Page 48 of Mikoto and the Reaver Village
“Yes. Good.” Kyrie took her hand and asked, “May I choosethe route?”
Lilya smiled. “Are the winds here friendly?”
He blushed and said, “Same as always.”
“Where do they want you to go?”
It was almost a game, like pretend. Only Kyrie wasn’tpretending. He really did catch impressions out of thin air. Lapis was the onewho’d understood first. He’d begun singing ballads—some sad, some silly, somesweet—about dragons and their entanglement with wind imps. Kyrie hoped some ofthose stories were true. He’d love to meet a gentle breeze or a towering storm.Maybe even a monsoon.
Pointing in the general direction of Zisa, Kyrie said, “Back,but by a roundabout trail.”
Lilya never questioned him, always trusted him. And it wasnice to be believed, even when the truest of true things sounded impossible.
“What will we find?”
Kyrie cocked an ear and quietly said, “Someone is singingagain.”
Away from the cabins and halls of Wardenclave, it waspossible for Lilya to pretend that these were the woods surrounding StatelyHouse. She and Kyrie often wandered them, usually leading a small army of crossers.Or chasing after stragglers.
She could almost see Gilen’s banded tail disappearing highabove, with Tawny in close pursuit. And hear Mori’s stern voice remindingeveryone to stay with their buddy. Right now, she even missed Nonny, who was aterror and a tease with everyone except Uncle Jackie.
Kyrie stopped inspecting a cluster of mushrooms growing upthe side of a tree like stairsteps to say, “Jarrah would call for a climbingcontest.”
So true. She said, “Finnick would have lost his shoes by now.”
“Disa would beg to be carried.”
“And Raife would give in first.” Lilya tightened her grip.“I wish we could have brought everyone.”
With a wistful smile, Kyrie said, “We miss them because welove them. They are a part of us. Our family.”
“Maybe we can borrow Ginkgo’s phone? Send messages.”
“Yes. Good.” With a finger before his lips, he quietlyadded, “Almost there, I think.”
Although she listened hard, Lilya couldn’t hear anythingbeyond the calls of birds and the rustle of leaves high above. “I miss thesea.”
“I want to climb a mountain.”
That was a good plan. “Can we?”
“Why not?”
Kyrie’s winding way brought them around the hilltop, througha pasture, and over a fence with crystal-topped posts. They were well under Zisa’svast canopy. When Kyrie pulled Lilya through another barrier, they were there. Butthings looked different on this side of the tree. Waaseyaa had the biggerhouse, and Zisa had the tiny cottage. But there was a third building, partlyburied in climbing vines. It didn’t have many windows, and the door was big, somaybe it was a barn?
That’s where Kyrie wanted to go, so that’s where they went.
Now, it was possible for Lilya to hear the sound of singing—richand mellow and belonging to a lady. Kyrie tried the door, a panel that slideasily to the side. The singing didn’t stop. Closing the door behind them, theystole toward the voice.
Lilya could guess where they were now. They had buildingslike this at the Starmark compound. A Kith shelter filled with cozy smells—drystraw and warm fur.
The song trailed off, and a voice cheerfully exclaimed, “Well,thisis a surprise! If I’m not mistaken, we have guests.”
Lilya only hesitated a moment longer than Kyrie beforepeeking around the final corner.
A beautiful lady reclined between the forepaws of an equallybeautiful wolf. White hair. Copper eyes. They justhadto be more ofEver’s relatives.
With a laugh to add width to her smile, she beckoned tothem. “Come and help me pamper this beast, for I love her like a sister.”
