“Yotan was nearly killed the last time,” Reiji said, his jaw tightening. “He took an arrow to his wing.”
Remorse rushed over me, and my arms wilted to my sides.
“Don’t worry about it,” Yotan said quickly. “It was weeks ago, and I’m already much better.”
Hasho pushed a bowl of food into my hands. “Eat. It always lifts your spirits.”
“Yes, let us celebrate our reunion tonight,” said Andahai. “Now that you’re back, we won’t have to suffer Hasho’s cooking anymore.”
My youngest brother made a face. “I’ll be glad to relinquish the task to you, Shiori. You’ll finally have your wish of learning to cook.”
Digging into my bowl, I nodded mutely. My brothers had no idea I’d spent half of autumn toiling at Sparrow Inn. I’d changed so much since we were last together. Even in the few hours since our reunion, I could tell the same was true of them.
Dinner was a boiled stew of whatever my brothers had in the back: the lotus root and chestnuts and some unappetizingly brown pieces of meat I could not identify. The skin was slippery and tough—if I hadn’t been so famished I probably would have spat it out. But the meat itself wasn’t bad. Somewhere between a bird and a fish.
“Frog,” Yotan said bluntly as I struggled to chew. He grinned. “We thought you’d prefer it to worms and spiders.”
I forced a swallow.Tasty,I lied with a smile.
As we ate, Kiki buzzed from brother to brother. She’d already charmed the twins, and once or twice I observed Reiji’s grimace fading, though his glower quickly returned when he realized I was looking.
Only Andahai sat alone, rolling an orange in his hands. He had hardly eaten.
What is it?I motioned. It wasn’t like him to be so melancholy.
“It’s nothing,” Benkai answered for him, but I caught my oldest brothers exchanging a glance.
I started to look for a stick to write with in the dirt when Benkaitouched my shoulder. “He’s simply relieved you’re back.”
I glanced at Andahai. It’d been years since I had seen my oldest brother in anything but his princely silks. He was the crown prince, heir to Father’s kingdom. The brother who bore the responsibility of our entire country. The one who protected us and listened to us, who mediated our arguments and tended our injuries.
For the first time in a long time, he looked like my brother first and the crown prince second. Aggrieved that he couldn’t do anything to save us from Raikama’s curse.
I brought my bowl and sat with him.
The curse,I gestured, making my hands into wings.I want to hear more.
“Not tonight,” Benkai said, ever wise. “Tonight we celebrate, all right, Shiori? Our stepmother has wrought enough sorrow. We cannot let her shadow darken our precious hours of light. Not another word about the curse.”
Not another word.Easier done than they thought.
As always, it was Hasho who soothed me. He scooted close, offering me half his food, which I refused to take until he scooped it into my bowl. “We spent weeks preparing this cave for you, Shiori,” he said quietly. “We hoped more than anything to find you. And now we have.”
Now you have,I echoed.
I’d dreamt of this moment for so many weeks, of how happy I’d be when my brothers and I were reunited. Now that it had at last arrived, I couldn’t celebrate.
Smiles flashed at me, wooden sticks clanged rhythmically against the flat stones my brothers were using as plates, and Yotan made whuffing sounds on a flute he had fashioned. But as I mustered a smile, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
My brothers were hiding a secret. One they were afraid to tell me.
If only they knew I felt the same way.
I pursed my lips tight, holding in my curse. Whatever their secret was, I knew mine was worse.
The night passed quickly. I didn’t remember falling asleep, but my brothers’ movements woke me. They were tiptoeing to the mouth of the cave, with roughly made pouches slung around their necks.
I sprang after them.You’re leaving?
