Chapter Sixty-Five

 

The noodle shop was steamy from the kitchen and the congestion of tourists, leaving Choo-Choo to force his way through with Vasilisa right behind. He'd requested a private booth, but had gotten caught up in clan business and was running late. A waitress was shouting orders into the back as he passed the end of the counter. The sliding door revealed a surprising scene.

"Mami?"

His mother, Triana, rose from the bench, throwing her arms around him and forcing him to bend over so she could kiss his forehead. She did the same for Vasilisa, reviewing her for injuries which surely would have been blamed on him. But it wasn't his mother that had surprised him. Rather the person across the table, Yara Santos.

"Hey," said Yara apprehensively.

The half-drank beer on the table suggested she'd been sitting for a short while.

His mother made Vasilisa join her, so Choo-Choo took the spot next to Yara, ordering a round of beers when the waitress stuck her head in.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," said Choo-Choo under his breath.

"I wasn't expecting to be here. I received a message this morning," said Yara.

Triana was clutching his sister's hand as if she expected her to be ripped away.

"I'm glad to see you're well," said Choo-Choo.

Triana scowled. "I heard you and Navos stabbed each other. What kind of friend does that?"

Yara flinched away, suggesting the source of the knowledge.

"It wasn't like that."

"Did your blade go into his flesh and vice versa?" she asked.

Choo-Choo recoiled. "Yes, but—"

"I swear you two are still the same children I smacked on the head for your foolish adventures," she said.

"Mami. He was being mind-controlled. It wasn't his fault and I had to remove the creature from his arm."

Triana blinked, before reaching into her purse and producing a newspaper article that had been clipped from the Herald of the Halls, an above ground publication. The headline read: "Chaos in the Undercity." The picture was the after effects of the explosion that he'd detonated. A cursory glance at the text showed it speculated on the fighting that had ensued.

"This." She jabbed her finger into the paper. "This is what I had to see three weeks ago. I nearly had a heart attack. Then it took you until a few days ago to finally reach out?" When Vasilisa smirked, she turned on her daughter. "Oh, you think you're blameless in this? You could have reached out too."

"I've been busy—"

"And I've been heartbroken thinking you're both dead. At least your friend was able to tell me what happened."

Choo-Choo reached out across the table. "I wanted to bring you down right away, but things were crazy. We wanted to make sure they wouldn't come back somehow. I sent a message, but it must have went astray."

It was a lie, he'd sent no message, and his mother suspected it because she flattened her lips.

"Uh-huh."

Triana grabbed the paper and stuffed it back in her purse. "I've been in the Terreno for three days now. I wanted to see how it'd changed. There are far too many lighters, but the place certainly has picked up."

"Three days?"

"I've been busy," she said, lifting her chin. "Amongst other things I ran into your friend Tick. He told me everything that happened."

Choo-Choo's cheeks grew red as he thought about strangling his friend for not warning him.

"Oh, Emilio, lighten up. I told him I'd make him regret it if he squealed on me."

Yara snorted laughter. "Now I know where she gets it," she said, gesturing towards Vasilisa.

When Triana speared Yara in her glance, she deflated and reached for her beer to hide behind a drink.

"I missed you," said Choo-Choo, hoping to distract her.

"I missed you both too. Even if you did make my life a living hell wondering if you were alive or dead."

"What have you been doing down here for the past three days?" asked Vasilisa.

"Shopping."

"Shopping?" asked Choo-Choo. "Clothes? Jewelry?"

"I bought a space in the Terreno. I'm opening a restaurant. A small one. Not too big that I can't handle most of it myself. It's on the second terrace on the back side, near the arena. The part you didn't blow up. After we eat I'll show you."

"You heard about that? Oh yeah, Tick. I'll strangle him later."

"Excuse me, ma'am," said Yara apprehensively. "Why am I here?"

The waitress showed up with the beers. Triana ordered four bowls of spicy ramen and a plate of fried lizard.

"I wanted to thank you for helping my daughter kill that bastard Deacon. I know our family has a history, but I believe that's all shadows in the depths now. We'll say nothing more about it. Now, drink up. I want to celebrate a reunion with my children."