by Forthright
The sudden clack of the opening door stirred him from his thoughts, and he glanced toward the source of the noise. A boy. Or was he an animal? His unruly hair and the set of his mouth were decidedly simian, but the thin hands clutching the door frame were certainly human.
Before he’d fully made up his mind, the stranger sprang into the room.
Papers scattered, and some of the girls shrieked. Other than Hanoo, Yoota, and Ploom, nobody really moved. He glanced at Eloquence, trying to get a feel for the situation.
Quen’s hand found his shoulder. “Stay still. He’s frightened.”
Another quick glance around the room showed the other Amaranthine similarly keeping their partners in place. Then Sentinel burst in, and the boy called Inti stopped, bare feet planted on Ms. Reeves’ lecture notes.
Tenma leaned forward, adjusting his glasses. Was that a tail?
“Oh, how nice! A crosser,” murmured Isla.
And the boy’s strange features suddenly made sense, because such things were widely reported after the birth of Ever Starmark. Crossers often inherited animalistic features that hinted at their Amaranthine parent’s nature. One of Inti’s parents had clearly come from a monkey clan.
In a low, soothing voice, Ms. Reeves addressed the class. “Inti comes to us from an enclave based in a temple, where he’s been under the oversight of monks for quite some time. With the Emergence, he’s able to come out of hiding. Spokesperson Twineshaft decided that New Saga would be the best place for him to integrate into society. And in return, you’ll all gain a greater understanding of the challenges faced by children of mixed heritage.”
“A crosser?” exclaimed Sosuke.
“Yes,” she confirmed. “Inti, would you like to say a few words?”
The boy … no. Tenma knew that crossers shared an Amaranthine’s lifespan, so Inti would have to be a young man by now. Or more properly, a male nearing adulthood. Inti’s hunched posture slowly straightened so that he looked down on them. His wild hair was a light ginger. Thick sideburns bristled outward, following the curve of his jaw to his chin, framing a heart-shaped face. His lips compressed into a thin line, and small brows rose over unusually round eyes; they gave him an expression of perpetual surprise … or worry.
“Three,” he said softly. “Three, three, three.”
Tenma felt bad. To be brought into their class, only to find a roomful of established groups. He must think there was no place for him. Without really thinking it through, Tenma lurched to his feet. Holding up three fingers, he raised a fourth and hoped his meaning was clear.
Isla bounced to her feet, up on tiptoe. “Miss Reeves, both Quen and I have experience with crossers.”
“So you do. What do you say, Eloquence?”
Quen stood and signaled, and Isla added some sort of reaver sign. But Inti only looked more worried, and Tenma’s heart went out to him. So he crooked his fingers in an entirely human way. “Four.”
Inti crossed the room in two springs, flinging himself straight into Tenma.
He barely had time to set his feet when the monkey-boy collided and wrapped himself around Tenma—arms around his neck, legs around his waist. Grunting with surprise, he staggered backward into Quen’s solid presence.
The crosser was trembling, and Tenma was reminded of his own first day of school. So he hugged him and murmured promises of help and belonging. Nothing like this had ever happened to him—hugging, holding. This wasn’t how teenage boys typically behaved. New Saga was already changing him.
From across the room, Hanoo looked on with tail swaying. Ploom gave him two thumbs up.
“You’re ours now, Inti,” he murmured. “Welcome to Class 3-C.”
At the sound of his name, the crosser leaned back to meet Tenma’s gaze. His eyes were such a light brown, they were nearly golden, and his pupils were round. “Name?” he asked.
“I’m Tenma.”
“Clan?” he pressed. “House?”
“I’m human, so I don’t have those things. But my surname is Subaru.” Turning a little, he said, “Here’s Quen. He’s from a fine house and clan. Will you greet him as well?”
Inti studied Eloquence’s proffered palms and interpreted it as an invitation to transfer. Quen’s superior strength came in handy as he swung their new partner up onto his shoulders.
“No wonder you like high places. You’re related to one of the monkey clans,” Quen remarked. “Have you met Goh-sensei yet?”
“Maybe, maybe, monkey,” he answered softly, and proceeded to pull apart Quen’s braid.
Tenma may have surrendered Inti, but the crosser hadn’t fully released him. Inti’s tail was quite long, and its end was loosely wrapped around his wrist.
“My turn,” said Isla, hands outspread. “Although I won’t be able to lift you.”
Inti blinked down at her, then slid to the floor. When he fully straightened, it was possible to tell that he was a little taller than her.
With an impish smile, he echoed, “My turn,” and swept her up.
“Gently,” Tenma whispered.
“Like you,” Inti said, giving him a thin-lipped smile. Then he solemnly addressed Isla. “You are bright as an angel. Are you descended from the sky or from trees?”
So he was capable of full sentences.
Isla giggled. “I am both the child of reavers and a reaver in my own right. Would you like to meet the rest of our class?”
“Please.”
“Set me down first.”
Inti obeyed. Returning to Tenma’s side, he announced, “She is brightest, but you are best.”
“Me? Why?”
Stealing the glasses off his face, Inti squinted through them, then peered over the frames, straight into Tenma’s eyes. “Is a reason required?”
And in that instant, Tenma was absolutely positive that Inti was shamming. Not about his fear, since the Amaranthine had all picked up on that, but this monkey business. He was playing the fool, but he knew what he was about.
“No.” Tenma hesitated. “I’m afraid I don’t know much of anything about the customs of the monkey clans.”
Inti’s gaze skittered around the room before he sprang, flinging his arms around Tenma’s neck as he clambered toward a perch on his shoulders. In the process, he spoke softly, his words tickling Tenma’s ear. “That makes two of us.”
THIRTY
Sense
Dismissed early for the purpose, the entirety of Class 3-C escaped to the rooftop since Hanoo had declared that anyone who was continually—probably instinctually—seeking the highest point in any room would probably love the view.
Quen gently disentangled Inti from Tenma, perching the crosser on his own shoulders. Pointing across the treetops, he said, “That’s Starmark land. I’ll let our Kith know about you. If you need a place to run or climb, you’re welcome. And if you need me, anyone you find inside—Kith or Kindred—will show you the way.”
Inti locked his ankles together and wrapped his arms around Quen’s forehead. Covered by the general chatter of their classmates, he simply said, “Good doggie.”
“My brother’s a crosser.” Quen tipped his head, trying to see Inti’s expression. “He’ll love you on principle. He has an understandable fascination with anyone sporting a tail.”
“Half?”
“Yes, Ever and I share a father—Harmonious Starmark.” This was strange. Not many people hadn’t heard of their clan, but Inti didn’t seem to recognize Dad’s name. “He’s one of the Five.”
“Ever is five?”
“Ever’s three.” Quen decided to let it go. It wasn’t as if he was trying to trade on his father’s fame to impress his classmate. “And next time Tenma stays over with us, you’ll come, too.”
“Show me.”
Quen pointed to the spot where rooftops peeked above the forest. “My pavilion is near the Kith shelter. If your sense of smell is good, you can probably find it on your own.”
“Good, good, good doggie.”
Akira ambled over, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Hey, Quen. Say, Inti, can I ask you a potentially awkward question?”
The crosser flowed from Quen’s shoulder and stood facing Akira. “Say it.”
“How come you’re here instead of Stately House?”
After a lengthy pause, Inti replied, “Reasons.”
Interesting. The boy who claimed not to know about the Five had heard of Stately House?
But Akira accepted Inti’s answer with a nod. “Good ones?”
Inti shrugged.
“Wanna visit sometime?” Akira described his sister’s home with sweeping hand gestures, backing slowly toward the rest of the group and beckoning for Inti to follow. He did, taking Tenma with him, for his tail was still coiled firmly around his wrist.
Tenma offered a parting wave. “I’ll make sure he gets safely to the dorms.”
Quen signaled his gratitude, and then Suuzu was there, almost as if Akira had created the opening. Which he must have. With a wry smile, Quen offered a silent greeting.
Suuzu met his palms. “I will guide Kimiko to the Kith shelter at the appointed hour and remain close, but not too close. Your privacy is assured.”
“Thank you.”
“Afterward, Akira and I will escort Kimiko and Isla home.”
“Isla?” She hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort. Then again, Inti had rather monopolized their day.
“Isla is moving in with the Miyabe family,” supplied Suuzu. “Hisoka Twineshaft arranged things so that his apprentice will be safe. He is your go-between.”
“So I’m told.” Quen stared at his feet for several moments. “I see the sense.”
Suuzu touched his sleeve. “Those who are set apart see clearly.”
His gaze jumped to Suuzu’s. “You’re a tribute?”
“The second of my clan. Peace, kindred.” He slipped his hand under Quen’s, then cautiously tangled their fingers together. “Those who do not choose for themselves understand the joy of being chosen.”
“Yes. Perhaps that’s what plagues me now. I haven’t given Kimiko much of a choice.”
Suuzu shook his head. “Stranger alliances have formed and flourish.”
“Well, kindred?” He gave Suuzu’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Whose part are you taking in this uncommon courtship?”
The hint of a smile appeared. “When it comes to nestmates, the happiness of one is the satisfaction of the other. I cannot show favor without pleasing both.”
“Thank you,” he whispered.
Suuzu took a step closer, so they were toe to toe. “In the custom of my clan, it would be understood that I will carry twigs to the tree of your choosing, giving you time to sing.”
“Meaning …?”
“Leave any practical arrangements to your go-betweens. Focus on beguiling your future mate.”
Eloquence snorted. “I cannot pursue her. Dad was clear on that.”
The phoenix surprised him by snorting right back. “Even trees have flowers.”
At a loss, Quen repeated, “Meaning …?”
Suuzu’s expression softened. “Kimiko needs you to lead the chase.”
Eloquence arrived in the Kith shelter well before Kimiko. When his fidgeting turned to fretting, Flay took pity, in her own way. Quen was well-occupied with combing her luxuriant fur when his suitor finally ducked into the alcove.
“Sorry.” She was breathless from running. “Made you wait.”
“I don’t mind waiting.”
Ha! Flay’s amusement carried clearly. You pace and pine. If the moon was high, you’d be howling.
Ignoring her aside, Quen steered Kimiko into the back corner and returned to combing. “Catch your breath while I finish.”
Kimiko offered her hand to Edge, who scooted close enough that she could reach his ears. His tail was soon wagging.
As her pulse slowed, the whole atmosphere settled into calm. Quen supposed he should hold his peace until Kimiko was ready to speak, but Flay had other ideas.
Go to her. Flay’s cloudy eye rolled toward Kimiko. She is waiting.
Rile her up and run for it. Edge’s fond gaze was fixed on Flay. Let her catch you.
Before the suggestions could grow any more graphic, Quen slipped to Kimiko’s side. “Warm enough?” he asked.
She hummed an affirmative while shaking her head. Her mind was elsewhere, and why shouldn’t it wander off? He’d been inattentive. Taking her hand, he closed her fingers around the brush handle. “They’ve decided it’s my turn.”
Kimiko looked between him and the wide brush, matted with reddish fur. “You want me to brush you?”
Quen’s skin prickled. “I’d let you.”
She seemed unsure if he was teasing. “In your truest form, or this one?”
He hoped she couldn’t tell that his heart was crashing around in his chest. “Either. Both.”
“If combs are traditional courting gifts, would using one on you be considered courting behavior?”
“Definitely.”
Her fingers touched his cheek. “You’re blushing.”
“Edge and Flay would have us rushing into all sorts of intimacies.” He cleared his throat. “You wanted to talk?”
Kimiko nodded. “Things are getting confusing.”
“Tell me.” He made a coaxing motion, and to his delight, she nudged closer. Tugging and tucking, he didn’t stop until he’d rid her of her bulky coat, which he draped around her shoulders once he’d pressed her head to his.
“This is really happening,” she murmured.
“Not at all.” At her baffled expression, he clarified. “Courtship is too intentional to be mistaken for happenstance. Nothing can happen without our consent.”
Kimiko gaze softened. “That makes this a little less scary.”
Quen’s heart lurched. “You’re scared?”
She slowly nodded. “Whenever I’m alone, I think about how many people I’m inconveniencing. And then I remember how much I don’t know, and I’m sure that I’ll embarrass you or hurt you or offend you or disappoint you.”
He couldn’t help smiling. “So you do care.”
“I’m sorry for what I said last time.” Kimiko pressed her lips to the underside of his jaw in a very proper apology. “I care, but not in the way I think I should care.”
“Then we must be patient with each other.” He kissed her forehead. “What has begun in haste can be completed at leisure.”
“My parents will know by now.” She curled against him. “I haven’t dared turn on my phone.”
“If Hisoka Twineshaft makes a pronouncement, the whole world finds it wise.” He petted her hair. “And you will not face them alone. Trust Suuzu, Isla, and Akira.”
“That’s true.” She wrapped the end of his braid around her finger. “What’s next, then?”
“Next week, you’ll make a formal declaration in front of both our families. They will approve of our betrothal once you let us know the shape it will take.”
Kimiko stilled. “I don’t know what that means.”
“Am I not your guide in such things?” When she relaxed against him again, he explained, “Every clan has its own traditions where courtship is concerned. Some are showy, others secretive. Most are carried out over the course of months, even years, usually with some combination of gifts and vows. For instance, wolves must be courted according to the phases of the moon. Two of my brothers courted wolves, so they honored the traditions of their bondmates’ packs.”
“Will I be expected to court you like a dog?”
“I don’t think that’s possible. Since the majority of our traditions involve our truest form, too much would be lost in translation.”
“Maybe I could adapt traditions from other clans? The ones that make sense for Amaranthine in speaking form.”
He nuzzled her hair. “A solid strategy. And as a bonus, you’ll drive Dad wild with curiosity over what you’ll do next.”
“Is that good?”
“Catching
interest is the first step to keeping it.”
Kimiko was quiet for a long time, lost in her own thoughts, but he hardly minded since he could hold her. Eventually, she stirred. “I’m not even sure where to start.”
“I suggest confiding in Isla. She is a voracious researcher.”
“I will. Thanks.” She pulled away, clearly ready to leave. But she paused to ask, “What kinds of things count as courting behavior for dogs? Basic, pre-brushing stuff. For beginners like us.”
To Eloquence’s embarrassment, both Edge’s and Flay’s heads came up, and their tails beat the straw so fast, they raised dust.
Kimiko laughed softly. “I take it they’re full of suggestions.”
“Quite a few. Although most only make sense for those with four paws and a tail.”
“Like what?”
“They’re not anything humans would consider romantic.” But since she seemed genuinely interested, he chose a few of the tamest pursuits. “Edge wants you to hunt for me, then feed me your prey morsel by morsel. Flay suggests the weaving of fur into a vest so that I will always have your scent upon my skin. And … they both agree that the affectionate fondling of ears is the beginning of true love.”
“Really?” Kimiko’s eyes were sparkling, and her hands were reaching. “You do have pretty ears.”
Quen was aware of the human fascination with Amaranthine ears. But it hadn’t occurred to him that Kimiko might want to touch his.
Her fingers trailed along the upper edge to the tip, then the lower sweep to his earlobe. And again, slower, firmer. Pausing on her third circuit to knead the point.
He tilted his head to encourage her exploration. “You like my ears?” he asked huskily.
“Yes.” She dropped a light kiss upon the tingling tip. “You like them touched?”
“Yes, Kimiko.” Quen conceded to Edge and Flay that this was an entirely satisfying way for true love to begin. “Yes, I certainly do.”
