Page 57 of Mikoto and the Reaver Village
The man accepted with a nod. “I would appreciate knowing howto return.”
Zisa seized their hands and nearly skipped to the door.
Tenma didn’t seem to mind the handling at all. In fact, he lacedhis fingers with Zisa’s and held on tight. Mikoto found himself hoping the manwould stay in Wardenclave. Not many were so accepting of Zisa’s little ways.
Barely halfway to the boundary, Zisa stopped short. “Now,”he said, as serious as Mikoto had ever seen him. “Tell Tenma what happened.”
“Something happened?” Mikoto’s brows furrowed. “When?”
“When you were smaller than you are now, but not as small asGregor.” Zisa wasn’t very good with timeframes, but when he let go and steppedback, he put out a hand, describing the correct height. It was a good hint.
“Zisa, are you talking about when I was nine?”
“No. You talk.” The tree made little flutters with hishands. “Tell him about the day when everything changed.”
Which could only mean … Lupe. Lowering his voice, Mikotoasked, “Do you mean the day I almost drowned? Why do you want me to share thatstory?”
“It matters,” said Zisa. And again to Tenma. “Itmatters.”
“I believe you.” Tenma took a receptive posture. “If Mikoto-kunis willing.”
Mikoto didn’t mind telling, but he didn’t understand why. TouchingZisa’s shoulder, he asked, “Why does it matter?”
“Because that is the day everything changed,” he patientlyreplied.
“I do not understand.”
“MaybeIwill,” Tenma suggested.
“It was an accident,” Mikoto awkwardly began. “We were downby the river. I slipped and fell in.”
Not much of a story, really. A dozen words covered thebasics.
Zisa frowned. “You left out the important part.”
“L-lupe … she ….” Mikoto stopped and restarted. “A friend ofthe family dived in after me and pulled me out. She saved my life.”
Tenma was listening closely, watching closely. He asked, “Weredrastic measures required?”
“I … I guess you could say that. The other kids teased mesome, saying she kissed me.” Mikoto offered an awkward shrug. “I needed CPR.”
“Breath,” said Zisa, who bounced on his heels. “Wind.”
To Mikoto’s way of thinking, the kiss was the importantpart, even if he couldn’t really remember it. Only the elation and how the airhad tasted. And the warmth of being hugged and how Lupe smelled like sunshine. Andthe whole falling in love thing.
“This friend of the family,” Tenma said, watching Zisa now.“She’s Amaranthine?”
“No. She is a reaver.” Mikoto lowered his gaze. “She is here.For the summer.”
Tenma shuffled closer, maybe to try to read his expressionin the dark. “Are you sure?”
“That she is here? Yes.” He swallowed hard. “I met her bus.”
Reaching out to touch his arm, Tenma quietly asked, “No. Imeant … are you sure she’shuman?”
Zisa tittered.
Mikoto whispered, “Of course she is human. The same as me.”
