Jar of Souls

by Bradford Bates

  Maybe next week I could talk to April about training in our indoor facilities. I knew what she would say, though. “Training in the sand will make it that much easier for you when you have to fight on a flat surface.” I knew what she said was true, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. After spending months training on the arena floor with her, when we had class in the gym, it felt as if I was moving twice as fast. Was the tradeoff worth it? I guess I would find out when we were finally deployed in the field. One more month of solid training and the word was we would get to shadow members of the Ascendancy as they dealt with the Pretenders.

  The thought of being out there simultaneously filled me with terror and wonder. I was anxious to see how they worked in the field. It couldn’t really all be slaying monsters, could it? Some of the older members talked about diplomacy when solving problems, but the younger members seemed to only brag about how many of the Pretenders they had slain. It was a wonder that all of the supernatural didn’t band together and hunt us into oblivion, but then, they all had their own problems to deal with.

  I talked myself into one more round of shampoo even though I knew it was a losing fight. I could still feel a few pieces of sand in there, but I didn’t have time to wash my hair another four times. I kept telling myself it was ok. I mean, if a little sand fell out of my hair during dinner, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, right? People would just have to learn to deal with it. So what if I had things falling out of my hair? It was exciting to have my friends over for dinner. Shit, I was excited just to have friends again. Life hadn’t been easy for me when my gift was manifesting. I had started to see things, and when it kept getting worse, I pushed everyone I cared about away to keep them safe. Everyone except Alby.

  Alby had stayed with me through thick and thin. She had weathered the looks people gave her for hanging out with such a loser, and had even helped to get me a summer job to pay for college. Unfortunately for me, that job was when I noticed that she was different, and when I told her what I saw, I lost her forever. One night we were the best of friends, and the next night I was the bogeyman from her nightmares. I still missed her, but unless something changed drastically, we would never be friends again.

  So tonight was special, dinner with my two best friends and the girl I had just fallen head over heels for. Not to mention it was my birthday. I hadn’t told anyone, so I doubt they knew. Just having them over was the best gift I could ask for. Marcus had worked his magic with the kitchen staff yet again, and secured us pretty fancy room service. I still wasn’t sure how he did it, but once a month like clockwork he came through, and we all reaped the benefits.

  I grabbed a towel and peeked out into my quarters. Marcus was already there getting things set up. He gave me a quick wave and went back to what he was doing. I went to the closet and grabbed my favorite white T-shirt and a pair of jeans that were well beyond broken in. The last thing I had to think about was shoes. Should I even bother? I decided to go a little bohemian and rock the barefoot look. I ran a quick brush through my hair, tucked my dad’s necklace under my shirt, and headed out to see if Marcus needed any help.

  “Damn, bro, the place looks great. Anything I can do to help?”

  “Yeah, you can sit down and stay out of the way.”

  Apparently my reputation for being a horrible decorator, and even worse in the kitchen, preceded me. “Sitting down is something I can handle, especially after April kicked the crap out of me again.”

  “One of these days you might be able to beat her, if you learn to use your magic the right way. Did you even work on using your magic in conjunction with your swords like we talked about?”

  “I did.”

  “And?”

  “And I’m still getting the hang of it,” I said, slightly embarrassed that I hadn’t worked as hard at using both disciplines together as I should have.

  “Well, guess what we will be doing during our next training session?”

  “You are going to swing that big ass sword of yours at me while you tell me what spells to cast on the fly.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I hate it when we do that. Can’t we work on something new?”

  “Not until you can cast everything I call out without hesitation. Thinking about it is what slows you down. You need to react and let the magic do the work.”

  Stupid freaking magic. Nothing put me in my place faster than talking magic with Marcus or swords with April. Marcus may as well have said, it’s going to take you forever cause you think too much and don’t work hard enough. Thankfully someone knocked on the door, and I was saved from voicing just how much I hated that plan, even if it would save my life someday. I already had a training class where I was drowning in new information, and then I got to enjoy getting my ass kicked four times a week by my best friends. Damned if it wasn’t worth it, but sometimes it just felt like I was struggling to stay afloat. Not to mention that it cut into the time I wanted to spend with Britta.

  Opening the door revealed my favorite person in the world. She launched herself into my arms and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. Yep, that was my Britta, five foot five with black hair that made midnight jealous. From the exuberance of her entrance, she could have also been confused for a bouncing ball of energy. Her enthusiasm for everything always made me feel better. She was one of a kind, and unless I screwed it up, she was mine. She walked past me and gave Marcus a hug, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Her body spoke to me; in fact, it did more than that—it called to me. Damn, and I had to wait through an entire dinner to get her alone.

  “The place looks awesome,” Britta said.

  “Thanks,” Marcus and I said together.

  Britta gave a little frown, and then it turned into a smile. “Let me guess, Marcus did all of it, right?”

  Marcus gave me the eye from across the room. “Ok, so Marcus did do all of it,” I said. “But he refused to let me help.”

  “That’s because the last time you helped, when the lights turned on, it almost burned down your place,” he said with a wink.

  “Let’s not exaggerate. My place is carved out of solid rock. It wouldn’t have burned down.”

  “No, but all of the people and things inside of it would have.”

  “Touché.”

  “Well, it looks amazing. Is April still coming?” Britta asked.

  “She sure is. If she had the same problems that I did washing sand out of my hair, then she might be a little late.”

  “You guys sparred outside. In this weather?”

  “Yeah, you know April. It was a golden opportunity to learn.”

  “Or to get struck by lightning.” Britta laughed.

  I wanted to reply with something witty, but her laugh seemed to have robbed me of all my senses. She bounced over to the couch and took a seat. Finally, I tore my eyes away to see Marcus laughing at me and shaking his head in disbelief. Well, at least I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know how I ended up with the girl. When the knock at the door came, it was the perfect opportunity to stop myself from being able to make any further recriminations about my character. I shook the thoughts of Britta’s beautiful body from my head and headed to the door.

  April walked in, her bright red hair tamed to a dull red as it dried. She had it tied up in a bun to keep it from getting her shirt wet. I pulled her inside and gave her a quick hug before sending her over to Marcus and joining Britta on the couch. When I sat down, she grabbed my hand and held it in her lap. I looked over and almost died in her smile. Sometimes God just really seems to throw you a bone.

  “Man, the place looks great,” April said, heading toward the kitchen.

  “Thanks,” Marcus said

  This time I kept my mouth firmly shut. Marcus looked over and gave me another wink. Britta gave me a slight elbow to the ribs and smiled. What could I say, he really had decorated it all by himself. I hadn’t done a thing except provide the space for us to get together. He had lights strung across the ceiling. They
provided the perfect glow against the rock roof. Almost made it look as though we were looking up into the night sky. He had candles set around the room, and the lights were dimmed. It was perfect, just how I would imagine sitting around and hanging out with friends on the patio of my parents’ place.

  I hadn’t thought about my parents in that way for too long. Mostly when I thought of them now, it was only of the way they died. Now wasn’t the time to do it. Just because it was my first birthday without them didn’t mean I was going to be a downer for everyone else. I pushed back the thoughts of their murder. There would be time for that later. Someday the person who killed them would pay. I had no doubt in my mind that I would find them and bring them to justice.

  I must have drifted off in my thoughts about them because Britta nudged me. “You ok, Jackson?”

  “Yeah, just thinking about my family.”

  She gave me a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. “Let’s go join the others.”

  Smiling, I stood up. I wasn’t one hundred percent back to being in a good mood, but her light kiss had done just enough for me to not spoil our monthly dinner. “So, Marcus, what is on the menu for tonight?”

  “The cooks must have taken pity on us poor fighters because they have whipped up something truly special for us tonight.”

  He came back from the kitchen with a small covered tray and set it down on the table.

  “Marcus, I think we have different ideas about what special is. That doesn’t even look like it’s enough to feed me.”

  “Well, this is just a little something extra. Mind taking off the lid?”

  Stepping forward, I removed the lid, and a candle underneath flared to life. There were two numbers on the top of the cake, a one and a nine. I watched as they spiraled in the air and then about six feet above the table dissolved into a halo of sparks. They fell gently toward the table, each one of the sparks changing colors before disappearing.

  “Happy birthday!” they all shouted.

  “How did you know?”

  “Come on, bro, I know everything,” Marcus said.

  “And you two . . .”

  “Marcus told us,” they echoed.

  “Damn, thanks, everyone.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything, Jackson?” April asked.

  “I just didn’t think it was that important with everything else we have going on.”

  “It’s important,” Britta said, pulling me into a fierce side hug.

  “Sure is, man,” Marcus said. “You better not forget my birthday.”

  “Or mine,” said April.

  “I’ll do my best. So what’s really for dinner?”

  “Your favorite,” Marcus said.

  “Stuffed Chicago-style pizza?”

  “Ok, so maybe a close second. Chicken Parm.”

  “Now that is something I can dig into.”

  “Let’s eat!” Britta said, pulling me to my chair and pushing me down. My stomach rumbled as Marcus pulled the top off another bowl. The steam from within carried with it the smell of pure Italian chicken parmesan. This was going to be the best birthday I had had in a long time.

  I woke up screaming the word no. A hand reached out and grabbed my arm, and a soft voice told me that everything was going to be ok. Still, I couldn’t shake the feelings that had come from the dream. It was one thing to have a nightmare; it was something else to be reliving something that already happened. When the tears came, I wasn’t that surprised. Who would enjoy watching their parents get killed, again?

  My birthday must have triggered the dream for me; there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think about them at least once. Finding out that the people who raised me weren’t my biological parents didn’t change how much I loved them. Not one bit. Walking into a room and having my mother bleeding out on the floor and watching my dad murdered in front of me had left its mark. I had been pushing those feelings down since I came to the academy, but now they were catching up with me in a big way.

  The hand on my arm moved up and started to stroke my hair. I felt bad for her, having to rub her hands through the sweaty tangles.

  Britta murmured, “It will be ok.”

  When she rolled over, I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her against me. She wiggled a little bit to get comfortable, and I almost lost it. If my heart hadn’t just been crushed by the thought of my parents’ death, I might have taken that as an invitation for more than cuddling. There was something to be said about sleeping in the same bed with your girlfriend; it just made you feel more comfortable than sleeping alone. We hadn’t crossed that magical line yet, but when the time was right, I was sure neither of us would question it. The warmth of her back pressed against my chest worked its own kind of magic, and I finally started to relax. I felt myself slipping back into unconsciousness. I prayed silently for a dreamless sleep.

  2

  Jean Lapointe

  France 1440

  The soft knock at my door reminded me that I should have been out of bed hours ago. The activities after last night’s disaster had taken my mind off of the fact that today I would be forced to explain myself. The bed was empty except for me, and by the looks of it, all of my possessions remained in place. At least last night’s humiliations hadn’t been added to, not that it wouldn’t have been worth it. Pulling the sheets back, I strode to the door.

  “Well, don’t wait out there all day. Come in already.”

  “It’s Marie, my lord.”

  “Yes, I can see that now. What can I do for you, Marie?”

  “I’m sorry that I wasn’t with you this morning, but I had my duties to attend to.”

  “That is ok, my dear, I understand. You needn’t have woken me just for that.”

  “I didn’t mean to disturb your rest, milord, but there are a bunch of men who just arrived. They seem rather agitated, and I heard them using your name in conversation.”

  “Thank you for coming to get me at once, Marie. If they ask after me again, tell them I will be down momentarily. Can you also see that the valet has my chests loaded onto the carriage? I have a feeling I will be leaving with some haste.”

  “Of course, milord. Is everything ok?”

  “As ok as it can be for now. I wanted to thank you for last night and your service today.” I pressed four gold coins into her hands.

  “I did not sleep with you for money,” she spat.

  She made to throw the coins back at me. Before she could, I grabbed her hand and pressed it back to her chest. “And I meant to offer no such insult.” Her eyebrows rose in question. “This is just a small token of my appreciation at the warning you have provided for me, and for arranging the service of my things.”

  “It is too much,” she said, still frowning.

  “Some would say it isn’t enough. I have plenty of gold but not as many friends. Thank you for coming to get me, and make sure that you at least buy something for yourself.”

  “I will, my lord.”

  I could see that she still wasn’t sure about the money, but I didn’t have the time to spend reassuring her. I stepped forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Now go see the valet. Tell him I plan to leave within the hour.”

  Thankfully she left without saying anything else. I turned back toward my chests and pulled out the clothes I would be wearing for the day. I had a feeling I wouldn’t get to enjoy the carriage ride back, but one could only hope. A pair of riding pants, a shirt, and a leather doublet, along with my favorite hat, would be enough to see me through. Tying the pouch of coins to a hidden seam inside of my pants, I headed toward the door. My sword belt was lying against the wall. I strapped it on and made my way downstairs to whatever fate awaited me.

  When I reached the foyer, there was no one there. I looked around, wondering just where they had gone, when the sound of raised voices came from the parlor to the right of the entryway. Heading in that direction, I heard my name mentioned more than once, in the company of some vile words. When I stepped into th
e room, all conversation came to a stop.

  One man rose from where he was seated and, with a look of utter hatred, began to speak. “Just what kind of guard are you that you couldn’t keep the vault safe for just one night?”

  “The kind that is still alive to tell you about it.” From the shade of red growing under his collar, I was to assume that that wasn’t the answer he was looking for. It was just something I had a special knack for, making a bad situation worse by running my mouth. The fact was I hadn’t requested this assignment, and after the events of last night, they should be damn happy they had someone to question.

  “I think we could do with a little less mirth. The artifact that was stolen was priceless. Do you have anything outside of the fact that you are alive to report?”

  I thought for a moment before speaking. It was a rare occurrence, but from the glares I was getting from the other four men in the room, this time may be a warranted one. “I have plenty to report, but what I have to say must be relayed directly to Adam.”

  “I am the commander of the retrieval team, and you will report it to me.” I was wrong in thinking that his face couldn’t become redder. His face had reached a shade of red I would have referred to as radish as long as he couldn’t hear me or I had ten good men standing behind me. My delayed response seemed to have pushed him further over the edge, and now he had added a throbbing vein on his forehead into the mix.

  “With all due respect, I must decline. Adam has entrusted me with the protection of this item, and I have failed in my duty. With that failure, I have stumbled across some sensitive information that would be best heard by his ears first.”

  “If you would prefer to make it Adam’s problem, then so be it.” The men around him laughed.

  We all knew what normally happened when something became Adam’s problem. Normally those problems disappeared, and the stories were told to others as a cautionary tale. I hoped that this time it would be different. I was much too handsome to die. I also didn’t want to give this prick the satisfaction of seeing me wither under his gaze.