Chapter 266

Chapter 266

There was a hollowness to it. Not in the traditional cliche sensethere was no part of me that regretted what we did to Sunny, and regarding the act itself, I felt nothing but satisfaction. It was good that he was gone. Right, even. Nothing he could offer us as a prisoner mitigated the risk of keeping him alive. And now that he was gone, I was all but certain I would sleep better.

It was the way he went that felt anti-climactic. No actual plan, no sudden, unexpected yet brilliant strategy to prolong his life. It almost felt like hed been hoping wed just forget about it all. Move on in lieu of a greater threat.

Only we hadnt.

All throughout the trek back through the Galleria, I expected a wrinkle. Some buzzer beater complication to throw us back into the shit. For the Driftless to turn or simply for the Steward to suddenly require more payment for the hunting license.

None of that happened. I got the sense that unlike a lot of guilds operating in the city currently, the galleria-folk simply didnt have the energy to start shit. They were stuck on defense, between two camps of assholes that wanted them gone. I came in with a team, solved a problem cleanly, and left the Steward confident hed made a friend. Realistically, he had.

I was starting to owe too many people favors.

Greg had already left, so we drove the spare SUV Sae kept in her inventory out. At Astrids prompting, we paused a few blocks away, pulling into the drive-through of a now derelict food chain. She and Max got out alongside me while the others waited.

Sorry. Astrid winced, one-eye half-closed, and reached out to steady herself on the bumper. Whatever hes doing in there, its sapping my mana. If hes doing it on purpose, he clearly doesnt realize that me running out of mana means him running out of air.

Guessing he missed that fine print. Max stuck his hands in his pockets.

I scanned the night, looking for the odd passerby or faces peering through windows. Finding nothing. Bring him out. Well keep squelch up and put him in the trunk compartment. The main reason wed relied on Astrids pocket dimension spell in the first place was to obscure the kid altogether. No matter how flexible they were being about their human infestation, anyone would ask questions if you were carting a kid away.

Hes gonna remember the car. Max warned.

Doesnt matter. Were ditching it after this.

He sighed reluctantly. Maybe we should consider other options.

No, we really shouldnt

Before I could finish, Astrid rounded on Max, shoving him hard. What the fuck are you talking about? No really, what are you suggesting? Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m

Max held his hands up defensively, backing up in a circle as Astria advanced on him. Look, I like kids as much as the next guy. Got a couple myself. But thats not a kid youve got locked up in the shadow realm. Thats a child soldier. One almost guaranteed to have a fucked up childhood with plenty of motivation to hate us.

He didnt see our faces. I said, trying to keep things low-key.

Which clearly didnt work, as Astrid rounded on me next, hands clenched into fists at her side. And if he had, then what?

Hypotheticals are pointless. We were careful. We did it right, and he didnt see shit. Let it go.

Astrid crossed her arms. I want to hear it. What would you have done if he saw our faces, Myrddin? Because up to this point, your go-to response to inconvenient problems hasnt exactly been pacifism.

Max rolled his eyes. Girl joins hit squad. Is shocked when theres hitting involved.

You fu

Enough. They both jumped at my tone, Astrid frozen with a finger planted on Maxs chest. I stared down Max first. The rest of you are more or less anonymous. Sure, he saw your height and build but thats all hes got. Sunny was running scared for weeks. Im the bogeyman in this scenario. If the kids gunning for anyone, hell be gunning for me first.

Max grimaced. This isnt just self preservation. Ive worked for a lot of guys. You pay better than most, and never treated us like we were expendable. Pulled my ass out of the fire more than once. So Id be a shithead to not point out what might be a fatal mistake, just because its unpleasant.

Okay. But you agree that Im right? I held his gaze. That Im holding the lions share of risk here?

From the kid, maybe. Astrid muttered.

Astrid wiped her eyes again. If its about firepower, Astria will stay on retainer. Probably couldnt talk her out of it if I tried. I dont think youre going to come after me. Its not about that. Before the strike team, I thought I was a realist. Like I knew how temporary life was. How quickly it could all be over.

But knowing and seeing are two different things. I filled in.

Yeah. Guess they are.

It was difficult to stay rational. At the end of the transposition, when the less appetizing actions Id had to take to fill the receptacle came to light, Astrid and Miles were the only two people whod gone to bat for me. Id helped her first, but it cost me nothing, while shed burned her entire guild telling Rodrick to back off.

Okay.

If taking her off retainer was what she wanted, Id abide by that. But I would not use her reticence as an excuse to ignore my debt and let her twist in the wind. Id give Astria her share, doubling the remaining member of Geminis payout, which would trickle down as resources for Astrid one way or another.

What, thats it? Just okay? Astrid blinked several times.

Thats it. If we have to part ways, Id much rather do so amicably. On one condition.

She braced, setting her jaw as she waited for the other shoe to drop.

Dont be a stranger, stupid. I lightly swatted the back of her head, and smiled as she scowled back at me. Regardless of how you feel, I see you as a friend. And I owe you. If youre ever in over your head, you have my contact info. Just shoot me a line. Ill be there.

With that, Astrid managed a smile, and all the weight shed been carrying melted away. Astria trusts you a lot. The way she used to trust me.

I thought of Ellison. Its probably just a rebellious phase. That tension will fade.

Probably.

If you do end up calling her in for something, Ill stand by so she can use the whole mana pool. Just take care of her, alright?

I nodded and put a hand on the trunk. Ready?

When she confirmed she was, I opened the bottom compartment of the SUV. It was a secondary storage space large enough to hold two spare tires, a lot of gear, or an average-sized person. The sound proofing and carbon reinforcement were obviously after market. Astrid cast a spell, removing the kid from her pocket dimension directly into the compartment. He seemed hazy, out of it somehow, until his eyes locked on me.

The hatred in his gaze as we closed the compartment stuck with me long after I dropped the others off and they went their separate ways. Id intended to talk to Sae about the potion that night, but by the time we got to the exit point, she was fading, barely awake.

Still, I couldnt just leave it. Id talk to her tomorrow, barring some greater disaster or unexpected bullshit. Actually, probably better to just commit to having that conversation tomorrow, regardless. If I kept procrastinating every time life threw me a curveball, Id never get anything done. Max gave me a knowing glance as he left. He was more used to this line of work than Astrid, and probably assumed that regardless of what was stated, I was going to be professional and make sure there were no loose ends.

It bothered me because he was right. Blood had been spilled. The sort of blood this kid would never forget. Reality wasnt fiction, though. There was no guarantee hed go the Monte Cristo route. It was far more likely hed either die the same way dozens of Users died every day in the dungeons, or simply be too occupied with surviving the chaos of the system to do anything else.

But I was all too keenly aware that there was a lesser chance I was making the same mistake Sunny made in the tunnel. The grave misstep of showing mercy to the wrong person.

Do the kid.

The voice from a distant memory left an unpleasant taste in my mouth as I drove mindlessly, looking for an isolated spot. No. No matter how bad it got, there had to be rules. And no matter how inconvenient his existence was, the kid was an innocent.

Were you an innocent?

I ignored Jaded Eyes commentary as I drove up to the top floor of an abandoned parking ramp overlooking a park. Belatedly, I realized this was the first place Id spoken to Sunny, when I was still looking for a way into the Order. Less that six months ago, but it felt a lifetime away now.

Done. Azure told me. Didnt take much to calm him down. I think whatever Sunny told him must have scared the shit out of him. He seems genuinely shocked hes still alive.

Lets get this over with.

I left the engine going and killed the lights, got out, and popped the trunk.