Page 103 of Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal
A barrier, but not the kind Quen knew to make, for the world vanished. Fox magic. A mild voice alerted him to the presence of a third person within an otherwise empty space.
“Thank you for including me,” said Hisoka.
Argent rolled his eyes. “The whelp feels betrayed. Make it right.Now.”
The cat slunk into view, reached for Quen’s limp hands, and bowed low so that his forehead touched them. “I am sorry for distressing you. I would much rather spare you everything—slights, slander, spurious assumptions, and scandalous speculation. As it is, we can only prepare you for their inevitability.”
Quen’s gaze swung to Argent’s face. “You lied?”
“No. I told you what some will believe, what some will say.”
Argent offered no apologies. Then again, he owed none. Eloquence eased out of the fox’s arms, but he didn’t make it far. Silvery tails fanned out and around. Propriety prevented Quen from touching them, which made them an effective prison. Even so, Quen felt more on equal terms, seated so close, all their knees were touching.
Hisoka said, “When your ‘engagement’ to Kimiko comes to light, the press will be no more gentle than Argent has been.”
“Worse,” muttered the fox. “You will face demands—not requests—for information every bondmate would consider intensely private. And that is just the public sector. The merry band of reaver researchers will ply you with questionnaires, schedule physical exams, and issue tactful pleas for genetic samples.”
“Has Dad been dealing with this stuff?”
“Only since the announcement of Ever’s birth,” said Hisoka. “And Harmonious has been fierce in his protection of Anna. She’s never been photographed or interviewed.”
Quen touched Argent’s arm. “What does Lady Mettlebright do?”
“Tsumiko is similarly elusive, by her choice and my enforcement.” Argent’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I am regularly approached by those who—for the good of the In-between—want access to the crossers who have found safe haven at Stately House. Our priority has always been their protection.”
Hisoka said, “Argent is one of many sheltering those without clan or crest.”
The cat probably also had a paw in. That would explain Inti’s presence at New Saga.
“I understand that I need coaching.” Quen had been so enamored of the future he’d imagined, he’d been blind to the accompanying battle he was ill-equipped to wage. “But why are you telling me thisnow?
Argent and Hisoka exchanged a long look.
“There is no hurry.” Quen leaned forward, keeping his voice low. “Our courtship is meant to be conducted in secret. Over the course ofyears.”
“Tsk. Tell him.”
“There is a chance that I will need touseyou and your ‘engagement.’”
That creeping sense of betrayal was back.
Hisoka’s smile was all sympathy, but no apologies were forthcoming from his quarter, either. “Recent events in Keishi are causing concern at the highest levels. Those most resistant to accommodating our existence are actively seeking proof that our intentions are less than honorable.”
Hardly news. The debates had raged ever since the Emergence.
“The kidnappings?” asked Quen. They’d begun about the same time a large contingent of trackers had arrived, led by the Elderbough clan. “Boon trailed the culprit here and was injured trying to rescue one of the girls.”
“Yes.” Hisoka ran a hand over his hair. “Their presence here is part of an ongoing international investigation. The Elderbough pack has been in pursuit for nearly four years.”
That was a long time to elude a pack famed for their skill in tracking.
“They’ve uncovered evidence of killings and kidnappings going back decades.” He cut a look at Argent, who inclined his head. “Over the last several years, he has refined his technique. We know what he’s after, but that hasn’t helped us to stop him.”
Quen was beginning to see the scale of this problem. “The kidnapper is Amaranthine.”
“Yes.”
Argent huffed impatiently. “He is a monster with discriminating tastes—only females, only reavers. Because they are the only ones who can give him what he wants.”
