Page 10 of Fumiko and the Finicky Nestmate
It was unusual to meet a woman who matched his height.
“Mirrim Locket,” she said crisply. “I’m your local liaison. Argent Mettlebright placed us here, but we’re operating under the assumption that you and your team are in charge.”
Juuyu slid his hands into a supportive position before turning to the second woman. She was a handsbreadth shorter than Mirrim. A heavy braid topped her head, the sides of which were shaved in a style reminiscent of the equine clans. Kohl-rimmed eyes. Multiple piercings. Potent crystals.
Her snug sheath and openwork pants bared a lot of brown skin. He realized he was staring, inadvertently attempting to memorize her tattoos, which were unusually complicated. Highly advanced sigilcraft. The dangerous sort.
“Curious?” The woman smiled broadly and crooked a finger. “You can look, but don’t touch. They’re loaded.”
The sigils stood out like lace upon her skin, inked in white, shimmering with power.
“These are what I like to call a competitive edge.” She turned, encouraging his perusal. “This set has shields for deflective attacks. Ever been hit by an airbag in a moving car?”
Juuyu’s eyes widened.
So did her smile. “Broke my nose once. Gave me the idea. Defensive measures can pack a wallop. So does my partner. I’m Magda Locket, by the way. We’re the Lost Harbor Lockets.”
As if he should recognize them.
He met her palms and admitted, “I am … unfamiliar.”
“Seriously?” Magda propped a hand on her hip. “We’re on the battler circuit. The games are televised and everything. Ever watch any extreme sports? No?”
“I apologize.” He was more interested in the delicate sigils that wheeled around her. Six in all. Expanding her sensory field like the whiskers on a cat.
Mirrim’s posture shifted as she took charge again. “We’re both partnered. You met Lash.”
Juuyu inclined his head toward the lynx.
Magda said, “I belong to Tuft. He’s sweeping fourth floor. That’s where the Junzi is displayed.”
“We can take you there first,” Mirrim offered. “There’s probably time, since the director is running late. Again.”
“A moment.” Juuyu signaled for secrecy. “While it is just us.”
The battlers subtly came to attention.
“Details have not been released, but I am authorized to tell you—and only you—that there has been a theft in Keishi. Another of the Junzi, a weapon known as the Chrysanthemum Blaze, was taken from Kikusawa Shrine. One of my teammates has diverted to Keishi in order to investigate. We will know more when he rejoins us here.”
The battlers exchanged a long look.
“Kikusawa Shrine?” Magda asked incredulously. “The home of Eloquence and Kimiko Starmark? Isn’t that place behind a bajillion barriers?”
“The shrine itself is open to the public. They see hundreds of visitors on an average day. Thousands on festival days.” Juuyu had visited more than once, so he understood why the theft was such a shock. “Even so, the Blaze was taken from a secure area.”
“By the so-called Gentleman Bandit?” asked Magda.
“That is the assumption.”
“When?” asked Mirrim.
“The theft was discovered four days ago.”
Again, the women exchanged a long look.
Juuyu tasted dread. “What has happened?”
“I guess you’d call it … tampering,” said Magda. “Possibly coincidental, but it has my back up.”
