Even among the Tuann, Caius would be considered privileged.A treasured son of Roake.One of the most influential and powerful members of his House.One word from him was enough to decide the fate of thousands.
There was no comparison between him and Gus.
Except there was a look on his face that said Gus might be wrong about him.That he knew all too well the distinction in those two things and pitied her for it.
Gus jerked her arm out of his hold before stalking after Kyle’s mom.
“Dearie, your friends are here,” Kyle’s mom called, sounding far away as Gus stepped through the hatch into a back room that must have served as the restaurant’s kitchen at one point.The appliances and counters around the space seemed to support that assessment.
To Gus’s relief, there was evidence of vegetables being cut up, pointing to this being an actual restaurant and not just a front.
There was no sign of Kyle, however.
Or his mom.
The kitchen’s fridge was pushed slightly off center.Upon further investigation, Gus found a hole someone had cut into the panel behind it.A quick look inside revealed a hidden room.
That was where she found Kyle.
He reclined in a chair meant for serious gamers.Or hackers.Those who devoted not just hours but days or weeks to a screen.The chair was designed to perfectly cradle his body and would continually stimulate his muscles to prevent atrophy.
Kyle’s face and head was covered by a VR helmet, leaving only the bottom of his jaw visible.
“Dearie, did you hear me?Your friends are here,” Kyle’s mom said in a louder voice.
“Not now, Mom.I’ve almost solved the riddle of the diamond sphinx.”
Kyle’s mom wrapped her knuckles on his helmet.“You have guests.Tend to them.”
“Damn it,” Kyle shouted, ripping his helmet off to expose unruly bright orange locks.“I lost.”
“Watch your language, sir,” his mom warned with the kind of no nonsense look used by mothers everywhere.
Kyle closed his mouth, immediately forgetting his mom’s warning as soon as he spotted Gus and Caius standing on the threshold.“Who the fuck are you?”
“Language, Kyle.”
Kyle rolled his eyes up to the ceiling as his mom bustled toward them.She crouched in front of Anandra and held out her hand.“All boys need food or they turn into beasts.How about you and me go rustle up some grub while the adults talk?”
To Gus’s surprise, the boy looked to her for permission.
She studied his face seriously.Eating wasn’t the worst idea.
“He’ll take one of your lasagnas,” Gus answered for him.“But just one with cheese, if you please.No meat.He’s a vegetarian.”
Not really, but you didn’t trust meat in a place like this.Anywhere there were humans, there were also rats and other rodents.All of which were considered free sources of protein by the inhabitants of the slums.
Kyle’s mom smiled and offered her hand to Anandra.“Just cheese then.”
Anandra would have stared at her hand until the end of time if Gus hadn’t nudged him forward.Reluctantly, he slid his palm into hers, glancing back once as Kyle’s mom led him into the restaurant’s kitchen.
Gus wiggled her fingers in a halfhearted attempt at a wave.
Kyle waited until the hatch had closed behind his mom and Anandra before fixing her and Caius with a fierce frown.“Okay.She’s gone.Now, talk.Who the fuck are you?”
“The gardener sent us,” Gus said, repeating what she’d told his mom.
The gardener was the persona she’d created shortly after arriving on Titan.Her alter ego, so to speak.One of several.The gardener was the most well-known, however.The authority attached to that name would open doors otherwise closed to her.
