Wren
Ch. 18
“So, what happened after you left last night?”
“I tailed him for a bit. Maybe half a mile. Then he ducked down an alley. I waited at the end to try to jump him, but I got the wrong guy.”
“You—” Brandon lowered his voice, “killed an innocent person?”
“No, I got him to a temple and they were able to heal him.” Rich didn’t lower his voice. He was used to being able to make his way out of any situation with his sword. He knew he didn’t have it anymore, but often caution has to be re-learned.
“I know. I was just worried about you. I know you wanted to leave that part of your past behind you. Ever since Alex—”
“Let me stop you there. I’d rather not relive those memories with as much shit going on in my life as I have right now.”
“Sorry. I just know that you were so glad you’d gotten out of it, and I was worried you’d beat yourself up as if you’d fallen back in.”
“Not as long as they don’t die.”
“And he lived?”
“Yeah.”
“Aren’t you worried that he’ll come after you?”
“No, I paid them to wipe his memory so that he wouldn’t remember the attack.”
“That must have cost a lot of money.”
Rich waited for Brandon to realize what he had just said.
“…Yeah. I get it. I forget how wealthy you are sometimes. You don’t act like it.”
“Well in your defense, basically no other rich person would drink in the Ox.”
“I’m not sure anyone other than you drinks there”
They shared a laugh.
“There’s a couple other regulars. But I am pretty sure it’s just me keeping old Mags in business. I don’t know what she’s planning on doing when I’m gone.”
“What do you mean when you’re gone? She’s not old, but she’s definitely older than you, at least physically. Do you know her age as the clock turns? What makes you think she’ll outlive you?”
“I don’t know her real age. She doesn’t discuss much of anything with her customers, apart from their orders. The only reason I got any information out of her regarding my sword is because she knows she’d go out of business if I was gone.”
“Don’t think you can avoid the question that easily. What do you mean when you’re gone? Are you expecting to die?”
“If you were being extorted into multiple murders by a shape-shifting creature that could end your life from a hundred miles away, would you expect to survive? I’m certainly trying, but I’ve got to be realistic.”
It was a long time before Brandon said anything else. He’d seen Rich at some low points, but never this low.