Dead Men Smiling

7.2

A wise man learns more from his enemies than a fool from his friends.

-----

"-They've been on probation for three years and we can't reach out without confirming their suspicions!" Jess cried. "What are we going to do, Mason?"

Mason rolled her eyes at Jess's antics but didn't comment as she continued writing her letter while giving her eagle owl instructions on the parcel it was about to carry. She secured the parcel and letter and smiled softly at the bird that nuzzled its head against her palm before taking off in flight.

She closed the window and smiled reassuringly at Jess who looked very close to pulling his air out. "Don't fret, Jess. I'm a few steps ahead of you."

Jess relaxed at the thought of Mason having the situation under control before panic seized him once more. "Rowan isn't allowed to see his mother whose sick and he doesn't know that she might not make it." "She'll pull through. If anything I wouldn't be surprised if she outlived most of us."

Jess tried a smile at his friend's attempts to soothe his anxiety and sighed. "What did you send out?"

Mason made a noise of contemplation as she put her gray streaked hair in a messy bun. She then shrugged as if the information was irrelevant. "Just some information that can ruin the life of King Leonardo if he doesn't prove those five as innocent and falsely accused."

Jess' eyes widened. "Blackmail? To a King?"

"I'm just threatening him, Jess. Unless you have a brighter idea and I'm just hoping that the information is true or else I would have worsened the situation."

Jess was ready to go back to his panicking when he realized that his friend admitting to a mistake was rare. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. "Don't worry, everything will work out in the end."

She didn't answer which made him frown before he announced to her that he was going to the shrine to meditate and check up on everyone.

He sighed at her lack of acknowledgment and left the orphanage to the shrine and smiled at the sense of calm he felt. He sat cross-legged and focused on the energies surrounding him.

He saw Leilani in the same room as Leonardo when a giant eagle owl landed in front of the King, Rowan meditating, Sora shadow sword fighting, Maximus writing, Dolan reading and Rowan's mother knitting a scarf.

The images changed to the orphanage which the Emperor's men were approaching.

Jess furrowed his brow and ignored Mira's protest and focused on the vison, eyes opening when he saw a match light.

He found Mason banging against the glass door and placed his palm against it, ignoring the sting making her blink owlishly. "What the-?" Her face darkened and she narrowed her eyes at him, seeming unaffected by the red hot flames surrounding her. "You better be finished with your meditating."

He ignored her. The children were more important; she was more important. "How are we going to get the kids out?"

Mason frowned. "They are dead. The fire started in their floor."

Jess felt a pain seize him and crumbled to the floor with a hiss, barely hearing Mason's shout of concern. She was about to let herself out when her owl landed besides Jess and gave her a look she immediately understood. She sunk to her knees and eyed Jess with worry in her gaze as he composed himself.

"Ok, how do I get you out?" Jess asked.

She could still hear their screams and realized she wouldn't live with herself if she survived. She then smiled. "I have an idea? Do you trust me, Jess?" "With my life."

"Good." She straightened and gave him her back. "Protect those five at all costs."

"What about you?" The panic was evident in his voice.

Mason said her owl's name and didn't turn to know that it had dragged a very possibly struggling Jess away from the orphanage. She sighed to herself and ran to the nursery where the dead infants lay. Her eyes landed on the newest one who had red hair before the roof collapsed on her.

Jess felt the fight in him die when he heard Mason's scream just as the orphanage collapsed. In a daze, he walked towards the building hoping that he was dreaming when he heard the sound of crying. He followed the noise to a red haired baby who stopped crying when she saw him.

He frowned and picked her up, recognizing her as one of the newest babies in the former orphanage. "How did you even survive that? Never mind, I'll take care of you."

He let a grunt from the pain he felt and frowned, he couldn't care for her when the pain seemed to want his attention more he stared at the kid in his arms and looked around for a house to leave her by when he saw two sets of eyes staring at hi through the window before disappearing.

He walked towards the house and knocked and was almost immediately greeted by an old man who scowled at him and an old woman with a friendly smile. "Hello, young man." Her eyes twinkled as if she knew something that he didn't. "Are you selling something?

He held out the baby. "Hell, ma'am. Do you mind taking care of this baby? I can't do it."

Her husband protested. "Honey, they are Unwanteds. We just witnessed that orphanage burn and you want to help them?"

She shushed him as she took the baby. "The only wrong thing that he has done is wondering around at this hour." She then looked at Jess with concern. "You've gone through a lot. Do you wish to spend the night and go on your way tomorrow?"

Jess shook his head and took a step back. "I can't. You're already doing a lot taking care of the young girl. Thanks for the offer."

He turned and began to walk away before stopping. He looked over his shoulder. "We don't know her species but she has a tendency to grow a tad bit faster than most human kids."

He was a good distance away from the house when he fell to his knees with tears running down his cheeks s the once calm mind he shared with Mira became louder and less organized; leaving him in limbo between his sanity and the madness.

H had nearly succumbed to the pain when he felt something wet on his forehead and relief flooded him.

He looked up and met kind eyes that held concern. His gaze dropped to the cross around his saviour's neck and understood what had happened. A believer used their faith to temporarily injure Mira.

Jess looked back into the eyes. "May I join the Church?"

---

Jess sat up with a gasp from the memory and held his cross close to his chest, smiling at the comfort it offered. He then looked upwards and sighed. "Please help me."

He felt a familiar twist in his stomach and reached for his Holy Scripture. He gripped it tightly before opening it and reading about how evil and corrupt spirits had no hold on him.

The candles in his room lit up and he frowned as he walked towards them with the intention of putting them out. "Why haven't I rid myself of them?" He wondered aloud when another set lit up.

Jess realized too late that he had waked into a ritual circle.

He muttered a curse and fell to his knees. He looked under his bed and pulled out a container of Holy Water and gulped down half of it wincing at the scream Mira's voice released. He shakily stood before he promptly vomited, staining his night shirt with blood. He dropped the container and stared at his shaking hands before attempting to focus on the writing on the container he dropped.

He got on all fours and vomited again, cringing at the acidic taste it left in his mouth as the black substance that came out of his mouth pooled by his exhausted body. He glanced under his bed and collapsed; he took poison.

He took in a shaky breath. "Dolan, cut off all ties you have to me and tell the others that I'm sorry and will always love them."

Mira grinned as he stood, ignoring the blood andvomit covering him. He imagined how heartbroken the children would feel if theyrealized what happened to his ex-host. "Thank you, Dolan for giving me thestrength I needed."