In this world, everything has its price—some pay it more than once. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. One life for another, success for failure, a smile for a tear. And yes, a scoop of ice cream? Two hundred and twenty forints.
Alex finally pressured me to let the kid go for a walk. I agreed, mostly because it meant I'd have someone to carry my stuff home. And let's be honest, I wasn't feeling like lugging around bags today.
Ábel, as usual, was bouncing around like an overcaffeinated puppy.
"Come on, we need to disguise you."
"Disguise? Why? What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes wide and innocent.
I put a hand on his shoulder and smirked. "First, we need to make your face... less recognizable."
Ábel blinked at me. "I don't think my face is the problem. I'm... pretty sure it's the shoes."
"Nope," I replied. "Your face is the jackpot, trust me."
I rummaged through my stuff and pulled out a cap, one of those unassuming black ones that no one would pay attention to. "This should help. Now, tilt it down a little."
Ábel complied, though the cap barely covered his head, leaving his face still fully exposed.
"Okay, not bad," I said, stepping back to survey my work. "Now, we just need to make sure no one can tell it's you."
"Like... makeup?" Ábel asked, glancing around nervously. "I don't know how to put on makeup."
"Not makeup, you goofball," I said, grabbing a pair of sunglasses. "These will do the trick."
Ábel looked confused, but he didn't protest. I slid the sunglasses onto his face, pushing them up his nose for a better fit. "Perfect," I said with satisfaction. "Now you just need a normal walk. No more acting like you're a six-year-old."
He looked at me through the lenses, adjusting them on his face. "I feel... like a spy. Is this what spies do?"
"Exactly," I said, grinning. "Now we're ready to blend in."
Ábel tried to stand taller, taking on his best "discreet" stance as he looked around, still somewhat unsure of his new look.
Blend in, huh? Ábel disillusioned me instantly. He bounced around like he had springs in his shoes. Every few steps, he'd jump up, tap a lamppost, or twirl on the sidewalk as if he were in his own little world.
I just sighed. Of course, this was my responsibility now.
"Shay, look!" Ábel exclaimed, pointing at a stray cat lounging by a bench. "It's a kitten! Do you think it wants to be friends?"
"Not if it knows what's good for it," I muttered under my breath, but Ábel had already skipped over to the cat, crouching down to talk to it like they were old pals.
Ábel's eyes lit up as he continued to pet the cat, his fingers moving in slow, careful strokes. "You know," he said thoughtfully, looking back at me, "this kitten seems friendlier than your kitten friend."
I dragged my hand down my face. I had tried, really, I had, but no amount of sunglasses or caps was going to change the fact that Ábel was... well, Ábel . Bouncing around like a sugar-high kid was not blending in.
"I think I'm gonna call it Mr. Fluff," Ábel said, giving the cat an enthusiastic pet. The poor thing looked ready to run at the first sign of trouble.
But Ábel just grinned even wider. "Yep, this one's definitely more chill. If you ever need a new 'kitten friend,' I'll hook you up."
I wasn't sure whether to laugh or just keep walking, so I did both.
"Let's just get moving," I said.
Ábel, still in his own little world, didn't respond. Instead, he did a little skip and hopped ahead. "You know, Shay, I'm pretty good at this whole 'secret agent' thing. I bet I could be a double agent!"
I just stared at him, trying to figure out where to start. "Ábel," I began, rubbing my temples, "Double agents don't... jump around like that. They're... subtle."
Ábel gave me a mock salute, grinning wide. "Subtle. Got it." Then, without skipping a beat, he twirled around again, nearly colliding with a lamppost.
I groaned again. There was no saving this. We were so not blending in.
We walked into the discount store, and I followed the list the wolf had given me, picking up the ingredients for lunch. I approached the cash register and locked eyes with the old man behind the counter.
I'm not saying I hated him — but if it turned out he couldn't swim and somehow fell into the water, I wouldn't exactly be rushing to save him. I'd probably watch him struggle with a grin on my face.
In an attempt to cope with the mental agony of spending more time than necessary in his presence, I dropped two lollipops on the counter as a sort of payment for the ordeal.
The old man took the money, and I handed over the exact amount, feeling indignant. Seven thousand five hundred, and he hadn't even miscalculated! The nerve of him, charging so much for basic ingredients.
I huffed as I started to leave, annoyed, but as I reached the door, a hooded figure brushed past me. His shoulder bumped into mine, and he continued walking without so much as an apology.
Ábel grabbed the guy's hand and yanked it out of his pocket — along with my wallet.
"Hey, let go of me!" The guy tried to jerk his hand free, clearly planning to bolt.
It was a futile attempt.
"Give me the wallet!" Ábel demanded, his voice cold and unyielding.
The look in the boy's eyes became terrifyingly cold, and I couldn't help but feel a bit worried that Ábel might just kill the guy.
The thief, desperate to fight back, swung a punch. But Ábel easily dodged it and then squeezed the thief's hand with such force that he immediately released the wallet. The thief yelped, his voice strained as he struggled to break free.
Without hesitation, Ábel punched him hard in the stomach. The thief crumpled, dropping to his knees, gasping for breath. Then, in one swift motion, Ábel drove a boot into his face.
"How dare you steal from my brother?" Ábel growled through gritted teeth.
The ferocity in his voice made his expression almost bandit-like, a wild, unapologetic snarl. When he raised his leg for another kick, I decided it was time to intervene.
"That's enough," I said, my tone firm but calm.
Ábel immediately snapped out of his intensity, grabbing my wallet and stepping obediently to my side.
The man groaned, lying on the pavement with a heavy sigh, clearly regretting his decision to target us. The shop assistant, who had been watching from behind the counter, finally emerged, still nervous but dialing the police with shaky hands.
"Let's go," I said, turning to leave.
Ábel followed quickly, but not before he shot one last venomous look at the thief—a clear message that next time they met, he would kill him.
As we stepped outside, I turned to Ábel . He wanted to give me back my wallet. "Take a look inside."
Ábel eagerly opened it, only to find it empty. His eyes widened in confusion. "What...?"
I couldn't hold back a chuckle. "See," I said, pulling the thief's wallet from my pocket. " "There are always ways to get back at others without making a big scene or torturing humans."
Ábel's face lit up as he saw the fat stack of bills inside. His eyes flickered between the wallet and me, still processing what had just happened. "You mean... you took it?" His voice was filled with disbelief, though the admiration in his gaze was unmistakable.
I shrugged nonchalantly, slipping the wallet back into my pocket. "It's all about timing. No need to get messy."
Ábel's face broke into a grin, his eyes practically glowing with excitement. "That's so... clever!" He bounced on his feet, clearly impressed. "You really are the coolest, Shay."
I smirked.
With a single look, Ábel could make even the sweetest, most innocent lamb seem like a bloodthirsty terrorist in comparison to him. Then, in the blink of an eye, if someone so much as glanced at me the wrong way, he'd shift into that very bloodthirsty terrorist.
In short, he was a walking contradiction, so complex that I often suspected he had multiple personalities hiding in there somewhere.
I stopped in my tracks, and, naturally, Ábel followed suit. Turning to him, I tapped him on the forehead with one of the unopened lollipops. It didn't hurt, of course, but he groaned and rubbed his forehead with half-lidded eyes, as if I'd hit him with a sledgehammer.
I sighed deeply. "Just... don't go looking for trouble, alright? Promise me?"
He nodded slowly, as if considering the weight of my words.
"Clever boy," I smiled, handing him his lollipop.
I unwrapped my own cherry-flavored one. The cherry ones were my favorite. Ábel fiddled with his lollipop for a moment, clearly unsure of what to do with it. I ended up taking it from him, unwrapping it for him, and handing it back. He licked it hesitantly at first, then a grin spread across his face.
"What is this?" he asked, his voice full of wonder.
"A lollipop," I replied, amused by his curiosity.
He hummed thoughtfully, still savoring the sweet taste.
"Tell me, why did you become my bodyguard?" I asked, genuinely curious.
He glanced down at the path beneath our feet, avoiding my gaze. "Do you mind?" His voice was low. "I really didn't mean to cause trouble again, I just…"
I let out a deep sigh, frustrated. "That's not what I meant."
"I killed your family," I explained. "At least... at least you should fear me."
"When you woke up, you scared me too," he said, his tone more reflective. "Then I just watched, shaking, as you killed my brother and hurt our father. But something else was there too. Respect. Along with the fear. You did what I couldn't bring myself to do."
"You avenged the human girl," he continued firmly, his voice thick with conviction. "I couldn't save her... but I can still be useful to you."
With that, he began rummaging through his trouser pocket. My eyes widened when he pulled out a familiar necklace.
He held it out to me, his expression serious. "The human girl entrusted you to me with this necklace," he said, his gaze now unwavering. He quickly tucked it back into his pocket, hiding the treasure again.
I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Ábel thought Jo had entrusted me to him, while I had always believed Jo had entrusted Ábel to me. It was comical, really—Ábel thinking that he should be the one protecting me when, in reality, I was stronger.
But there was something oddly endearing about it, something that made my chest tighten in a way I couldn't fully explain.
I shook my head, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "You'd better be careful, kid. You're making me feel soft," I teased.
Ábel just gave me a small nod, his expression still serious, as if he wasn't quite sure whether I was joking or not. He was a silly kid. But somehow, I didn't mind at all.
The walk home was peaceful, the quiet stretching between us. Ábel occasionally hummed a soft tune, and with each note, I grew more certain that taking him in had been the right decision. As he hummed, he noticed my attention and glanced over at me, a curious look in his eyes. The lollipop sticking out of his mouth gave him a somewhat foolish appearance, and yet, the smile he wore was unexpectedly warm.
I felt my lips curl upwards and I ruffled his hair. Jo would surely be happy to see him now.