Chapter 305: Apologies, Payments, and the Children Who Finally Learned to Stay
Chapter 305: Apologies, Payments, and the Children Who Finally Learned to Stay
Elyn’s POV
I really had no idea how I closed the distance within minutes, but I did.
I wonder if this was how ’The Flash’ felt.
One moment I was screaming and rushing toward the stall, and the next moment I had Retheris and Thalira pulled against my chest, my arms wrapped around them, my body positioned between them and the broom that was about to come down on their heads.
I waited for the impact, but it never came.
I turned slowly, opening one eye, and tilted my head toward the stall owner. She still had her broom raised in the air, frozen mid-swing, her piggy eyes wide with confusion.
"Please," I said, my voice soft. "Put the broom down."
The stall owner blinked at me.
"Are these your children?" she asked.
I nodded.
"Yes," I said. "They’re mine."
The stall owner stared at me for a long moment. Then, slowly, she lowered the broom.
"Take care of your kids," she said, her voice carrying a note of grudging acceptance. "They were just looking at something in my stall — one of the trinkets I sell. They said they had something like it back home. And then, out of nowhere, they summoned water and flooded the place."
She gestured at the mess around us — the water still dripping over the counter, the puddles spreading across the cobblestones, the floating remnants of whatever she had been selling, which I still could not make sense of, but I was not even in the right state of mind to make sense of it.
"For lesser water demons," she continued, shaking her head, "that’s some powerful ability. They’re going to be strong one day. If they survive long enough to not drown themselves first."
I did not say anything to correct her.
I did not tell her that Retheris and Thalira were not lesser water demons. I did not tell her that they were high-ranking water demons from the Thalassar Domain, the children of Caleth and Faelyra, with abilities that could flood entire buildings if they weren’t careful.
I did not tell her any of that.
Because that would mean explaining why they looked like lesser demons in the first place — and that would mean explaining the disguise. And I did not have the energy for that.
So I just kept quiet and nodded.
This meant the disguise was working.
Zorathys’s spell was holding.
I turned to the stall owner and bowed.
"I’m so sorry," I said. "I’ll pay for the damages. Whatever it costs."
The stall owner’s brows raised in interest. Her piggy eyes lit up, and she extended her hand, palm up.
"Two hundred gabin," she said.
Another nighttime robbery. But again, I said nothing. I simply took out the money and placed it in her palm.
She stared at the coins for a moment, then pocketed them with a satisfied grunt.
I turned to Retheris and Thalira.
"Apologise," I said.
They looked at each other, then back at me, then at the stall owner.
"We’re sorry," they said in unison.
The stall owner waved a dismissive hand.
"Just keep them out of trouble," she said. "And tell them to be careful with that water magic. It’s impressive, and if it was someone else’s stall they destroyed, I’d be more impressed."
So that meant she was impressed.
I shook my head, then nodded.
"Thank you," I said.
Then I took Retheris and Thalira by the hands and led them away from the stall.
We walked in silence for a few moments, weaving through the crowded streets, past the glowing lanterns and the chattering demons. When I was certain we were far enough away, I stopped and turned to face them.
"Why did you leave?" I asked.
They looked at each other.
Then back at me.
I waited.
They looked at each other again, then back at me.
Then at each other, back at me.
Then at—oh, for fuck’s sake.
"If you do that one more time," I said, my voice dangerously calm, "I will make sure your necks can never turn again."
They swallowed simultaneously.
"We saw something interesting," Retheris said quickly.
"The others were going somewhere," Thalira added. "So we just... went somewhere too."
"We didn’t mean to destroy the stall," Retheris said. "We were just looking at the trinket, and then the water just... happened."
I sighed.
It was a long, tired sigh — the kind that came from somewhere deep in my chest, the kind that carried all the frustration and exhaustion of the past several hours.
"Stick with me," I said. "If you go missing again, then you’ll stop coming to visit me at the palace."
Their eyes widened in alarm.
"We like the palace," Thalira said quickly.
"Then stay right next to me," I said. "And don’t run off somewhere else."
They nodded immediately, their heads bobbing up and down like they were attached to springs.
"We swear," Retheris said. "On our father’s love for our mother."
I blinked.
That was an oddly specific oath. I had no idea how they had even thought that up, but it seemed to carry weight. Their expressions were serious, their eyes fixed on mine, and I could tell they meant it.
I sighed again.
"Alright," I said. "Now we need to find the others."
As if on cue, the bracelet on my wrist vibrated.
I looked down. The faint light was glowing again — soft and pulsing, like a heartbeat — and it shifted, pointing in a specific direction.
Retheris and Thalira gasped.
"Wow," they said in unison, their eyes wide.
"What is that?" Thalira asked.
"A tether," I said. "It tells me where everyone is."
"Does it tell you where the King is?" Retheris asked.
"I hope so," I muttered.
The light pulsed again, pulling me forward.
"Time to find someone else," I said.
I started walking, and Retheris and Thalira followed. But this time, I made sure to keep them close.
"Hold hands," I said, looking back at them. "And walk in front of me so I can see you."
They reached for each other’s hands immediately, their fingers intertwining, and then they walked ahead of me, their small forms illuminated by the lantern light.
I followed behind them, the bracelet guiding me forward, and I made sure I could see them at all times.