Chapter 6
Zhen
I swung by to pick up Dad, who was chortling as he climbed into the passenger seat of my truck.
He was dressed in jeans and a white henley, a favorite outfit of his on a warm day like today.
He had the same height and build I do, so it made him look like an older model for dad clothes.
“Kris called me earlier. There’s some Grade-A drama happening at the agency. ”
My father and wife spent far too much time on Reddit scrolling through bizarre stories. They’d bonded over the general stupidity and insanity of humanity—which, to be fair, could be highly entertaining.
As a drama enthusiast myself, I couldn’t hold back. “Spill the beans!”
Dad’s blue eyes shone with delight as he relayed the story of the not-quite spirit marriage, ending with “Which was when Kris called me asking for a good PI since they now have to track down the girlfriend and daughter.”
“Woooow.” I was speechless. Just what the ever-lovin’ hell?
He rubbed his hands together dramatically, his light brown hair not shifting an inch despite him moving all around in the seat.
His gel was impressive. “I can’t wait for part two.
Either way it shakes out, it’ll be a doozy.
” He shook his head, expression turning thoughtful with a tinge of sadness.
“I’m relieved you and Yu never did that kind of stuff to each other.
If you knew your brother loved someone, you’d never have looked at his wife with anything but affection and respect.
You certainly wouldn’t have seduced her. ”
“Damn right I wouldn’t have, but that’s not what any Barre would do.”
“You’re absolutely correct.”
Being loyal to our family was something taught from diapers.
In a world where the supernatural and demons themselves haunted our steps, the one thing we should always be able to depend on was family.
Betraying kin was anathema to us. Personally, I didn’t understand how people could hurt their own sibling or parents—or, in Kris’s case, their children—by being such assholes.
Having seen too much cruelty in the world, I felt beyond grateful for my family.
I was also beyond grateful Kris would never betray me either. Despite her cutthroat upbringing that prized trampling over others, being cruel wasn’t in her nature.
Obviously, the groom hadn’t known this woman nor actually been married to her, but I could imagine the scenario where that hadn’t been the case.
Where they actually had been married. If Kris ever turned her back on me like that bride, I’d have been more than heartbroken.
Maybe turned into a vengeful spirit. Just the thought made my heartstrings tug unpleasantly.
Poor groom. I felt for him.
“Speaking of, Yu mentioned he’s going to be able to come down for sure, meet Kris in person,” Dad said.
My twin was up in the New England area working as a professor, so we didn’t see him in person often. My smarter half was genuinely one of my favorite people, not only because we’d shared a womb. “Yes! He say when?”
“Thanksgiving week. He’s got time off then. Your mother is beside herself with joy.”
“I’ll do my best to be in town. My guest bedrooms are primed and ready. Hopefully the spookies will be kind for Thanksgiving.”
Dad shot me an amused look. “Knock on wood when you say something like that.”
I rapped knuckles against my head.
A thought occurred as I turned onto Market Street.
“Also, speaking of hooking people up, we’re trying to find a reason to get some of the female slayers in town.
Jasha’s attempts at online dating have failed completely for the final time.
Yesterday Kris had an epiphany and showed him pictures of some of my friends, and he’s of the opinion they’re all gorgeous and awesome and he’d like to at least meet them. ”
“My son,” Dad intoned in a way which usually meant lecture incoming, “have you learned nothing from your mother and I? A lady should have her own choice in the matter. Jasha’s a wonderful man, and your friends are fantastic people, but be upfront with them as to why you want them in town.
At the very least, maybe they can be friends? ”
I felt abashed at his words. I certainly hadn’t meant for it to come out that way.
“You’re right, they should definitely know beforehand it’s for a possible blind date so they have a choice since they’re busy with their own careers.
I just don’t know how to set everyone up.
I mean, we’re literally scattered all over the continent right now, sometimes the world.
I’d need something big to happen for people to be in this area.
There’s no slow season in our line of work. ”
From the corner of my eye, I could see my dad staring at me in horror. “Joseph Zhen Barre”—uh oh, he’d used the full name—“why are you saying something like that when Samhain is right around the corner?”
“Oops. My bad.” Pretty sure a slayer forgetting about Samhain required an insanity check.
Dad let out that exasperated sigh I knew all too well because, let’s face it, he’d been sighing since I could walk. “The fact jellyfish can survive without brains has given you entirely too much hope.”
I snickered, not at all offended. “With age comes wisdom. I’m still waiting for the wisdom.”
“Try to gain at least some. I don’t want you in an early grave.”
“I promise I’ll try.”
The small lot was full today, but miracle of all miracles, I found side street parking across from Jasha’s business so quickly parked there. You don’t question miracles, just seize them.
We came in through the front and found Jasha working diligently on a machine past the art tables in the center. He had his back to us, but when the door’s chime went off, he finished what he was doing with some kind of cloth? Then turned.
“Oh, hi! Welcome, welcome. Come see the latest T-shirt design.”
Jasha designed T-shirts on the side and sold them on his website, some of which I’d bought because I loved ridiculous, funny shirts like I Love Air. I eagerly skipped to his side as he held up a black shirt. Funky bright green font with splatches of artistic paint drops read Live, Love, Lobotomy.
“Jasha.” I looked at him with my best puppy eyes. “I’ll buy three. Please?”
He laughed. “Knowing you were coming, I made you one. But do you think your friend Jo Jo will want a shirt? I’ll of course pay him for coming to help me, but I wanted to make a thank-you gift, too.”
“Jo Jo will love this. He’ll demand two.”
“Yeah?” Jasha seemed heartened by my insistence. “What’s his size?”
“Medium, he’s not a big guy.”
“Right, I’ll make him one. He turned to my dad. “Hi, sir.”
Dad gave him a two-finger wave. “Good afternoon, Jasha.” He had an odd expression on his face but didn’t elaborate.
The sword lay on a shelf Jasha had obviously cleared for its use.
Unlike the first time I’d seen the sword, bluish energy no longer flew about the shop but instead stayed wrapped and stagnant along the length of the blade.
The renewed seal was doing its job. No matter how many times I saw it, it remained a damn impressive sword.
The blade was wide, not tapering until the very tip, the hilt carved in elaborate runes that ran the full length of blade, only the very tip untouched.
I wondered how the swordsmith had pressed those runes into the metal without sacrificing the strength of the blade—which had clearly seen combat, based on the little nicks along the edges.
Old school swordsmiths knew a trick or three, that’s for sure.
I expected Dad to head straight for the sword, and he glanced at it twice, but for some reason he continued staring at Jasha with an odd expression.
Of course that meant I looked harder at Jasha, and actually focused on my magical sight instead of tuning it out like I normally did, trying to figure out what had caught my dad’s attention, and— “Jesus in the crackhouse,” I croaked. “Uhhhh…”
My father gave me a look askance. “This is…not a little magic, nor curse effects.”
“He wasn’t radiating magical ability a month ago!
” Seriously, when had this happened?! Granted, I didn’t pay attention to magical sight unless shit went down, it was a little too overwhelming otherwise for everyday stuff.
Still! It didn’t make a lick of sense. People just didn’t conjure up magical abilities in their mid-twenties!
That shit happened a lot earlier in life.
Well, Kris was kind of the exception, but even her medium abilities weren’t magic per se but a byproduct of our bond, and anyway my point still stands.
Jasha glanced between the two of us, blond brows raised like he was expecting either laughter or a punchline.
“I swear we’re not joking, man,” I promised him.
“We checked you multiple times, but we figured the sword was interacting with your aura because the readings never changed. In fact, after sealing the sword, the magic seemed to weaken. We didn’t think you actually had magic yourself, but my god, man, you’re radiating with it today.
It’s like this flowing prisma of colors swirling around you.
The best visual I can offer is picture a person wrapped in the Northern Lights.
I’ve seriously never seen anything like this before. ”
Jasha looked torn between worry and disbelief. “You have to understand why I don’t instinctively believe you. Considering how much you tease Kris.”
“I absolutely do, but promise we’re not joking, man.”
Dad grinned. “I can see why you’d be disbelieving, Jasha. Zhen cracks jokes even as he cracks skulls.”
I resembled that remark.