Page 15 of Fumiko and the Finicky Nestmate
“Go on,” the dragon coaxed. “You can tell us.”
“May as well have it straight from the horse’s mouth. No offense, Colt.” Portia calmly revealed, “Once upon a time, I ranked fifth among wards.”
“Knew it!” Sinder jerked a thumb at Akira. “He lives with the First of Wards, you know. At Stately House.”
“Yes, I recognize Michael’s handiwork.” When Portia reached Akira, she added, “Michael and I share a branch on ye olde family tree. We’re distant cousins, more or less.”
“Handiwork? As in sigilcraft?” Sinder was eyeing Akira curiously. “How many ways are you sigiled?”
“Hard to say.” Akira laughed and shrugged. “Parting gifts from a protective family.”
Everyone at Stately House had invented wishes and blessings, which Argent had then inscribed onto Akira’s skin with sigilcraft. They were like omamori. As if their words were his armor and their hopes his protection. Some had been serious, some silly.
Make it so people know Uncle Akira is nice.
May your airplane fly good. No crashes.
Don’t get lost without Uncle Suuzu to hold your hand.
No mean people. No bad guys.
Akira wasn’t sure what Argent actually drew on him, but the kids were impressed, promising that there were glowing patterns decorating his skin.
“They won’t last more than a week or two,” Michael had later assured. “And Argent was careful with his placement. You shouldn’t draw any attention. But we’d like to add something more permanent. If you’re willing.”
A tattoo.
Jacques was proud to show off his collection. Michael also had three. Ginkgo even had one. And their purposes varied as much as their patterns, acting like keys, alarms, shields, or pathways.
“What would mine do?”
Argent said, “I want to know where you are, and I want to be able to reach your dreams. Also, if you spend enough time in the close company of Amaranthine, you may begin to notice things.”
Jacques lifted a hand. “Mine let me see Ephemera.”
It was such a small, useless benefit, but Akira wanted it. And the connection it promised. “Yes, please.”
Which brought them to a discussion of placement, made embarrassing thanks to Jacques’ asides. He could be so inappropriate.
Ever since Akira met his self-proclaimed uncle, Jacques Smythe had been sauntering into as many private moments as he could find. Probably to tease Suuzu. With excuses in the form of tea trays or messages that could have been texted, Uncle Jackie would interrupt baths, preening sessions, and every attempt to sleep in.
Not because he was being malicious. Far from it.
He thought they were cute.
Which is why Jacques had been able to suggest the perfect spot for Akira to take a mark. How many times had he found them nested together? Akira curled on his side, Suuzu’s arms wrapped around him from behind, his nose pressed into the crook of Akira’s neck.
“Just here,” said Jacques, resting his fingertips on the spot where Suuzu’s lips always pressed.
An unobtrusively intimate place.
Akira wondered how Suuzu would react when he found the spot permanently marked with the pattern of a curling phoenix feather.
“Give me a hand?” interrupted Sinder.
Twisting the new bracelet knotted at his wrist, Akira hurried to the small mountain of cases that still needed to be moved. “Are these all yours?”
“Hardly!” Sinder showed him the color-coded tags. “Colt will be setting up a lab in his room. Hallow does the war room thing, with maps and blueprints and case files. My tech does a whole range of things. Information gathering, long-distance monitoring, and team communications.”
