Hellbender - Dana Cameron Page 0,7

is a retreat used by our kind in times of trouble, and so we have many more amenities than most houses.”

I thought of the very nice shower I’d just had. I’d never had a prescription for a bath before. “A bath will help me, how?”

“It’s very relaxing, good for the skin, excellent for your muscles, and helps fatigue. You should try it. Our American Cousins will be happy to show you how. The girls have become quite addicted.” Almost a frown crossed his face. “Ash, not so much.”

“That sounds lovely.” My stomach rumbled, embarrassing us both.

Ken-san took the cue. “If you’ll follow me, I think Okamura-san has prepared a proper meal for you.”

“Thank you!” My heartfelt gratitude for the food reminded me of other manners. “And thank you for examining me. My Family—”

“If I understand correctly, they’re still fighting. It will take some time to get news. Also, you would like to go home, but you have no papers? No entry stamps, no passport?”

“I don’t.”

Ken-san frowned with concern. “That is difficult but not insurmountable. As I say, time enough to arrange that. We will get you home very soon.”

“Thank you.” My relief could not have been greater.

Another man came in, nodded to me, and spoke quietly and rapidly to Ken-san. After a short exchange, he bowed and left.

Ken-san turned to me, his lips tight. “We’ve tried, repeatedly, to contact the Family in Boston but with no luck. It could be they are still engaged with the—what did you call them?”

“Fellborn. The Order.”

“Yes, we know of the Order, of course. They’ve become very bold lately. And we heard from our Cousin Toshiharu Yamazaki-Campbell about the Fellborn—he’s out there, too, correct? The Family may be following only local communication, too busy fighting and controlling the information about the existence of the Fangborn at the moment. In which case, it is only a matter of time before we hear from them.”

One way or the other, I thought. Let’s hope it isn’t via the twenty-four-hour news networks.

“And now, if you are ready, there is food.”

I tried not to actually drool as I followed him to the next room.

The tiny little plates worried me at first, but they came in quantity. And quality—there were many types of seafood, mounds of rice, seaweed. I smelled vinegar, soy sauce, and a number of things I couldn’t identify. It didn’t matter—it was all delicious.

Ash was there and apparently so were the sisters he’d mentioned. As he’d said, they were triplets, and while Ash was similar looking to his sisters, if it hadn’t been for the girls’ radically different styles, it would have been impossible to tell the two of them apart.

They were nearly of a height, a few inches taller than me, maybe five eight, five nine. Brown hair, blue eyes, freckles, symmetrical features.

I only noticed now that I was fed that Ash was the picture of retro-prep: buttoned down, slicked back, and creased to within an inch of his life. It made me fidget just to look at him. I wanted to mess his hair or yank out his shirt so the tails hung outside his sweater vest.

The one I learned was named Rose was as gothy as they come. She wore drapey black with hints of jewel tones, which were a relief to the eye and yet somehow made the black all the darker. And speaking of eyes, if I’d had the money to buy stock in eyeliner and black nail polish, based on Rose alone, I’d make a killing. Her hair was dark black, but it was obviously the sort of home color job I used to do, because it wasn’t exactly the right shade to go with her pale skin. It washed her out, which, come to think of it, might have been the point. But with the sapphire eyes she shared with her siblings, it was a striking combination.

Ivy looked to me to be the most normal of the lot. Which meant that she looked closest to how I usually dressed: jeans, layered tees under a jacket. Judging by the leather stains on her toes, she owned the boots I’d seen out front, nearly new. Her hair and Ash’s matched, though hers was longer, pulled back into a sloppy, pretty knot.

The Trips talked nonstop while I took them in, which was nice, because it got me off the hook for having to join in the conversation.

“We were born at noon at the summer solstice,” Ivy said.

“Well, you came at noon, and we shot