Page 12 of Mikoto and the Reaver Village
Sinder eased onto his side, testing muscles and gritting histeeth against several new aches and twinges. “No offense, Michaelson, but youcan’t expect me to believe you’re Mettlebright’s spy.”
“Are we spies, then?”
“I never said that,” he muttered, grateful the room waswarded.
“Believe what you want. I can’t deny that I’m here for …reasons.” Timur’s lips quirked. “But they’re largely familial.”
“But notentirelyfamilial,” he challenged. Sinderwasn’t sure what kind of confession he expected to wrest out of the man. Whywas he running at the mouth? And then it clicked. “What did you dose me with?”
“Huddlebud. You had a second dose two days ago. I can brew atea that’ll wash away any lingering effects.” Timur came to perch on the bed’sedge. “The room’s been warded the whole time. Nobody heard.”
Sinder’s eyes widened. “What did I say?”
“This and that. Nothing worth repeating.” Timur chuckled ashe added, “Though I would like my phone back. Eventually.”
He found it under his pillow.
Timur’s eyes sparkled with laughter. “You were cuddling itlike a teddy bear.”
Sinder clutched it to his heart. “Wardenclave doesn’t havewifi.”
“Denholm does.” As if on cue, the phone vibrated.
“We’re in Denholm?” Sinder glanced at the screen. Someonewith the handle BeastieBestie had texted,I could walk faster than this busis rolling.
“No, we’re at the heart of Wardenclave.”
Something in the way he said it made Sinder take a closerlook at his surroundings. That dose must have been fresh as flowers. Thenagain, Sinder was used to leaving setting details to Juuyu.
Daytime, roundabout mid-high. Bedroom, probably guest. Anddownright palatial, by Wardenclave standards. “They gavemea tent.”
Timur laughed. “I have a little cabin, same as the otherinstructors. But this was both more secure and more convenient for … reasons.”
Sinder wasn’t letting that go. “YouknowI know Inti,right?”
With a quick nod, Timur rejoined, “And you know where he is.”
That hung in the air between them for several moments. “Right.Well,” muttered Sinder. “The less said, the better.”
“Now you sound like Boon,” Timur accused.
Sinder hung his head, at a loss. Finally, he asked, “Howmuch do you know?”
“More than I’m supposed to, but not enough to be dangerous. I’mtrying to reassure you. We have people in common. You can trust me.”
“Me, trust a Spomenka?” Sinder gave him the side eye. “Thatwould be preposterous.”
Timur nodded. “Almost as preposterous as having a phoenixfor a partner.”
Sinder flopped back and waved an accusing finger. “You’re aharrowing, hulking security risk.”
“Not a bit of it. But Iamhere for securityreasons.” He reached over and unlocked his phone with the touch of a finger.“How are they coming?”
More text messages from BeastieBestie.
I could walkfaster than this bus is rolling
Unpaved roads =first line of defense
