Location: Fenwick District — The Aetherium Foundry — Jerkins Residence — Dining Room — Evening
The dining room was a cathedral of opulence.
Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their light scattering across the walls in fractured rainbows. The table was long, its surface polished to a mirror shine, its edges carved with scenes of hunts and battles. The chairs were high-backed, leather, designed to make the people who sat in them feel important.
The family was gathered.
Jericho sat at the head of the table, his posture rigid, his face a mask of controlled neutrality. His hands were clasped in front of him, his knuckles white. His eyes moved across the table, cataloging every face, every expression, every subtle shift of posture.
Caspian sat to his right. His face was pale, his eyes cold, his jaw tight. His fingers traced the rim of his glass, a nervous habit that he had never been able to break.
Lilia sat to Jericho's left. Her expression was unreadable, her hands folded in her lap. Her eyes were fixed on the center of the table, on the empty space where Seraphina would soon appear.
Leo—Elijah—sat near the end of the table.
His face was calm, his posture relaxed, his hands resting on the table in front of him. His eyes moved across the room with the lazy confidence of someone who had already calculated every possible outcome and knew that he was going to win.
The door opened.
Seraphina entered.
Her footsteps were soft on the polished floor. Her posture was straight, her chin lifted, her eyes cold. She walked to her seat at the opposite end of the table and sat down without a word.
"Aunty," Leo said.
His voice was warm, almost affectionate.
"It's so good to see you."
"Leo."
Her voice was flat.
"You look well."
"I feel well."
"Good."
She picked up her napkin.
"Let's eat."
---
The meal was served.
Courses came and went—soup, salad, meat, vegetables, dessert. The conversation was polite, controlled, the conversation of people who were used to hiding their thoughts behind masks of civility.
Leo watched.
His eyes moved across the table, cataloging every face, every expression, every subtle shift of posture. Jericho's mask of control. Caspian's barely concealed anger. Lilia's quiet resignation.
And Seraphina's cold, calculating gaze.
"Aunty," Leo said.
His voice was warm, almost playful.
"I've been thinking."
"Have you?"
"Yes."
"About what?"
"About the family."
Seraphina's eyebrow rose.
"The family?"
"Yes."
Leo leaned forward.
"What the Jerkins really needs is a wise thinker. A decider. Someone who can see the big picture and make the hard choices."
He paused.
"And I believe you are the one to take that step forward."
The table went silent.
Jericho's hands tightened on his glass. Caspian's eyes narrowed. Lilia's face went pale.
Seraphina's expression didn't change.
But something behind her eyes did.
"That's quite a compliment," she said.
Her voice was soft.
"Coming from you."
"It's not a compliment," Leo said.
"It's the truth."
---
Lilia's voice was sharp.
"Leo."
Her eyes were cold.
"You have no manners. You talk as though you run the place."
"I'm just giving my opinion," Leo said.
His voice was calm.
"I feel that lately, the family has gotten a bit draggy in doing things."
"Draggy?"
"Yes. Draggy. Slow. Complacent."
"That's—"
"And I feel that Aunty Seraphina can aid in bringing that juice of drive back to us."
"That's not—"
"Don't you want that hunger for doing back again?"
"I—"
"Or do you want us to always be like a couple of women fighting for no cause?"
Lilia's face turned red.
"You rotten kid—"
"Mind your words, Mother."
Leo's voice was soft.
"You're speaking to a Jerkins."
Lilia's mouth opened.
No sound came out.
---
Seraphina laughed.
The sound was unexpected, sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade.
"Well said," she said.
Her voice was warm.
"Very well said."
"Thank you, Aunty."
"You really are starting to be of my liking."
"I'm glad."
"So tell me—"
She set down her napkin.
"—what is it that you want?"
"I want to learn from you."
"Learn?"
"Yes. Learn."
Leo's eyes were calm.
"I would like to see the facility. The one where the Aetherium Loom is kept."
"The Aetherium Loom?"
"Yes."
"That's a restricted area."
"I know."
"Why would you want to see it?"
"Because I want to understand."
"Understand what?"
"Understand how the family operates. How the Foundry operates. How everything fits together."
"That's—"
"I'm a Jerkins," Leo said.
His voice was soft.
"And I want to understand what it means to be a Jerkins."
---
Seraphina was silent for a long moment.
Her eyes moved across Leo's face, searching for the lie.
She didn't find one.
"I will take you," she said.
"Thank you, Aunty."
"But—"
She paused.
"—there is something I want in return."
"What?"
"I want you to participate in the upcoming tournament."
Leo's eyes widened.
"The tournament?"
"Yes."
"The one that decides who will graduate to become a full operative?"
"Yes."
"That's—"
"That's the price."
Seraphina's voice was soft.
"If you want to see the facility, you have to earn it."
"I understand."
"Good."
She stood.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow."
---
The door closed behind Seraphina.
The room was silent.
Jericho's hands were trembling. His face was pale. His eyes were fixed on Leo.
"What did you just do?" he asked.
His voice was quiet.
"I just made a deal."
"A deal?"
"Yes. A deal."
"With Seraphina?"
"Yes."
"You're insane."
"Maybe."
"You're—"
"I'm a Jerkins," Leo said.
His voice was soft.
"And Jerkins do what they have to do."
---
Caspian's voice was cold.
"You think you're so clever, don't you?"
"I think I'm doing what I need to do."
"You're a fool."
"Maybe."
"You're going to get yourself killed."
"Maybe."
"You're—"
"Caspian."
Leo's voice was soft.
"I love you. But you need to learn when to stop talking."
Caspian's face went red.
---
Elijah walked through the corridor.
His footsteps were soft on the polished floor. His face was calm. His hands were clasped behind his back.
That went well, he thought.
Seraphina is interested. She's going to take me to the facility.
And once I'm inside—
—I'll find what I'm looking for.
---