything. Especially if you've been coerced."

Jared tested the hold. Mecham was a large man, probably around twice his size. But he was probably stronger.

"Just tell us where Quinn is, Jared. Her parents are worried sick."

Jared didn't struggle. "She's safe, sir. And she's my wife now."

There was a pause. "She's not old enough to get married. Not without her parent's permission." Mecham grunted. "You married her illegally?"

"It was her idea."

Another pause. "Doesn't matter." He sighed. "I'm sorry to do this, Jared."

"No, I'm sorry, Mr. Mecham."

Jared slammed his head up into the man's nose, making sure to not seriously harm him. The blow was strong enough to weaken his grip, and Jared quickly broke free.

Mecham grunted and stumbled back, surprised. Jared quickly whipped around and grabbed his arms, roughly shoving him against the trunk of the car.

Mecham gasped and began struggling, but Jared's hands were like iron vices. He sent back a well-placed kick to Jared's kneecap, with little effect.

"What in blazes is going on here?! Are you on steroids or something?"

Jared smiled sadly. "Something like that. Look, I'm really sorry, Joe." Keeping one hand pinning the man, he raised one arm to knock him out, but hesitated.

Mecham didn't know about the coming apocalypse. He had been incredibly kind to Jared growing up. Even if he couldn't save everyone, Mecham should probably be on the top of his list. But he would never listen until it actually happened.

Jared sighed. "Do you happen to have a pen and paper?"

Mecham sighed and stopped his futile struggling, apparently recognizing his peculiar disadvantage. "In my front pocket. You could let me grab them...?"

Jared shook his head. "I could probably pin you again after, but I'd rather not hurt you anymore. That bloody nose looks painful enough as it is." He reached around and began rifling through the older man's pocket, retrieving his notepad and pen.

"This," Jared said, using Mecham's back as a table, "Is my number. I will accept only-" He paused. "Two calls. The first, because I know you won't be able to resist checking the number. But you won't be able to trace it, and I will not answer."

Mecham listened silently.

"The second call is for you personally. Don't use it to try to locate me or for some other stupid reason. You should only use it for one thing." He finished writing the number, along with a reminder. "When the world stops making sense, and your life is in danger, call me. I can help you."

He tucked the note, along with the pad and paper, back into the officer's pocket. "Seriously. That number could save your life. DO NOT," he emphasized, "Use it for nothing. Or I will never answer you again. Are we clear?"

"Jared, I-"

"Mecham."

There was a long pause. "I... understand. But what do you mean by-"

In a single motion, Jared raised his free hand and slammed the older man's head, forcing him into unconsciousness. He laid him down on the sidewalk, mindful to not slam his head.

He climbed into the car, shaking off any guilt he felt. If he wasn't a criminal before...

He was now.

****************

It was early afternoon when he finally arrived at Fairway. He had opted to take a slightly less optimal path to avoid the highway, as there would probably be a cop on duty. If Mecham was looking for him, he might still be suspect with the police station, and their conversation implied that he was. He'd have to talk with Miss Senguine about that.

He parked outside the gate and walked in. It was peaceful this time of morning, with the sun reaching lazily over the many trees.

Between two of them, Annika laid in a hammock with her eyes closed. She was dressed in a two-piece black bathing suit, but it was much more modest than he would have expected. Probably more for comfort than partying.

As he passed her, he debated trying to get her attention, but decided that she needed the rest. Or maybe...

Could she photosynthesize? The thought crossed his mind. She was apparently omnivorous, but he wasn't sure if sunlight would qualify. Either way, he chose to leave her in peace.

As he entered the door, he was greeted by a delightful array of smells from the kitchen. Walking farther in, he discovered a vast buffet laid out on the back bar-like table. There was quite a bit of food, but a lot of it was missing, implying that the others had eaten earlier.

He dished himself up a plate and sat down at the dining table. To his surprise, it was only a few minutes before Zoe came down, yawning.

She grabbed herself a plate and sat next to him. "Morning."

"Good morning." He glanced over to her. She seemed exhausted. "Late night?"

She brushed her messy hair out of her face as she spooned up some eggs. "Yeah. Got talking to Ria."

He looked at her in surprise. "You got on that pretty quickly. You pulled her away from the party?"

"No. I didn't need to. After your little scuffle, she was pretty quick to dismiss herself." She shrugged. "Guess she's kind of conflict avoidant."

Jared set his fork down. "Did you learn anything about why she's acting so weird?"

She nodded, but didn't reply, opting to continue eating instead.

Jared waited for her to finish, but when she took another bite, he spoke up again. "Anything you want to tell me?"

Zoe just shook her head before swallowing. "Nah. I think I can handle it."

"Um, okay..."

He stared at her as she kept eating. She was still a complete mystery to him.

Last night had been... Interesting. She had been an odd combination of nervous, resistant, and excited. Something he was still struggling to sort through.

It wasn't helped by the fact that something in him had... shifted once he had had sex with Kiara. His personality had been somewhat altered. He'd become confident, but less aware of his surroundings. Fortunately, Kiara had stepped in, or it would likely have been a deeply uncomfortable situation for Zoe.

She looked over to him and caught his eye. For just a moment, he detected a flicker of emotion behind her blue eyes. Sadness? She glanced away before he could pinpoint it.

He sighed and continued his meal. "So where is everyone? I saw Annika outside."

"How should I know? I just woke up."

Of course. "Oh... right."

She smirked. "Ria's swimming, and Quinn and Kiara went out to the hospital. Something about using a deleturm."

He raised an eyebrow. "A what?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It's just what I heard."

"And how do you know all this?"

She caught his eye and smiled. "I'm good at listening. Better than most people would guess."

Huh. "And what about Miss Senguine?"

"She's in her study. No idea what she's doing." Zoe started working on her pancakes. "Today's her day off, though. Just by the way."

Well, shoot. He needed to speak with her. He supposed she could always just kick him out, but she needed to know about his situation with the police.

"Thanks." He quickly finished up, resolving to figure out Zoe later. If he could.

He walked up the now familiar staircase to the study. It was unlocked, which he took as a good sign. He knocked, receiving only an apathetic permission to enter in response.

When he walked in, he was surprised to find that her favorite chair had been moved. She had placed it beside the window, and was simply staring outside, a marked book on the table beside her. She didn't even glance at him as he entered.

Senguine was dressed casually, far more than he'd ever seen her. She had only light makeup applied, and her hair was running loose and messy down her back. She was in a pink skirt, with a plain sky-blue blouse on top, and red flats on her feet.

He blinked. She was very pretty, but in that moment, he realized just how

old

she seemed. When he had first met her, he would have guessed she was in her late thirties to early forties. But, as she sat there, the look in her eyes betrayed an age she hid quite well.

She wasn't frowning, exactly, but she seemed sad. Forlorn might be a better word. Lost in memories or wishes for the future. Suddenly Jared felt like he was intruding, and he had half a mind to retreat and close the door behind him.

"Yes?" she asked quietly.

"Um... I just needed to tell you something."

Her eyes widened at his voice, and her head snapped around. She quickly composed herself, her once relaxed hands placing themselves in her lap. In mere seconds, she was transformed back to her austere self. It made him wonder how much she really disguised from him. And how little he thought there was that she was hiding.

"Yes?" She asked, her tone suddenly impatient. She had been expecting someone else, he presumed.

"Earlier today..." He hesitated. "I ran into a cop. Apparently Quinn's parents have put out a search warrant. And the whole bus incident doesn't seem to be helping my legal record. You mentioned something about-"

She waved her hand dismissively. "I'll address that tomorrow. It shouldn't be an issue."

"Right." He quickly began backing out of the room.

She sighed. "No, you might as well stay. Provided there's anything else you'd like to discuss."

He raised his eyebrows. "I don't want to bother you on your day off."

She shook her head. "I'm bored. I just say that so I have no obligations on Sundays." She cleared her throat and gestured to one of the other chairs. "Have a seat."

He obliged, taking his seat as she turned her chair to face him. While she was doing so, he noticed, she took a newspaper and swiftly covered the book on the table.

Odd

.

She sat, now facing him, hands folded in front of her. "So, you have other questions to curate my boredom?"

He nodded, trying to recount some of the recent ones he had. He should be keeping a list. "Um... Zoe mentioned something about... a deliturn?"

"Deleturm," she corrected him. "And yes. What about them?"

"What are they?"

She sighed. "I forget how little of the basics you've been taught." She rose and walked over to one of the long shelves decorating the walls, retrieving a shiny black box chest from one of them. After undoing the latches, she proceeded to pull out a small, smooth black orb, roughly the size of a baseball.

After closing and replacing the chest back on the shelf, she walked over and offered it to him to inspect, which he did so curiously. "A deleturm," she explained, "Is a storage unit for various energies. You recall that I mentioned the power of various valuable materials, and how they can store or mitigate energies." She gestured to the orb. "Open it."

After scanning the surface briefly, Jared was able to identify a small crack. He stuck his thumb in to begin prying it open, and with a tiny push, it ratcheted inward, turning inside out.

"It's...gold?"

"On the inside, yes. While opened, it is sensitive to nearby outpourings of energies, and can be retrieved from." Senguine sat back down. "Iron is best at storing Terran energies, though those are hardly worth storing at all. Especially when one considers how closely they resemble kinetic energy."

"Silver stores Phenomenological energies best - which is why human legends say that it has the power to kill various dark creatures." She licked her lips. "For bloodlines that are Pheno-specialized, it can often absorb their essences outright."

Jared pondered on that for a moment. "So Iron and the Fae comes from dealing with Terran-specialized bloodlines?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Astute observation. And that is correct."

He frowned. "So what about gold?"

"Gold," she said with a smile, "Stores Psychic energies. But it makes for a poor weapon, and since the common man was much less likely to be threatened by Psyche-specialized bloodlines, and since they blend in much better than the others, it was put to better use as a ward. A golden crown, for instance, would effectively keep mind-controlling or emotion-altering effects at bay."

Jared blinked. "That's... crazy. So there was actually a real use for crowns and golden decorations?"

She nodded. "Presumably, either human-allied demons or humans who studied demons discovered this and encouraged rulers to use them. It's also believed that it may be a contributing factor to the development of the Sorcerer's Stone."

"I didn't realize history was so... involved. Or logical."

Senguine sighed. "Many demons do their best to ridicule the old ways and myths, destroying or altering records to keep humans from realizing our presence. Arthur, from our limited demonic records, was an apt demonslayer. Regardless," she said, waving her hand, "Let's continue."

Jared nodded thoughtfully. "So what stores Noumena?"

Senguine folded her hands. "Take a guess."

He pondered for a moment. "Copper? Another metal?" When she shook her head, he thought again. "Diamonds?"