Feeling the way, CH 30 (Patreon)

The bar was a dive.

It was the kind of place Wolf loved, and that was why I picked it. Just like him, I was not worried about this place getting blown up. The monkey was sitting opposite me. His back to the only door. His name was Jared St-Clair. A search on him told me he used to be an investment banker. His credit history supported his money problems. There were no records of him ever being married.

If magic wasn’t involved, I’d say he made it all up. But I’m not just dealing with magic, but a god. Only one person knew what might be possible here. And that was who we were waiting for.

Around us, the conversations were loud and not entirely sober. The only reason we were being ignored was a phrase on the table to ensure it.

I felt him approaching.

When the door opened, there was no light show, no fanfare, but everyone in the bar quieted down. Jared tensed. I doubt he understood what was happening, but he could sense power. I wouldn’t be surprised if the only beings more powerful than the cheetah who was now talking to the woman behind the bar were the gods we worship.

He handed her a card, it was silver and without any other marking on it. My family had some too. I don’t know how much was on that one, but ours never have less than five hundred grand on them. If we’re going to buy someone, we aren’t going to fool around.

“Alright, folk,” she said. “I’m closing early today. Come back tomorrow.” If the bar still existed.

There were protests, but they were muted. Under five minutes, it was only the three of us in the bar. The elder went behind the counter, took a bottle from the shelf and three glassed, then sat at the only unoccupied chair.

Oh, if I forgot to mention, I called him three minutes before he showed up. He was home in Denver. We’re still in Albuquerque. No, he did not have to make use of the only teleporter in existence.

Hopefully, now you get a sense of the kind of power this unassuming man holds and why I’m really careful when I’m around Eddy.

“Mister Orr,” the elder greeted me, putting a glass before me and filling half of it with scotch.

“Elder Brislow.”

“Jared, is it?” he greeted the monkey, doing the same with the glass, and then filling his.

“Yes.” Then he added. “Sir.”

The cheetah rolled his eyes. “Should have I brought a fourth glass?” The monkey looked back, confused. The elder locked eye with him. “I swear, if you’re just going to mess with me and pull a surprise appearance, you might as well show up now. I am not in a good mood, Damian.”

The monkey’s gasp was the only sound in the following silence.

The elder shrugged after full five seconds. “He’s been warned.” He sipped his scotch and let out a please sigh. “Drink up, because I have questions, and as scary as this guy probably was to this point, he has nothing on me right now.”

The money drank his entire glass. “You’re the Adversary.”

The cheetah laughed. “I’m the fucking Adversary. So do be on your best behavior.” He refilled Jared’s glass. “Now. Wyatt gave me the rundown, so there’s no need to go over how you got Damian’s attention.” Jared winced. “What I want to know is how wide his following is.”

“I don’t know.” The monkey took a long drink, and it was a visible act of willpower to stop. “After… I joined. A woman found me. She showed me her marks to prove she followed Blood same as I did. Then she explained the commandments, taught me the basic marks. I was with her for almost four years. Then she left.”

“What did you do?” the elder asked. “No, what were your instructions?”

“Avenge.”

“Who?”

Jared shook his head. “He doesn’t want us to avenge one person, but those who need avenging.”

I snorted, and the elder glared at me. I think I lost the ability to get a hardon for the next day.

“What do you know of Sahataan?”

“The—” Jared stopped, considered. “The one who came before. My instructor told me some. How he was insane, how Blood was bound to him, but used that to fight him, wrestle the mantle away, took it over and swore he would do better.”

One raised eyebrow and tilted ear was all the reaction from the elder before he raises his glass to his lips. “Now I know why you don’t want to show your ass.” He drank. “The second commandment.”

“Never will other’s blood be spilled for my benefit,” Jared recited.

“So you can take someone else’s blood.”

“So long as it’s to help them.”

“It’s a con, isn’t it?” I asked as respectfully as I could. “Damian was all about getting power. Exerting it over others. Why would he stop now?”

The cheetah shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe because he has that power, he’s realized there’s nothing more he can get. Maybe being without worshipers for a while made him appreciate us a little more. I suspect he’s still an asshole, but he is a god. That’s got to change a guy.” He considered the monkey, then drained his glass. He pulled a Steel Link card out of a pocket and wrote something on the back before handing it to Jared.

“What is that?” he asked.

“That’s the address of the local FBI office. You have twenty-four hours to go there, ask to speak with whoever is in charge of the Magical Enforcement Division and tell them who you are, who you worship, and as much information about the woman who trained you. If you know how to get in touch with her, I’d recommend you do so.” He raised a hand to silence him. “This isn’t the days of the Gray Church. We are no longer acting in the shadows. We are part of society. If the FBI knew you existed, I wouldn’t have had to come here, because I’d have scared the shit out of some other poor soul who’s stuck doing Damian’s bidding. I don’t care what he wants. He’s not getting secrecy. I’ve seen what secrets do. Never again. Am I clear?”

Jared nodded.

“Just in case you’re thinking of running. If I’m not told about you in forty-eight hours, I will track you down personally.”

Then he was gone.

There’s only one teleporter, officially, and it isn’t him. The Brislow elder is on an entirely different level of power than the rest of us.

Jared filled his glass to the brim, then drank half of it.

I took the bottle. “On the plus side,” I said as I poured it into my glass. “The building is still standing. I was not expecting that to happen.”

Jared snatched the bottle out of my hand and refilled his glass.

“Go easy with that,” I said.

“Why? I’ve got to be the one outing my god to the law. I’m going to be dead soon enough.”

“Is your god that vengeful?” I raised a hand as I realized what I said, and he closed his mouth. “He’s a god. Do you think he didn’t know this was going to happen one day?”

“Probably, but he never said anything. And I’m worried about the other followers more than him. We find him looking for revenge. That doesn’t make for the most stable bunch.”

“Still you are working for him personally at the moment, right? He gave you this mission. He isn’t going to let one of his followers stop you.”

That seemed to calm Jared, so I smiled, because come on, I am an asshole. “And believe me when I say I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re going to want to be sober if we’re going to be working together stopping Wanna Be.”

His eyes grew wider than I had ever seen and didn’t even bother with the glass.