Page 114 of Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox
Tsumiko glanced over her shoulder. “How is she?”
“She will live. He will live,” said Argent. “An unusual outcome.”
“A good one.”
Argent asked, “Are you tending to him?”
“Not intentionally. But I think he’s taking what he needs.” Tsumiko paused, her attention turning inward. “I can’t feel the pull, so it can’t be much. Won’t he need milk, though?”
“Naturally.” Argent rubbed at the little one’s cheek.
The baby turned his head, mouth opening, hand reaching. And his eyes blinked open, fixing hazily on Tsumiko’s face. They were the deep red of garnets, with the slit pupils of an Amaranthine.
“Hello, there,” she said softly. “You were very brave today.”
“Tsk. Donotbecome attached.”
Tsumiko chose to ignore him. The downy hair she’d washed earlier had begun to puff out as it dried. “Is it just me, or is his hair purple?”
“His appearance will be striking. All dragons are showy.”
“Beautiful.” She carried him closer to the fire, confirming the distinctly purple cast to the baby’s smudge of dark hair. He winked and yawned, and she smiled and kissed him.
Argent sighed noisily.
“The wards!” Brynn Fallowfield turned from her patient. “Someone’s coming. Someone’s here.”
A knock sounded from outside, and for a moment, no one moved. Weren’t they on the second floor?
Growling softly, Argent strode to the heavy drapes along one wall, which covered a set of doors leading out onto a balcony. He tripped the catch, and Naroo-soh entered.
The wolf bowed low. “Pardon my intrusion, Dr. Smythe. I came to offer my assistance, but I see you are well-attended.”
Tsumiko flinched, for her bracelet was gone, along with the secret of her true strength.
Kyoko whimpered, and Naroo-soh showed his palms. “It is only me, lady.”
“I remember,” she answered. “But I would rather forget.”
“I am here in an unofficial capacity, to speak for my pack,” said Naroo-soh. “We would gladly give a place to one who has struggled so hard for life and breath. But perhaps this is for the best.”
“This?” asked Stewart.
“This lady,” he replied, easing to Tsumiko’s side. “I fear if I took him from you, he would cry over the loss of light like a cub on the night of the new moon.”
Brynn spoke up. “You planned totakethe child?”
Naroo-soh’s tail switched. “Better wolf pelts than lab coats.”
“That is yourunofficial opinion?” Argent inquired.
The wolf eyed him sharply. “At this point, my opinion is of least importance. Form yours quickly. The vans are not far behind me.”
“Who’s coming?” Stewart asked.
“Reavers,” Brynn said, with obvious distaste. “To save your wife’s life, they planned an … extraction.”
“On whose authority?” the young doctor blustered.
