Inquest

by J. F. Jenkins

  Zes finally looked his way. "Interesting view on life. I hope no one hurts you."

  "I don't want to be hurt, but with how the world works, I will be." He'd certainly already gone through a great deal of pain in his life as it was. He nudged Zes in the side. "It's not about if we get hurt. It's what you do with it that matters."

  "Some hurts are too much to handle."

  "That's why there are people you go to for help. I mean, when you break your arm, or need stitches, do you deal with it on your own?"

  "No..."

  "No, you go to a doctor! So what makes you think that feeling pain is any different?" Teague smiled, softly, wanting to be encouraging even if the inside of his chest felt like it was going to explode with how fast his heart was beating. One wrong word or phrase could create a massive crevasse between him and Zes — for good.

  His uncle returned the smile, though, and gave a slight shrug. "I don't have a whole lot of people I can go to. I'm not popular like my brother, or rather, I am, but in a different way. People only like me because they want to be on his good side."

  "I don't think that's true for everyone. There are some guys who want to be your friend just for the sake of being your friend. They like you, and you have things in common with them. No harm in talking to them more."

  "I'm leaving in like, a month and a half. Not sure that's a good time to try to bond with people my age."

  "Then you'll make new friends at school who don't know you, Anj, or anything else," Teague said.

  Zes nodded. "I'm looking forward to it. Can't talk to normal people about magical things, though."

  "No, but you can still share things about you," he pointed out. "And for the other stuff, you can talk to me!"

  Chuckling, Zes shook his head. "Sure. I..."

  "Hmm?"

  "This is going to sound crazy, but...I feel like I know you from somewhere else."

  This time, it was Teague's turn to laugh. "Maybe we were friends once in another time."

  "Maybe... Thanks for the offer. I'll keep it all in mind. At this point, I'm tired of trying to make everything make sense."

  Teague wanted to tell him to just focus on being a normal teenager. Those words would have fallen on deaf ears for certain. Zes had never been a normal teenager, and the only reason Teague knew that much was because Anj hadn't either. Growing up, hearing stories, knowing what he did about being a Fate, there was no way either of the twins could have enjoyed the luxuries of living in total ignorant bliss — which stunk majorly because neither of them deserved to suffer so much. Teague wanted to believe starting college and progressing into the next step of life would change things, but he knew better. And the future confirmed it.

  Chapter Thirteen

  "What's wrong?" Chanel asked, once her lips parted from his.

  Teague continued to hold her close as he ran his hands along her sides. He barely heard her speak; his mind was going in so many directions at once, which was not like him at all.

  "Hmm?" he asked. "Nothing is wrong."

  "Okay, because you seem to be here in body but not in spirit." She tapped his nose with her index finger.

  He sighed, offering up a guilty smile. "You caught me, but that doesn't mean something's wrong." This is only my last chance to see you before I travel back in time to save my uncle who I've never met. My parents would murder me if they knew. Not because it's a dangerous, complicated spell that could result in my getting lost forever and altering the course of the entire universe, but because I'm working with one of their most hated enemies. Oh, I also gained this guy's magic over darkness and all things creepy. Nope, nothing wrong at all. That's right, you don't even know I have magic. About that...

  Those were all of the words he wished he could have said. Instead, "Family stuff."

  "Brothers causing problems again?" She always defaulted to his twin brothers and usually only mentioned both of them to be polite when she only meant Cory.

  "Sort of. It's –"

  "Complicated." She sat back so they could face one another. "You say that a lot when it comes to your family, your school, your life. Is there anything about you that isn't complicated?"

  He laughed. "Probably not."

  "I bet if you told me more, you'd find it's not as bad as you think."

  I wish I could. "If I tell you more stuff about me, I'll lose my Vala bad boy appeal. What will you tell your friends? I gotta keep my reputation intact."

  Chanel snorted. "T, all of my friends already think you're the sweetest guy on the planet. The Vala bad boy myth got crushed a long time ago. They love you almost as much as I do."

  "I know." And he loved her friends, too.

  He was a lot closer to them than any of his peers at school. In fact, he went out of his way to spend more time with them and her family every free moment he had. Not because he loved them more, but he did love sitting down at a table and not having to listen to the constant lectures his siblings received or worry about some kind of magical outburst given in rebellion. The things Chanel's family had drama with were friendships, not making a sports team, or the occasional bad test grade. It was all so normal.

  Every so often, she came to his apartment to hang out. Her presence made everyone tense outside of him and Cory. After a while, he stopped bringing her over as much. Getting off campus was more his thing anyway. There was only so much time he could spend at Vala before he started to feel suffocated. In that sense, he and Cory were the same. His older brother liked to leave the school property as often as possible as well.

  "I lost you again," Chanel said. "Look, if you'd rather be somewhere else or doing something else..."

  "No," he said firmly.

  "No?"

  He nodded. "I want to be with you for as long as I can."

  Cory's advice echoed in his mind briefly: make the most of the moment. For a few seconds, Teague considered making a move but found himself holding back. He loved Chanel. Hypothetically, that should have been enough to take their relationship to the next level. At the same time, something inside of his heart didn't feel right — almost like it was telling him he'd regret the decision, even if he didn't understand why. Thankfully, Teague was better at listening to his heart than his hormones.

  "Then be with me instead of on another planet."

  "Sorry," he mumbled.

  She shook her head. "Don't apologize. Either tell me what's preoccupying you so much, or let it go for now. I don't...I don't like seeing you so distressed."

  "I have to do something with my brothers that I'm not looking forward to. It's not a big deal. Promise, my mind is now only on you." He pulled her closer to him again.

  Chanel settled into his arms, her eyes closing as she let out a soft breath of what he hoped was contentment. "Someday, I hope you'll let me into your world more."

  "Someday, I will," he said. I think. Once I decide if you'll stay. Asking her to believe in magic was a huge thing — another reason he couldn't give himself completely to her. How could he expect her to be completely honest and vulnerable with him when he wasn't ready to do the same?

  "I love you," she whispered.

  "Love you too."

  ****

  Teague's love for Chanel was what he had to hold on to as he made his way over to Halyn's cabin. Chanel's image was vivid and detailed in his imagination: her straight, dark-blond hair and her sparkling blue eyes. If he could keep seeing her, then the temptation of Halyn would be easier to deal with — in theory. When he knocked on her cabin door and she answered in her pajamas, he had a harder time handling that temptation than he anticipated. It was after his evening with Zes and close to lights out. What he had to do could have waited until the morning, but he decided to bite the bullet and get the hard conversation out of the way. Plus, he had no clue what the next day would demand of him.

  "Yeah?" she asked, folding her arms in front of her chest. She pursed her lips, and he got a feeling he was the last person she wanted to see.

  He swallowed
and took in a deep breath. "I-I won't take up a lot of your time. It's almost curfew, and I don't want to get in trouble. Just...been thinking and..." He took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I know I kind of blew you off hardcore after the prom thing."

  "Kind of?" She scoffed.

  "I did a lot. Some of the memories I've been getting back freaked me out, and I didn't know how to handle them. So I hid from everyone," he explained, wanting to be as honest with her as possible. She deserved that much.

  Halyn's expression softened. "Scary stuff? You could have told me. I'd understand."

  "I know, but would you understand all of it?" He lowered his gaze. "One of my memories involves a girl back home and..."

  "And?" She laughed, albeit a sour one. "Oh, I guess you felt guilty because you thought something was going on between us."

  He shrugged. "I noticed we had a connection. Wasn't sure what you were thinking or feeling. Didn't seem right to encourage whatever was happening between us if this other girl is waiting for me."

  "It's not like you meant to get a crush on me. You didn't remember who you were," she said, her tone stiff even though her body was relaxed and nonchalant.

  "Yes, I know," he muttered. I know this wasn't one-sided. She wanted me just as much. If she wants to be cold and save face, fine. It's not like it matters anyway. Once I'm done here, she's going to forget me and I'm going back to Chanel, who I love. A lot. Yet his heart hurt a lot more than he thought it would by Halyn's lack of caring. Don't read too much into it. Rejection hurts regardless of how much you're emotionally invested in things. That's what Cory says. It's not like we fell in love. Why care so much?

  Halyn sighed. "I know I didn't help much. You probably feel like I led you on. Sorry. We should have talked about this sooner. I thought you hated me."

  "There's more going on than just the whole other girl thing," he said, refusing to be nothing more than her lovesick puppy. "Anyway, I came to apologize, that was part of why I stayed away. Now you know, and...and I don't know why I'm still here." There's no way I can ask her for help now.

  She grabbed him by the arm. "We have a few more minutes. Don't run away. Talk to me. Tell me what else there is. You're not your usual bubbly self."

  I'm more myself now than I ever was before. "All of the gaps about home are almost filled. The more I learn, the more I see I need to work on going back, because I don't belong here. There's a lot to arrange. It's not a big deal."

  "Still can't remember it all?"

  "No."

  "Which is the real reason you're here. You want me to make you the potion."

  He shrugged. "If you're willing. For the record, it wasn't the real reason I came. Zes and I just got done walking around, and I realized a few things while we were talking."

  "Such as?"

  "I can't be afraid of everything, and I can't wait around hoping the knots in my life will unkink themselves."

  Halyn raised an eyebrow. "And you were afraid of me?"

  "You weren't the only one who thought the other hated you. A stupid fear, but I thought you'd be livid over everything."

  "I wouldn't say livid. Disappointed, yeah," she said quietly. "But you do want the potion."

  He nodded. "Again, if you're willing."

  "I am. It's the least I can do," she said, giving his arm a squeeze. "It takes a few weeks to make."

  "What's a little more time?" He laughed, hoping it hid his nerves. A few weeks might not be a big deal, or it could be far too long of a wait.

  "I'll get right on it." She winked. Her smile disappeared, and her voice grew quiet. "How is everyone? I've only heard rumors of what happened at lunch today. Is your sister okay?"

  As much as Halyn loved her gossip, he knew her well enough to know she wasn't asking for the sake of getting the dirt. She cared about the twins, and Jewl was a large piece of their lives.

  Teague scrunched up his nose. "Jewl is sad, for obvious reasons. The box had two hands in it. One for a guy and one for a girl. Zes said there were eyes, too, along with other small parts that suggest whoever they came from is no longer alive." He closed his eyes. "She thinks it's her dad and step-mom. I mean, that's what I was told from Zes, and I'm guessing he got that information from Anj."

  "So wouldn't that mean it was your dad too?" she asked.

  "Yeah, but I'd never met him."

  "That's even more sad."

  He nodded. "I'd have liked to know him more." And all of my grandparents.

  "Let me know if I can do anything."

  "Thanks. And I mean that. For everything you've already done."

  Halyn wrapped her arms around him. "Don't be a stranger."

  He cracked a smile. "I won't." Not yet, at least.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Three days passed before Teague saw Jewl again. Anj had been around, off and on, but not her. Teague wouldn't have even gotten to visit her if she hadn't specifically requested for him to come to the owner's cabin to do so. The owner of the camp, Mrs. Purin, lived in much nicer quarters than the rest of the staff and students. There were two bedrooms, along with a pull-out bed in the living room. A television hung on the wall, and not far from the living room was a kitchenette.

  "Sit down, she'll be right out," Mrs. Purin said.

  Teague took a seat on the couch, mindful of the pillow and blanket rolled up in the middle. Must be where Anj is sleeping. Pull-out bed or not, he didn't seem to be using it. A few seconds later, Jewl came out and sat on the opposite end of the couch.

  "Do you feel okay?" he asked. A stupid question. The flesh around her eyes was puffy with dark circles, her eyes themselves red and irritated from tears. How could she feel okay when it was so obvious she was miserable?

  Jewl ran her hands over her knees. "I ate breakfast today."

  He nodded, words escaping him. What should I say?

  "I'm sure you're wondering why I asked for you."

  "Yeah," he admitted.

  She exhaled slowly. "Anj told Zes that Dad was...yeah, and he's gone. Aunt Eyde caught up to Daddy and did this to him. She wants to scare me away from taking control of his kingdom."

  "But she won't come after you, will she?"

  "Mom, Aphrodite, would wipe her out with a massive army. Since I'm her favorite kid and her heir, she'd rally as many Divine to her side." She raked her lower lip between her teeth. "Sonnet isn't safe. If I went to break her out of Aunt Eyde's grip, would you help me? It'd be a covert operation, and I need aggressive magic on my side. We both know my summoning magic skills bite."

  Uh oh, this isn't good. "W-when?"

  "Fall Break. Anj and I...we're eloping soon. There's no real point to waiting. Not sure on the specific date, so don't be offended if you don't get an invite. Keeping it small and simple. He just has to finish with the paperwork to get his inheritance."

  "Oh," he said. Truth was, he didn't want to be present at the wedding of his parents anyway. Too bizarre, even for him.

  Jewl gazed at him, tears in her eyes, and he was certain they were tears of anger with the way her eyes narrowed in a piercing way. "Anj is planning on visiting his brother over fall break. While he's gone, I'll go and save Sonnet. If my aunt happens to get what's coming to her in the process, then so be it. We'll be back before Anj even knows we left. Will you come with me? For Dad?"

  "I'll do what I can," he said. Who knew if he'd still be around then. I should change the subject. Encouraging this feels bad. "Tell me about him?"

  "About who?"

  "D-Dad." It felt weird to say since the man who was viciously murdered wasn't his father.

  Wiping at her eyes, Jewl let out a soft laugh. "I forgot you two never met. He probably didn't even know you existed."

  "That's okay. I mean, Aphrodite probably gave birth to a lot of us who won't know either of our parents. It's not like she's been around either. You're lucky, you know?" He smiled. "Can you tell me something? If you'd rather not, I can leave."

  She scooted closer to him. "Dad was the most amazing perso
n I've ever known. One of those people who was nice to everyone, even those who didn't deserve it. He...was...everything I've ever wanted to be."

  Teague kept his gaze glued on her, absorbing everything she said like a sponge. It was the closest he'd come so far to having the mother he knew back in his life.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Teague was back in the dark cell. Nearby, Cheyenne was lying on a twin bed, gazing up at the ceiling. He sat down on the end of the bed by her feet. She couldn't see him, but he hoped she sensed she wasn't alone all the same. There was someone around who cared and wanted to help her.

  "They're married," she said. "I can't believe he married her."

  In the opposite corner of the room lurked Lucien. He stood with his arms folded in front of him. The silver flecks in his wings along with his slate-gray eyes seemed to glow in the poor lighting.

  "Are you jealous?" he asked. "I didn't think you'd care so much about the twin brother of your pet wedding his high school sweetheart."

  She sat up on the bed. "Jealous of what, exactly?"

  "Perhaps because she got to marry him, and you didn't."

  Cheyenne glared at him. "Jewl can have him. Anj is arrogant and self-centered. He only wanted me around to use me to make her jealous so she'd take him back. I just think he could do a lot better. She's never done anything good for me. I tried to be her friend once. It was a wasted effort."

  "I imagine you cheating on her now brother-in-law has something to do with that." Lucien smirked.

  "I don't know why I'm even talking about this with you," she mumbled, averting her gaze down to her feet.

  "I'm your husband. Who else are you to speak with about these things?"

  "My friends. My family. All of the people you're trying to keep me from."

  "Because they are trying to brainwash you into believing I'm evil. We've been over this. Besides..." He walked toward her, gazing down at her intensely. "If they cared so much about you, why haven't they saved you yet? Our hiding place isn't that great."