A Thousand Steps Into Night by Traci Chee

Author:Traci Chee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2022-01-08T00:00:00+00:00

32

The Twelfth Day

MIUKO DIDN’T SEE Geiki at breakfast the next morning, so, after her regularly scheduled prayer session with Meli and the other priests, she trotted off to the atskayakina’s room to find him.

When she arrived, he was digging through a pile of shiny objects he must have pilfered from the temple: a chain of bells, a gold tassel, a ladle, a brass bowl, a pair of gardening shears. In days past, she would have scolded him, but now the sight of the stolen treasures only made her grin.

Chuckling, she leaned against the doorframe. “What are you doing?”

He spun around, wild-eyed. In his hands, he clutched a traveling sack, which was already stuffed with packets of provisions from the kitchens.

Startled, Miuko looked from Geiki to the provisions and back again. “What are you doing?”

“I—” With a nearly audible gulp, he turned away, shoving treasures into the traveling sack by the armful.

“Geiki!” She crossed the room, tapping him on the shoulder.

He jumped. “Ack! Sorry! What? Oh, hi, Miuko.”

“Are you leaving?”

The atskayakina bit his lip. “We’re running out of time.”

Her hands went to her throat, where the curse was beginning to creep up her neck. “You don’t think I know that?”

“I don’t mean you! I mean Tujiyazai is still coming, and we have nothing!”

“So you’re abandoning us?”

“Hikedo-jai asked me to go to Keivoweicha,” he explained. “Maybe I can get to the library and back before Tujiyazai comes.”

Miuko could not help the jolt of anger that surged through her. The head priest? Betraying her? Taking the best friend she’d ever have? She’d thought they were on her side! For a second, she imagined seizing them by the throat, their old body swaying inches above the ground. But that wasn’t an appropriate reaction.

Or is it the perfect reaction? whispered the little voice inside her.

Ignoring it, she rounded on Geiki. “Can’t you wait?”

One more day. That was all she needed. One more day, and then she’d be the one to leave. On her own time. On her own terms. She couldn’t be the one left behind this time.

Not again.

Stop him then, said the demon-voice. You’re stronger than him now. Clip his wings.

Geiki stuffed the last of his things into the traveling sack. “The longer we wait, the closer he gets.”

Miuko shook her head. “But I could be gone before you get back!”

“You’re too stubborn for that.” He tried to smile—failed.

She glared at him. “Is this why you wanted to sneak out last night?”

One last adventure together—she hated that she hadn’t realized it, even as she’d felt them saying good-bye.

But it was too soon.

Any time would have been too soon.

“Please, Miuko, they’ll all die if I don’t go. You know I have to try. It’s what you would do, if you were me.”

It was true. In planning to leave, to lure Tujiyazai from the temple, she was trying to save the priests too.

But she didn’t want to hear it. She wasn’t ready. She refused to be ready. Scowling, she stood on tiptoe, bringing them eye-to-eye, and, in the coldest voice she could muster, said, “Don’t leave.

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