On Thin Ice (Prequel to Guild)

Chapter Forty-One: A Bird Pursued By Snakes

          Shokudai birds had red crested throats, but the birds that perched in comfort far beneath those jagged stones should have had feathers as fresh and ruffled as the latest skirt fashions. Not spiky and matted with blood.

"He... bit her!" Yuina gasped, stepping back when the castle gamekeeper motioned her away. Concern in her eyes, the woman helped poor Sunrise from the cage, shielding her from her mate with a sleeve as lovely as her wings once had been. In a flurry of feathers and talons, Springtime pecked at them as if they were such. He tore fabric and flesh, drew angry lines upon her skin, but the keeper didn't shed so much as a tear.

But then again... could she?

Passing her poor bird to an apprentice, the gamekeeper shook her head. "If it adheres to My Lady's wishes, I will send someone later to pick up Springtime for examination. I would like to keep Sunrise under observation for a while, at least until she recovers from the trauma of...."

A squawk from Springtime. That peach-faced head slammed against the bars of his cage. With his yellow beak, he chewed, and bit, and threatened until Sunrise disappeared on a branch of tattered silk, Bo Lâm's sedge coat came to banish him from the lounge.

"Well, that should keep him quiet for a while."

Her smile pulled taut, hurting her cheeks and her heart. "Uh huh."

"Something wrong, kid?"

Dissatisfied with her delayed answer, the gardener flopped down upon her bench, the pillows letting out a puff of air like a dying breath. Naoki made a similar noise.

"I told you, you're all welcome to sit down..."

"A good house servant shows discipline... and restraint!"

"Then it's a good thing I'm a gardener," said Bo, grinning when Naoki left the room in a huff, taking a dejected group of maids with her. Only Yuki escaped the reaping. Though the Lady Kimsura supposed that might be because she held scissors. Because her black eyes were locked in an intense state of focus as she snipped away at her hair. Reflected in the mirror, Yuina watched Bo smile and shake his head before returning to her.

Bo patted the cushion beside him. "Out with it, then."

"Your wife would beat you with a dust rag if she heard you speaking to me like that."

"Her ghost is doing it as we speak. I'll have bruises tomorrow, so you'd better be quick if you want to spare this poor old man a sick day."

Laughter. After nearly seven years of grief, it came quicker. It finally hurt less. "You're impossible."

Bo grinned. "And you are terrible at hiding things."

"I hide lots of things," she grumbled, but Bo wouldn't have it.

"Feelings, Yuina. You either colour like a bruised fruit or..."

"Fine!" She sat down, folded her arms over her knees. "It's the birds."

"Oh?"

"I'm worried... I mean what if... What if it's a bad omen?"

"Your deranged bird bit his mate. To be honest, kid, it wasn't much of a surprise..."

"They're lovebirds! They're not supposed to- It's got to be a sign about..."

Bo frowned, but didn't say a word. The snip snip snip of Yuki's scissors offered no comfort.

Those hands came together over her eyes. After a moment, she united them in pushing back her hair. "About Dai... and me."

"You're still not talking?"