Page 114 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

Riley is in no mood to explain. He sinks into his mind to reread his books and just hopes his favour to Zachary pays off when he needs it.

✴

When Troy finally comes back to let Riley out, he’s stony-faced yet calm.

‘I’m not gonna ask why you did what you did,’ he says, untying Riley, whose wrists are sore from the rough bite of the raspy rope. ‘You get one pass. I’m gonna trust that D’Angelo was doing something bad and you took care of it yourself. Anything after this is on you. Understood?’

Riley doesn’t understand, but he nods.

‘Say yes, Riley.’

‘Yes.’

‘Good.’

Later, Riley eats dinner while two men in the corner are whispering about him. He listens and feels his own ears moving back slightly to do so.

‘…never been right, I’m just sayin’, man.’

‘I agree, but Zach said D’Angelo was bad news anyway.’

‘Don’t know why the boss doesn’t just kill the kid and be done with it.’

‘You ever known Harker to welch on a deal?’

‘Fair point.’

Riley’s birthday is January eleventh, or so Troy told him.

It comes around a few weeks after D’Angelo’s death.

Zachary gives Riley a new book.

Troy gives him new clothes and a haircut. The haircut makes Riley want to cry. He doesn’t want short hair like Troy.

He wants it longer like the girl who said a name he’d never heard before.

But Troy cuts it short and gives him a pat on the shoulder.

‘Happy birthday, kid.’

Riley is twelve years old now.

He dreams of the younger boy still.

He dreams of the moon singing silvery songs to him alone, and when he looks down at his hands bathed in red, he is no longer human.

Riley needs to be outside.

His own desperation is becoming unbearable.

Zachary is his only connection, but in the new book, he reads about friends. Boys. Girls. Mysteries that need solving and parents who don’t look for their children until after it’s dark.

His heart aches for the group in the story.

Family.

He draws the girl with the red hair sometimes.