Page 70 of Tamiko and the Two Janitors
“I can’t promise that. Not universally. I mean, there are alot of Amaranthine who are stronger than me. But I can make it a whole lot harderfor them to notice you. And even if they do, I’ll have made a prior claim.” Hecleared his throat. “Are you ticklish?”
The man raised a hand like a kid in class. “What do you meanbyprior claim?”
Kip really kind of wanted that third beer now. And not forthe usual reasons. “I need to create a series of overlapping sigils directlyonto your skin. They’ll bolster the existing seal while adding additionalbarriers—ones to keep you in, ones to keep others out. I’ll anchor them to yourown soul, which means they’ll be incredibly strong. But you need to understandthat the sigilcraft is mine. They’ll carry my … my signature. And according tothe customs of my clan, that makes you mine.”
“So it’s a bond?”
“Sort of.” He really wished a better idea would occur tohim. “It does define a new relationship.”
“Umm … in what sense would I be yours?”
“My personal stash.” Kip couldn’t quite meet Jiro’s worriedgaze as he added, “My food.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
One Way or Another
Tami woke before her alarm and immediately missedBiddie. The girl must have slipped out during the night. Abandoning the warmhuddle of blankets, her toes brushed chill floorboards in their quest for herslippers. Tami pulled aside the filmy sheers and raised her shade to consider asky that still showed stars. Mist clung to the orchard, and it wouldn’t be muchlonger before frost added its bite. Biddie was probably back in the oak glen,which was both understandable and worrisome. Should a girl so small be out inthe cold? Would she need warmer clothes, or were trees impervious to climatechanges?
Every day brought more questions. Every answer proved howmany more questions she hadn’t considered. “I wish someone could tell me whatquestions I’m supposed to be asking.”
She zipped through her morning routine, mentally reviewingher agenda for a meeting with Dr. Bellamy. The schools in their flagshipalliance would be narrowing down their faculty lists, and he’d suggestedcoordinating their selections to optimize on the opportunity.Anda teamfrom the Office of Ingress would begin warding the school today, so herpresence was absolutely necessary. Even though she’d rather stay home to meetthe wolves Melissa and Jiminy were bringing.
So much was happening, and she couldn’t be everywhere atonce. She’d simply have to trust Grandad to do what was best for the family andthe farm.
When Tami reached the kitchen, Grandad sat at the table, acup of coffee before him. He asked, “Do you have time to talk?”
“I’d like that.”
He waited until she poured her coffee and cut a slice ofapple bread. After she sat, he said, “There are things you need to understand.About our family history.”
“Shouldn’t we wait for everyone else?”
Grandad knotted his hands together. “There are thingsyouneed to understand.Onlyyou.”
“All right. I get the impression that keeping secrets is abig part of being a reaver.”
He smiled thinly, lowered his gaze to the tabletop, andspoke with surprising detachment. “Being a reaver is all about bloodline. Myparents were nothing special—midranks at best—but they had good connections.They used them. Only it didn’t work out the way they expected. In trying toimprove their position in the In-between, they put themselves in something of afix. They vowed out as quickly and quietly as they could.”
Tami wanted to ask for more details, but this wasn’t theright time. Grandad seemed to be working his way toward something that waseither dangerous or illegal. Maybe both.
“Lisbet and I had different fathers.”
She frowned. “I thought you were twins.”
“Everybodythought we were twins. Truth is, Lisbetwas tree-kin.”
New terms kept cropping up. Tamiko patiently asked, “Whatdoes that mean?”
“My sister was born under special circumstances.” Grandadrubbed at the side of his face. “So was I, for that matter. Mother managed toscrape together the paternity fee for a reputable stable, which is how we’rekin to Melissa’s people. Meanwhile, Dad contacted an old family friend andbegged for help. They left together.
Dad told me a little about his trip, but he never would saywhere he went. Only that when he came home, he was already carrying her. Myfolks went into seclusion after that. Twins, they told everyone. Fraternaltwins.”
Tamiko tried to make sense of what he’d said. “Your sisterwas adopted?”
Grandad shook his head.
“But you said your father brought her back from a trip.”
