Page 23 of Mikoto and the Reaver Village
The knowing looks had begun this past winter.
All at once, almost overnight, the family noticed that Lilyawas fifteen centimeters taller than Kyrie. Aunt Tsumiko had calmly remindedeveryone that girls had their growth spurt earlier than boys. But she’d bit herlip and looked a little sad. Uncle Akira had pointed out that the Hajime familyhad always been shorter than average. And Mum proved the point by stealing up behindand looming over him.
Everyone had laughed and let the subject drop. Lilya wasn’ttaller because something had changed. Lilya was taller because she always wouldhave been. Heritage came into play for humans, too.
For the most part, Lilya was like Mum—tall and sturdy, withdark eyes and straight hair. But Lilya had inherited the shape of her face andits features from Papka. She’d borrowed a little from each of them, like anycrosser.
But crossers with Amaranthine blood always grew up in theAmaranthine way. Slowly. So even though Kyrie had been growing up alongsideLilya until now, that would change. Really, it already had.
Her eleven-year-old self would only be the same as hiseleven-year-old self for a little while longer. Which meantthiswastheir last summer together. She’d move on, getting older, and in another yearor two, she wouldn’t be half a head taller than him. She’d be head andshoulders taller. Then she’d gain Mum’s height, and he would still be a skinnylittle boy.
Lilya’s children and even her grandchildren would get tomeet her brother and be eleven with him. Or maybe twelve. Or fifteen. Becauseshe couldn’t slow down time any more than he could hurry up growing.
They’d be like Aunt Tsumiko and Uncle Akira.
Because of the special bond Kyrie’s mom shared with UncleArgent, she was borrowing his years. Or something. Basically, she didn’t getolder. So even though she’d been born before Uncle Akira, he’d caught up toher. And passed her.
When Lilya asked, Papka had explained that sharing anAmaranthine’s years was a mixed blessing. The very same thing that made Argentand Ginkgo and Kyrie so happy … was making Aunt Tsumiko and Uncle Suuzu sad.
“Feel that?” whispered Kyrie.
“Flawless,” marveled Ginkgo. “Talk about a blind approach.”
They must be there. Lilya nodded, even though she had noidea which direction to look. “Where?”
Kyrie pointed out his window, at what looked to her like anendless sea of grass. Although her older siblings talked about their travels,she’d never left Stately House. This place seemed foreign and formless andvoid. But Lilya had spent much of her life in the care of foxes, so she knewthatseemingmeant little. Or nothing at all.
She couldn’t manage sigils, commune with stones, or any ofthe other things that made Papka the best in the world. So the barrier that hidWardenclave didn’t interest her all that much. “Is Timur here?”
Ginkgo leaned down to look past them, utterly intent. “Waitfor it,” he murmured. “Any second now.”
Something tingled against Lilya’s skin, and she shivered. Ginkgoautomatically slipped his hand around her wrist. Kyrie did the same on theother side. Making sureherwalls were up. Making sure Papka’s and UncleArgent’s seal held true.
The bus rolled to a stop before a high wall that lookedpositively medieval and entirely out of place. And doubly exciting because ofit. There was no moat or drawbridge, but the gates were shut.
From a small log cabin beside the road came a white-hairedAmaranthine wearing the Starmark colors. She boarded the bus.
Lilya wanted to ask Ginkgo to take a picture, but she didn’tsay it. It was exciting to think that this might be one of Ever’s many aunts orcousins. She had the same eyes, all coppery.
Ever Starmark was the best friend who usually made them atrio. He was a crosser, but he lived in Keishi, a city too far from StatelyHouse to make visits easy. But he came when he could, just like they visitedhim whenever Uncle Argent had meetings. Sometimes, the three of them would playat the Starmark Compound, and sometimes they’d explore Kikusawa, theneighborhood below the shrine where Ever lived with his big brother Eloquence.
They’d invited Ever to join them for the summer, since hewas also eleven, going on twelve. The timing had been bad, but for a very goodreason. He was about to become Uncle Ever. Kimiko was expecting a baby over thesummer, and Ever absolutely needed to be there to greet his new packmate.
“Mind if we get a picture with that?” Ginkgo suddenly asked.
Lilya followed the sweep of his hand and saw a sign withbold lettering.
WELCOME TOWARDENCLAVE
FOUNDATION FORPEACE
And in slightly smaller letters, a proud addendum.
HOMETOWN OFHARMONIOUS STARMARK
Kyrie’s giggle was a melodious thrum that Lilya couldn’timitate. A dragonish sound that meant he was pleased.
Lilya knew how much he’d wanted this summer to include Ever.Before they left Japan, they made a solemn pact to send Ever a picture every day.Because even though they were often apart, they were part of each other. “Forour first day. For his Da.”
