Memory Hunted Read Free

away," Timothy said.
    Yuzu frowned. "Allen and I were too young to worry about
that."
    "How old were you?" Timothy asked.
    Yuzu picked at the checkered blanket covering her legs.
"Allen died over five years ago."
    Timothy scratched his stubble. "I…I’m sorry."
    Yuzu shrugged and wiped an eye with the back of her hand.
"We grew up together. His family took me in when Da…" She shook her head. "Allen
and I were always together until the accident. I was at the market when it happened.
One of the houses fell into ours and…." She sighed. "I did odd jobs and had a small
room with a seamstress until she got sick. I found Hoss and Mira when I left. What
about you, Sis?"
    Daeric twisted in his saddle. "My heart rends for your
tale, Moonflower. I, for one, am glad you were at the market that day."
    Yuzu blinked. "Uh, thanks."
    Daeric bobbed his head. "Please carry on. You are safe
with me on watch." He turned back to the road.
    "Sis?" Yuzu asked.
    "I’d rather not talk about it."
    "I want to know all about my new sister," Yuzu said.
"Timmy, why don’t you tell me then?"
    Kit frowned.
    "I haven’t known Kit all that long." And yet it has
felt like much longer.
    "And yet you are married?" Yuzu asked. "Was it arranged?"
    Kit snagged Timothy’s arm. "It was love at first sight.
For him, not for me. He kind of grew on me, like a wart." She smiled. "I still wonder
if I should have him removed."
    "Don’t let her fool you. She fell for my charm at the
outset," Timothy said. The banter felt nice.
    "Oh yes, the smell of wool and musty books is just so
attractive." Kit sniffed.
    Yuzu’s smile slipped. "I really miss them—Allen. Hoss. Mira. Colt. I…it is okay to move on, right, Sis?"
    "We don’t have a choice, but the memories will always
hunt us." She rubbed Timothy’s back.
    Evelyn’s face hovered in the back of Timothy’s mind. Kit is right. Time forces us forward, and memory hunts us. He looked at Kit.
She grinned a fang at him and punched his arm. She knows that hunt well.
    Yuzu nodded. "I think I understand why you want to visit
your home." She smacked her cheeks with both hands. "No more of this sad stuff.
So how can you tell which kind of man is which, Sis?"
    Kit snatched Timothy’s chin and turned his head to the
girl perched on the wagon. He stumbled over something in the snow.
    "Will you—" Timothy said.
    "Do you see his trusting, innocent eyes? Eyes that haven’t
seen the wiles of a female," Kit said. "Notice the bewildered, irritated expression
and how he doesn’t try to fight me?"
    "As if it would do any good," Timothy said. He stumbled
over another rock. "Now let go."
    Kit released him and patted his head.
    "Oh." Yuzu nodded. "I see now."
    "But even this male will get used to our tricks. It just
means you have to be creative." Kit tapped his hot cheek with the back of her hand.
    Timothy sighed and tuned them out. It was better when
Kit and I weren’t talking. Only he had missed her antics. Yuzu insisted on learning
Kit’s bad habits for some reason. For all her initial hesitation, Kit seemed to
enjoy having an adopted sister. What happened to women being demure? But then, Timothy
would not want Kit to be anything other than Kit.
    Timothy shook his head and grinned despite himself. It
was hard to tell Yuzu was even a girl with how thin she was. She lacked Kit’s way
of walking. He slowed his steps to let the girls talk. Timothy swallowed. Kit
does have a nice walk. No one could mistake her gender. He could imagine her
tail swaying beneath her cloak and skirts. How will Yuzu react when she
discovers her adopted sister is a fox? Will that change their relationship? Most people believed the Church’s teachings that foxes were demons, and Kit could
certainly act like a demon some days.
    Timothy frowned at the thought. Now that isn’t fair.
If I spent my life being hunted, I’d push people away too. He often thought
he was the first person Kit truly trusted. He looked past the women and locked his
gaze on