A Private Word
on Short Notice

 

Dawn found Kimiko taking the shrine steps two at a time, weighed down with bags of fresh produce so they could treat Akira and Suuzu to an extra-nice breakfast. Mother had practically chased her out the door with a grocery list, and Kimiko had needed to knock at the back doors of the Nakamuras and the Satohs, to gather up all the ingredients on her grandmother’s list.

Noriko met her at the door with murmured thanks. Sakiko swished past with a censorious eye roll. “You’re even more of a mess than usual.”

Kimiko couldn’t deny it, but what else would she be, rousted from bed at four-thirty and running from door to door up and down Kikusawa’s business district.

Her sister’s voice dropped. “Signatures?”

“Nope.”

“Verbal agreements?”

“Not in the matrimonial line.”

Her sister looked her up and down, then leaned even closer. “Mutual consent?”

Kimiko cuffed her sister’s shoulder. “That only happens in cheap novels. I’ll change, then help with the fruit plate.”

But a light rap sounded at the front door. Odd, given the earliness of the hour. Kimiko was running through a mental list of neighbors who might make the trek up their hill this early, but a brief wash of power made her hair stand on end. Was Sentinel Skybellow here to scold her? But the fleeting impression hadn’t been particularly canine.

She slid open the door and gaped.

“Good morning, Kimi!” chirped Isla, looking neat and fresh in her school uniform. “Please, pardon our dropping by unannounced.”

Never in her life had Kimiko been more conscious of her shapeless tracksuit, her windblown hair, or her unwashed state.

“Miss Kimiko Miyabe.” At Isla’s side, Hisoka Twineshaft executed a small bow. “Would it be too much trouble if we were to beg entry?”

Suuzu was suddenly behind her, an arm sliding protectively around Kimiko’s shoulders.

And then Akira was thudding downstairs, his hair a mess but his eyes alight. “Sensei! How did you know we needed you?”

“Do you?” inquired the cat, all innocence.

Akira’s grin showed no trace of doubt. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

The implication was clear. And Kimiko was duly impressed by the staggering clarity of her classmate’s conviction that Hisoka Twineshaft would always be where he was needed. Akira beamed at their uninvited guest, as if they could rest assured that everything would be okay.

“I am undeniably present.” The cat smiled pleasantly, patiently.

Isla lightly cleared her throat, eyebrows arching.

Kimiko recalled herself, for hospitality to the Amaranthine was every reaver’s duty and delight. She set a light hand on Suuzu’s encircling arm, silently confirming the phoenix’s claim. He was her guide and go-between, and she needed him already.

With as much poise as she could muster, she said, “Kikusawa Shrine is my home, and the Miyabe family welcomes you. I can vouch for the width of our hearth, for the freshness of the fish, and for the loveliness of my sisters. Which my mother is sure to mention to you with an excess of hopeful enthusiasm. Please don’t take offense?”

Right about then, Kimiko’s mother poked her head out the kitchen door to see why her guests were congregating in the entry … and shrieked for her husband.

Hisoka didn’t even flinch. With a gracious nod to Suuzu, he ushered Isla inside, ruffled Akira’s hair in passing, and offered his palms to an astonished Akio Miyabe.
 

 

Kimiko darted upstairs to change, then joined her sisters in the kitchen. “What can I do?”

“You wash, I’ll dry,” said Sakiko. She was pulling out their nicest set of dishes from an antique cabinet—delicate nested bowls and dainty plates with gilt edges, all in shades of ruby and jade, with an elegant pattern of chrysanthemums. “They might be dusty, and that won’t do for our esteemed guest.”  

“What did you do?” Noriko asked.

Kimiko busied herself filling a basin with soapy water. “I didn’t know he was coming any more than you did.”

“You must have done something if Hisoka Twineshaft took notice.” Sakiko deposited a stack of plates on the counter. “Too bad his apprentice isn’t a boy. Is she anybody important?”

“Well, she’s Hisoka Twineshaft’s apprentice.” Kimiko wasn’t in the mood for gossip. “Is Mama behaving?”

Sakiko tiptoed to the door and listened for several beats before scampering back to the sink. She whispered, “We’re saved. Daddy’s going to give them the grand tour until breakfast time.”

A moment later, their mother whisked through the door. “You’ve done very well for us, Kimiko! If connections lead to contracts, you shall have the best husbands the world can provide!”

Kimiko could have pointed out that knowing the Spokesperson didn’t actually improve their pedigree, but Noriko looked so hopeful.

“I wonder if I have time,” Mama mused, already lifting her shawl from its hook beside the back door. “Ten minutes, girls. Twenty at most.”

Kimiko turned from the sink. “Where are you going?”

“Just down the hill.”

“But I bought everything on your list.”

Her mother peeked in the little mirror on the wall, patting at her hair. “What’s the point of having Mr. Twineshaft here if I cannot tell someone? The ladies of the Neighborhood Improvement Committee will have to agree this is a triumph!”

Not good. “Spokesperson Twineshaft is here privately. We need to be discreet, Mama.”

“Nonsense!” Her mother added a touch of lipstick. “There was an Emergence. Everyone knows everything about everything now. I’ll be back in no time, so don’t start breakfast without me!”

“Wait, Mama!”

But her mother was already halfway out the door. Only to stumble backward with an alarmed squeak. An enormous Kith sprawled across the beaten path that was the woman’s shortcut to the back gate. A sleek, long-limbed hound with black and tan markings.

“Please, don’t be alarmed, ladies.” A man in a Western-style suit had obviously been standing right outside the door. “I’m Dickon Denholme, and this is Rein. Added security. You understand.”

Dickon was obviously foreign, but Kimiko couldn’t guess his nationality. Long black hair showing threads of gray had been queued at the nape of his neck, and creases showed at the corners of eyes so dark, pupil and iris were indistinguishable. She couldn’t place two of the lapel pins on his suit, but the third was the Starmark crest.

Mama drew herself up. “I have an errand to run.”

The man extended a fine-boned brown hand. “If you provide a list, we’ll handle the procurement.”

“I don’t want to trouble you.” Mrs. Miyabe tried to edge around the escort.

“No one will cross the perimeter while Spokesperson Twineshaft is here.” He barred the way with an apologetic smile, repeating, “Added security. You understand.”

Mama understood all right. And she was furious.
 

Kimiko was impressed with her father’s composure. Daddy acted like it was the most natural thing in the world that the Spokesperson should be interested in the finer points of a shrinekeeper’s duties. As they returned to the house for breakfast, Kimiko overheard her father exclaim, “You have? Do you remember the year?”

“A long while ago. Several generations back.”

“Do you find Kikusawa much changed?”

Her father mentioned old photos in the archive, and Hisoka suggested a stroll along the boundaries after their meal.

“He’s staying?” Kimiko whispered to Isla.

The girl made a small, secretive gesture to the affirmative.

Wary of eavesdropping felines, she silently begged for more information.

Isla was sparkling with happiness, but the only answer she offered was a quick peck to Kimiko’s cheek. Not particularly informative, but sufficient to banish most of her worries. Whatever Hisoka Twineshaft’s reasons for inviting himself over, they made Isla happy. And that had to be good.

Over breakfast, Kimiko was further impressed by Hisoka’s diplomatic prowess. Poor Dickon Denholme was already the subject of several cutting remarks, but apparently, orchestrating the Emergence had provided Spokesperson Twineshaft with the necessary skills for dealing with a changeable woman.

Kimiko decided she should be taking notes. Because Mama was being handled by a pro.

“I will be borrowing your husband.” Somehow, Hisoka sounded as if he was begging for favors, even though his words were a statement of fact. “My imposition upon your household will not outlast the morning.”

“Imposition,” scoffed Mrs. Miyabe. “You must stay! Won’t our friends and neighbors be amazed to find a dignitary in our midst!”

Kimiko decided not to remind Mama that Dickon wasn’t letting people in any more than he was letting her out. Without thinking, she made a sign that roughly translated, the boundaries will hold.

Across the table, Hisoka casually offered a return signal, brighten the wards.

She paused to think. When was the last time they’d brought in someone with a ward classification to do a bit of maintenance on their sigils? Was this why Hisoka wanted to walk the perimeter? Given recent events, she’d be glad of reinforcement. The next time his gaze met hers, she echoed him, making it a question. Brighten the wards?

His smile was serene. The boundaries will hold.

Noriko reminded everyone that it was a school day. “You don’t want to be late.”

Amidst the rush to gather up belongings and thank their hosts, Hisoka’s calm voice carried a genial command. “A word, Kimiko Miyabe?”

He led her out the front door, where another canine Kith sat at attention, and out across the courtyard. She held her tongue, even though she was almost as curious as she was nervous, but an odd sight made her forgot her manners entirely. Grabbing Hisoka’s sleeve, she whispered, “Who are they?”

A man and two women wearing the traditional attire of shrinekeepers were busy about the courtyard—sweeping the walkways, salting icy patches, polishing shop windows. All wonderfully helpful. Except the Miyabe family didn’t employ extra workers.

“Two battlers and a trickster in training,” Hisoka said easily. “Can you tell which of them is Amaranthine?”

Kimiko slowly shook her head. “Which of the trickster clans?”

“See if you can figure that out,” he suggested. “I would be interested to know if they have any small habits that might betray their true nature. Because if they acquit themselves well here, one of our urban enclaves will benefit greatly.”

She liked the riddle he’d posed, but she knew it was of secondary importance. “They’re staying?”

“Indefinitely.” Hisoka smoothly added, “Unless your family is opposed, of course.”

And then Kimiko realized that she was putting a crease in Hisoka Twineshaft’s sleeve, and she snatched back her hand, fluttering through apologies she was too tongue-tied to utter.

He caught her sleeve. “Relax, Miss Miyabe. Or I shall have an angry phoenix to contend with.”

She followed his gaze to where Suuzu perched on the ridgepole of her house. She would have loved seeing her classmate blaze into his truest form, but she signaled reassurances. All’s well.

“Firstly, I’d be pleased if you’d call me Sensei. It’s friendlier without formalities.”

Kimiko stared at the clawed fingers still holding her sleeve. “Why are you here, Sensei?”

“My purposes are twofold.” But instead of listing them, he asked, “Is Suuzu Farroost acting as your go-between?”

“You know about Eloquence.”

“I am one of very few who do. I have his father’s trust.” He repeated, “Suuzu?”

“Yes. He offered last night.” She tried for a smile. “He thought I might need him.”

“Very good. That makes this easier to explain.” Hisoka released her sleeve to take her hand. “Harmonious made me his go-between. I will be acting on his son’s behalf.”

The weight of that statement took several moments to sink in. “Are you saying he sent you to see if I’m good enough?”

“Do not think it,” chided Hisoka. “My old friend is pleased by your offer. He sent me to smooth the way … and to secure your happiness. Can you trust me?”

Kimiko’s words came slowly at first. “I want to, but I’m not really sure. I mean, I trust you on a grand scale, but that’s not the same as letting someone make decisions for me. And my parents don’t even know yet.”

Hisoka gave her hand a small squeeze, then beckoned to Suuzu. The phoenix leapt from the rooftop, arriving at her side with a speed the Amaranthine never displayed in public.

Palms touched, and Hisoka continued, “With your permission, I will speak with your parents, relaying Harmonious’ approval of the match and inviting them to the Starmark compound in a week’s time to formalize the matter by making a declaration of your intentions.”

“You’ll tell my parents for me?”

He inclined his head. “While you’re at school. Which brings me to my second purpose. I’ll be asking your family to take in my apprentice for the remainder of the year.”

“Isla?” Kimiko was startled, but far from opposed. “That’s actually really perfect. She wanted to learn more about the nuances of non-verbal communication used by various clans, and that will be so much easier if we’re roommates.”

Hisoka’s whole expression warmed. “I’m sure she’ll benefit from your guidance.”

“But are you sure this won’t be awkward? You’ve met my family. They’re a little bit desperate to make the right kinds of connections.” Kimiko grimaced. “Especially since I’ll be disappointing them.”

Flared eyebrows lifted. “Nearly everyone Isla meets is trying to use her.”

Kimiko wanted to protest, but Suuzu interrupted with a light trill. Was he laughing?

Hisoka lifted the hand he still held, placing it against his chest and holding it there. His heart beat under her palm—sure and steady. “Isla is my precious apprentice, and you are not ‘nearly everyone.’ Isla likes you. Ever chose you. Harmonious wants you. Eloquence needs you. And I will trust you.”

She understood that this was a vow.

And once again, she felt bad.

When Hisoka had asked if she could trust him, she’d said she wasn’t sure she could. Just like when Eloquence had offered a lifetime of loyalty, even though she hadn’t been able to say she cared. All her friendliness seemed flimsy compared with the commitments the Amaranthine were so ready to make. Why were they so quick to trust? Did they see something in her she couldn’t see for herself?

She hoped she’d be able to figure it out.

Kimiko pressed her hand firmly to Hisoka Twineshaft’s heart and told the truth. “I like Isla, too. I think we could be good friends—the best—and your trust is giving us that chance.”

A purr vibrated through Hisoka’s chest, and he tugged her into a gentle embrace. “May I make plain something you may have already realized?”

She nodded, lost for words.

“Harmonious is a dog.”

Kimiko giggled. “Give me a little credit.”

“As such, Harmonious has a strong desire to protect, but he cannot overstep traditional boundaries.” Hisoka said, “A suitor might stand guard over their intended, but not the other way around.”

Suuzu said, “And so Isla.”

“I am indulging my apprentice, but I fear I am also using her.” Hisoka’s cheek rested against Kimiko’s hair. “Because nothing will prevent those who love Isla from making Kikusawa Shrine safe.”

With a little cry, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. Because even if there were machinations and ulterior motives in play, the end result was everything she’d needed to know. No matter what, her sisters would be safe.