Page 123 of Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal
A hand stroked his hair, touched his back, and Tenma could tell it was Ploom, shining green-gold and shifting like sunlight through spring leaves. Tenma was sorry to have worried such a gentle, happy person.
Hanoo said, “Something else, though. We’ve been patrolling these streets since dusk, and none of us has seen anything. We were closest, so we got here first. More are on their way. Only I can’t understand what you’re doing, stranded on a roof, quaking like a slope full of aspens.”
Was he serious? “We were chased. Me and Inti. He went for help.”
“You smell anything?” asked Hanoo.
Ploom said, “Tenma always smells like Inti. Who was chasing you, Tenma-kun?”
“Something … someone … umm. Not a wolf.” He was trying to sort out what he meant. Now that he was paying attention, he recognized an underlying similarity between Hanoo and Ploom. He noticed it because he was relying heavily on their resemblance to Quen. “Not a wolf or a dog. Not a bear or a horse. Nothing like our classmates.”
“You can tell?” asked Hanoo.
“A little.”
Ploom murmured, “Yoota’s coming. He brought help.”
“Surely, this is a false alarm.”
The lilting voice had a peevish quality that sliced through Tenma’s fears. He knew this person, trusted him,wantedhim.
“The victims are always female. This one’s clearly male.”
The approaching steps faltered, and there was a harsh trill of displeasure. An instant later, Tenma smelled perfume, and rings sparkled on the hand that caught his chin. He couldn’t help its quivering.
“Hello, sealed boy,” crooned Lord Mossberne. “Orunsealed, it would seem.”
“You know each other?” asked Hanoo.
“Intimately.” Lapis unfastened one of his earrings, whispered something to the stone, and pressed it into Tenma’s palm. “There, now. Tell me you are impressed.”
Oh, he was. He managed a noise. It wasn’t a very dignified noise.
“Well, then.” The dragon lord snatched him from Hanoo’s grasp and assessed their surroundings with obvious distaste. “I do not care for the way the wind is blowing. Is there someplacewarmerwe can have this conversation?”
FORTY-SEVEN
Shambles
Kimiko took the time to greet each of the guests to Kikusawa Shrine, which is how she noticed Lord Mossberne’s absence. “Are we missing a dragon?” she whispered to Hisoka.
His step checked. “Ah. Lapis volunteered to stand watch. He’s perched on one of your stone dragons at the lower gate.”
“Odd.”
“Apt,” countered the cat, his gaze taking in those gathered.
“Have you seen Suuzu?”
“Yes.” Hisoka made an unobtrusive hand sign—stay where you are. “He and Akira have excellent seats for the proceedings. Which you may begin as soon as your representatives take their places.”
Eloquence must have heard because he gathered up a sleepy Ever and invited her father to take his seat. An ornate bench flanked by heaters had been placed near Kusunoki’s base. Ever squirmed happily on his cushion, then clambered onto Mr. Miyabe’s lap. Eloquence tucked them both under one of the fur blankets provided by his pack, then moved into position.
Their place had been marked, and Kimiko had to wonder who was responsible for the red chrysanthemum newly painted onto the ancient paver at their feet.
She peered around, and conversations fell off. The balance between humans and Amaranthine was equal, thanks in part to the inclusion of Isla and her father. Dickon presided over the Miyabe women with the air of a bodyguard. Mama was beaming and dabbing at her eyes. Eloquence’s brothers looked on with matching expressions of pride. Uncle Laud hang back from the rest, leaning against Rise’s glossy bulk.
Kimiko’s part didn’t require anything drastic. In truth, she could have offered a few sentences, kissed the boy, and been done in under a minute. But this first pledge was for show, so she’d worked out a few things to say in order to prolong the moment.
