Page 174 of Mikoto and the Reaver Village
“Full points. It’s not.”
Crisp enunciation and a cultured accent. A flatness that suggesteda dry sense of humor. But with a slight lift that was almost … flirtatious.
Timur flipped his assailant.
“Mind the baby,” said the stranger, clearly unconcerned bythe arm across his throat.
“Who …?”
“Missed an appendage,” interrupted his captive. Somethingboffed Timur across the face. “Light a couple of crystals. I’m curious to seewhat else I have to work with.”
Now he was giving orders? Timur growled, “Who put you incharge?”
“I may not have your bulk, but you don’t have my strength.”
For one disorienting moment, Timur lost contact with the bed.Flipped, dropped, and pressed into the mattress, all he could think to say was,“Mind the baby.”
“I always do.” His captor’s voice was at his ear then. “AndI’vealwaysbeen in charge. Now, light a couple of crystals.”
Timur hesitated. Because a strange possibility had finallyoccurred to him.
“You can finally hear my voice.At leasthave thegood grace to listen.”
“Crystals are on the bedside table.”
A long stretch. Warm fingers. Cool stones.
Timur lofted one and then another and stared blankly at anAmaranthine who looked more or less his own age. Brown skin, dark brows, thicklashes, and vividly orange eyes with slit pupils.
He left off studying his claws to fix Timur with a decidedlysmug gaze. “Opposable thumbs. I’m thinking they’ll be a game changer.”
“F-fend?”
“I’ll permit your perusal, so long as you keep what we findin the strictest confidence.”
Which was definitely another order.
Timur sat up and helped his Kith partner explore hisspeaking form. The feline arched his back, wriggled his hips, rubbed his handstogether, and flex and retracted the claws in his feet, which were more likeelongated paws. Everything must have proven satisfactory because he began topurr.
“Fend?”
“Hmm?” He sprawled limply over Timur’s chest, now clad inboxers and luxuriating in the petting of the velvety panther ears atop hishead.
“How long have you been Kith-kin?”
“Probably since conception. All in the genes.”
Timur chuckled. “Fine. How long have youknown?”
Fend’s tail, which was exceptionally long and dexterous, flickedTimur’s nose. “About two minutes longer than you.”
“Why, though? Why the sudden change?”
“You were crying in your sleep.”
Timur scratched through Fend’s short hair, which had thesame dense silkiness as his fur. “That’s all?”
Fend lifted his face to glare. “What’s so wonderful aboutdragons, anyhow? Flighty as the winds they follow.”
