Bang.

Bang!

BANG!

I was startled out of my fitful slumber by earth-shattering banging. Blinking distortedly and struggling upright dazedly, I vaguely wondered what in the world was going on. As the racket continued however, I began to get slightly annoyed. Honestly, what could Charlie be doing at this god-forsaken hour of the morning?

Charlie…

Memories came flooding back, strange and confusing. I was not in my bed at home. The curse was becoming stronger, more deadly. I was in an abandoned church with only Jared for company, who technically kidnapped me last night.

It was a lot to take in all at once.

And the whole time, that horrible banging noise crashed against my eardrums in an awful cacophony. Despite all my confusion and anxieties, I wanted nothing more at the moment than to stop that dreadful noise. I blearily sat up, my body aching from spending the night on the floor instead of my usual mattress. I surveyed my surroundings only briefly before my eyes coming to rest on the door, where the banging sound was coming from. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes quickly and launched myself at the door; unlocking it and throwing it open clumsily. Jared was on the other side, a brass pot in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other. Seeing my bewildered expression, Jared calmly lowered the pot and spoon to his sides, looking at me curiously.

"About time." He mused, one eyebrow raised questioningly. "I've been trying to wake you up for fifteen minutes now. I was beginning to wonder if you even in there."

"I had a long day yesterday, okay?" I grumbled, annoyed at Jared's cockiness and my ears still ringing from his banging. Jared's slight smile faltered.

"You'll have to learn to sleep lighter." He said seriously. "If I had been an evil Fae, I could have easily killed you in your sleep." A shadow passed over Jared's face, dark and brooding. Before I could respond however, the shadow vanished, replaced by a familiar look of smugness.

"Here." Jared grabbed a trash bag on the floor next to him and thrust it at me. I caught it with both hand and looked at in confusion.

"What's this?" I asked slowly, eyeing the bag suspiciously.

"Some of your things I got from your apartment." Jared told me, shrugging.

"What?" I asked, placing the trash bag on the ground and rifling through it. Sure enough, the first thing I pulled out was one of my favorite shirts, a nice dark blue one with sleeves that reached my elbows. I looked back up at Jared, gaping.

"How did you get this stuff? Did my mom…" I trailed off, wondering whether Jared had told my mom I was safe and sound. Worry washed over me as I thought of my poor mom, having just recovered one child to loose another. Jared shifted his weight from one leg to another, burying his hands deep into his pockets.

"I didn't confront your mom, if that's what you were going to ask." He said shrewdly. "I snuck into your bedroom from the fire escape. I wasn't sure what you would want, so I nicked everything I could into the bag."

"You broke into my home?" I asked incredulously. Jared nodded, I stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Oh." I said, nervously playing with the top of the bag. "And did- did you leave my mom a message or something?" Jared shook his head.

"The less she knows right now, the better. If she knew what was really going on, well… she wouldn't be any less worried." I pushed my lips together in a thin line, trying to push pass my strangled emotions welling up.

"Get ready." Jared ordered briskly, not meeting my eyes. "We need to start training as soon as possible." Without waiting for my reply he stalked away, the shadows of the hallway seeming to bend towards him, eagerly grasping their beacon. I blinked, clearing my head of such thoughts, and dragged the trash bag into the bride's room.

Soon I was dressed and more or less ready for the day to begin. I tentively walked out of the bride's room and headed for the chapel, my arms crossed over my chest protectively. Everything about this situation was eerie and intimidating. All I wanted to do was run, run until I was back home, safe and sound with Mom and Charlie. I wanted to become a little kid again, where fairy tales character were securely tucked away in a book instead of seeking my blood. I wanted all the uncertainty to vanish like waking up from a bad dream-

"Ah." I wasn't sure how Jared ended up right behind me without my notice; my heart skipped a beat when I realized he was mere inches away. With a startled squeak I whirled around to face him, staring up into his face with some trepidation.

"You aren't paying attention." Jared remarked dryly, though his eyes sparkled with amusement. "Lost in your own thoughts?"

"Don't…do that!" I breathed through gritted teeth, upset at how easily I had become unnerved. Jared took a step back, quietly allowing me to collect myself. After a moment, he gestured for me to follow him into the chapel. I walked after him, desperately trying to pay attention in case Jared tried something like that again. The early morning sunlight filtered through the stain glass rose window, resulting in a vibrant cascade of colors shining on the floor. I stared at it as we walked passed, and yet again a tingling feeling raced up my spine, causing me to shiver.

"Are you good at chess, Mina?" Jared asked as we walked towards the other end of the chapel. I was caught off guard by the sheer unexpectedness of this question.

"Not particularly," I answered hesitantly.

"Pity."

"Why is that?"

"Because this-" Jared stopped walking and turned to face me. "Is like a game."

I snorted, not satisfied that he was comparing a deadly curse to a game of chess. Jared took in my disbelieving face and sighed. He put his hands out in a calming gestured and continued.

"And can tell me, Mina, how does one win a game of chess?" He asked seriously.

"You… capture the other player's king?" I asked slowly, wondering what with had to do with the curse.

"To win a game of chess," Jared explained slowly, as if talking to a small child, "You need foresight. Understanding what is going on around you and anticipating the next move is your only way to win." Jared sat down lazily on one of the pews and indicated for me to do the same. As I slid into the pew behind him, Jared propped his feet up and looked at me.

"So let's review what we know of this game so far. Our other player is the Curse. It is the one manipulating the pawns to come after you, representing the Fae. The only way to defeat the Curse is to take out all the pieces on the board, thus completing all the tales. You understand so far?"

"I think so." I said. "But what is the enemy's king, then? If we could capture the king…" Jared winced ever so slightly.

"Ah. There is that. However, the chess thing is a metaphor. There isn't actually a king that could end the game early."

"Yes there is." I said excitedly, the pieces starting to click together. "The Story. Or at least the Story's physical manifestation. Tegue." Jared paled rapidly, and sat up quickly, staring at me.

"How- how do you know about Tegue?" Jared stuttered, bewildered.

"He came to my apartment after the Snow White tale was completed." I told Jared, slightly glad I finally had some knowledge that he did not. "I was able to fit the pieces together. He's linked to the Story just like you're linked to the Grimiore-"

"Enough." Jared snarled, his face flushing scarlet. "Forget about the chess analogy, it's stupid. The only way to end the curse is to complete the tales. That's the only way, got it? Let's think of right now where you are. How many tales have you completed?"

"Why are you changing the subject?" I countered, not letting Jared distract me from his stumble. "Why can't I take on Tegue? If I can get to him the Story-"

"It won't work, okay?!" Jared burst, his eyes blazing with anger... and maybe fear? Jared looked away, trying to even his breathing an get his temper in check.

"Talking isn't solving anything." He grumbled, sitting up straighter. "So let's go on to the physical training. If more Fae being manipulated by the Curse are going to attack, then you need to be prepared. You'll need to learn how you use modern and well as fairy tale weapons, how to outsmart your enemy, and how to recognize a tale is taking place."

"Will it matter, in the end?" I softly asked, trying to hide how frightened I actually was. "The Fae are more powerful than I will ever be. Do I really stand a chance against them? They outnumber me, they have lived for hundreds of years, they're magical-"

"You have a chance." Jared interrupted. "And as for the Fae being magical, you have me... the Grimiore. Whatever. You're just going have to prepare. I know you have it in you." Jared lowered his gaze, a determine look on his face. "Mina, I will do everything in my power to make sure harm never comes to you. But in the end, you will have to defeat the curse on your own." Jared looked up, a kind of protective determination lighting up his dark features. Before I could question him further, Jared continued talking.

"But I can prepare you. So enough talk." Jared leaned down and retrieved something from under his pew. When he sat back up and handed me one of the items, I groaned.

Wooden swords.

Jared grasped his sword hilt, testing the sword's weight.

"Oh yes." He said, standing up in the en guard position, smiling wickedly. "Your training starts now."

And he attacked.

Any suggestions? Notes? Likes or dislikes? What do you think about Jared? Where do think the story is going? Where should it be going? Tell me what you think!