Page 102 of Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal
“Yes.”
“Why her?”
The line of questioning hardly seemed fair. Argent had chosen a human. “Why’d you takeyourbondmate?”
The fox smirked. “She is a beacon.”
Eloquence waded through dismay and disappointment before reaching disbelief. Argent had to be lying. Or, at the very least, evading.
Argent seemed to be following his entire train of thought, for he gave a different answer. “I trust her.”
“That’s all?”
“Hardly,” he scoffed. “But without first laying claim to my trust, she could not have taken hold of everything else.”
Quen saw the sense. Argent’s words rang true.
The fox asked, “How did your attachment come about?”
Had rumors begun to spread? He quietly admitted, “It was an accident.”
“Serendipity or calamity?”
“What a thing to ask,” Quen muttered.
“You have nothing to say? Ironic.”
“I don’t hearyouwaxing eloquent about the felicities of love.”
“I could.” Argent bluntly inquired, “Are your reasons for accepting Miss Miyabe personal or promotional?”
Quen grit his teeth. On the face of things, he shared enough common ground with the fox that they should have gotten along. Why was Argent goading him? Fists clenched, he asked, “Are you trying to insult me?”
“Already riled?” He tutted disapprovingly.
He mastered his irritation. Barely.
Argent went right on. “Many of the Kindred will infer that you are under pressure from your father. That you are following his lead, supporting his policies by echoing his actions.”
Eloquence opened his mouth, a bitter protest ready to be flung. But he’d overheard so many of the conferences that had led to the Emergence. So he saw the trap in time. Argent was shading the truth, giving his own slant to the facts. The only way to set the record straight would betray clan secrets. And an ill-worded denial might imply that he didn’t support Dad’s policies.
“Some will believe that you are the perfect opportunity. Coming from the first clan to be tamed, you would grasp the need for close observation and careful documentation. To prove that your younger brother is no fluke, you and your human will agree to breed in captivity.”
Fear and fury spiked in terrible tandem, and he drove his claws into the flooring to keep from lashing out.
“Tsk.”
And then Dad was there, hugging him from behind, holding him back. “Easy, now. Stand down, son. Although I’d have throttled him myself for that last one.”
Argent sniffed. “You would haveattemptedfar worse.”
“I daresay you’ve heard far worse,” said Hisoka, who dropped into a crouch at Quen’s side. “Forgive Argent’s impudence. He is acting a part … at my request.”
Quen stilled and felt quite sick. Was this mockery? Or worse? He wouldn’t have expected these people capable of so much ugliness. To his shame, tears flooded his eyes.
Someone swore. Probably Gingko. Someone began weeping. Poor, sweet Kyrie. Someone was railing against Dad. Definitely Adoona-soh. And someone gathered him up. At first, Quen thought it must be Laud, and he went limp with relief. But when his vision cleared, he realized he’d mistaken silver for white. He was in Argent’s clutches, and the fox wasstrong.
“Leave him to me,” ordered Argent, hand slicing through the air, which soon blazed with complex sigils.
