“Mountains, oceans and distance have traditionally been physical barriers to the spread of illness. However, in our world of frequent international transportation, virulent organisms have the ability to spread quickly on a national and global scale, despite our best efforts to contain them.”

— E-Notes of Jayden Wyatt, CDC scientist, Atlanta, Georgia

“Don’t do anything stupid today.”

Kiriai snorted at Shisen’s words over the breakfast table and didn’t respond as she shoveled noodles into her mouth. Shisen didn’t bother to mince words at all in private, though she could be as unreadable as Ojisan when she wanted to be. Her face, with its high cheekbones and simple beauty, was full of suspicion. The young woman masquerading as Ojisan’s bookkeeping intern had trained Kiriai in her pre-cog gift long enough to know how headstrong her pupil could be. Kiriai focused on keeping her plans from showing on her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Isha’s slight nod at Shisen’s words. Isha would have chosen more diplomatic words, but the sentiment would’ve been the same.

Kiriai swallowed before speaking. Her anger hadn’t dimmed at all since last night, but it wouldn’t do to show that to everyone at the table. “Don’t worry about me. I won’t get into any trouble.” Despite her best efforts, her voice came out sullen.

“It’s Ancestor’s Day. Isn’t the dojo shut down today, anyway?” Shisen asked.

It had been too late to do anything last night, but Kiriai had plans for today. Plans she didn’t want to share with anyone until it was too late for them to interfere. Kiriai let out a slow breath to calm down and was proud of how evenly her voice came out. “With the way the war is going, the leaders never shut headquarters down completely, even on Ancestor’s Day.”

“Well, let me get my things so I can go with you.” Shisen wiped her mouth, gathered her dishes and moved into the kitchen to do a quick washing before she disappeared down the hall to her bedroom.

Kiriai took care of her own dishes and winced when they clanged together with too much force. She couldn’t sneak out with Isha keeping a close eye on her. With a grumble, Kiriai walked over and held out a hand for the healer’s dishes. She didn’t treat Isha’s dishes with any more kindness, but at least she made herself useful while she waited for Shisen.

As she dried her hands on an ancient towel, the front door slid open with a bang reminiscent of yesterday’s burb ’forcers. Adrenaline burst through Kiriai’s muscles as she spun, ready for anything.

Her heart calmed when she saw her best friend standing in the doorway. The panic and worry on his face brought back the fear. His short, almost white hair was rumpled and sweaty, as if he’d run the whole way here. His pale blue eyes locked onto hers and she couldn’t look away.

“Is it true?”

Everyone in the room knew exactly what he was talking about, though Kiriai relaxed a fraction once she realized he wasn’t hurt or in trouble.

“They really took him?”

Her best friend’s question brought it all back. Kiriai’s throat closed with emotion and she couldn’t answer him. She nodded instead. Eigo’s eyes softened with concern and in a few long-legged strides, he was across the room. He bent down to enfold her in the arms that had comforted her since their childhood together.

It took everything she had to push the tears back. She hated crying in front of others. Part of her wanted to just melt into Eigo’s arms and pretend her grandfather was sleeping in the other room and would walk in at any moment.

Instead, Shisen came out of the home’s single hallway and stopped at the sight. “Oh. Hi, Eigo. I guess you heard the news.”

Eigo ignored Shisen. He seemed willing to hold Kiriai for as long as she needed. But Kiriai wasn’t a child able to ignore reality. Besides, she had plans to get her grandfather back. With a slight push, she stood back. Eigo held onto her shoulders and looked into her eyes.

“I’m fine.” She answered his unspoken question. “Well, not fine, but if things work out, I’ll go back to being fine.”

“I knew it.” Shisen moved up next to her. “You are going to do something stupid. Why won’t you just obey Ojisan for once?”

“Stupid? What stupid something? And what did Ojisan tell you to do?” Eigo directed his questions at Kiriai, his expression demanding an update.

Kiriai shook her head and forced down her irritation. It looked like her solo plans would include her gifted trainer and her best friend. They both knew almost everything about her. Maybe it was time to share another secret. Kiriai paused for a few seconds before she decided.

Instead of answering Eigo’s questions, Kiriai reached for the chain she never took off. She pulled it out from under her tunic and held it up to show everyone. Her two most valuable possessions, small and precious, dangled from the chain. Eigo smiled when he saw the medallion he’d commissioned for her. It matched the virtual one Yabban had given her as a tangible emblem of her achievements. Well, tangible only to Kiriai, who could see and feel whatever Yabban wanted her to. Eigo had made an identical one for her, one visible to the rest of the world. It was the most thoughtful gift she’d ever received. It allowed her to keep her virtual treasure without the rest of the world wondering what invisible item she kept fingering.

Shisen sucked in a breath and Kiriai saw Eigo’s face pale as he finally noticed the second medallion on her chain. Even Isha let out a short laugh of disbelief.

Swaying from the plain steel chain was a medallion that was barely a fingerbreadth in width. The power it represented, however, was enormous. Cast from a dark gray metal, it seemed to both absorb and reflect the light at the same time. Embossed on one side was the symbol that made it so powerful, two crossed hawk feathers encompassed by a thick circle, Boss Akuto’s personal mark. The lines swirled with the bright white and green of Jitaku Hood and there would be no mistaking exactly what the medallion symbolized: Kiriai had the personal favor of the boss.

Kiriai stared at Shisen with a challenge vibrating through her. “You asked what stupid thing I had planned for today?” Kiriai swung the boss’s personal token in front of the eyes glued to the improbable sight. “I’m going to call in my favor for saving Boss Akuto’s life. He will get Ojisan back for me.”