“Are the trains slow?”
“You ask too many questions.”He led them to the customs inspection.This is where they would learn whether Erio’s paperwork could pass inspection.If not, Leander was giving the American government the perfect excuse to arrest him.
“I’m sorry,” Salem said softly.
Leander stopped and looked down at the boy.They had only each other now.“I will answer questions when we are alone.But when we are around others, especially when we are in a crowd, I cannot take time to give you full answers.Understand?”
Salem nodded solemnly, and Leander suspected he had made a mistake, likely the first of many.But he couldn’t have a complex conversation in the middle of the airport, so he guided Salem into line.
When they reached the front, they moved to the next available clerk.“Paperwork.”
Leander handed both sets over, and the clerk scrutinized them for long minutes.
“Why have you come to Chongqing?”he asked in halting English.
“I lost my wife, so my child and I are moving here to take care of her parents,” Leander said in his own badly accented Mandarin.The clerk studied Leander before glancing at Salem.Luckily, Salem’s hair was dark, and his eyes had a bit of a slant inherited from Finn.It was enough to convince someone he was one-quarter Chinese, hopefully.Leander’s own black hair was another blessing.They could pass as father and son as long as no one considered the size of Leander’s nose.
“Where do her parents live?”
“Yaan,” Leander said.It was the closest non-magical community, and Heng explained that all magical people used it on their official documents.
“What are their names?”
“Father Nie and Mother Nie,” Leander said.
The clerk took a stamp and marked their paperwork.“Safe travels to you and your son,” he said.
Leander offered a shallow bow and accepted the returned paperwork with both hands.“Many thanks.Where can I find a money changer?”
The man gestured to the left.“The store is that way.”
“Thank you again.”Leander held out his hand for Salem and led them away.His heart pounded hard, but Leander kept a neutral expression.Working for Druwolf taught him to keep his opinions to himself.Even though he rarely had time with the big boss, he reported to many underlings who revelled in verbally torturing him.It was only after his magic had proved effective at creating drugs that he could protect himself from the sadists who worked for Druwolf.
Even Tecca with her blood mage powers had feared most of those asses.
At the money changer, Leander changed all his money.The exchange rate would be worse in the smaller towns and cities.When they left the office, he had enough renminbi to either live like a pauper for two years or a king for three days.Either way, he would need to find employment once they reached Orange Flower Hills.
Magic knew no nationality, and those who lived near farms would always value what he could do.He wasn’t worried.Much.
“Can we get some food?”Salem asked.No.Not Salem.Shanlin.He had to get used to thinking of the boy as Shanlin and himself as Lian.
“We can get gaifan when we leave the airport.Food here will be too expensive.”
“Gayfan?
“Guy-fan,” Leander said slowly so the boy heard the difference.“It’s a portion of rice covered in toppings.We can have tofu or vegetables.”He didn’t mention meat because they couldn’t afford it until he found employment.If either of them had a medical emergency or if they needed to bribe someone or purchase a place to sleep, their money would vanish too quickly.
Shanlin’s face twisted with disgust.In one way, it was nice to see he was a normal child, but Leander needed him to remain well behaved.If he threw tantrums over eating vegetables, they were going to draw all the wrong attention, and Leander saw the irony because the food was one reason Leander had disliked China.He’d wanted French fries and burgers.Those things were available, but they didn’t taste the same, and they were far more expensive than Chinese food.Given they were in China, that was logical, but young Leander had resented every difference between China and his home.
And now, Boon Lian needed to teach his son to handle the transition better.“Consider it an adventure,” he said.“We’ll try new foods every day and at the end, we’ll make a list of our favorites.”
“That sounds...okay,” Shanlin said.His voice was weak with doubt, but he offered a smile.
Leander smiled despite his fear he was a fool bumbling in the dark.He had no business trying to parent anyone, much less Tecca’s child.She was in the afterlife cursing him.Creatively.“Then let’s start our adventure.”
Shanlin’s smile grew more genuine, and Leander led them toward the exit, both their bags slung over his shoulder.They should take a cab to the train station.There would be more affordable food there, and they could buy tickets for himself and his son.
Leander’s stomach still lurched every time he thought of the boy as his son.Shanlin remained quiet until they were in the cab and Leander had given their destination in English.Then he turned so his back was to the driver and he crouch ed awkwardly in front of Shanlin.“Magic is different here,” he whispered.“Your mother was a blood mage, but here, magic users do not specialize the same way.Any magic user can develop his power until he can leap taller than trees or fly or develop superstrength.”
