Tamiko and the Two Janitors (Amaranthine Saga Book 3)

by Forthright

  Suuzu waited in bemused silence for the din to subside before announcing, “Kimiko has chosen Valentine’s Day.”

  A buzz of excitement rippled through the crowd. Mom laughed, and Dad forked over five bucks. Grandad’s smile was the doting sort.

  Once quiet was again restored, Suuzu concluded, “The world will meet once more in the courtyard of Kikusawa Shrine under the branches of Kusunoki on February 14 for Kimiko’s eighth kiss.”

  Tami was early for her evening rendezvous with Ash, but he was ready and waiting. And impatient, if his swoop, scoop, and leap into the loft were anything to go by. And also happy. Several minutes later, she added affectionate to her list.

  He eased back, letting her catch her breath, and softly said, “Thank you. For the ring.”

  “I had help. Joe made it.”

  “No kidding?”

  “He’s good with his hands.” Tami trailed her fingers over Ash’s, finding her token. “It’s carved from one of Biddie’s branches.”

  “Tamiko,” he sighed “I love you.”

  Even if she lived straight on into forever, Tami knew she would never grow weary of those words.

  Ash’s usual tucking and fussing and nuzzling left off, and he murmured, “Something on your mind?”

  She nodded. Little by little, she spilled out her concerns about what might happen once she was officially identified as a reaver.

  “I understand. Believe me, I do.” He held her close and stroked her hair. “I sometimes worry about what could happen if people found out what I am. Everything could change, but I don’t think you need to take such an ominous view. I mean, if Melissa’s able to put off marriage and a family simply by paying a fine, then there are allowances for personal preference.”

  Tami slowly relaxed. “You’re right. I was frantic earlier, inventing one outrageous contingency plan after another.” She hesitated for a few heartbeats, then admitted, “I did come up with a surefire plan to keep you.”

  “Oh?” His lips brushed her cheek. “I like the sound of that.”

  She wondered if he would. “No one could oppose us if everyone’s cheering us on.”

  “Who is this everyone?”

  “America.”

  Ash’s wings lifted, allowing moonlight to slant across her face. She could see his confusion, but she was confident that her idea was good. No, it was great. A truly grand scheme.

  “We have the opportunity to make a difference, and not just for the Amaranthine in Perch County.” She smiled and said, “I want peace to flourish. Let’s give it a place to take root. That way, it can grow.”

  “I feel like we’ve had this conversation before.”

  “Yes.”

  “Is this where I’m supposed to ask about consequences?”

  “Yes.” Tami leaned up to kiss him. “Because if you agree, there’ll be a bunch.”

  Ash’s head tilted to one side, and he smiled faintly. “Break it to me gently. What are you angling for?”

  “We could become America’s answer to the Miyabe-Starmark courtship.”

  His wings shook and settled a couple of times before he asked, “If people find out I’m a crosser, I could lose my job. Kip, too.”

  “I don’t see why,” she countered. “We’re already bringing in Amaranthine staff. Why not two more?”

  “That’s optimistic. Too many people are looking for targets. Exposing the truth could put the enclave at risk. And Biddie.”

  “Not if there’s a plan in place.”

  Ash was clearly struggling with serious doubts, but he was also listening. “A plan. And you have a sure-fire one?”

  “Yes.” Tami smiled. “We’ll get a go-between.”

  His brows knit.

  She went right on. “Having go-betweens has worked wonders for the Miyabe-Starmark courtship. Do you suppose Hisoka Twineshaft would take us on?”

  Ash said, “Hold up. I’m pretty sure a go-between is supposed to mediate between you and me.”

  Tami shook her head. “And I’m pretty sure that Twineshaft and Farroost are the publicists of the century, marketing the love story of the millennia.”

  “And you want a spin-off?”

  Now he was getting it! She said, “I have a good feeling about this. Something like this will win over more people than all the politicians combined.”

  After an excruciatingly long pause, Ash said, “It could be dangerous. All those things we talked about before—protestors, bomb threats, paparazzi—they could turn up on your front step.”

  “I trust our enclave.”

  He didn’t take nearly as long to nod this time.

  Tami triumphantly concluded, “And if we can get just the right go-between, they’ll take care of the press. All we have to do is show up.”

  Ash blandly said, “You’re over-simplifying.”

  “A little,” she conceded.

  “I could talk to my father about comparable avian traditions.” He muttered, “But I am not doing any of the mating dances.”

  She laughed and asked, “How about the waltz? Black wings. Black tuxedo. You’d be entirely dashing.”

  His gaze slid sideways. “I can handle a little embarrassment if it helps the clans.”

  “Thank you.” Tami’s mind was racing. “We’d better pool our resources. Is Kip close by?”

  “Probably with Joe.”

  Tami had planned ahead, brought her phone. “Do you mind if I bring in Melissa?”

  “I trust her.” Ash quietly added, “Remill dropped a bombshell on her earlier. She okay?”

  “Melissa will be fine.” She began a quick message. “But reaver courtship is baffling.”

  “Not sure I can criticize.” Ash covered her hands, then stole her phone. “Before we rally an American version of the Five, may I bring out my gift? Or are we saving ourselves for the television cameras?”

  “If we’re going to do any good out there, it has to begin here.”

  “As you wish, Tamiko,” he said, adding an avian flourish. “Hold out your hands.”

  FORTY-THREE

  Lady Mettlebright

  Tami’s plan was already sounding more possible by the time she finished explaining it to her co-conspirators, who actually numbered six, thanks to the addition of Biddie.

  Kip spoke first. “You’re onto something, but you’re going to need some serious influencers in the go-between department if we’re going to pull this off.”

  Joe quietly added, “Someone with clout.”

  “Doon-wen has influence,” said Ash. “But he’s also in hiding. We need someone who’s already in the limelight, and that limits our options.”

  “Someone on a level with Hisoka Twineshaft, if not the cat himself.” Kip nibbled on the edge of a peanut butter cookie. “He’s probably booked, though.”

  Tami couldn’t help hoping. “What if we’re the very thing he’s been hoping for? What if we’re exactly what he needs to shift public sentiment into better favor?”

  “If the guy can orchestrate the Emergence, surely he can plan a couple of weddings.” Kip cuffed Ash’s shoulder and grinned. “America’s sweethearts.”

  Melissa leaned forward. “Do any of you have a way to get a message to one of the Five?”

  “Indirectly,” said Tami. “Also, the Twineshaft Initiative will bring Hisoka to Fletching on Dichotomy Day. But that doesn’t guarantee a private conversation.”

  Joe lifted his hand. “We met Argent Mettlebright’s mother.”

  Melissa raised her hand as well. “I’m friends with Adoona-soh Elderbough’s youngest son.”

  “I sort of met Lord Mossberne once, but I don’t exactly have his number.” Kip casually added, “But I do know a guy who has a direct line to Stately House.”

  “Jiminy.” Melissa’s eyes were wide. “When Uncle George asked him to drop names, he mentioned both Mettlebright and Elderbough.”

  “We need to talk to Jiminy.” Tami’s excitement was mounting.

  “Who wants coffee?” asked
Kip. “I’ll spring for doughnuts. Or a pie. Actually, I think this is more of a carrot cake occasion.”

  “At this hour?” Tami checked the time. “And on a school night?”

  Kip took to coaxing. “Founders is always open. And there’s the time change to consider. It’s morning in Japan.”

  Tami looked to Ash, who nodded. “Let’s go.”

  “I’ll drive.” Bounding to his feet, Kip swept into a bow. “Your Coach awaits.”

  Since Joe volunteered to stay back with Biddie, they were back down to four when Kip hustled them along a back-alley to a service door standing in the illumination of a dim bulb. Tami craned her neck, trying to figure out where they were. “Is this Founders?”

  “Not quite,” said Kip. “This place is next door.”

  Ash groaned. “Is this necessary?”

  “Quickest way. Or did you want Doon-wen breathing down your neck when you invite an outsider to meddle in what he will undoubtedly consider his business.”

  Ash groaned again.

  Tami asked, “Where are we?”

  “Isn’t this the used clothing store?” asked Melissa.

  “Yep. It’s called Find Me,” said Kip, rapping lightly on the heavy metal door. “And it’s another way in.”

  “You planned this,” grumbled Ash.

  “I certainly did.” Kip grinned at his best friend. “Called ahead and everything. We’re expected.”

  Ash turned to Tami and grimly said, “I apologize in advance.”

  “For what?”

  Kip didn’t give him the chance to answer. “True story. Find Me is the most popular clothing store on campus. Small label. Handmade. High end. Upcycled. Utterly unique. And budget-friendly for your average college student. But nobody goes into this place without support.”

  Tami was already smiling. Kip’s stories were always funny. “Why’s that?”

  “If you enter without backup, rumor has it that their very pretty shop boys will corner you in the changing room.” Kip played up the drama. “None who’ve survived has left unchanged.”

  Ash snorted. “Only because they’re wearing their purchases.”

  “Hey,” argued Kip. “I’ve been the cornered one, and it was certainly an experience. They’re brutes.”

  The door swung open, revealing a young man whose trousers and fitted vest gave him the air of a haberdasher. He even had a tape measure casually draped around his neck With a coy smile, he inquired, “Who’s a brute?”

  “Faisal and Giuseppe held me down, while you tweezed my eyebrows.”

  “Pish tosh. They grew back. But what’s this?”

  His gaze swept over them, leaving Tami feeling uncertain about her clothing choices. But also with the distinct impression that she’d met this young man before. Only she couldn’t think where.

  Kip elbowed him. “Manners, Tyrone.”

  He made that little avian flourish with his hand under his heart, then presented both palms to Tami. “It is a distinct pleasure to finally meet you, Principal Reaverson.”

  When she returned the greeting, he gathered her hands between his, giving them a gentle squeeze. Happiness shone in tawny eyes, which should have been a clue, but it was his smile that gave him away. Tami blurted, “You look like Cyril!”

  “I should hope so. Tyrone Sunfletch. My father speaks highly of you.”

  His son. Another member of the pheasant clan. Tami was so delighted, she didn’t really register the fact that he’d ushered her inside, where two more very pretty shop boys waited to be introduced.

  “Try to keep it short,” urged Kip.

  Ignoring him, Tyrone steered Tami into the waiting embrace of a deeply tanned Amaranthine with long, sharp features and eyes of such a vivid shade of electric blue, you had to assume he wore colored contacts.

  “This is Faisal. Peacock clan. While we mostly deal in secondhand treasures, any of the firsthand designs we sell are his.”

  Faisal kissed her cheeks and sniffed her hair. “You’ve been in Ash’s arms. Lucky girl.”

  Tyrone’s hands settled on her hips as he stole her back from a regretful Faisal. Tami checked to see how Ash was dealing with all these casual intimacies. Far from annoyed, he was watching the whole thing with a fond smile.

  “And here is Giuseppe. Dove clan. He excels in personal style. When he creates an ensemble, it is an expression, a statement, a work of art!”

  Giuseppe seemed barely out of his teens, rakishly thin and resplendent in creams and corals. Without a word, he bent to kiss her forehead and drew her hand into his.

  Again, Tami checked to see if Ash had a problem, but he was wholly unperturbed. She ventured, “Are these your friends?”

  “Family.” Ash came unhurriedly to her side and messed up Giuseppe’s pale hair. “I’m not the only one Cyril fostered. These are my brothers.”

  Kip cleared his throat. “And this is Melissa. Are we done here?”

  Tami wavered between embarrassment and indignation. Why weren’t they giving her cousin the same affectionate treatment? She asked, “You already know each other?”

  “No.” Melissa was completely unfazed. “Work keeps me busy. I haven’t been here.”

  Glancing to Kip for help, Tami asked, “Why are the greetings different?”

  He nudged Faisal, who fluttered a hand, showing off manicured claws. “Firstly, because Melissa is wary of us. Secondly, because she is armed. But mostly because Jiminy wouldn’t like it.” He rolled his eyes and drawled, “Wolves.”

  Tami understood, then. And judging by the fresh color in Melissa’s cheeks, she did, too.

  Somehow, when Tami exited Find Me, it was with a shopping bag under her arm. “Should I be accepting things from your brothers?” Tami whispered.

  “Whatever’s in there, it’s probably perfect for you. Go back to shop anytime.” Ash slipped his arm around her waist and casually added, “Put it on my tab.”

  “You have a running tab at a boutique?”

  “Tyrone’s been my tailor for more than a century. Everything I wear has to be adapted.” Ash patted the front pocket of his jacket. “They loaded me down, too. Your next three courting gifts will be tokens that they’ve chosen.”

  “Is that usual?”

  “That’s what they tell me.” Ash nodded to himself. “It feels right, so I think so.”

  Tami quickly lost her sense of direction. Kip led them through a tile-lined tunnel, up a concrete stairwell, along empty hallways, and past a series of fur-draped alcoves. The whole while, he was spinning out sigils, which she assumed were keeping their presence a secret.

  When they finally stopped before an ordinary door, it was Melissa who said, “This is it.”

  Kip hesitated, then eased back a step. “You all go ahead. I’ll just run down, order our coffees, raid the bakery case.”

  “Why?” asked Ash.

  “Let’s just say I’d rather not be noticed by the powers that be.” Kip waved them onward, then disappeared around the nearest corner.

  Melissa rapped smartly and opened the door, scanned the room, then waved them through. Tami couldn’t help comparing her stance to that of the stern bodyguard, Ismal. Given their plans, it really was nice to have a battler in the family.

  Jiminy sat at the desk in the corner, where he was obviously chatting with someone via his computer. He waved them in, but he addressed himself to his screen. “They’re here now. Do you need to go?”

  “May I meet your friends?” A feminine voice in accented English.

  “You sure?” Jiminy asked. “I don’t want to get into trouble.”

  This time, the words flowed in Japanese.

  Another voice, male this time, said, “So long as you’re not selling pictures to the highest bidder, you’re safe from Dad’s wrath. Probably.”

  Tami came even with the desk in time to see a young Japanese woman tweak her companion’s ear. A silvery fox ear, half-lost in a thatch of messy hair. She pressed a hand to her leaping heart and whispered, “Gingko Me
ttlebright.”

  Those ears twitched, and he offered a crooked smile. “Hey.”

  “Gingko’s our translator today, since First-sensei was called away.” Jiminy stood and guided Tami into his chair. “Any chance your Japanese is better than mine?”

  Tami shook her head but held up her thumb and forefinger. “A little, and clumsy.” Switching to English, she added, “I haven’t been to visit my grandparents in Kyoto in almost ten years.”

  “You would be welcome here.”

  “I … don’t travel far anymore.”

  She glanced back as Jiminy pulled a stool into position for Ash. He looked much calmer than she felt. A wing brushed against her back, and his hand found hers. With a gesture of greeting, he asked, “Are you Lady Mettlebright?”

  “Tsumiko,” she said.

  Ash touched her shoulder and said, “Tamiko.”

  Jiminy dragged Melissa from her post by the door and sat her down, then crowded in on Ash’s other side. Pointing, he said, “Melissa is a reaver attached to the Nightspangle pack. She can be trusted. And Ash is used to keeping secrets.”

  Gingko’s ears flickered forward. “You’re the crosser?”

  “Yes.”

  Tsumiko shook her head, murmuring something in Japanese, before carefully asking in English, “May I see his truth?”

  Suddenly, a servant of some sort whisked onto the scene, bearing a tray of tea things. He leaned in between Gingko and Tsumiko, who thanked him sweetly.

  Ash said, “Kip’s not here ….”

  “Allow me,” offered Jiminy.

  Tami, who was still watching the tableau on screen saw the butler stop and stare. “Kip?” he echoed.

  “Friend of ours,” said Jiminy. “There, that’s done it.”

  Tsumiko gasped, and Tami recognized the Japanese word for angel. Her wondering gaze gave her the courage to launch into the short version of their proposal. If Lady Mettlebright was on their side, she might be able to persuade her bondmate to help them along.