He nodded somberly. “We saw the Bofox arrive in the sky, then the Tether snapped like a rubber band.” He dropped her hand and pounded on his chest with his fist. “I felt it here.”He dipped his head. “I know I’m not your father, but I’m proud of you,vixie.”
Sage hugged him, glad he hadn’t said anything about wanting to be her stepfather.
He released her, saying, “Yourrenqua, may I see it?”
She nodded and turned around, pulling her shirt away from her shoulder.
“Ah yes, a star and three lines was the original mark yes?”
She nodded and turned to face him. “The lighter three lines and the circle are the mate mark.”
He smiled. “I’ll be voting yes, and I'm certain the vote will be unanimous.”
“What vote?”
“To place you on the Vvyndicate posthaste, of course.”
Sage shook her head, not comprehending. They wanted her on the Vvyndicate?
“To sit across an empty seat?”
He smiled broadly, then turned his head, taking in the playground. Sage looked also. Paisley was still swinging and thefoxenstill stood around her as guards.
“No one told you yet,” Rosenvelt said, delight in his voice.
“Told me…?”
She heard her daughter laugh. He couldn’t possibly mean—
95—Let Your Fox Take Over
Canyon stood behind Sage, watching her approach Rosenvelt Van Boeson—Canyon recognized him from the video Seb had showed them months ago—thefoxenCitlali. He scented honest and trustworthy.
A child’s laughter from the playground caught his attention. Severalfoxenwere near the swings, a little girl with long brown hair swinging. Canyon’s feet took him that way, his mind was suddenly spinning with something exciting.
The girl turned and looked directly at him, proving to be the spitting image of her mother… but he spotted something familiar in her features, and the realization hit him thatthiswas who had shown him the Foxglove in his dream.
Thefoxenclosed ranks in front of the child, blocking the two from seeing each other. The little girl pushed past them, and one reached down to grab her shoulder.
“Stop! I want to see him,” she cried, pushing at him.
Thefoxenfroze. The girl took several steps forward, her eyes on Canyon.
“Paisley?” Canyon said, suddenly certain he knew his daughter’s name.
“Yes, Daddy?”
Canyon touched his chest as love built in his heart, thick and sudden. He studied her, realizing he’d known her for years. “You've been coming to see me in my dreams, haven't you?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
She ran to him, and he dropped to his knees. She stopped just before she reached him, suddenly shy, looking at the ground. “Nana White didn’t want me to see you, but I couldn’t help it. I just love you so much.”
Canyon’s heart turned to mush. “I'm glad, Peanut,” he said. “I love you, too.”
She ran to him and he encircled her in his arms, then tried to speak to her inruhi.Do you have arenqua, Peanut?
Yes, Daddy. It came to me this morning.
