Bonus Epilogue
The Reaper
Sometime Later
“That’s who’s been stealing from the fruit vendors?” Eliza said skeptically. “He’s, what? Maybe twelve years?”
“I was swiping coin at five years, Eliza dear,” Cyrus said, trying and failing to hide his amusement.
Rayner suspected he was actually a little impressed with the young male as they watched him swipe another apple while simultaneously slipping coin from a customer’s coat pocket.
“What are we going to do?” Eliza asked, crossing her bare arms.
Cyrus gestured to the male. “Go talk to him.”
Somehow, the newly appointed Fire General managed to look down her nose at Cyrus while being several inches shorter than him. “Why am I the one going to talk to him?”
“Because you’re …”
“A female?” she demanded, a brow arching.
“Of course not,” Cyrus said quickly, and Rayner snickered. Amber eyes lifted to his in a glare as Cyrus gritted out, “I can talk to him—”
“You are a thief,” Eliza quipped.
“But I can’t right now. I need to get back to the palace. Sorin and I are meeting with the plant guy,” Cyrus continued tightly.
“Prince Azrael,” Rayner said, his gaze fixed on the male as he crossed the road to another vendor, mingling with the crowd. “One day you’re going to slip and call him that to his face.”
“Probably,” Cyrus said with an uncaring shrug.
Eliza tsked under her breath. “Just go, Cyrus. We’ll figure it out.”
Cyrus shot Rayner a knowing look before he turned and headed back up the road to the palace.
They didn’t experience much crime in Solembra.
Not that it was nonexistent, but it wasn’t as prevalent as it was in the outlying towns of the Court.
In the years since Sorin had started forming his Inner Court, they’d developed a reputation.
Not necessarily a bad one, unless you happened to get on their bad side.
The other Courts were taking notice. The Fire Court citizens were thankful, and those who had to alter their way of living due to changes … weren’t so grateful.
“What are we going to do?” Eliza said. “He’s too young to face a trial or the cells.”
“I’ll talk to him,” Rayner said.
Eliza’s gaze whipped to his. “You?”
“I thought you were opposed to speaking to him?”
“I’m not. I mean, I was. I was opposed to the reason Cyrus suggested it,” she retorted. “I’m also not … Children are—” She pressed her lips together.
“You don’t owe me an explanation, Eliza,” Rayner said stoically.
“I know I don’t,” she snapped.
He sighed internally. He’d known her for years now, and she was still just as abrasive.
Every once in a while, a softer side would slip through.
It was rare, but happening more and more.
When Sorin had said it would take time to break through her armor, he hadn’t been kidding.
But no one understood wanting to keep to themselves better than he did.
Eliza and Cyrus knew little of his history.
He wasn’t about to try and coerce the Fire General to share hers. It would happen when she was ready.
“You can head back. I’ll handle it,” he said, watching the boy break away and head down the street now.
Eliza hesitated. “Are you sure? I can help. I didn’t mean to imply I wouldn’t.”
“I’ll see you back at the palace,” he said, moving to the shadowed side of the street.
Before Eliza could reply, he was moving through his ashes. He knew exactly where the youngling was going, and a moment later, he appeared in a dark alley.
Just in time for the male to run directly into him with an oomph.
He stumbled back, a curse he was too young to be saying falling from his lips. Then his golden-brown eyes went wide in recognition. He turned to run, but Rayner was faster, moving through smoke and appearing in front of him, once again blocking his path.
The boy’s disheveled brown hair was hanging in his face as he slowly backed away, but his features were hard and his eyes narrowed.
“What do you want?” he demanded. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Starting a conversation like that indicates you’re guilty of something,” Rayner replied solemnly, his ashes drifting around him and watching the alley entrance. When the young male only clenched his jaw, Rayner asked, “What’s your name?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“Fair enough,” Rayner said. “Do you have a family?”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
He huffed, his hands clenching at his sides.
“We’ve had reports of thievery around this area of the markets,” Rayner continued.
“I don’t know anything about that.”
His ashes swirled a little faster, and he tilted his head. “Did you know Cyrus was a thief before he became the Prince’s Second?”
The boy’s eyes widened slightly. “Bullshit.”
“I have no reason to lie to you,” Rayner replied.
“What does it matter to me?”
“Maybe it doesn’t,” Rayner answered. “But that same thief saw you today. As did the Fire General. As did I.”
“And now you’ll haul me away?”
“It’s that or speak to your parents,” he replied.
The boy’s lip twisted in a sneer. “Who do you think sent me out here?”
Interesting.
There were plenty of avenues for those experiencing hardship to come by aid, but there were still some too proud to ask. Others thought illegal activities would be more lucrative and worth the risk. Rayner wondered where his parents fell.
“Do they treat you well otherwise?” he asked.
“We do all right.”
“Clearly,” Rayner deadpanned. “You have a place to stay?”
When the boy just ground his teeth more and averted his gaze, Rayner added, “I have a place.”
“We don’t take handouts,” the male said sharply.
Ah. So it was the too proud thing.
“Good. I wasn’t offering one,” Rayner answered. “But I have this place not too far from here. I don’t get there often due to my work. Maybe once or twice a year. I need someone to look after it.”
The boy eyed him skeptically. “And you want me to do it?”
“If you can handle it. Keep the yard up and the place clean. I’ll pay you, and in return, your family can stay there too.”
“What’s the catch?”
“There isn’t one. I need to collect a few things, but I can do that while you tell your parents of the arrangement. I’ll be waiting there if they have any questions.”
The kid fidgeted, his hands unclenching and fisting again as he clearly debated the offer.
If he declined, Rayner would have to follow him home in the smoke and ashes and figure something else out, he supposed.
He knew he couldn’t help every single person he came across like this, but he made an effort when he could, especially when children were involved.
“I have two younger sisters,” the boy said suddenly, then he stumbled back when Rayner’s ashes thickened more, rolling across the stone road.
Rayner swallowed thickly, collecting himself and reining in his magic before he said gruffly, “Sorry about that.”
The boy nodded slowly. “If it’s too many people—”
“It’s not,” Rayner interrupted. “The house isn’t big. Three rooms.”
“Better than the two rooms we’re sharing now.”
“Is that an acceptance of my offer?”
The boy’s eyes narrowed once more. “How much you going to pay me?”
“How much do you want?”
He lifted his chin. “Five coins a day.”
“Five coins for each of you a day is reasonable.”
His mouth fell open. “You’re going to pay all of us?”
“I assume they’ll be helping out if they’re staying there too. Seems only fair. Is that sufficient along with room and board?”
Finally, the hard mask cracked, and the boy’s eyes fell to the ground. He toed at the dirt, his throat bobbing with a swallow. Then he reached into the pockets of his jacket and pulled out the coin and fruit he’d swiped, holding them out.
“Do you have to tell the prince?” he murmured.
“No,” Rayner answered. “He doesn’t need to know of any of this.”
Sorin wouldn’t mind how this was playing out.
In fact, he’d probably offer to pay the salary just agreed to and find them another house so Rayner didn’t have to give up his.
But this was fine. He rarely went there anymore, finding it more convenient to stay at the Fiera Palace, and his own wages were more than sufficient to pay them.
He could find another place when the need arose.
“And you can keep those,” Rayner added. “I’ll take care of the merchants.”
The boy nodded, his hands falling back to his sides, still clutching the items.
“There is a caveat,” Rayner said, and the boy’s head snapped up, anger simmering in eyes that had seen too much hardship. “I require knowing the names of the people I employ.”
“Ajax,” the boy replied, his relief palpable. “My name is Ajax Conleth.”
Conleth.
He tucked the name away to look into later.
Rayner nodded, finally taking a step to the side and moving from his path. “Go fetch your family, Ajax. I’ll meet you at the house.”
He gave him the address and watched as he ran from the alley, a small grin on his face. After a moment, Rayner followed, paying the merchants as promised. The people Ajax had pickpocketed were long gone, so he couldn’t remedy that. Then he made his way to the house he’d owned for decades now.
He didn’t have much here. Some old weapons and spare clothing.
Methodically, he cleared his personal belongings.
The things didn’t even fill one knapsack.
He’d leave the furniture and dishes. It wasn’t much, but he was guessing it’d be more than they had now.
With their new wages, they’d gradually be able to afford more.
Checking the time, he knew he didn’t have long, saving this final task. He knelt before a trunk in the corner of the bedroom, flipping it open. Pushing aside the blanket, he dug to the bottom and pulled out a pair of shoes.
It was the only thing he’d kept of Aravis’s. The shoes she’d held in her hand while her toes had sunk into the sand for the first and only time. He had nothing of Breya’s. There’d been nothing for him to keep, and Moranna would have stripped him of it before taking his memories anyway.
He tucked the shoes in the knapsack, carefully wrapping them into the spare clothing before pulling the drawstring taut.
Moving to the front porch, he set the sack aside just as the sounds of giggles reached him.
Two young girls were running and jumping around a harried-looking couple.
Ajax’s sisters. He hadn’t known of them when he’d made the offer, but seeing them now made his soul settle.
Maybe the Fates were trying to redeem themselves in some small way.
Ajax pulled the male along by the hand. Rayner could only assume it was his father. The male and female looked skeptical, and he was sure they were. It was likely a wild tale their son had returned with. But that was no bother. He’d convince them just as he’d convinced their son.
Because he understood nightmares, and he’d help end as many as he could.