Hey all. I'm pretty ill today unfortunately – got a swelling in my neck so big it's giving me jaw ache. Presumably my lymph nodes swelling up to deal with an infection. I'm hopped up on painkillers but it's not helping as much as I'd like. The chapter is a little short as a result. Not that much, but eh, noticeable.

Cover Art: Mystery White Flame

Chapter 35

To say Roman was stood beside him would do a disservice to all the people who could stand. Roman swayed, teetered and otherwise acted like Remnant's gravitational pull was doing the macarena. That he managed to stay upright – though never quite vertically so – was a miracle in itself.

"Neo is poisoned, Beacon has been attacked and you're drunk. Could you really not have waited a few days before doing this?"

"Well I started before I knew about Neo, didn't I?" Roman asked – and he did ask. The inflection he put on the final word suggested it was as much a question as a sarcastic statement. "And you don't get to say shit. I was the first to find her! I came face to face with her!"

"Neo…?"

"No!" Roman looked around nervously. "Her!"

"You mean Cinder?"

"Shhh! Don't say her name. What if she hears?"

"Roman, she's locked up…"

"That's what we thought this morning. You know what they say about assumptions. They make an ass out of u and ssumptions."

Jaune shot the old thief a strange look, trying to piece together his drunken mumblings. Cinder escaping was obviously terrible, but it was hard to worry about that now with her back in captivity. The worst-case scenario hadn't happened. In fact, with Watts dead they were in a better position than ever. There was something to the way Roman was teetering, however. Something to the way his eyes were so unnaturally wide.

"Are you… afraid of her?"

Roman's eyes swept over and past him, then back again. "Are you not!?" he hissed. "That woman – no, that monster – had us under her heel for so long. I'd lost count of the number of times I came close to death since dealing with her. All it would have taken was a snap of her fingers and Neo and I would have wound up dead."

Roman's fingers fumbled in his coat for his cigar case. He was shaking so bad he spilled two out onto the floor. Ignoring them completely, he shoved the third into his mouth and lit it, puffing hard.

Jaune stooped to collect the two, just to make sure no curious student developed a habit they shouldn't. He walked alongside Roman in silence, listening to the older man huff and puff away, nervously expelling clouds of smoke.

Eventually, he dared to speak, "I didn't realise she bothered you so much."

"Yeah, well, now you do."

That explained why Roman got himself roaring drunk. It was uncharacteristic for a man who cared so much about his image to show that kind of weakness but running into Cinder alone and beside a body must have rattled him. She was without the power of the maiden now, but in the heat of the moment it would have been hard to remember that.

Roman's life must have flashed before his eyes.

"You don't have to come in and talk with her. I'd like you to watch, though. You're better than me when it comes to picking up things people say."

"Yeah." Roman held his cigar against his mouth, trying to mould his own expression back into something resembling calm. "I can do that. No problem. Just watch and see what happens. Easy." His attention flicked to Jaune. "You're not going to let her out of there, are you?"

"Not tonight."

"I don't like that detail, kid…"

"I don't like this either," Jaune admitted, "But everything is crazy and I can't rule anything out. Ozpin has hopefully dealt with Tyrian by now; I hope he killed him for what he did to Neo. Either way, Cinder knows things we want. This might be our best chance to find out about Salem. Properly, I mean."

"Hm." Roman looked ahead again. "You'd think Ozpin would know more about his ex-wife. Either he's hiding shit or he was the worst husband ever."

"Or it's been thousands of years," Jaune said, feeling some need to defend the immortal. "I struggle to remember things that happened last year. How bad must it be when you have a thousand years to work through?"

"Maybe…"

If he could have, he'd have let Roman have the afternoon off. It didn't feel right to make him relive one of their old criminal meetings if he was this spooked. On the other hand, he really needed Roman's insight. I'll make it up to him later.

"Any advice going in?" he asked outside the rooms she was locked in.

"Agree with everything she says?" Roman offered. "It's what I used to do."

The door opened. Inside, Winter was already sat at the terminal, staring at the video of Cinder in her room with a furious mix of confusion and anger. The moment she heard them, she jumped and turned the screen off like a guilty teenager being caught watching something he shouldn't be. Realising a moment later that she had nothing to hide, Winter scowled even harder and turned the monitor back on again.

"I thought you would be spending the night watching over your girlfriend."

"I will be after this," Jaune said. He nodded to the screen. "What has she been doing since?"

"Sitting on her bed staring at the camera with a smug expression." Winter pushed back to let him get a look at the screen. Lo and behold, Cinder was doing just that, staring directly at them with what could only be called a victorious grin.

"I don't like this," Roman said. "I don't like this at all…"

"He's on edge," Jaune said in explanation to Winter. "Apparently, he was the first to find her."

"Just stood there," Roman muttered. "Stood over his dead body with a satisfied smile. Looked me dead in the eye, so close she could have killed me and said she wouldn't play our games anymore. That she could see beyond them or something." He shook his head. "And then she gave up. Just like that. That's not how she works. She's planning something."

"That goes without saying," Winter remarked. For some reason, she was eyeing him suspiciously, like she thought he had something to do with all this. "I hope you don't mind if I monitor your meeting with her, Jaune. Due to the plea deal being offered, General Ironwood is very keen to understand what is happening here."

"The more the merrier. Maybe you'll be able to figure her out where I can't."

Winter hummed. "Maybe."

She didn't sound convinced. To be fair, he didn't feel it himself. With Glynda dealing with the clean-up of Watts' body and nothing else to do other than wait for Neo to recover and Ozpin to return, Jaune took a deep breath and approached the door.

Cinder's smile only grew upon seeing him in the doorway. She uncrossed her legs and stood, walking toward him with a generous sway of her hips. Once upon a time, that might have been enough to have his blood pumping, but between the things she'd done and the ruined mess he'd left half her face, it didn't have quite the same effect. The door swished shut behind him, leaving Jaune suddenly feeling a lot more vulnerable.

"Hello Jaune. I do hope you enjoyed my gift."

Gift? Oh…

"Arthur Watts. I've not had a chance to see him yet. I was busy dealing with Tyrian."

"A shame." Her head tilted to the side. "I do hope you'll appreciate it. Wine?"

"I'm sure I will." He took the only seat in the room. "And yes, thank you."

Cinder sat again on her bed, their knees touching. She reached over and took two plastic cups from the bedside table, then poured wine out of a cardboard container. Nothing glass was in allowed within her reach lest she use it against them.

"I remember we used to do this often," she said, handing him a cup and then sipping from her own. "Once before I joined Beacon and then numerous times after. Just the two of us discussing our plans. I do so wish you'd taken my invitation at the time and joined me. We could have been…" Her smile grew. "Something incredible."

"Sorry. I had my own goals."

"Oh, of course. And it was rude of me to act like you would so easily give those up for me. Look at you now, Jaune, headmaster of Beacon within a year. You're quite possibly the most influential man on Remnant. Or you feature among their number. You've risen from humble beginnings and staked your claim here."

Her single eye met his.

"I must say, I'm impressed."

"Tales of my exploits have been greatly exaggerated." He downed his wine. "Why don't we get to the point? You killed Watts and allowed us to incarcerate you again. Why? Why not run for it while you had the chance?"

"Really, Jaune, asking me that." Cinder began to laugh. It was soft at first but grew in intensity. "Is it for our watchers you make such a show? Or is this a part of your game as well?"

He frowned at her. "My game…?"

"Playing dumb? Even now? I see how it is." She chuckled, wiping a hand over her good eye. "Why, Jaune? I shall tell you why. It is because I've seen through your machinations. I've seen through your schemes and your plans."

Cinder leaned forward, teeth flashing white as she smiled.

"Watts may have thought himself clever for infiltrating Beacon, but he couldn't see the bigger picture. You allowed him into Beacon. You made yourself scarce. You even let him have a direct path to free me." Her eye burned. "And all to test me. All to see what I would do and whether I would choose to make myself your enemy again."

What the hell…?

"I've figured you out!" she boasted. "I'm the only one who has! All your little acts and mannerisms, all your feigned uncertainty and even those little moments of weakness. All an act to put those around you in a state of overconfidence. I fell for that as well – and shame on me for doing so. There will not be a second time." Cinder leaned in. "I can finally see through your plans. I can finally see what it is you're working towards! And it," she hissed, "is genius!"

Cinder had gone mad.

It was the only explanation.

It's like Ironwood all over again, assuming I have some nefarious plan just because things happened to work out. Except that it wasn't even luck this time. She absolutely could have escaped with Watts. The only reason she's here is because she chose to stay.

She'd worked herself into a corner without ever realising it. The only games going on here were the mental gymnastics Cinder was indulging in and yet the way she was watching him made it clear she expected a response. Roman's advice came back to him, flawed as it had been. Agree with everything she says.

Jaune forced a wide and sultry smile onto his face. His best Cinder smile, the one she'd given him whenever she manipulated him and toyed with his thoughts. Whenever she had him wrapped around her finger. Now it was his turn to wield that weapon.

"You've figured me out, Cinder."

Her sole eye widened, flashed and then closed. Such a satisfied smile came over her that he thought she might have reached nirvana then and there. She shivered, visually trembling with excitement before him.

"Yes," she breathed. "I knew it. I knew I was right."

"Of course." He chuckled, hoping it didn't sound too nervous. "Of course, I expected nothing less from a genius such as you."

/-/

"Fucking WHAT!?" Roman roared, slamming his hands on the desk and rising to his feet. He rose too hard, swayed and toppled back, crashing over the chair and landing on the floor. That didn't stop him shaking his first at the ceiling. "No. Just no. I can't handle this anymore. Does everyone just lose their fucking minds when dealing with him? There's no plan! No scheme! He's just bullshitting his way through things and letting everyone trip themselves up!"

Winter remained silent, staring at the screen with her fingers gripping the edge of the table.

"Everyone is overthinking themselves," Roman continued. "He's not doing anything!"

"Isn't he?" Winter asked herself, though the words carried. "Or is that just what he wants you to think…?"

Roman stopped and stared at her.

"No. Don't tell me he's gotten to you as well…"

"One time might be called a coincidence, twice carelessness. At this point, it's a pattern – and only the ignorant would dare suggest otherwise." Winter's eyes were locked onto Jaune's confident smile. All the little plans made between General Ironwood and her were flitting away. "How many moves ahead is he?"

"Oh come on. I feel like the only survivor in a zombie apocalypse…"

Winter spared a dismissive glance for the inebriated man. If he thought himself the smartest in the room by believing Jaune Arc an amateur, then he was a fool. Or, she considered, he was not as immune to the headmaster's machinations as he thought himself.

He's gotten to you as well, Torchwick. I'm the only sane one here.

Meanwhile, Roman closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Without even sitting up – the floor was comfortable anyway – he slipped out a cigar, held it between his teeth and lit it.

He's gotten to her as well, he thought. I'm the only sane one here…

/-/

Jaune was fairly sure he was the only sane person in the room.

And yet he was acting like a maniacal movie villain, exactly as Cinder seemed to expect. It was a dangerous game for sure, but he'd more than once gotten past problems by pretending to be something he wasn't – case in point, his entire career. He'd faked being a huntsman, a teacher and a psychiatrist. What was a knock-off Spruce Willis villain added to the mix?

"You know," he said, curling his fingers over his mouth. "I wasn't sure if you would pass my little test. However, I'm pleased to see my faith in you was rewarded. You've exceeded my expectations."

Which wasn't hard to be fair since his expectations had been for her to be a complete pain in the ass. And she was – but she'd killed Watts, and that was frankly the best piece of news he'd had all day.

"It took me a while to figure it out," she said. "I can't claim all the credit."

"What gave me away?" he asked, honestly curious as to how she'd formed this ridiculous idea.

Cinder leaned forward again. "You tried too hard."

He blinked. "Oh?"

"Your incompetence. Those moments of stupidity. Even the act of being an idiot." She chuckled. "You put all of it on far too hard, enough so that it quickly became obvious you were trying to mislead me. A word of advice, Jaune, no one can be as ignorant and downright moronic as you chose to act."

Jaune stared at her. Somehow despite being called a genius, his ego let out a bruised and battered little death rattle.

"I see. Thank you for pointing that out…"

"Obviously, since you could not be as pathetic as you were acting-" Cinder missed his wince, "-I began to look at other possibilities. Knowing what I do of you personally, I knew you'd be looking for an alternative route to victory. And after I tried so hard to recruit you to my side, was it not only logical you would do the same in return?"

The same? Wait, recruitment!? He hadn't agreed to that!

"Ah. Well." He couldn't say he hadn't without countering her – and since he didn't have a good idea of what he should be asking her to do, he delayed instead. "The groundwork hasn't been fully laid there I'm afraid. I'll have to ask for a little patience."

Cinder smiled lazily at him. "Oh? Did I catch you by surprise?"

"A little," he admitted, trying to maintain his cavalier smile. "I didn't expect you to see through me quite so quickly, so I'm not fully prepared for the moment. I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course. After all, it is I who forced this meeting early." She sipped a little more wine and fixed him with a coy smile. "Maybe I should be the one apologising for jumping the gun. Forgive me, Jaune, I was… over eager."

He shivered. "Well I can hardly fault you for being so smart, can I?"

What was he supposed to do? Glynda would murder him if he let Cinder out – and that was if she could reach him before Roman did. Or before he offed himself for making such a disastrously bad decision. This needed to be something he talked to everyone about. But in the meantime, he couldn't just tell Cinder to wait. He was supposed to be a mastermind.

Act like one.

"I think a reward is in order for deciphering my intentions." He broke eye contact to look about the room. "Different quarters for one – and a bottle of wine as more befits your image."

Cinder chuckled. "I have to admit, I must look ridiculous serving wine from a carton…"

"Just a little. Trust opens doors, Cinder. I'll see about opening yours just a little, at least until things become more official." It wasn't like she could return to Salem after this. Those bridges had been well and truly burned now. "Will you excuse me? I still have to deal with the gift you've left me, and a few other matters."

"Naturally." Cinder rose as he did and laid a hand on his shoulder. Not on top of it but on the front, fingers trailing against his neck and the palm of her hand on his chest. She leaned in and kissed him softly, a short and chaste smooch on the lips. "Something to remember me by." She drew back with a seductive smile. "Perhaps this time we can better explore the possibilities of you and I working together toward a more common goal."

"Perhaps so." He placed a hand on her waist. "Until later, Cinder."

"Until later, Jaune."

Turning, he confidently walked out the door, closed it behind him, faced Winter and Roman – the latter smoking on the floor – and gagged on air. He choked, bit his sleeve and wiped his arm across his lips.

"Ack! Pfoo! Blah!"

He picked up a glass of water on the side by the computer Winter had been using, took a huge mouthful, gargled it and then spat into a potted plant nearby. The fact it didn't instantly shrivel and die only proved the plant had no idea how evil Cinder was.

"Oh my good lord, did you hear her?" he demanded, waving one arm. "She's gone nuts. Absolutely barmy! She's got it in her head I'm some crazy mastermind manipulating her every decision. I bet she can't so much as take a leak without thinking I'm somehow involved." He laughed hysterically. "How crazy is that? Am I the only one who thinks that's insane?"

Roman grunted his approval from the floor.

Winter…

Winter fixed him with a strange and contemplative stare.

"What?" he asked. "Is there something on my face?"

"You're trying too hard. Just like she said…" With those bizarre words, Winter pivoted and stormed out the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Jaune watched her go, then turned to Roman with a bemused look.

"What was that all about?"

"Damned if I know, kid. Damned if I know…"

Jaune waited.

Roman puffed.

Jaune stared.

Roman remained flat on his back.

"Do you need me to carry you back to your room?"

"Yes," Roman said with a forlorn sigh. "Yes, I do."

/-/

"Oscar? Oscar, are you there?"

The only response Ozpin received was a quiet murmur from the back of his mind. Oscar was either asleep or hiding from him, or more precisely from the pain. Had it been any other situation he might have pushed harder and dragged the boy to the fore, but the injuries their body had sustained were his fault and he ought to deal with them as such.

Now, I just need to sneak in without being seen an-

"OSCAR!"

Miss Rose – Ruby, he reminded himself – crashed into him like a meteorite, bowling Ozpin to the floor and straddling him in a manner rather unacceptable for an old man and a young woman to be in. The fact Oscar didn't immediately start babbling proved he was in fact asleep. Unfortunate for him since he would have loved to be in this position.

"You're straddling me, Ruby. I think Yang would have something to say if she saw this."

"OSCAR!"

"That is my name. Ruby, you're sitting on my crotch." Which, he was proud to add, showed no signs of hardness whatsoever. Ah, the quiet and wonderful confirmation that despite thousands of years of reincarnation, he'd yet to cross that horrible line.

And I never shall.

"Oscar!" she repeated for the third time, albeit at a lower volume. "Where have you been, young man?" She planted both hands on her hips. Again, the motherly affect was ruined somewhat by the fact she was pinning him to the floor. "You ran off, mister! You ran off into the forest in a dangerous situation. Ooh, do you have any idea how angry I am?"

"On a scale of one to ten? I would estimate a six."

"At least an eight! And… And you're talking weird…" Her features softened. "Are you okay?"

Ah. The perils of having to act like a child. Most people looked back on their younger years with their fare share of trepidation and shame. He was no different. It was hard enough trying to remember what a teenager was supposed to be like at his age, and that was without trying to keep up with all the hip lingo.

Still, for Oscar's sake he had to try.

"Soz, Ruby. I was 'avvin a tinkle when a big-ass Beowolf appeared and yeeted me into the forest."

There. That ought to be down with the kids, as they say.

Ruby stared at him. "Did you hit your head?"

Or not. Hm. The vernacular must be even more bizarre than I remembered. At least she'd offered him a rather convenient excuse.

"I'm afraid so. I bumped my head when I landed."

"Whaaa!? Why didn't you say so?" Ruby leapt to her feet, hands waving and eyes wide. "Concussions can be dangerous. You shouldn't just lay there talking and not mention having a head injury!"

"Was I supposed to bring it up after you ambushed and tackled me or before?"

"Before, obviously!" Missing the point entirely, Ruby reached down and took his arm, hauling him back up onto his feet.

CRACK

Ozpin grunted and steadied himself, sighing as Ruby let go of him with a pale complexion.

"W-What was that…?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"I believe that was my shoulder." Ozpin checked it and noticed the bone sticking out at an odd angle, not piercing flesh but obviously pushing up where it shouldn't be. "Ah yes, that's it." He brought his other hand over and gave it a solid push down.

The grating crunch of the bone popping back into place had Ruby shivering.

"There," he said, moving his arm again. "All fixed."

The thump of Ruby's body hitting the floor echoed perfectly with Ozpin's heavy sigh. Sighing again, he stooped down and rolled Ruby onto her back, then crossed her ankles and placed his foot beneath them, bracing her as he took her hand and pulled her up over his shoulder.

"Really, Ruby, in my day a huntress wouldn't faint from something like that. Just wait until first aid courses in your third year. If this creeps you out, we'll see how you like the surgery course." He adjusted her over his dislocated shoulder and glanced at her rear. "And please invest in a longer skirt," he complained, pulling her cloak over her bottom. "You give Oscar palpitations as it is."

Ruby mumbled something against his back.

"Yes. Yes. I'm sure it's important." He looked to the cafeteria and its promise of coffee. Turning away with a heavy sigh, he instead plodded toward the infirmary. "I do hope you appreciate this, Miss Rose. It's not every day I fight a dangerous terrorist, traverse a forest, break my body to pieces doing so and then give a student a piggyback ride."

No sooner had he gotten in the front door did things get worse.

"Oscar!" Blake and Weiss yelled.

"Ruby!" Yang cried.

"Ah." He sighed again. "There goes my quiet evening."

/-/

So, they were safe for now. That was good.

Jinn didn't question the knowledge even if she was grateful for it. Sat as she was in a waiting room within the Belladonna mansion, she simply did her best not to show her relief as the insistent faunus who had introduced himself as Saber did his best to flirt with her.

"So, do the curtains match the drapes?"

To say yes or no would be to impart knowledge and thus those options weren't available to her. She knew that without trying since she was the Spirit of Knowledge, but that didn't stop her from grimacing. There was no answer she could give that truly didn't reveal knowledge, unfortunately enough. The only thing she could say was something he already knew.

"I guess you'll have to find out, sir."

Saber's face lit up.

Jinn's did too. Bright red. Noooo! Why did that sound flirtatious? Stupid restrictions! It was the only thing I could think to say that he'd already know himself. Arghhh! Worse was the fact she knew he'd taken it as reciprocal flirting and that he was very keen on finding out for himself. She batted his hand away from her knee the very second he thought to move it.

"Now sir," she said. "None of that."

"You're quick with your hands. Is your tongue just as quick?"

Yes. Except she couldn't say that because while he had a feeling she was quick-witted, he wasn't yet sure and thus her answer would be confirmation, Obviously, she couldn't tell him to find out again or things would get even worse! Think. There had to be a way out that wasn't flirtatious. Ah! Of course.

"I don't think that's a very suitable thing to ask a lady."

Saber balanced his chin on one hand. "I'm not hearing a no."

Of course he bloody wasn't! She didn't have the ability to say no. "You're not," she confirmed, screaming internally at how flirtatious that came across. "Is Ghira Belladonna ready to meet with me yet?"

He wasn't. Jinn knew that. Saber didn't, but she hoped he might check.

"Master Ghira will let us know when he is. I'd rather take the chance to get to know you, Jinn."

"I'd prefer we skip that."

"And get straight to the good part?"

Ack! Another dead end. Jinn's eyes flicked left and right as she sought an answer she couldn't give. Outright slapping him was a tempting option – but wait, if she slapped him then it was a rejection, which technically meant that through action she had said no to his advances, which was an answer and thus knowledge.

Yes, the God of Light had thought of even that when he created her. There would be no teaching her sign language to cheat out more answers and similarly no fighting her way out of this embarrassing situation.

"I-I'm not sure I should answer that," she stammered.

Saber leaned in, eyes dreamy. He wanted her. He wanted her bad and the fact she wasn't saying no to his advances was only making it worse for the poor guy. And Jinn knew how unfortunate he was with the ladies. Not because of a poor personality – quite the opposite, girls loved how charming and sweet he was. It was the teeth. It was those faunus buckteeth of his. And to find someone who was flirting with him, well, it was a dream come true to him.

Goodie! Broken heart or random fling. Wow, my options are looking great right now!

The door to the side opened. "Saber," Ghira said, saving her life in the best possible way. "I'm told I have someone who wishes to speak with me."

"Lord Ghira." Saber's disappointment was obvious but so was his respect for Ghira. Jinn knew instantly that his loyalty was true. "Yes, this is Lady Jinn. Though she would not say why, she claimed to need to speak with you." He looked back to her. "May I find and speak with you later, my lady?"

His lady. Gosh, he was such an old-fashioned young boy. In Ozma's time, he'd have no doubt been a knight of such heroism that women fainted at the sight of him.

"I don't know," she answered, yet again being unable to give a simple yay or nay. "That depends on you. Doesn't it?"

Saber blushed at what he saw as clear invitation.

Ghira coughed meaningfully.

"Forgive me," she said. "I need to speak with Ghira." She slipped into his room ahead of him, breathing a sigh of relief once they were alone.

"Who are you?" Ghira asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I am Jinn. As for what I am doing here, I cannot say. I am the Spirit of Knowledge. There are no answers remaining this century."

Those were the only things she could truly give, and as expected filled Ghira with confusion. Enough so, she hoped, that he would not immediately order her removal from his manor. This had always been a tricky moment in her head. Knowing the present and past was all well and good, but all the knowledge of Ghira from when he was a young boy didn't tell her whether he would deign to listen to her.

"Spirit…? I won't claim to understand. Are you working with the White Fang?"

"I cannot say. I am the Spirit of Knowledge. There are no answers remaining this century."

"You talk in riddles…"

"I am the Spirit of Knowledge."

"Why are you here?"

"To speak with you."

"That is an answer," Ghira pointed out. "You claimed to have none."

"I can answer any question you already know the answer to," she explained, for luckily how she worked was allowed. "I cannot provide answers to knowledge you do not have without being asked one of the three questions. There are none remaining this century."

Ghira fixed her with a long and considering stare.

"What is my-"

"Your wife's name is Kali. She is currently in Beacon with her daughter, Blake, who is a dark-haired cat faunus with a penchant for running away, a terrible taste in men and an unhealthy obsession with pornographic books." Jinn blinked. "And the fact you know that – ah, I see. You accidentally opened a package for her and tried to pretend you hadn't." She giggled. "You never told her. You didn't want to embarrass her over what you saw as a normal part of growing up. You're surprisingly sweet, Ghira. Blake is lucky to have you."

"Enough." Ghira held out a hand. "I am marginally convinced, though that is information anyone could find out given enough searching. I'm beginning to suspect my Kali is responsible for sending you. Tell me, can you confirm that?"

"I cannot answer that."

"You are surprisingly unhelpful then."

Jinn pouted and stomped a foot. He was surprisingly dense. There were ways for him to find out the things she wanted to say – if only he used his darn brain to do it. Think, Ghira. Use that brain hidden behind all that muscle. She knew he wasn't a complete idiot.

"I suppose that if I were to contact my wife, she might be able to fill me in on certain things?"

Yes! Absolutely! Perfect!

"I cannot say," Jinn said, barely holding back her excitement. While she could not answer, she could still make suggestions of her own. Hints. So long as those hints only led to knowledge and didn't outright give it. "Maybe she will but maybe she won't. You would need to try it to be sure. But if it were true then I might be able to speak more freely with you once you knew the things I need to say."

"I shall speak with her then. You shall stay in the manor tonight under guard."

Jinn made a strangled noise. "Not Saber please…"

Wait, how had she been able to say…? Oh, Ghira knew she'd been embarrassed. Quite the perceptive man he was.

"Tell me one other thing as proof," he said. "Before I let you stay in my home tonight, tell me something that no one could ever know about me. Something that only you and I could possibly know."

Jinn nodded, accepting the challenge. It was prudent of him to test her and she was free to say whatever she wanted if there was no knowledge exchanging hands. Closing her eyes, she delved into his past, found a good moment and smiled.

"Despite how you act in public, it's Kali who holds the reins in the relationship." She cracked one eye open; her smile grew teasing. "And that's quite literal sometimes. Isn't it, Ghira? My, the polite and gentle housewife can be quite the cougar when she wants to be. You told Blake those scars on your back were from a Beowolf. You weren't entirely lying, seeing how excited Kali can sometimes get."

Ghira cut her off with an embarrassed coughing fit.

"You can stay."

Perfect.

Going to cut off there since I feel so shitty. Argh. Honestly, it didn't end up being all that much shorter at all. It's just missing an omake. That's not so bad and I expected it to be a lot worse.I honestly though I'd only make it to 3k words or something. Guess the painkillers did a lot more than I expected. Yayifications! Now I'm going to go take a nap and try sleeping it all off.

Next Chapter: 21st November

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur