Children of Redemption (Children of Vice 3)
and scariest of all,
my equal.”
~ Gregg Levoy
ETHAN – AGE SEVEN
“Someone has a cold.”
“No, I don’t,” I grumbled, trying to get out of bed. But she pushed me back down.
“Ethan, if you get out of this bed again I’ll find a new one…one with chains, and tie you down!” she snapped at me.
Frowning, I yanked the covers up, then back over myself and turned away from her. But she hugged me anyway. “I know you wanted to go fishing with your dad. But being outside will just make it worse
—”
“Wyatt’s going to beat my record.” It wasn’t fair! Why was he already so good at it! I had to practice forever, and he just did it like it was nothing.
“So what?” she said, and I turned over to look at her. Her black hair falling all on one side of her shoulder.
“Mom.”
“Don’t Mom me. So what if he beats you. You beat him at everything else.”
“I’m the older brother!”
“So what?”
Urgh!
“I’m supposed to be better!”
“Says who? Don’t you think your dad is better than Uncle Neal? He’s the younger brother.”
“You’re not making me feel better,” I grumbled, rolling over. “I don’t want to be like Uncle Neal.”
“What’s wrong with Uncle Neal?” she asked, pressing her hand on my head.
Sniffling, I rubbed my nose and told her. “He’s not the boss! Dad is because he’s the best. I have to be the best, too.”
“Ethan, you are way too young to be thinking about—”
“Nana says that Dad talked about being better than Uncle Neal all the time when they were little. But no one thought he could, and then next thing you know, he is!”
“So is that what you’re worried about?” she asked, brushing my hair. “Wyatt one day getting better than you?”
“Wyatt’s smart. He could do it,” I muttered, hoping she really didn’t hear me.
“Mio bel leoncino.” She sighed and kissed the back of my head. “I never want you to worry about this again, you hear me. Because you will be the boss. Wyatt will never take that away from you.”
Again, I turned to her slightly. “How do you know?”
She smiled, and it was her real smile. Running her hands through my hair, she said, “Because I promise that neither I or your father will ever teach him what he needs to become the boss. We’ll only teach that to you.”
“Really?” I asked slowly.
She nodded. “It’s the truth. Even now, I’m teaching him how to be your right hand. So watch, he won’t even go on this fishing trip without you.”