“Well, no, but…”
“Then they can stay with me. Problem solved.” Clayton could get Samantha and team Fire to put stronger shields on his home, plus there were all the elemental sprites that always seemed to flock to him.
If he talked to them, maybe he could convince them to keep an eye on the kids, too. If he bribed them, they might even help keep them safe from Clayton’s affliction.
“What do you think?” Clayton asked the children. They deserved to have a vote since it was their lives. “Do you want to live with me?”
“I dunno,” Tommy mumbled from where he had buried himself in his sister’s armpit. “Sounds scary.”
“Did I mention that I live on a boat?”
Tommy’s eyes went wide. “You mean you don’t live in the big scary place?”
“Absolutely not. You think I’d live in that mausoleum? It’s far too big for my liking. Besides, I like having somewhere I can call my own.” Clayton tapped his chin. “But I do have to work. Perhaps you could stay with Eira while I’m at work?”
Both children threw themselves at Clayton, shoutingyes,thank you, andcan I have a unicorn. Eira’s face flushed, but a smile broke out on her usually stern face.
“If she doesn’t say yes, I’ll do it,” Grampy said as he came out, holding a tray of chopped apples. There appeared to be something off about them, but Clayton didn’t dwell on it.
Eira bristled. “Of course I’ll say yes. I’m practically their caretaker already, so it won’t be a stretch.”
“I’ll keep them safe, Eira. I promise,” Clayton gave her his best Marshall impression, hopefully conveying strength, justice, and reliability. Or at the very least, not radiating pure trash fire energy like he usually did.
Eria snorted. “You'd better. Or I’ll give this guy a call and have him break your knees.” She jerked a thumb at Mal, who flashed him a smile showing off a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth.
Clayton definitely didn’t flinch.
Instead, he plucked an apple piece from the tray and popped it into his mouth.
Eira’s eyes flashed in alarm, and she cried out, “Wait!” but it was too late.
Clayton was gifted his first lesson on why he should never eat anything Grampy prepared.
After Clayton’s body ejected the apple piece as violently as it could, he spent half an hour recovering while the children gathered their meager belongings.
While he recovered, Mal poked Clayton’s ribs far more than necessary, citing that he needed to make sure Clayton hadn’t died because dead guys made for terrible foster parents.
Eventually, Clayton soldiered up and made the long trek back to the surface with Tommy and Merry in tow.
Eira had chosen to come with them, claiming she needed to make sure Clayton’s home was habitable, and she was currently waiting with the children on the street for Clayton to join them.
“If you want, you can help too.” Clayton said as he stood with Mal under the manhole leading out of Boston Below. “You aren’t entirely useless, you know.”
“True, butyouare. If I stay, I’ll get stuck doing all the heavy lifting. Besides, I prefer to stay mobile.” Mal’s gaze was fixed on an indeterminate point somewhere down the tunnel. His thoughts likely already on his next job, even though his body hadn’t caught up yet.
It wasn’t like Clayton wanted him there anyway. He’d only asked to be polite. The last thing he needed was some stupid jerk with a dumb face and a bad attitude annoying him all the time.
Clayton shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
Fuck that guy anyway. Who needed him? Clayton pulled himself up the ladder and didn’t look back.
Which meant he didn’t notice Mal’s gaze follow him as he climbed up the ladder and out to the surface. Nor did he know how long the man stood there staring after him.
“Of course my companion can ward your house! You should really ask Marshall to do it, though. He’s better at crafting quick shields, and they’re just as powerful. Clayton…” Samantha threw her arms around him in a bone-cracking bear hug. “Congratulations on becoming a dad!”
On becoming a what, now? “No, it’s not like that, I’m just?—”
But Samantha wasn’t listening. She bustled around her office, rummaging through a drawer, making excited noises, and completely ignoring Clayton’s protests. “Where are the kids now?”
