Chapter Twenty-One #3
Already on it. A member of Quil’s recon squad is apparently very popular with a flock of nearby Chidori. He’s organizing them now.
“Oh.” Why that came as such a surprise, she didn’t know. “All right. Good. Because if this rogue shatei is actually wooing Genny, as you’ve implied, he’ll want to make her comfortable and peaceful . . . ”
So we can rule out cities and popular villages?
“Not necessarily,” she countered. “The comfort and peace of a person like my sister . . . well, it’s not the same definition you or I might assign the words.
You’d probably enjoy a pine tree in the woods, outside a cabin resort where everyone forgets to lock up their leftovers, and my idea of peace is a place with crap internet and a rose garden to putter in. ”
He quirked his head again. A garden? How very Biollante of you. Do not tell Anax I just said that.
“Your secret’s safe,” she assured past a light laugh.
So, I assume a place with a huge garden is Eugenia’s idea of Hell.
“You’d be assuming correctly. But as I’ve personally learned since you saved my life on the other side of the Pacific, Hell definitely isn’t what I assumed it’d be.
So, Heaven is probably the same way.” She smiled then, though the expression quivered from a sudden onslaught of reminiscence—and emotion.
“I mean, I hate going to the grocery store, but Genny’s often happiest following me down each aisle to make sure I get the exact brands of her favorite foods.
At the same time, she’ll be listening to new songs on her phone, remembering every lyric of those, and fixing every messy display in the store, especially if it moved or talked. ”
The entire time she spoke, mortified by the increasing frequency her cadence got cracked by fucking feelings, Kaw came through like the consummate gentleman captain. He nodded his head with quiet respect and gifted her with his ultimate attention.
At last, he obeyed the ultimate tenant of medal-class listening skills by reiterating her point with his own style. Aha. So, she’s a go-go-gadgets girl.
Wen pushed out a watery chuckle. “Well, that’s just the beginning.
It’s more an obsession with how practical mechanics come together for a larger purpose.
” Sure enough, her heart screwed her over for staying delicate about this.
The Irowen waterworks became the sea monster whirlpool, sending small rivers down her cheeks as she crumpled to the engawa’s wood planks. “Shit. I’m sorry. It’s just . . . ”
What? Kaw prompted.
“Ugh.”
She sniffed hard, too tired to fight the aggravation and agony anymore. Faking the fortitude for so many hours was as exhausting as contemplating her own death. None of the terrible thoughts went away. If anything, they just turned into worse mental plagues.
“She’s had to be strong for so long. She hasn’t seen her friends and her home .
. . all the stuff that comforts her. Shit, she probably even misses her generic peanut butter and that ridiculous Transformers collection.
She’s even got the damn cat versions, you know.
And she just finished building a steampunk version of Oz, in honor of the Wicked movies .
. . ” Another sappy laugh spilled, bearing the snot bath courtesy of the relentless sorrow in her chest. “She was so happy with how it turned out, she started planning another with a Tokusatsu or Kaiju theme. But damn it, this was not how I wanted her to learn more about them.”
Of course not.
He conveyed it with such serious strength but innate understanding, all she could do was trust him with more of her heart. As more of her tears tumbled out, inescapable and unavoidable, a new chuckle snuck into the mix, as well.
“Happy now, corvid?” she quipped. “I saw the priciest shrinks in LA for three years, you know. None of them swung what you did in three minutes.”
You mean what you did, human? His warm tone gave her no clue whether he was going for good-natured jibe or authentic compliment. Like she cared. After the rodeo they’d been through, this soldier had earned the right to do either.
Recalling all of that took some true bravery. I’m deeply grateful.
“Huh?” And who knew crows really could deliver flowery praise? “Why?”
I think you just gave the squad our best search lead yet.
“I did? How?” She closed her eyes and wiped them, struggling to wick out the rest of their tear tide pools. “No. You’re just that good, Kaw. No matter what, I’m just glad that—errr, Kaw?” When she looked to the perch again, it was empty. “Captain Kleos? Where are—”
Fwoop fwoop fwoop.
His reply wasn’t a typical interruption, but as soon as she recognized the thrum of his wings on the air, she looked up. The square of aqua sky over the garden, joined by windswept maples and fluffy white clouds, was a brilliant contrast to his silhouette, climbing higher in his flight.
“Definitely the weirdest version of catch you on the flip that I’ve ever gotten, Captain, but you’re good.”
Just bring my sister back in one piece, buddy . . . please.