Redstone: Sanctuaries
Chapter 14: Upshot

Jose returned to the living room with a brighter face than when he left. Blake thought the news was good news for the marquis. He himself sat back at Lucy's side, acting as if he had never moved from his place.

"You don't drink the tea?" Jose asked in wonder.

"We didn't come for a tea party" said Blake Kalem. His eyes looked back at Jose, seeing that although it looked the same, but it was clearly a different shirt and suit than before.

There was no way the man had left just to change clothes, so it must have been his clothes accidentally dirty. There are many possibilities why the suit someone wears can be dirty, but what makes a man so happy in a short time is only a little. Usually something to do with money, or women.

"It looks like you've had a good time while we've been waiting" Blake said.

Jose raised next to an eyebrow, the corners of his lips curled up slightly in a faint smile. "Okay, let's start over. Can you explain what Ghost Relic has to do with your lost friend? Because I don't understand."

Lucy tells Jose that he is honest.

Blake nodded. "You know that the Ghost Relic is a loot item from the tomb, right?"

"Yes. The kings and old nobles were buried with all their treasures. Lately such tombs are often found, but instead of reporting to the palace, people rob the contents."

"Yes, Sir. Those are the usual relics. But the name Ghost Relic itself comes from this kind of thing." Blake pointed to his bracelet that was still on the table, on the side of a silver plate filled with biscuits. "It's made from the remains of a corpse, believed to have magical effects."

"Example?"

"Acknowledge one's desires, make one rich, make another fall in love. Depends on the history of the corpse used to make this relic." Blake was silent for a moment, trying to read the reaction of the other person.

Jose was still listening. No change of face, no reaction. Let alone scorn, not even the man blinked. There were no signs of meaningful emotions, as if Blake just talked about common things like the weather—hal which actually made Blake sure of the truth of the rumors he heard: Jose Argent was involved in a supernatural case at Bjork. That's why this kind of thing doesn't surprise him.

Perhaps, Blake mused inwardly, therefore Redstone was given to him.

He continued, "Devon carried a relic when it disappeared. Rare relics."

"The test is ...?" As if to understand that since he was observed and his calm was considered awkward, Jose began to show an interested face.

Blake glanced at Lucy for a glance, just a second, before returning to Jose. Black eyes to black eyes.

Shit, Blake thought when he saw the way Jose looked at him. The marquis clearly grasped his weakness.

"The test is," Blake continued with the face of the plate, hoping it could trick his interlocutor. "Killing people, pulling them into the afterlife prematurely."

Jose laughed short. "A moment" he said, raising one hand, "then what do you want me to do? Go to the afterlife and find out if Devon was there, then return him here? You think I'm Azrael?"

Blake shook. "Where might I dare to ask you to do that Sir," he said. "I'll be looking for Devon. All I need is permission from you to check out the relics that came in and out of Redstone first, looking for the relics that Devon had. Whoever's holding it, he must know where Devon is."

"Ah." Jose nodded, observing Blake closely. "You think that Devon might have been harmed by someone who wanted the relic he was carrying. From the beginning, you thought that he was captured by humans, not swallowed by relics. You can't believe those things have power."

"No, no" Blake admitted easily.

"Izin you want .. You're definitely guessing I'll give it in the form of a letter. But if I give you the letter, it's the same as legalizing the circulation of the relic." Jose rested his back on the sofa and connected the edges of his fingers like a tent. "With that letter, you really have legitimate ototitas. Even if you only have it in a few days, you can use it to plagiarize my seal and signature, you can spread the Abysmal wings, she said, you can do a lot of things that I won't be able to control."

Lucy just shut up.

He threatened me? Blake tightens his jaw, knowing he's wrong for showing off that he cares about Lucy.

There is something about Jose that makes Blake nervous. At first, Blake thought of the horror because he was in the Redstone manor, in the marquis's tangle. Maybe he was pressured by intimidating walls.

But Blake only realized what made him shudder: Jose never raised his tone.

Throughout his life at Redstone, Blake often faced people who screamed, screamed, snapped, some lowered their voices and growled. Blake knew someone was the dangerous kind if the person whispered while threatening.

But that wasn't the only thing that made Blake cringe. He did not expect that anyone would be able to pierce his way of mind as fast and deep as Jose had just done.

You've been with Mr. Krucher, right? You know if I'm right or wrong.

The man didn't brag when he said he didn't need Lucy to read anyone else.

"You're too suspicious, sir," Blake replied as quickly as normal. He did not want to take another wrong step and showed that he cared too much. "I didn't even think it was there."

"Good then." Jose gave a sweet smile. "I plan to take you out for a walk tomorrow morning. Because if Miss Lucy's story is true that Devon disappeared on the Golden Path, and if Mr. Krucher's right that Devon brought the relic, then we'll definitely find something there."

Lucy nodded excitedly.

"We've been down the road, there's no leads whatsoever" said Blake. Brow wrinkled. "So you agreed to help find Devon?"

"Only if you agree to work for me." Jose cleared his throat slowly. "And working for me means only for me. You must leave your patron."

"Patron what?" Blake stared blankly.

"What do you call Van Heiden? City information? He's the one who gives you access to information about where there's stuff and what you need to do, right?" Jose shook his hand like he was driving away flies. "You used him and he used you. But still his status is that you work for him. He gave you the nest."

Blake tightens jaws. If there's one thing he hates so much, it's being reminded that he's under Van Heiden.

"All right," he said carefully. For the time being he would assess the situation, studying what kind of person the Redstone Marquis was now. "You got me."

Jose smiled in a knot, reached out and shook the hands of the two teenagers in front of him as a sign of agreement. He knew that Blake deliberately said "me" which means himself, not Abysmal. But that doesn't matter.

All he wanted was Blake.

***

¬ Azrael: angel of death in some ancient Jewish literature.

¬ Patron: protector/supporter. It is usually the one that finances the life of a person or an organization.

¬ Oranges: hives.