Booth opened the door into a large single room. On one side was a fireplace that was giving considerable warmth despite being nothing but ashes. A steaming pot hung over the ashes. Near the door was a large barrel of water. There was a table so heavy and solid it looked like it was here before the building had been built. There were no chairs, just a couple of stools and overturned buckets. Clotheslines crisscrossed the room, simultaneously dividing the space and letting clothes dry. Beyond the hanging laundry were piles of blankets on the floor. The only light in the room was a lantern hanging over the table.

Half a dozen children materialized when we entered. All but one was ten or under and they mobbed Booth as soon as they saw him. He greeted them all but fended off their clingy hands.

Considering the number and ages of the children and the lack of an adult present, the place was surprisingly clean. I also noticed that despite the number of rats and vermin in the neighborhood, there were none here.

I jumped down off Seth and scooted out of the way. I did not want to be the target of those grasping child hands.

"Alley, these are my friends from school," Booth addressed the oldest child in the room. She was about Seth's age and wore her hair in pigtails like her little sisters. She smiled warmly and studied everyone sharply. Booth introduced Seth, Owen, and Isaac. The bastard didn't name me. "Guys, this is my sister, Alley, and my other siblings." He didn't bother naming them, either.

"I'm pleased to be makin' your acquaintance," Alley said.

The oldest boy scoffed. "Whatchu puttin' on airs fer? 'Pleased to makin' yer acquaintance'," he mocked.

"Shut it, Hayfield," Booth said, cuffing the boy on the back of the head. "It ain't wrong to be polite."

Hayfield dodged and snorted at Booth. "I'm just sayin'. She ain't needin' to be uppity."

"Being polite ain't uppity. I gotta talk to Alley," Booth said, "so you play host to my friends. Be nice." Booth turned to Seth and the others. "The brat is Hayfield. I just need a minute."

Hayfield eyed the boys. Isaac crossed his arms and stayed in the back. He had a stiff expression as he stared at one of the younger kids. Seth was watching the little ones too, and Owen put out his hand to Hayfield. Booth and Alley ducked behind a blanket hanging by the corner.

Naturally, I wandered over to where they were talking. I wanted to hear the interesting stuff.

"I've got money for you," Booth said quietly.

"Good," Alley said. "Mom was 'ere a few days ago. She took the last we had."

"Did she find it, or did you give it to her?"

"She found it. She came in an' was telling the little ones how much she missed 'em and how much she loved 'em. Then she was saying how she's got this new place all lined up and we was gonna get to live in a fancy house and everyone gots their own room and new clothes."

Booth shook his head. "She's told that story before."

"I know. I jus' wish it was true. She brung shoes fer Loft and Pantry."

Booth snorted. "Did they fit?"

"Loft's did. Pantry can grow into 'em. After she gave 'em the shoes she said she just needed a little money to get things started and then everyone could have new things." Alley shook her head. "She got so mad when I said we ain't got none."

"Did she hit you?"

"Not this time. She was throwin' things instead. She broke the last mug from grandma. Then she took Loft's doll and cut it open lookin' for money. Loft cried and told her where the money was." Alley absently straightened the blankets on the floor.

"It wasn't there, was it?" Booth's voice was pained.

"I did have a bit there. So now she knows we hide money." Alley paused her tidying and twisted her fingers together. "I blamed you. I told her you musta been the one to hide it."

"That's fine. She can't do anything to me."

"She got nice again once she got the money. Maybe we should just give her more?"

"No. She'll just get used to us giving her money and get worse once we don't have any more." Booth pulled out a small bag of coins. "Here. Put a little bit where she found the money last time, and hide the rest somewhere else. Don't let the little ones see where. There should be enough here to last a long while."

Alley accepted the bag and stared sadly at it. "You're in trouble, ain'tcha? You comin' by durin' the week. I wish you didn't 'ave to steal so much."

"I might not be able to come by as often for a while, but I'm fine. How's your job going? They treating you okay?"

"It's goin' good. The owner has been talkin' about me comin' in more."

"Don't. I mean it Alley, do not work the afternoons and never go over there at night."

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"I'd still be in the kitchen just washin' dishes."

"I don't like it that you're working in a bar as it is. People are shitty, Alley. Do not take more hours. Say you're stuck with the kids. I'll get more money for you so you don't have to."

"Don't worry, I won't. I've been talkin' to a seamstress on the corner about learnin' to sew."

"That's a good idea. That's something you can do here so the little ones aren't left alone."

"When can you come by more? Hayfield is really gettin' it out. He'll be in trouble that way."

"Is someone picking him up?"

"Not yet. What can I do if'n they do? You ain't gonna be here."

I wasn't hip to this slang but it sounds like Alley was worried Hayfield was going to get recruited into a gang.

Booth shook his head. "I'll come out if I need to, Alley. The trouble ain't that bad. If I can't come I'll send one of those guys. You need anything, you can ask them and either they'll help you out or they'll tell me."

Alley sighed. "What kind of trouble is it?"

"I pissed off a gang called the Skulls."

"You stole from them and they found out." It wasn't a question. "Will they come here?"

"No. They don't know about this place. I'll let things cool off for a couple weeks."

Alley stared at the little bag of money in her hand. "I think Mom's pregnant again," she said quietly. "I don't want to deal with this alone, Booth. I just can't."

Booth pulled his sister into a hug. "If I need to leave school, I will. I really thought it was our best bet to get out of here."

"It is the best way. Wizards make a ton of money. But I don't know if I can wait those years. Not if there's another baby."

"I'll solve this as fast as I can. And I'll have a talk with Hayfield. He needs to stop giving you grief."

"Thanks, Booth," Alley said and pulled back. She wiped the corner of one eye with her wrist. "I'm fine, really. It was just so much easier with you 'ere."

Alley stepped out and Booth called Hayfield over. I wasn't terribly interested in listening to a punk get lectured so I wandered out into the room.

Booth and his sister were both really sharp kids. They were stuck in a really shitty situation by other people being shitty and they were solving it. I really hope the younger ones recognize what a treasure they've got in their older siblings when they get older.

Yeah, their mom was a piece of work. Maybe she meant well and was just a trainwreck, and maybe she was selfish and didn't actually care about anyone besides herself. Either way, it was none of my business. For a pack of children, Booth's family were surviving okay. Those kids deserved mad respect.

Over at the table, the little ones were still enthralled with the boys, asking them questions about school and asking them to do magic tricks.

I took a walk around the room. I'd thought I'd sensed it before, and now I was sure. There were a few magic things in here.

The first was the fireplace. Sure it looked like wood ash in there, and that's actually what it was, but there was something under that ash that was magical and really hot. I figured Booth had probably stolen something like a fire stone, or cooking stone, or maybe it was a piece of wood that burned forever, or something. That made sense. Keeping a fire burning all winter would be crazy expensive for these kids. And leaving it buried in ash meant Mom wasn't likely to notice it and try to pawn it.

"Ticky!"

Oh shit. I got careless and the youngest spotted me.

"Ticky!"

The little bugger was chasing me, and there weren't many places for me to go. There were no rafters for me to jump onto. I didn't want to accidentally tear down their clotheslines. I'm probably way too heavy to hang on those.

Seth was sitting on a bucket, Isaac was on one of the only stools. Owen was standing nearby. There we go, the tallest object in the room. I was up on Owen's shoulder in an instant.

So, there's this thing I hadn't really thought about. I'm not super familiar with kids, and with the little ones, there's this phenomenon where they can climb other people like cats do trees. And that little bugger screaming 'Ticky!' was hanging off Owen's bicep the moment after I was standing on it.

"Why me?" Owen asked, trying to catch the toddler, get a hand on me, and fend off three other little ones all at once.

Neither Seth nor Isaac made any move to rescue him either. Ha. My amusement was cut short when the four year old got a hold of my tail. And yanked.

I howled. I very nearly reflexively grabbed Owen with my claws. It would have been so easy, just like opening your hand. If not for having accidentally shredded someone like that before I might have done it to Owen. Instead, I had to allow myself to become the plush victim of an enthusiastic toddler.

"No no no!" The second oldest girl, probably seven I'd say, rescued me from the toddler's death grip. And now I was in her death grip. She didn't pinch like the toddler did, but she had no idea how to hold a cat. My rear paws and back half of my spine were dangling free as the girl clutched my neck and chest in her arms, with my front paws locked over my head.

Seth was coming to my rescue! And the little girl ran away with me.

"Careful with her!" Seth called. "If you hold her like that she might bite you!"

"My kitty!" the girl announced.

"Mine!" yelled a five-year-old and made a grab for my tail.

"Ticky!" yelled the toddler, who launched himself at us like a spider monkey crossing the jungle.

Fuck my life.

----------------------------------------

Booth visited with his family for a while, and everyone was entertained by the children mauling me. I did have to resort to nips and growls to stop the more enthusiastic manhandling. The seven-year-old girl, Loft, was absolutely fascinated by me. She had a thousand questions about what I was and how to take care of me. Seth was really patient with her. I was impressed.

And then, thankfully, it was time to go.

Seth had to swear that he'd bring me the next time he came by.

It was still raining. And now it was dark. The East Side didn't get fancy lights like the western side of the city where the rich people lived, so it was really, really dark.

Booth made a couple of light stones and handed one out. They didn't last long, a few minutes each, but Booth said he could keep it up until they got to the Magic District. He was transforming a new stone for Isaac when Owen spotted something.

"Did you see that?" Owen asked. "That looked like one of Duvessa's shadows."

The streets were still really narrow, and there were water barrels and broken crates here and there. In the rain and dark, shadows were everywhere when the light stones moved.

"I didn't see anything," Seth said and peered after where Owen was pointing.

"May I?" Owen asked, and Isaac handed him the light stone. Owen held it aloft and moved a crate with his other hand. "Yeah, it's a small dog shadow. Hey, Duvessa!"

Owen reached out to touch the shadow. It spun around with teeth bared, snarled silently, and then leapt for Owen's face.