I hurried out, the snow falling soundlessly on the top of my bowl. If Takkan called after me, I couldn’t hear. All I heard was the slosh of snow under my shoes.
All the way to the kitchen, Takkan’s promise haunted me. If he had only been that simple sentinel from Sparrow Inn, I would have trusted him in an instant. I would have wanted to be his friend.
It was too late to leave and search for my brothers. Whatever the gods were scheming—bringing me to Castle Bushian and reuniting me with my former betrothed—I had no choice but to find out.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
A blizzard beset Iro, putting my work back by a week. I went mad waiting for the snow to stop and tried to pound the nettles in my room, covering the milky paper of my doors and windows with dark cloth and wrapping my rocks in a cloak to muffle the sound. But I soon gave up. I couldn’t chance being caught.
“No one’s permitted out of the castle,” Oriyu said when I pretended I needed to go to the kitchen. His nose twitched. “Not even you.”
Did you see how he sniffed at you?Kiki complained as we returned to our room.As if you reeked of fish.
I do usually reek of fish,I thought back, rubbing my hands.
What happened to the nice one?
As soon as she asked, we spotted poor Pao by the south gate, looking miserable at having to be outside during the storm. The snow had turned into sleet, and thunder rolled across the sky.
I was in such a hurry to get back to my room I didn’t notice dim lantern light wobbling through the paper panels until I came to my doors—and found them slightlyajar.
Someone’s inside!Kiki warned, flying to her hiding place behind my washbasin.
I gritted my teeth, hating that I couldn’t prevent the shiver that coursed down my spine. Gods, I hoped it wasn’t Zairena.
I kept one hand on my dagger, and with the other, I slid open the doors.
A figure crouching by the window shot up. “Lina!”
It was dark, but I recognized that voice.Megari?
“You’re back!” she cried. “I wanted to watch the snow over Rabbit Mountain, and you have the best view, but you never answered the door, and then the storm got worse….”
Another burst of thunder. It boomed so loudly the windows shook. With a shriek, Megari covered her ears, her shoulders shaking as she buried her face in my robes.
“The dragons must be out to play,” she muttered as lightning flashed.
I smiled. I was glad Takkan had told me that story.
The dragons are out to play,I repeated. I wondered what Seryu would think of that.
Gently, I tugged Megari’s hands from her ears. I lifted her face from my robes, tilting her head up so she could read mylips.
It’s all right. It can’t hurt you.I brought out a short stack of paper and began to fold a sheet by the lantern light.
As the beginnings of a crane took shape, Megari watched, mesmerized.
I placed the paper crane on my palm.Like it?
“Yes! Will you show me how to make one?”
She learned the folds quickly, and she clapped with delight when she made her very own bird. Thunder rolled, farther away this time, and Megari glanced at the window.
“I’m not always afraid of thunderstorms,” she said, summoning a hint of pride. Her voice faltered. “Only the really bad ones. Takkan and I watched the last storm together—and I counted every lightning strike. I didn’t even cover my ears when there was thunder.”
At the mention of Takkan, my concentration faltered and I made an incorrect crease. It’d been easy avoiding him these last few days. Sometimes I saw him during meals, but like me, he was always quiet. Funny, he seemed to talk most when he was alone with me. I supposed he simply felt it polite to fill the silence. I wasn’t much of a conversationalist these days.
Together Megari and I sat by the window, watching the lightning. We raced each other to see how many cranes we could fold before the next crack of thunder, and we counted the number of lightning bolts.
