Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Soyer had me write out a list for Thaeros.
It was a pretty short list, containing most of what I did on the regular without thinking about it, like cleaning the menus with a wet sponge or rag after they’d been used, making sure the tables were clean for the morning shift, making sure all the condiments were refilled and the dishwasher was running before he left.
After he was done with his cherry pie and coffee, Soyer grabbed Thaeros to give them an overview of what needed to be locked. Since he didn’t ask for my keys, I was pretty sure he’d had an extra set made already, which meant he’d planned all of this, had planned to take me home early.
While the two of them were in the back, Rae and I had a chat by the coffee makers. “Everyone’s staring at the new manager. More than they’re normally staring at you.”
I let out a low breath, trying my best not to let it turn into a sigh. “Yeah. Do you think they’re, like, an incubus?”
Rae’s lips pressed tight. “Nope, they’re not. You don’t like incubi?”
I shrugged. “I’ve never met one.” My mouth fell open. “Wait, you’re telling me they’re actually real, right? That’s what you’re saying? You’re not making fun of me or anything?”
“They’re real. But Blondie isn’t one of them. Pretty good with the customers though.”
I looked over my shoulder. “Right, I noticed that. Guess they’d have to be, what with being a co-manager.”
“Yeah.” Rae licked their bottom lip as if they wanted to say more on the matter.
“He was a little odd. When he got here. He got here early.”
Rae cocked their head. “Like you?”
“Uh, well…”
They rolled their eyes. “Wait, are you telling me they’re going to be just like you, with the no-phone thing and the neat freak rules?”
“Huh? I have no neat freak rules! And I never told you not to use your phone. In fact, you’re always using your phone.”
They buffed their neatly painted nails on their shirt. “True. It’s more of a self-imposed framework for you. I was wondering whether Thaeros might be more easygoing.”
I heard hissing from behind me and turned.
“Psst.” Kasey wiggled his fingers at us. “Are we doing gossip? May I be included?”
“We don’t gossip,” I told him.
Rae huffed a sigh and put their hand on my shoulder. “Exactly, Kasey. We’d never ever do that, would we?”
Kasey cleared his throat. “Riiight, I forgot. Gotta cook.”
He went back to whatever was sizzling in the background.
“Are you serious? You gossip?”
Rae shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it gossip. We just talk sometimes. In the secret chat, you know.”
“Oh, come on.”
“It’s all good, Amory. We never say anything actually bad, we just maybe wonder what you’d do if you found a funny-looking stain on one of the menus and whether it would really upset you if you always saw the same stain in the same spot. It was a thought experiment.”
They grinned at me like some junior villain. All they needed to really pull off that look was a little more makeup, a costume, and a black cape.
I crossed my arms. “You two are impossible.”
“Sorry!” Kasey hollered from the kitchen.
Rae kept up their grin. “Yes. We’re very sorry.”
“For your information, I’d say ‘Out, damned spot.’”
Rae’s mouth shifted into a perfect O. “That’s what Elias said.”
“Elias is in on this?”
Rae shook their head. “I didn’t say that, but just FYI, that one would barter away his firstborn for a chocolate milkshake.”
I cackled. “Unlikely. The thing about the firstborn, not bartering them away. Anyway.” I leaned in close. “They—Thaeros I mean—they dropped some names I’ve never heard. The one I remember is Echo. You know someone like that?”
“Uh, like the echo? Like, hello, hello, hello?”
I looked around, not wanting to be caught talking about this. “I don’t know.”
“Makes two of us. But… Look, I haven’t lived in Newstaten all that long, and I wouldn’t necessarily know everyone. I don’t see why you can’t ask her though. She seems nice enough. For your replacement, you know. Not that anyone could really replace you.”
Those words out of Rae’s mouth helped me put my uneasy feelings of suspicion into perspective. I didn’t think Rae was overly trusting. I really didn’t get that vibe from them, no matter how extroverted they were.
“Right. I’ll do that.”
They bit their lip. “You look like you’re about to mope. Or burst into tears. You’ll freak Ben out if you do. You know that, right?”
“No, no, I’m fine.” I looked at the big wall clock over the passthrough. It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet. “Just feels weird leaving this early.”
“We’ll manage. And I totally promise to call you if anything terrible happens and we need your managerial guidance. Unless you also have a no-phone rule when you’re spending private time with your Shuck?”
I shook my head, smiling. “I’ll leave my phone on, okay? And do call. If anything happens.”
“Sure. But nothing will. It’s just a Tuesday. Anyone could handle a Tuesday.”
I had to give it to Rae. They weren’t wrong about that.
It was snowing still, but there were only a few touches of white visible in the corners around the buildings. It wasn’t quite cold enough for that yet. Instead, the concrete had turned wet and shimmery, like a dark mirror of the city lights and the sky far above.
Soyer had driven here in his little hybrid, which he’d parked right across the street.
“What’re you doing?” I asked when he took my hand and headed for the curb.
“Crossing the road, what else?”
“That’s jaywalking, you know. You shouldn’t be doing that.”
He blinked twice. “I forgot you’re a rule-follower like that.”
“It’s not that I wouldn’t, but we could get hit.” I pointed at a car that drove by much too close to him.
“Worrier. But fine.” He looked around like he’d never actually crossed the street at the light, and wasn’t even sure where the light was. That made me giggle.
“Let’s head to the subway station and go through there. It’ll take us out on the other end.”
He sighed, his breath misting. “What’s a little detour when I get to abduct you from work early? I can handle that.”
“You don’t sound like it.” I had to tug him along with me. Perhaps he was hoping I’d change my mind, but immortal or not, I didn’t want him to get run over. I didn’t want him to hurt.
“Is that so, Amory? What do I sound like, hmm?”
“Happy? Are you? Oh, I forgot to ask how your day was. I mean, you don’t have to tell me what came up or anything, but is everything okay?”
He let out a heavy breath and dropped his gaze. “Leave it to you to find a sore spot. I was just enjoying having you back. I’d have liked to savor that until after dinner at the very least.”
My heart squeezed tight. That didn’t sound good.
Soyer didn’t have a regular work schedule—didn’t have regular work—but I knew he did dangerous things sometimes.
He’d come after the witch who’d taken me like it was an everyday occurrence for him.
I didn’t want it to be. Didn’t want him to have to do the things I could guess he was used to doing, the things he didn’t tell me about.
I’d asked a few questions, like how he’d learned how to shoot a gun, where he’d kept the gun he’d shot the witch with, how he’d been so calm and known just exactly what to do.
Soyer had answered me, but not always in much detail.
I knew he kept weapons behind that ornate door back home now, and yes, I’d been well aware that he killed witches.
That he was an assassin sometimes. Having met a witch had turned what he’d told me about what he did from something abstract into a very tangible reality, and I didn’t think that kind of work was as easy on him as he wanted everyone to believe.
So yeah, I didn’t ever want to press him for too many details, didn’t want to make him talk to me if he didn’t want to talk. I was pretty sure he was like a cop in regard to his work, and at least from movies and books I could guess that not all of them liked talking about it.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry.”
“Hmm.” He let go of my hand and put his arm around my middle instead. “Stop being such a worrier. There isn’t a reason to worry at all, at least not for you.”
“Not for me? Then who has reason to worry?”
He raised his left eyebrow. “Me, of course. I’ll have to leave my handsome young fiancé alone for a few days. That’s plenty worrisome.”
My mouth fell open. A snowflake landed on my bottom lip and melted there. “You’re leaving?”
“I’m going out of town for a little while. That’s different.”
We’d reached the subway entrance and were heading down the stairs. Walking arm in arm wasn’t the easiest, but Soyer didn’t seem to want to let go of me, and I didn’t mind that at all.
“When? And for how long? Can’t I come with you?”
He sighed. “Let’s talk about it in the car. I’d rather not have anyone overhear.”
The subway station was still somewhat busy, with people getting home late or going out early, or people heading to work for a very late shift. No one looked like they had the time to overhear, but I could wait a few minutes.
My steps slowed when I saw a person in a corner wrapped in an old sleeping bag, all the things they owned in a duffel they were leaning on, not for comfort but so that they’d wake up if someone tried to take it from them.
“Hold on.” I pulled away from Soyer, who’d slowed when I had.
I had a few bills in my pocket—more cash than I’d have felt comfortable carrying before Ben had started acting as my bodyguard. I dug for them. The person saw me walking their way and tensed. When you were used to being ignored, someone noticing you all of a sudden could be scary.
“Could I give you some money? For some food, a warm bed maybe?”
They glanced past me at Soyer, but not in the way supernaturals did. It was just that we were seeing them and everyone else wasn’t.
They nodded after a few seconds, and I gave them what was maybe fifty dollars total. Not a lot, not for me. Not anymore. It was all rolled up so it wasn’t super obvious. I didn’t want anyone to think about taking the money from them.