Page 2 of Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox
Tsumiko couldn’t figure out why the lawyer seemed so concerned. She wasn’t a prisoner. And students knew which rules they could bend. For instance, one of the cooks kept a television in her room. She’d let the older girls visit in the evening to giggle and swoon over romantic dramas. They weren’tcompletelycut off; they were simply encouraged to live with different priorities.
Finally, she said, “This is a school, Mr. West. Learning is encouraged.”
He accepted that with a nod and made a note for himself. “Please place the highest priority on learning about the Rivven.”
“The inhuman races.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Lady Nona was a member of their fox clans, and her companion was a reaver.”
Could that have been the source of the strangeness she’d felt? Tsumiko said, “They both looked human.”
“Many of the Rivven are able to take human form. Reaversarehuman. For millennia they’ve served as gatekeepers and guards, protecting the boundaries between us and the Rivven races.” He pulled a hefty stack of papers from his briefcase, “As I said, it’s too much to explain now. We need to finalize your inheritance.”
Tsumiko frowned. “You still haven’t told me why I’m the one to inherit.”
Mr. West held up a pale blue envelope. “This is a personal note from Mrs. Eimi. Sign this first page, and I can release it to you.” At her continued hesitation, he resorted to wheedling. “I’m quite certain this will shed more light on the situation.”
She could see her full name written in dark blue ink. Her distant relative had composed a letter before she died? Tsumiko grudgingly accepted the pen and scanned the release form. “Will this make youmylawyer?”
“In essence, yes.”
With something as simple as a signature, she’d make a formal claim on this man’s time and attention. Daunting. But Mr. West didn’t make Tsumiko uneasy. Trusting herself as much as him, she signed her name.
He took back the paper, added his own signature, the date, and even the time. Pressing an official-looking seal with a floral crest to the bottom corner of the page, he slid it into an envelope.
“Thank you,” he said with satisfaction. “As a member of Watanabe, Wada, and West, legal representatives of the estate that now rests in your hands, please rest assured that I am at your service.”
For a moment, Tsumiko thought she’d been tricked into signing away her right to refuse. But her pique never made it tofitstatus. Yes, she wanted more information, but no one in their right mind turned down a bequest, even if it came from an unknown source.
Yet the terms had changed. Up until now, Mr. West had only spoken of an inheritance. Tsumiko had assumed that meant money. “Did you sayestate?”
“Yes. And we’ll go over those particulars next—house, properties, investments, and other extensive assets.”
She watched him riffle through the small mountain of paperwork she’d probably have to sign.
Mr. West continued. “I have yet to pay a personal visit to Stately House—the primary Hajime-Smythe estate—but I understand that it’s quite old, quite large, and … unique. I’ll make the trip the day after tomorrow to ensure that everything is in readiness for your arrival.”
“I need to go there?”
“You need tolivethere,” he corrected. “I will review the particulars with you, but first …!”
Tsumiko took the blue envelope with both hands and studied its seal. Hydrangea blue wax held an impression of a five-petaled flower with a starry center. The single sheet of paper inside was delicate as tissue and dated three weeks ago.
A quick peek at the end of the letter confirmed that the sender was Lady Eimi Hajime-Smythe. Returning to the first lines, Tsumiko’s pulse quickened.
So they’ve found you at last. I knew there must be another reaver in the family . . .
TWO
Last Wish
Food held no appeal for Argent, but Sansa pressed a porcelain cup into his hands. When its tepid contents left an unpleasant taste in his mouth, he sniffed belatedly at the dregs. One of her medicinal teas? Or perhaps she’d finally had enough of his airs and poisoned him.
Yet Argent clung to life.
