Page 46 of Fumiko and the Finicky Nestmate
If he uses the window to come and go
And bathes with his team
And doesn’t get curious about cabinets
Thank you for seeing to my brother’s comfort
And yours
You’re coming, right?
I will try
Tomorrow I’ll explore, find all the good places
That way I can take you around
Suuzu didn’t answer, but that was okay. He was always being interrupted by work. For all Akira knew, he’d been sneak-texting during some important meeting.
Pulling on a hoodie and tossing a beach towel over his shoulder, Akira edged his way downstairs.
Dinner preparations were underway, and Antigone turned from the stove with a smile. “Need anything?”
He pointed to the door. “I will stay close. The beach.”
She sent him off with a bottle of water, an apple, and a dense block of something that looked like seeds and peanut butter, which turned out to be quite tasty. Strolling along the dock behind the lighthouse, he found stairs leading onto the sand, which was fine and pale and speckled with pebbles.
Having put in a full day of hauling, Akira was ready to be lazy.
Downing the last of his snack, he chose a good spot, dug a shallow trough in the sand, and lined it with his towel. It was a little lonely. Usually, he had to make these nests wider, to crowd in with a bunch of youngsters. Or Suuzu, if he was home long enough to spend a day or two after a long sleep. But this was nice.
Akira turned his face to the sun, slowed his breathing, and let himself go limp.
He must have still been jetlagged, because the next thing Akira knew, the sun was much closer to the horizon, and voices were carrying across the water. First propping himself on elbows, Akira sat up.
Sinder was strolling down the dock with Portia.
Though they weren’t far from his hidey-hole, Akira had trouble distinguishing words. It didn’t help that they were speaking in English. He peered around. All he could see of the beach was empty. There had to be crowds of people to either side, and he wanted to see what the view was like on the other side of the barriers.
Tomorrow, he’d explore. Like a proper tourist.
A fluting drew his attention back to Sinder, who’d probably known Akira was there from the start. The dragon waved both hands and pointed skyward. Was something happening?
Even with his new tattoo, Akira was as susceptible as the next guy to the kinds of illusions Betweeners used to keep their secrets. So he wasn’t sure what Sinder was gesturing toward. As far as Akira could tell, there was nothing but the deepening blue of a sky that was heading toward sunset.
But then Portia must have dropped some portion of the barrier.
An Amaranthine in truest form burst through the opening. Akira’s first impression was wolf, but it could just as easily have been a dog. Not until they took speaking form was it possible to tell which clan they identified with.
This must be Moon, the missing team member. Wolf, then.
Akira sat up a little straighter, because the leaping canine had veered his way. Huge paws settled lightly on the sand, and then there was a moment when it was hard to focus, because the newcomer shifted into speaking form.
Definitely wolf, judging by his tail. But Akira had to do a quick reassessment, because there were still paws on the sand. And a lot more fur than usual. Was Moon a crosser?
Raising a hand, Akira murmured a soft, “Good evening.”
“I’ll assume that was some kind of hello,” Moon said. In English. “Are you Akira?”
