The Burn (A Runner Series Companion)

Chapter 4: Frye (Part II)

"Rule number two. Blend." I gesture in the direction of the marketplace. "We must always look as though we belong. No one should have any reason to question our intentions." Waggling my eyebrows. "As questionable as they may be."

Kay nods somberly, her eyes wide as she watches me with rapt attention.

"Rule number three. We will never take more than we need, and nothing so obvious that it would be missed immediately." I rub a hand over the back of my neck, thinking. "We'll be less likely to be caught if we take only small items, and don't let ourselves get greedy."

"Good one." Edmun says approvingly. "No one wants to bother frying a small fish."

I give him a strange look. "Where did you hear that expression? When in the last two hundred years has anyone eaten a fish?"

He shrugs, grinning. "It's just a turn of phrase."

"Whatever." I wave my hands dismissively. "Rule number three is don't be too large a fish, or something like that."

"You two should teach a class." Kay giggles.

"That reminds me. Rule number four. We tell no one what it is we are doing." I look back and forth between Kay and Edmun. "This stays between us. I mean it."

Edmun straightens and gives a mock-salute but Kay frowns, her brow furrowing. "How are you going to explain to Dad where we got the extra money?"

"I'm going to tell him that Huey has started to pay me for my work at the dye factory." The weight of the stolen coins in my pocket suddenly feels conspicuously heavy. "He doesn't need to know what we're really doing."

Kay bites her lip but doesn't disagree. "Anything else?"

"I think one last rule oughta do it." At this, I give my little sister a meaningful look, trying with some effort to appear as serious as possible. "Rule number five. We never act alone."

"We're a team." Kay echos.

"That's right." I place myself between her and Edmun, slinging an arm around each of their shoulders. "We look out for each other. If one of us goes down, we all go down."

"Such a vote of confidence." Edmun remarks. "Is it too late to change sides?"

"Yes." I slug him in the arm. "You're on our team now, mate."

Edmun groans, rolling his head back exaggeratedly. "Oh gods, we're doomed."

"Not to worry." I tell him, cheerfully. "No guard in this City stands a chance of catching the Knight siblings."

"I don't envy them the task." Edmun reaches past me to poke Kay in the ribs. She squeals, jumping away and laughing.

"Neither do I." I agree, shaking my head and smiling at the two of them.

"Well, I vote that we end this day on a high note." Edmun inclines his head down the alley, back towards the smithy. "Want to grab a drink?"

"Absolutely." I pat Kay on the shoulder as I stride past her. "See you at home, kid."

"Wait." She looks confused, her wide-eyed gaze darting back and forth between myself and Edmun. "Can't I come with you?"

"Not this time." I say dismissively. "Why don't you go see what some of your friends are up to?"

I feel a jolt of guilt when I see the expression on her face, but dismiss it almost immediately. It's one thing to keep my little sister around when we are pickpocketing, but another to let her tag along when I'm drinking with my friends. A guy has to have boundaries, after all.