Page 104 of Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal
Hisoka sighed. “That was an unexpected upshot to the investigation. I’m not sure anyone realized before.”
Quen didn’t ask them to hurry along. He could see the trail, and he wasn’t eager to deal with what waited at its end.
“While humans and Amaranthine have always been compatible, not all couplings are the same. Just as a human bondmate must be a reaver in order to receive the tending necessary to extend their lifespan, a human woman must be a reaver in order for the coupling to result in offspring.”
Argent put it bluntly. “He rapes the girls he takes in order to breed.”
“Why haven’t we stopped him?”
“Ah.” Hisoka’s smile was wan and weary. “Our trackershavesucceeded. We’re certain they’ve cornered our culprit more than once.”
Quen finally wearied of waiting. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“That part should be yours to tell, Argent.”
The fox beckoned for Quen’s hand, which he brought to his own heart. Holding it there, Argent touched his fingertips to Quen’s chest. A request for secrecy and support.
Heart racing, Eloquence placed his hand over Argent’s, pressing and promising.
“We are dealing with a rogue dragon,” Argent said grimly. “And he is my son Kyrie’s sire.”
FORTY
Guest List
Kimiko overslept.
She swung her feet to the floor and considered the cluttered hush of her room, trying to remember why this was significant. Books were strewn everywhere. Oh, yes. Isla had been reading to her long into the night. Because Kimiko couldn’t sleep. Recollection crashed into her, refreshing her half-forgotten jitters, just as a tap sounded on her window.
Was that what woke her?
Noting Isla’s absence as she shuffled to the window, Kimiko drew aside the curtain, squinting into the midmorning brightness. Akira grinned and waved, gesturing for her to open the window. He looked totally at ease with both the height and the cradling hold of his nestmate.
Kimiko opened the window and was immediately assailed by noise.
Two vans were being unloaded near the base of Kusunoki, where a graceful canopy had been erected. Banners fluttered on stands—Kikusawa’s red chrysanthemums alongside the celestial copper of the Starmark crest. Furs and heaters. Tea urns and tapestry rugs. Everything you’d expect for an extravagant human wedding. Only this ceremony would be Amaranthine. And it was hers.
“How did I sleep through this?” She pulled Suuzu and Akira in out of the cold.
“A barrier,” said Suuzu.
Kimiko leaned out, trying to get a sense of what had changed. Something was definitely there, but it didn’t feel like the crystal-based warding Isla’s father had used along the boundaries. With a long last look at the box-laden people hurrying back and forth along their front walk, Kimiko shut out the cold. Immediately, the hubbub outside her room vanished. “Did Lord Mettlebright do something?”
Suuzu hummed. “No, this barrier has a wolvish feel to it. Several trackers arrived during the night. One of them must be responsible.”
“Very considerate,” she murmured. Maybe Dickon would know which of the wolves had gone above and beyond by protecting her sleep. “But why are you guys here? You’re late for school.”
Akira beamed. “Special permission to skip. Argent said so, and nobody argues with Lord Mettlebright.”
Suuzu said, “I will remain by your side throughout the day, as your go-between.”
With a sharp elbow to the phoenix’s ribs, Akira added, “And as your friend.”
“Hmm.”
Any doubt on that score vanished when Suuzu frowned and reached for Kimiko’s hair. Glad of their presence, she bowed her head and submitted to a little friendly preening.
Akira spent the rest of the morning pitching in where he could, with regular pauses to take pictures with his phone. The shrine had plenty of interesting nooks and niches. He’d just zoomed in on a squat jar with a long neck that looked to have been carved from crystal when he received a heavy rap on the head.
