Page 30 of Winds of Darkness
“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 payallof 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.