Page 129 of Mikoto and the Reaver Village
Before Lilya could protest, Moon whistled a piercing note.
An instant later, Glint hastened into the room, concernfading into a warm smile. “Angel,” he said, sounding relieved. He sank to hisknee. “You came back?”
Did he think she wouldn’t?
She was still trying to figure out how to reassure him whenGlint’s guest strolled into view … and struck a thoughtful pose. Lilya guessedthey did look a little strange. With Moon for her throne and Glint on one kneebefore them, like she was some kind of queen.
But Lapis had always been willing to play along, no matter howsilly the rules of the games she and Kyrie made up. So he swept across the roomand settled gracefully beside Glint, offering a bejeweled hand with all the grandeurof a fairy tale prince.
Sapphire eyes sparkling, he drawled, “Hello, sealed girl.”
FORTY-SEVEN
Likeness
Reveille escorted Kyrie through dense forest, skirtingtwo mountains before slowing to stroll into a clearing ringed by camouflagedtents. Battlers and Kith alike noted their arrival, and Kyrie eased closer toReveille, hiding in his shadow.
Lifting his arm to shoot a quizzical glance, Reveille asked,“Nervous?”
Kyrie chose a different word. “Wary.”
“No use hiding behind me.”
“Perhaps.” Improbable as it sounded, even passing a fewpaces from their seats around three cookfires, most of the battlers wouldn’tnotice him. It was a useful trick. One his father had strongly suggested hekeep quiet.
There were limits, of course. And proof of them stepped out ofa netting-draped canopy.
It had been years since Torloo left Japan, but he hadn’tchanged. In fact, he looked younger than Kyrie remembered, but that wasprobably because he was getting taller while Torloo was not. The gap in theirages was closing. Kyrie was quickly catching up, and that was incrediblycomforting. He and his friend would go through their adolescence together.
“Kyrie?” Torloo’s nose was working almost as hard as histail. “Iknowyou are here.”
Wolves weren’t much for subtlety. Reluctantly, Kyrie steppedinto plain sight. “Here.”
Even though Kyrie had seen Torloo the night Sinder wasinjured, Torloo hadn’t seen him. Because Kyrie hadn’t wanted to be seen orstopped. When he was littler, it had confused him that, despite the Elderboughtrackers’ impressive reputation, they were so easy to elude. He didn’t like tomention it. Back then, he hadn’t wanted to hurt their feelings. Now, it wasjust another trick he knew better than to mention.
Torloo darted forward so fast, Kyrie barely had time to openhis arms before he was scooped into a spinning hug.
Reveille stood watching them with arms folded. “I take ityou’re acquainted?”
“We arefriends,” corrected Torloo.
All around the camp, reavers looked on with openly curiousstares.
“When did he …?”
“Isn’t that …?”
“Notice his eyes?”
“Didn’t the briefing say …?”
And over and over, two words cycled—dragonandrogue.Before Kyrie could ask what the battlers meant, Torloo held up a hand,signaling for silence, just as Timur and Mikoto arrived on Fend. Sinder stalkedinto the clearing, commanding attention.
Timur dismounted and immediately herded Kyrie and Torlootoward the canopy. “Sinder will talk to you, explain his plan for the morning,”he told Torloo. “I’ll fill in the rookies while they finish their breakfasts.Yes?”
“Yes. Thank you,” said Torloo, who looped an arm aroundKyrie and ushered him the rest of the way out of the limelight.
A ward shimmered faintly as they ducked past netting. Kyrieresisted the urge to inspect it closely, but he could tell it was Timur’shandiwork. And that its primary function was dampening sound.
