“It’s weird.” Sylus was tilting his head while gnashing his teeth on his stick of gum. “I don’t exactly have masticates anymore and it keeps sticking to my hooks. And not in the most pleasant way.” He stuck his finger in his mouth to pull the gum off his teeth. “Guess that’s one human activity I have to give up.” He tossed me the rest of the pack. “If you’ll excuse me it’s getting dark and I have some cookies to pick up.”

I chuckled to myself as I followed him.

Cassidy was packing down when we approached her. Strangely enough, she was wearing sunglasses even though the sun was barely in the sky.

“Oh, you’re back?” She sounded surprised.

Sylus nodded. “I said I would be.” He offered her the cash. “How much will this get me?”

She studied his offering before digging into a duffle bag. One of each flavor and two coconut crunches and three minty minchies.

Sylus cocked a brow. “Surely this can’t cover that.”

“I need them to move. The lighter the bag, the faster I can get home. Besides,” She took his cash, “you bought me dinner. Take ’em.”

Sylus looked around again. “Where’s your chaperone?”

“Oh,” She forced a laugh, “They’re, uh, just running a bit late.”

“Do you need any help?”

“No offense, mister, but I know better than to trust a stranger.”

Sylus chuckled. “Smart girl.”

“How often are you here?” I asked.

“All day every Saturday and Sunday and Friday evenings.”

“Not by yourself, I hope?”

She shrugged dismissively. “I’m probably the only one that takes the business seriously.”

“Hm.” Sylus scratched his chin. “Well good to know, then. I might be back.”

“A repeat customer?” A flash of green light flickered behind her sunglasses. “Ah, haha, these darn LEDs…” She laughed nervously.

Sylus studied her carefully. “Fancy taking those silly things off?” He gestured to her sunglasses.

“Nah, I’m good. Thanks.”

Sylus let a spark of violet flash across his eyes. I was mortified. He’d just broadcasted his spawnhood.

Cassidy seemed to freeze. I was bracing myself for a fight. With a child…

She cleared her throat, bagged his cookies, and pushed them across the table. “Take them and go. Please.”

“You’re a spawn, are you not?” He asked gently.

She bit her lip. “Just go.”

“Very well then.” He put his cookies in the cart. “Let’s go, love.”

We were just off the sidewalk lip when a small voice called after us. Cassidy, stripped of her boisterous bravado called out: “Wait.”

We stopped. Sylus turned to her. She looked around nervously before running up to us.

“Please don’t tell anyone.” She was almost in tears.

“I would never.” Sylus placed a hand over his heart.

She looked around again before removing her sunglasses.

I immediately recognized the black crosses of her pupils. She was no mere spawn. This child… Was a Lord.

Sylus tilted his head back. “I see.”

“You’re a spawn, too, right?” She put her sunglasses back on.

“I am, yes.”

“And you have a family?”

Sylus turned to me. “I do indeed. Why do you ask?”

“I didn’t know spawns could have families.”

His brows furrowed. “You mean you don’t have anyone looking after you?”

“I-I have a guardian, but he’d be so angry if he knew I came out and sold cookies to mortals.”

“A guardian?” Sylus pressed.

Cassidy nodded. “He takes good care of me. Keeps me safe and stuff, but I like exploring. Trying new things. He doesn’t.”

“What color is he?”

The girl shook her head. “You know I can’t tell you that.”

“Hm.”

“Y-you’re not gonna kill me, are you?”

Sylus balked. “Why would I?”

“You’re a Lord and I’m just a stupid spawn. I’m sorry I made fun of you.” She bowed deeply. “I should have known better.”

She has no idea what she is. Sylus’ thought crossed our conduit. Perhaps that’s for the best.

“I don’t just randomly kill spawns. That’s not how a Lord behaves. Besides, you’re a child. How long have you been a spawn?”

“For as long as I can remember which, thinking about it, isn’t that far back.” She started to look upset. “Huh.”

“A-are you alright, little one?” Sylus reached out to her.

“I-I don’t…” She shook her head. A smile snapped across her lips. “I’m fine!”

She ran back to her booth, finished breaking down in record time, and waved to us. “Come back anytime!” She ran around the corner of the mall and with the tiniest flash of green, she was gone.

Sylus stood morbidly still. Even his breathing had stopped. Clearly he’d stepped back to have a conversation with Qaitax: the creature he shared his body with and a much more void-wise soul.

I sighed as I took his arm. He wasn’t impossible to move when he was soulless but it was a pain in the ass juggling him and the cart. I managed to reach the truck and push him into the bed while I got our groceries into the back seat. His groaning meant he’d returned to reality. I made my way back around the truck to him.

“And what does the eldritch horror have to say about this?” I leaned on the rim of the truck bed.

“We are confused. She does not match a Lord we are familiar with and there cannot be new Lords since Mother’s departure from the Void.”

I shrugged. “Maybe you’ve just never met her before?”

“Perhaps…” Sylus replied slowly before shaking his head and clutching it in his hands. Exchanging always took a toll on him.

“Come on, big guy.” I patted his belly. “We’ll figure it out later. Together, okay?”

“Yeah…” He gazed wistfully back at the grocery store. He closed his eyes before turning to me with a smile. “Together.”