Page 65 of Raven

His eyes fixate on my mouth, growing larger as I swallow the candy and theatrically lick my lips.

He meets my gaze. “Good, yeah? Taste’ like clouds. Soooo gooood.” His eyes are full of so much wonder that suddenly I feel a lump in my throat.

“Here.” I gently push it away, my heart twisting. “You should eat it all.”

“Nah. You can have it.” He pushes it back into my hand. “I’ll get another one. They have several left at Ayana Mart. An’ then they are out. So, you have it. Bu’ so good, yeah?”

It looks like he’s been using his Ayana bracelet mostly on food and candy and funky clothes that Kai helps him order online, because we don’t have kids’ clothes at Ayana.

And he won’t shut up. He insists on me having that candy, but I push it back to him, and he finally gives up, studies the wrapper, and tells me a mile a second how he discovered it’s the best candy they have in the store. And I have to look away and hide my eyes so he doesn’t think something is wrong because I’m sucking in my cheeks at the thought that some kids have so little that a marshmallow is their biggest treasure.

I am about to part with him when he changes the topic.

“I am learning the al-pha-bet,” he says proudly, licking his lips, the blue marshmallow smudged in the corners of his mouth. “Also, learning ‘bou’ the Earth. About the Earth,” he corrects himself and smiles. “And stars.”

He is unusually diplomatic and trying too hard to talk nicely.

I study him, waiting for him to spill his daily report to me. He goes quiet, digs the tip of his flip-flop into the ground, then looks at me from under his eyebrows. “Can I go to Port Mrei today?”

So, that’s what he was schmoozing me for. “No.”

A disappointed huff escapes him. “Please?”

“Still a no.”

“Bu’ I have friends there!” he says louder.

I cock a brow.

“Bu’… But”—he corrects himself—“they don’ have food. I bring it to them!” he shouts, his voice breaking.

I meet his teary eyes, and my heart clenches.

Dammit.

He went from smiles to almost crying in three seconds. And I don’t recall ever seeing him upset. Fucking hell. How did I get myself into this ordeal? With a kid, of all people?

And I can’t look into his eyes and say no to him helping his friends. He is not my problem. They are not my problem. But… It’s food, right? Nothing bad can come out of it.

“Listen to me,” I say, trying to think of the right words as he hangs his head low. “It’s dangerous there. I know you want to help, but you belong here now. Everyone here cares about you and your safety. So, here’s what we’re going to do.”

I pick up my phone and call Skiba. I tell him to pack a box of dry foods that don’t need cooking.

“Like what?” Skiba muses.

“Like energy bars, chips. Also pack some dry salami and soft drinks. Use my account at the Ayana store. Enough for a dozen people for, let’s say, a week or so.”

“What is this about? I need more info.”

The thing is, Ayana is completely capable of taking care of all the homeless kids in Port Mrei, in fact, the entire Port Mrei. But this is social hierarchy at its finest, and Ayana is losing interest in Port Mrei’s wellbeing.

“You are going to pack it and take it with you to the docks tomorrow morning,” I say and glance at Sonny, who stares at me unblinkingly with hopeful eyes. “I will give you the instructions for the exact location later tonight. Also, take a trail cam with you. I need you to install it at the location where you are dropping it off.”

“Are we trailing someone?”

“No, it’s… It’s that kid. It’s for his friends.”

“You got it.”

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