Page 37 of Reaper's Quest

“Always,” Aoes snapped, reminding me of a testy dog. “He’s family. Family takes care of family.”

A frown tugged at Chace’s lips. Did his disappointment stem from the fact that Earl was trapped in some zombified state? Or did the mention of family cause him to consider his own?

Of course, that was just another question I would not ask.

Mr. Aldine dropped his bag onto the nearest table. “The need for a set of rooms is yet undecided. We’d like to take a look around the citadel first. Do you have someplace where we could lock up our belongings?”

“In a room, of course,” Aoes replied, a wide grin set across his features. “Our boarding price is a bargain. You won’t find a better deal anywhere in the citadel.”

“We’ll keep that in mind.” Mr. Aldine lifted his bag once more and headed for the exit. “Come on, gang. Let’s get a sense of what we’re dealing with.”

“Wait.” Aoes stretched his arm as if to grab Mr. Aldine and stop him. “It’s late. Are you not in need of sustenance? Food and drink?”

Mr. Aldine stopped and turned back to regard the guy and his request.

Aoes swung in behind the bar. “Inventory is low, but…” Scratching the top tip of his soft-pointed ear, he studied the inventory visible to only him. “I still have enough to rustle something up, something satisfying. And, of course, there’s always plenty of ale.”

I crossed my arms and leaned into my hip. “But it will cost us, right?”

Since showing up, Aoes always seemed to have something we might need…for a price. A salesman, a con, a thief. I hadn’t yet decided which title best suited him.

Aoes shrugged. “I’m not running a charity here. I’ve got a fine business to keep afloat.”

“Fine, indeed,” Chace deadpanned and swept a quibbling gaze over the worn and dusty space in need of patrons.

With no visitors in over a hundred years, the boarding business had, no doubt, fallen into a serious slump. I bit down on the sarcastic laugh bubbling in my throat.

“Hey.” Aoes threw his arms wide, feigning a hurt expression. “You don’t need to be so mean.”

“Come on.” Mr. Aldine headed for the door once more.

“I’ll tell you what.” Aoes leaped over the bar and dashed toward our elder reaper. “I’ll store your bags for free. Just promise you’ll consider my establishment before any other when you’re ready for a satisfying meal or a place to lay your head.”

“He’s a con man,” Chace said. “We shouldn’t trust him. He likely wants the opportunity to rifle through our belongings.”

Chace made an excellent point. Aoes might have managed to get us inside the citadel walls, but everything he’d done centered around what he got in return. Not the most trustworthy character trait.

Mr. Aldine shifted his focus to Chace. “Are you worried about him stealing your undergarments?”

“No. Of course not.” Chace’s teeth clenched.

I stifled a giggle. I wouldn’t want my under thingstalked about with the group, either. But a high probability existed that Chace had a secret or two hidden in his bag, just as I did. I needed to figure out a way to discover those secrets.

Mr. Aldine crossed his arms. “Locked up. You’ll store our items locked up.”

“Of course.” Aoes waved his hands in a submissive, whatever-you-want gesture.

Chace jabbed a finger at him. “What good does locked up mean when he has the key?”

My attention piqued, and goodness… Chace had now made my mission to uncover his secret all the more necessary. Surely, he wouldn’t show any concern about his belongings if they consisted of nothing more than clothing, hygiene items, and a reaper’s handbook.

Mr. Aldine’s jaw hardened. “I’ll also hold the keys to the lock. The main key and any backup sets.”

“Done,” Aoes said.

Chace scoffed. “And we’re just supposed to trust him to give you all the keys?”

“Chace,” Mr. Aldine admonished, to which Chace rolled his eyes.