Page 45 of Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox
“Judging by the clench Dad’s got you in, I’d sayno.” He smoothed his thumb over her knuckles. “But he stopped holding me a long ways back. No more fox lore for bedtime stories.”
She asked, “If he stopped when you were young, how do you know so much about foxes?”
“Reavers and their books.” Gingko lowered his gaze. “Michael and Sansa are the latest in a long line of reavers assigned to Dad.”
“Wait. Doesn’t that mean therearepeople who know about Argent?”
“No. Reavers have their own systems of governance and education, and graduates are registered with the In-between so they’ll receive communiques. But that just means they know Michael and Sansa are here. Notwhythey’re here.”
“The Hajime family hired reavers willing to keep their secret?”
“Yeah. And it’s turned as generational as your bond. Michael’s grandad was Argent’s ward, and his granddad before him.”
Tsumiko added up the decades and said, “You’re a lot older than you look.”
“Not if I’m spouting hearsay.”
She wasn’t fooled. “Were they good to you?”
“While I was here.” Gingko scooted closer, resting his head on the mattress. “That’s about the same time I took to exploring.”
“Where did you go?”
“Nowhere at first. Just wandering and watching people. But someone spotted me, and before I knew it, I was surrounded by wolves. There’s a pack west of here, and they decided I needed protecting.” Gingko’s gaze slid to his father. “When I get lonely, I run with them.”
“Wolves nestle?”
“Plenty.” He grinned sheepishly. “I made a friend in the pack, and he helped me sort out which parts of me were human and which ones were from my Amaranthine heritage. But I had to be careful so they wouldn’t find out about Dad.”
Tsumiko pulled her hand free so she could pet his ears. “You must love kids.”
His brows lifted at the sudden change in topic. “Michael’s and Sansa’s are the only ones I’ve spent any time with. They’d bring home their homework, so I got lectured by seven-year-old experts. And they liked to practice on me.”
She smiled. “And children want to be hugged and held.”
His ears flicked forward and back. “Guess so.”
“You must be looking forward to the new baby’s arrival.”
Gingko hid his face against the mattress. But he didn’t deny it.
TWENTY SEVEN
Tactical Retreat
Argent tightened his grasp and sighed as giddy waves washed over him, not quite pleasure, but close enough to push away the pain. The tip of his tongue touched damp skin. How long had he been laving the girl’s shoulder? Tsumiko lay docile in his grasp, more trusting than any maiden should be, given the cultural impropriety of their positions. Stranger still, she was awake.
“Feeling better?” she asked.
“Don’t trouble yourself on my account.” His voice crackled, dry with disuse.
From across the room, Gingko said, “Lousy bluff. He’s still in pain.”
Argent turned slowly, testing his limits and finding them far too quickly. Unknit bones ground, stitches pulled, and scabbed skin tore.
Gingko jumped up, grousing oaths. “Don’t open your wounds! Or do youwantto spend a couple more days in bed with Tsumiko?”
“Days?”
