Page 38 of Avaritia

Honestly, aside from feeding Theon, what was I bringing to the table? He’d indulged me in my chase fantasy and had let his tentacles float free ever since I said I liked them. I really needed to up my game.

“What are you doing?”

I shrieked at the sound of Rainy’s flat voice, dropping the book I’d been holding with a thud, and clutching my frantically beating heart.

“Oh my god, wear a bell or something. You just took ten years off my life.”

If anything, Rainy looked thrilled at that pronouncement, the little shit. I wasn’t all that mad. I’d been an asshole little teenager who thought I knew everything once too.

“You smell incredibly bad,” she said bluntly.

I shot her a dark look, tugging my scarf down under my chin. “You gave me a fright. Hunter fear is a very pungent smell, or so I’m told.”

Rainy harrumphed, dropping down to sit on the floor opposite me and watching in silence as I picked up the book and resumed cleaning.

“Got bored at your mom’s house?” I asked after the quiet stretched for an uncomfortably long time.

“She always wants to spend time with me,” Rainy replied, as though this was a terrible burden she was being forced to bear.

“Presumably, because she loves you and misses you when you’re gone,” I pointed out mildly, hoping she wouldn’t gut me with her scary claws. Who knew how teenage angst manifested in Shades.

Rainy shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, well, I’m not an infant any longer. I don’t need to be coddled by my mother.”

I ducked my head to hide a smile. “I’m much older than you, and I’d love to be coddled by my mother.”

“Does she hate you because you came here?” Rainy asked bluntly.

“She’s dead.”

There was a long pause. “That’s probably better than hating you right?”

A startled laugh escaped me at the breathtakingly inappropriate question. “I’ve never given it much thought.”

“My mother is a bit annoying, but I don’t think I’d like it if she hated me,” Rainy declared, glaring at me as though daring me to disagree. I honestly had no idea why she was here. Were we bonding? Was she trying to decide how to kill me and get away with it? I needed a little more information to go on.

“Well, I don’t think you’re at any risk of that. Your mother adores you.”

More awkward silence. I set aside the book I’d been working on, picking up the next one in the pile.

“My brother likes you,” Rainy said suddenly. I couldn’t tell if it was an observation or an accusation.

“You think so?” I asked absently. There were definitely a couple of parts of me that Theon liked a whole lot, but that wasn’t an appropriate conversation to have with a teenager.

“I want to know why.” No, kid, you definitely don’t. “My brother doesn’t like anyone except me, Aderith, Wilder, and sometimes, Mother.”

“It must be my sparkling personality. Or maybe my sense of humor? You’re probably not seeing it yet, but I promise, I’m actually hilarious.”

“Even if that’s true”—Rude—“it wouldn’t be reason enough for Theon to like you. He doesn’t care for frivolity.”

She said the word with such pronounced disgust that I set the book down, looking at her more closely. “Everyone needs a little frivolity in their lives. There’s nothing wrong with it, you know. Fun just for the sake of having fun. It’s healthy.”

“I don’t have time for that,” Rainy replied primly. “I have to train. I’m going to be stronger than my brother someday.” She gave me a speculative look. “You’ll have to find somewhere else to live if I overthrow him.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” I replied wryly.

Wilder slid into the room, making us both jump. He doubled over for a moment to catch his breath, and Rainy stood up, looking almost sheepish.

“Your mother is looking for you,” Wilder chided, straightening up but slumping slightly against the door frame.

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