Page 144 of Mikoto and the Reaver Village
All he attracted were rookies, and their heart wasn’t in thehunt. They were being too cautious. Not because they were afraid of dragons,but because the blessed idiots were afraid to hurt him. Should the mission bescrapped?
He’d talk it through with Torloo.
Michaelson might have ideas, too.
Sinder checked on his support crew. Timur and Mikoto wereconferring under the cover of a barrier, but Fend was staring. And it wasn’t anice stare. If anything, the big feline looked eager. Hungry? No it was morelike … anticipation.
Oh, shit.
He dove, narrowly evading a pretty bit of sigilcraft.Something like a net that promised restriction. How had the kid gotten closeenough to drop it? Sinder took to his heels, only to be brought up short by athree-man cell. Dunce and double dunce. He was willing to bet the battlersdidn’t even know they’d been warded.
Swearing at all Four Storms, Sinder forced himself to holdposition. Where?
It was no use running if you ran straight into your pursuer’sarms. Where?
A breeze brushed his face. Another slid through his hair.
Definitely time to go.
Sinder ran.
Ginkgo was used to keeping track of children. It was partand parcel of life at Stately House. Wards for out-of-bounds spots. Specialnecklaces with etched sigilcraft. Added to those were his own eyes, ears, nose,and gut. All making sure Ginkgo was where he needed to be whenever he wasneeded.
Michael’s and Sansa’s kids were a special case. As wasKyrie.
All of them had been bound to him by sigils, pretty muchsince birth. That had been Dad’s idea and Michael’s doing. Making Ginkgo theirbodyguard. Giving him every excuse to become more. Reminding him over and againthat he was family.
For this trip, Michael went above and beyond with tunedcrystals. Stones in Lilya’s necklace, Gregor’s bracelets, and Kyrie’s armbandhad been tuned to those Ginkgo wore wolf-style, on a knotted cord around hisneck.
They gave him a general direction, resonated with strongemotions, and tipped him off whenever Kyrie was working a bit of sigilcraft. Sohe usually knew if they were at lessons with Michael. Or mixed up in mischief.
Most of the time, he tuned them out.
This wasn’t one of those times.
Ears flattened, teeth gritting, he muttered a hasty excuseand was over the wall in a bound. Salali was half a heartbeat behind.
“Any chance this is some kind of … early warning system?” Ginkgodemanded.
“None.” The squirrel blandly added, “At least, not one ofmine.”
“Coulda fooled me. What the hell’s wrong with your trees?”
“Somebodyis using them.”
Ginkgo spared him a glance. “My brother.”
With a faint smirk, Salali remarked, “The sons of StatelyHouse do not disappoint.”
“You’re not bothered?”
Catching his arm, the squirrel forced him to slow. “Why areyoubothered?”
“My brother might be in trouble!”
Salali pulled up short, and Gent wheeled tightly, coming toa rest atop the squirrel’s hat. “Sinder is testing him. At your request.”
“But this …!” Ginkgo indicated the woods. “You gotta admitthis is unusual.”
