Page 22 of Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox
“Then she shall have them.”
Argent steered Tsumiko to one of the inner rooms to wait. Directing her to a seat, he loomed over her. “What happened?” he asked.
“Sansa took me to meet Minx.”
He brushed that aside. “Surely you detected the note ofurgencywith which she sent you inside? What did she see?”
Tsumiko shook her head. “It wasn’t like that. We were talking, and she realized something.”
His teeth were on edge. “Which was …?”
The girl folded her hands in her lap and calmly reported, “She was saying something about beacons being tempting, even to her old sensei. That’s when she realized something and started saying it was too late.”
“For what?”
“Too late for the bracelet to hide me.”
Argent’s gaze fell to the beads that held back all but the faintest trickle of power. “Why?”
“She didn’t sayexactly.” Tsumiko frowned, tugging the sleeves of her sweater over her hands. “But she thought someone might be here. ‘We may already have company.’ That’s what she told Minx.”
Not ten minutes later, Sansa charged in, Michael on her heels. Their battler’s calm had a fierce quality to it, which kicked up the tension in the room by several degrees. She was angry, and that could only be bad.
“Sansa, love, what happened out there?” Michael’s voice was pitched to soothe, and he hovered anxiously at his wife’s elbow. “Did you see something?”
“Nothing,” she snapped. “But that means nothing.”
Argent was ready for answers. “You realized something …?”
“Yes, yes.” Sansa waved an arm at Tsumiko. “No one knew she was a reaver!”
Michael nodded. “Quite true.”
“Evenshedid not know she was a reaver!”
“Again, true,” said Michel. But then his whole face changed. “Oh. Oh, I see.”
So did Argent, and his low growl made Tsumiko curl back into the corner of her chair.
“Miss,” Michael said, all apology. “Who confirmed your status as a reaver? Someone must have come.”
“Yes. The solicitor’s office made the arrangements,” she confirmed. “Nobody said anything about it at the time, but later, Mr. West told me they were checking the state of my soul. One was a reaver, the other was Amaranthine.”
“Do you happen to remember their names?” Michael asked.
Tsumiko shook her head, then nodded. “I don’t recall the reaver, but Mr. West said the other was Lady Nona.”
Argent nearly choked.
Sansa slapped a hand over her forehead and cursed in her mother tongue.
Tsumiko looked questioningly at Michael, who dredged up a weak smile. “Your solicitors must be very well connected. Nona Hightip is one of the Five.”
“And that’s bad?” the girl ventured.
“I’m afraid so, miss. This could put both youandArgent at risk.”
Sansa drew a short sword and stalked to the door. With a pointed look at her husband, she ordered, “Ward against foxes.”
