Chapter 46: 42. A Smiling She-Devil (II)

“I must apologize further, Miss Luckrun,” YoAnna said, her words pressing down on Jhara like a weight. “I will put your son in danger more often than not.”

“I didn’t think you raised magical child soldiers to spin bottles and make out in the closet,” Jhara quipped, feeling way out of her depths while baring holding it together. This was going to be bad for her screwed-up head.

 “I appreciate your humor,” YoAnna said. “But I must emphasize this hard point. If he can’t overcome the challenges to come, he will die.”

Jhara shuddered, feeling the last word as a stab to the gut. She knew there was nothing she could do to change the course of her son’s fate. She was a spiritual person, even if she wasn’t traditional. But she was a mother. So, she felt the inclination to tear up like a mother having to send her child to war, knowing he might not return.

She smiled instead.

“That boy can go out in a blaze of glory or disappear in a dark hole, and I’ll be proud of him always. As long as he lives his life to the fullest, I will be okay,” she said, raising her glass to the deity.

YoAnna hesitated slightly. Then she connected the toast. The intense atmosphere loosened.

“We’ve never formally met outside of daycare,” YoAnna said in a lighter tone. “I’ve wondered about you. I see why Jay is the way he is.”

“Main character energy?” Jhara asked.

“I suppose so.”

“He got it from the best!” Jhara laughed.

“I’m glad,” YoAnna said amusingly.

Jhara smiled before taking a big chug.

Woo! That hit the spot. Now she could go full-tilt momma-bear mode!

Jhara stepped near the godling’s masked face with a barely contained ferocity. “Strike me down if you must, but this needs to be said.”

YoAnna flinched, caught off guard by the mortal’s sudden, unpredictable switch. Somehow, Jhara knew that would work.

People kept mistaking the smiles and laughter of a Luckrun for weakness.

“He’s precious. And good. Don’t you dare ruin that,” Jhara said. “Make him your warrior, okay, but don’t abuse him. Or I’ll put my foot so far up your divine ass you’ll taste the waters I crossed to get here.”

“Y-yes, Miss Luckrun.”

“Bon!” Jhara cheered.

She caged the demon that helped her survive the hard times of her past and doubled up the mental padlocks. She pretended she didn’t threaten a deific creature that made a mortal woman like Jhara no different than a bug in comparison. Maybe something smaller and weaker than that, even. It was total madness to pull that stunt, but Jhara loved her son too much not to express herself.

And to Jhara’s relief and approval, YoAnna took it like a champ.

“Impressive,” the godling mumbled.

Jhara decided not to comment.

They sat silently, feeling each other out through energy alone. Jhara had herself another serving of morning rum while YoAnna moved her mask and sipped gently from her single serving. The atmosphere felt surprisingly pleasant, making Jhara wonder how deep of an impression she had made. She felt like she had the deity’s attention more than a mortal should.

Jay and Kleo returned and looked refreshed. The boy struggled to keep his eyes everywhere other than on YoAnna.

They were talking about some of Jay’s dungeon diving experiences when the neighbors swung by. Then Jhara had to practice that thing people called delegating. It was a bizarre and alien concept, but it worked out when other people set up the tables, the sound system, and some family-friendly backyard games for her.

Then when the music started blasting, people from the neighborhood pooled together their offerings, and the potluck became another month’s hit. It was just late enough into the morning for fruity drinks while the kids ran around and played games in the backyard. Jay looked worriedly at the dimples in the ground, which reminded Jhara to get an inspector out here one of these days.

Sinkholes in Florida suck.

Of course, the most notable part of the potluck surrounded her son and childhood friend turned crush. Kleo had to hide away in the pouch of Jay’s hoodie, sadly, but there were enough peculiarities from Jay and YoAnna’s presence alone. No need to add a [Faerie] to the equation.

The monthly potluck was a gossiper haven.

“Who is that giant jezebel-looking hussy with the mask over there?” asked one old woman with a penchant for rumors.

“She’s right at the heels of that weirdo child of Jhara’s,” said another gossiping hag. “Gosh, that devilry of Jhara’s spreading to the son. It’ll get to our dear younglings soon, I tell ya.”

“Did you see Jay’s eyes?” asked a little girl to another.

“I want eyes like that!” yelled the other girl.

“Those are some fancy contact lenses,” said the father of one of those girls.

“Is that how he bagged that tall diva walking behind him?” asked another father. “Hot damn, man. I thought that kid would break his neck before he got with a real woman.”

“Ain’t no way he can keep a woman like that,” said another man from outside the neighborhood. He was wolfing down food with nine other outsiders, and none had brought anything when they arrived.

“I gotta help her find a real man. Not some little ass punk.” One of the other outsiders licked his lips in YoAnna’s direction.

Jhara said nothing. She knew her potlucks had gotten famous within the city. It could bring people from outside the neighborhood. That could enhance the fun or lead to some fruitful networking. Might be a rich person or two around.

It could also bring some bad folks. At least it was nobody from her past.

She kept note of all the gossiping for creative reasons, too. Her writing projects were going to see a bunch of new background characters that might meet misfortunately cruel and excessive deaths.

So much wonderful material for her to use! Feed her more!

“Good morning, Miss Luckrun,” greeted a petite woman in a professional skirt and top. She gave major G-woman vibes. “Can we talk inside the house?”

“The fun’s out here,” Jhara replied, wondering if she should get the machete.

“We have a special briefing for these eventualities,” the G-woman said, “when Multiverse Pantheon Protectors tell their close contacts highly secret information.”

“And you are?” Jhara asked carefully, looking past her to see Jay and YoAnna paying close attention while far from earshot. It was eerie how they could be across the huge yard and have a bead on Jhara and the stranger regardless.

“I’m–” the strange woman started answering before getting cut off.

“Senior Agent Juliet Cabana, you should wait until after the event before intruding,” said a voice as blunt as an equation-crunching techno-hammer putting up perfectly leveled shelves. “You make the surveillance on our homes a little too obvious.”

Lilith and her sexy-as-hell dad entered the yard from around the side of the house. Lilith, one of the few people shorter than Jay, looked at everyone with a resting bored face.

Luis moved to Jhara’s side while wearing a pleated white shirt and a straw hat prevalent on the islands. His shining smile and handsomely square chin made the potluck glow even brighter.

Now, if only she could convince him to join her harem.

“You got the big news, too?” Luis asked.

“Like a meteor to the dome, mon cheri,” Jhara said, batting her eyelashes at him.

Luis looked off to the side and away from her. “It’s a little scary, isn’t it? I’m on the fence if I should clue in the therapist. And what am I to do with her prescriptions if they stop working?”

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Jhara sighed, nodding to his concerns as if she were a responsible parent who afforded her child therapy and prescription pills. And didn’t wing it by letting him drink with her when they were in festive moods.

“These are all things we can discuss in the briefing,” Juliet said.

Lilith passed the tray of Pan de Mallorca sweets to her dad. “Father, I’m going to talk to Jay and YoAnna. I’ll let you and Miss Luckrun decide what to do with Agent Cabana.”

Lilith turned to the senior agent. “You have too much spy equipment in my house. Reduce them by seventy percent. I expect this done before I get home. I will perform an inspection, so if you fail my expectations, do so by a small margin.”

Juliet did the smart thing and kept her mouth shut, nodding in agreement.

Lilith walked away with a perfect but rigid posture she had since growing up with spinal issues. As she passed through the crowd, Jhara just started to notice the trace of something unusual following in Lilith’s wake. It had a sharp and distinct smell.

Something chemical, heady, and sweet in a dangerous manner.

It gave her shivers. Lilith didn’t seem overly magical.

But that made her scarier.

When she connected with Jay and YoAnna, Jhara saw them fit together like pieces of a puzzle. There was no otherness between them, even though Lilith was an extremely unusual girl with special needs.

Luis slouched slightly, shaking his head. “Is there any way we can return the magic powers?”

“Why?” Jhara asked as she guided him and Juliet to the tables holding all the food. Luis put his offering to the potluck down.

“Is it safe for me to speak on the matter?” Juliet asked.

Luis turned to the agent as if she had disappeared and reappeared out of thin air. “Sorry, are you actually a secret secret hush hush type?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re in plain sight.”

“Indeed, I am.” Juliet waved around at everyone gossiping like it was a sports event. “But what can they say that’ll disturb our operations more than your children merely existing? Especially the Rank 2’s.”

“Lilith shouldn’t have magic,” Luis said with a long face.

Jhara clenched her jaw.

Ah, now she remembered why things hadn’t worked out. Luis was kind of her opposite. He parented like a helicopter, while Jhara would be the first to light a rocket sending her son to the moon.

“Shouldn’t or should’ve doesn’t matter in our line of work,” Juliet explained. “We can only mitigate. In Lilith’s case, our psychiatrists are more concerned by her developments than the other eleven.”

“Why?” Jhara asked.

Luis fidgeted.

Juliet sighed. “Lilith measures highly for psychopathy. And her magic, from our understanding, surrounds alchemy. Creating substances through magical chemistry.”

“So, she’s a magical scientist.” Jhara shrugged. “She could cure Aids. With magic science.”

“That’ll be nice if she was interested in that,” Luis said hopefully. Then he became sullen a few seconds later. “It’s hard for a parent to admit he worries over his child.”

“The horror we’ve predicted she could commit is staggering if she goes down the wrong path,” Juliet admitted. “Perhaps Jhara’s child and his inclination toward revelry would offset that.”

Jhara laughed.

Juliet’s eyes narrowed slightly while Luis flinched in shock.

Jhara sprouted Creole like a mad woman, “Rejoice! Rejoice! For we must dance at your mercy! Save us? Ruin us? Oh, children, you are the judge of us!”

She filled a cup from the adult punch, slammed it. Then she scooped up another serving before returning to Juliet and Luis.

“It’s times like these I worry when I let Lilith around Jay,” Luis griped, eyeing Jhara like she was the cause of all ills and misfortunes.

“Oh, you sweet, handsome idiot!” Jhara mocked. “The best option is to heal crazy with crazy. And a little drink.”

“Do you have any idea how much damage is done to a young person’s mind with all that drinking, Jhara?” Luis asked. “Why should I let Lilith around that?”

“You talk a big game, man. But Lilith wears the pants, and she only lets you think you have a say,” Jhara spat back.

Luis’s eyes opened wide with hurt.

Jhara felt bitter that she raked her claws over him so deeply. Not many people were as tough as her. And Luis was a decent guy overall.

“Sorry, Luis,” she apologized.

“Same, Jhara,” he said quietly. “This is just a lot.”

“While getting personal reactions from the parents is an interesting venture,” Julia said, “there’s a potential situation brewing on the fringes. I see ten men from out of your neighborhood preparing to approach your children. May I intervene?”

“Yes, of course,” Luis said.

“Whoa, hold on. Our kids are magic. They’ll be fine.” Jhara shrugged. “Totally fine.”

If her son hadn’t told her about the fights he’d gotten into, she’d have to grab the shotgun hidden in her bedroom.

“It’s not the children I’m worried about. It’s those men. May I?”

“Nope,” Jhara said as ten muscular, heavily tattooed men started to approach her child and his friends.

Luis gawked at her. “If you’re not doing it, I will.”

“Luis, you take a step, and I will pull out the machete.”

Luis was Puerto Rican, so he knew what that meant. He was also a little cowardly, so he wouldn’t usually dare try her, which Jhara found unfortunate.

But he was tense like a spring, his eyes boring into the hostile men. He might risk Jhara’s machete anyway for his child, which she found a little exciting.

To Luis’s visible relief, Jay did the gentlemanly thing and separated from the girls. He put himself forward to confront the men alone. The music kept blasting, but the loud and raucous conversations hushed as everyone turned to the place of contention.

All eyes were on her son.

“Atta, boy,” Jhara said. “You look cool with the girls behind you.”

Juliet sighed. “The mother and son truly live up to their profiles.”

“We’re built different.” Jhara flicked her sunglasses out from her pocket and donned them. Her face lit up like a smiling she-devil.

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