Page 21 of Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal
Akira was about to ask for his own sake, but realized Suuzu actually had.
Soft as down, Juuyu added, “You would not be inside my wards if I did not trust you, Akira.”
They explored the phoenix’s necklace, and Suuzu finally ventured, “How does it work?”
Juuyu’s lips took a wry twist. “This may seem little more than a flight of fancy, but I cannot deny that it calms the part of me that craves a nest.”
“I get it. I think,” said Akira. “These must be reminders of what’s most important to you. Will you tell us what they mean?”
Juuyu began with a wooden bead, its milky blue paint showing signs of wear, as if it had been rubbed. “This is my piece of the sky.” Touching the next item along the strand, he quietly said, “And this is for the star under which I was born.”
Sharp facets glittered amidst the mooring strands.
“It’s heavy.” Akira held the stone up so it caught what remained of the daylight coming from above. He traded a glance with Suuzu before adding, “It sort of looks like a diamond.”
“Naturally. And this is a pearl, to represent the tides that were once my only timepiece.” Juuyu quietly admitted, “I have found that I miss the sound of the sea.”
“Yes,” breathed Suuzu. “Are these from Letik’s tree?”
Juuyu hummed an affirmative and showed them how to open what looked like an ornamental test tube. “He refreshes the petals whenever I visit.”
Suuzu sniffed, and an expression of wonder crossed his face. “Home.”
The fragrance had faded, but Akira recognized it right away. Both times he’d visited the Farroost colony, they’d slept in a kind of treehouse, high among the limbs of a massive tree that always seemed to be in bloom, no matter what the time of year.
A series of five crystals, each a different hue, glinted in their knotted settings. Akira couldn’t tell if the items had any power anchored to them. He’d been tested more than once—and by the best—but it was no use. Akira didn’t have a reaver’s ability to detect stuff like that.
“These are tuned?” Suuzu asked.
“To the members of my team. They are a little like a flock.” Juuyu’s fingertip grazed the one with a greenish cast. “This one is for my partner.”
His younger brother leaned forward. “You have a nestmate?”
Juuyu tweaked the end of Suuzu’s nose. “Not so dear, but just as trusted. When our instincts interfere with our work, we help each other. As I will help you.”
“With something like this?” Suuzu reverently returned the necklace to his brother.
“It may be some time before you need to rely on something so tenuous. I must go where I am sent with very little warning … and with no idea of how long I might remain. But you are here, and this room will do very well.” Juuyu tucked away his necklace and buttoned his shirt. “I only have tonight, but in the deep of winter, the night is long.”
He was staying over? Akira was glad for Suuzu’s sake. Although his best friend had more siblings than Akira could keep track of, he was obviously closest to Juuyu. An admired brother who was somehow also a mentor. Maybe because they had both left the island and worked closely with humans? More to the point, Akira asked, “You can help Suuzu?”
“I will do what can be done.” Juuyu rose and paced the perimeter of the room. “I will do what Suuzu cannot do for himself—establish a nest.”
“Why can’t you…?” Akira asked.
His best friend didn’t meet his gaze.
“Youth. The elders have given Suuzu an adult’s status and responsibilities, and my brother has exceeded every expectation. But that which was given cannot replace that which grows.” Juuyu came to crouch before them. Cupping Suuzu’s face, he took a gentler tone. “You have not been sleeping, brother mine. Tonight, you two will be the chicks in my nest.”
TWELVE
Show of Trust
Suuzu Farroost often wondered at the fleeting nature of humanity. He understood in part, for he remembered how quickly he’d fledged. Until the age of twelve, Amaranthine progressed much as humans did, but from there, maturation slowed. Days became decades, and the years became a gap that many Amaranthine preferred not to approach.
A phoenix’s trust was barely gained before death crept in and a new generation rushed forward. Reavers in their enclave were like waves lapping the shore, barely cresting before sinking away, swift in their succession, an endless backdrop to a peaceful life. But Suuzu had spent enough years on quiet beaches to know that sometimes, a little wave would carry something precious onto the sand.
Akira was one such treasure.
