A frail pale little boy stood in the gap with messy rose-pink hair just like Rina’s and dark circles hollowed deep under his eyes and skin so thin it looked like light might pass straight through it. His whole frame trembled with the effort of just standing upright.
But the moment his tired gaze found Rina his pale face completely lit up.
"S-Sister?!" Kai wiped his eyes like he wasn’t sure what he was seeing. "You’re back already? You usually send word before coming down from the estate! Ah— I’m sorry I haven’t tidied up the house or made any soup for you yet, I’ll just quickly—"
Rina dropped to her knees before he could finish a single sentence and pulled him into a tight trembling hug and buried her face in his small shoulder and held on.
"Don’t worry about any of that you dummy," she whispered and her voice choked up halfway through it. She pulled back and cupped his hollow cheeks in both hands and her green eyes filled with worry she’d clearly been carrying for months. "How are you feeling. Tell me the truth. Has the fever gotten worse?"
Kai forced the brightest cheeriest smile his body could manufacture which wasn’t very convincing given that his lips were shaking. "I’m totally fine Sis! Look I can even stand up straight today! I keep telling you there’s no need to worry so much about me—"
"Stop lying!" Rina’s voice broke somewhere between a scold and a sob and a teardrop spilled down her cheek. "I can see how pale you are. You’re barely keeping your balance right now!"
Kai looked down and rubbed the back of his neck and said nothing because there was nothing to say to that.
"Hey there kiddo."
A calm easy voice cut into the moment and a shadow fell across the doorway as Sylus stepped forward and leaned down and ruffled the boy’s messy pink hair with one hand like they’d known each other for years.
Kai looked up and his wide eyes found the tall striking white-haired butler in the high-class uniform with those warm crimson eyes looking back at him and for a second he just stared.
"Don’t stress your sister out more than you already have," Sylus said with a relaxed smirk and put one hand on his hip. "Grab your jacket little guy. We’re taking a trip to get you sorted out once and for all."
____________
Inside the plush leather interior of the noble carriage Kai sat fidgeting with the fabric of the seat until a dry wheezing cough racked through his whole frail frame and he pressed a thin hand to his chest and waited for it to pass. This story is hosted at g.com.
Once it did he turned his wide green eyes toward his sister. "Sis... what is actually going on? Who was that white-haired guy in the fancy outfit and why did he tell us to wait in this ridiculously giant wagon while he wandered off into the shady market alone?"
Rina gently patted his back and handed him a clean handkerchief and her mind drifted back to ten minutes ago.
Sylus had paused at the mouth of the alley and looked back at her with complete calm. "Take the kid and head straight to the carriage. Wait for me inside."
"Wait! where are you going?" she’d asked.
"I told you. I have errands to run in the lower district. I’ll be back in a few minutes."
Now she sat staring out the frosted carriage window with a thick knot of anxiety twisting slowly in her stomach.
’Can I actually trust him?’ Her thoughts were spiraling fast. ’What if he just wanted an excuse to get us into his carriage so he could ship us somewhere? What if this whole saving-my-brother thing was a mind game to make me drop my guard completely? He’s a cunning shameless devil who outplayed Corvus without breaking a sweat. A guy like that doesn’t just hand over a small fortune out of the kindness of his heart. Does he?’ She gripped the handkerchief in her lap.
’If this is all a lie and he breaks Kai’s heart I swear I will bite his throat out with my own teeth.’
The heavy carriage door swung open.
"Alright I’m back," Sylus climbed in and dropped into the seat across from them with complete casualness and tucked a small leather pouch into his coat pocket and flashed a grin at the sickly boy. "Sorry to keep you waiting kid. Let’s get you fixed up."
Before Kai could get a single question out Sylus tapped the front panel and the carriage lurched forward onto the main road.
It wasn’t long before it smoothed out and rolled to a stop.
Rina helped Kai down and the boy let out another small cough as his eyes traveled upward toward the massive structure standing in front of them. High stone arches and stained-glass rose windows and spires reaching straight up into the open sky.
"This is..." Rina’s jaw dropped slightly.
"A church?" Kai tilted his head in pure confusion.
"Yep. Let’s head inside," Sylus was already turning toward the heavy mahogany doors.
"Wait — are you really sure about this Sir Butler?" Rina rushed a few steps after him. "Even if we use divine healing or high-tier holy magic from a priest the donation fee for a rare disease cure costs just as much as the market antidote! It’s not actually any cheaper!"
Sylus let out an exasperated sigh and looked back over his shoulder. "Didn’t I tell you both kids to stop worrying and just follow my lead?"
"A-Alright..." Rina shrank back on the outside.
On the inside a massive vein throbbed on her forehead.
’KID?!’ she screamed internally while smiling politely at his back as he walked ahead. ’Who the hell are you calling a kid you arrogant brat! I am older than yo—! Well... mentally, physically, in every measurable way! Just because you’re six feet tall doesn’t mean you get to talk down to me like I’m twelve years old!’
They pushed through the grand double doors and stepped into the cool silent nave of the cathedral and sunlight poured through the stained glass and threw colored light across the stone floor in long quiet pools.
"Welcome, young travelers. May the divine light bless your steps."
A soft velvety voice floated down from the altar end of the hall.