Final Flight (6 page)

Authors: Beth Cato

BOOK: Final Flight

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Kitsune-Âken had been played for centuries in Japan along with a number of other hand-Âgesture games. This was one their favorite, though, because it was about a fantastic. Kitsune were powerful fox spirits known for their wiles and shapeshifting. Something about the gameâÂabout play-Âacting a being of powerâÂinspired Ingrid to puff her cheeks, blow raspberries, and turn her pointy fox ears into arm-Âlong ears like a donkey.

Happy tears streamed down Mr. Sakaguchi's cheeks. He gasped for breath as he doubled over in deep laughter. Cozy warmth filled Ingrid's chest as she looked on him. This was how Mr. Sakaguchi should beâÂhis spirit buoyant, eyes bright, a smile branded on his lips, even if it was to her aggravation.

A bell chimed in the hallway; time for the meeting to resume. She turned off the Graphophone.

Mr. Sakaguchi wiped his cheeks with his sleeve. A few final laughs wheezed from him as he stood. “Well. I believe you won, Ingrid.”

“I wasn't keeping score.”

“I wasn't either, but you still won.”

They entered the hallway as some adepts rushed by. She glanced back at him. “If you need another reason to cheer up, remember that
Lincoln
premieres the day after tomorrow.”

She was puzzled when his smile diminished. “I do hope I can still attend.”

“Of course you can attend! There's no reason for you to be called away. You'll even have protesters lined up outside the Damcyan Theatre.” At that reminder, he grinned.

Mr. Sakaguchi was a fiend for opera, and had been delighted that a company dared to perform
Lincoln
in San Francisco. It had outraged critics for a decade with the parallels it drew between Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and his late-Âlife work on behalf of the Chinese in America. The fact that Mr. Sakaguchi would attend such a pro-ÂChineseâÂand therefore anti-ÂJapaneseâÂwork might raise a few eyebrows, but he had a reputation for attending every operatic performance in the city. He was also known to bring his secretary in tow so she could hold calling cards on his behalf.

Ingrid greatly enjoyed the outings. She could never dress like the other women in their furs, pearls, and masterful hats, but there was still something electric about the place. Plus, it was a delight to share in something that Mr. Sakaguchi adored.

Mr. Sakaguchi paused at the table outside the boardroom and picked up Ingrid's white pitcher.

“At least it's a small crack this time,” he said in a conspiratorial whisper. “Not like that Wedgwood you shattered. Your warfare on dishware continues.”

“Maybe I should do something more rewarding than handle dishes all day.”

“You shouldn't hold power like that. You'll make yourself sick.”

“I doubt I'm even running a fever.” A lie. A small one. But her fever was under a hundred.

“Don't you have kermanite?”

“I'm fine. I haven't held this power for long, just since this morning.” She noted the brief widening of his eyes as he took in that information. He hadn't felt the tremor at dawn, then. “And of course I have kermanite. I've been extra careful not to touch it.”

Mr. Sakaguchi pursed his lips in disapproval. Here came the lecture. “Now, Ingrid, you know betterâÂ”

She felt the sudden shift of matter beneath her. Pressure. Raw power. Surging upward. Heat. In that space of two seconds, she threw herself over Mr. Sakaguchi, catching the briefest glimpse of shock on his face as the hallway shattered around them.

ABOUTÂ Â THE AUTHOR

BETH CATO
is the author of the fantasy duology
The Clockwork Dagger
, which was nominated for the Locus Award for Best First Novel, and
The Clockwork Crown
. She writes and bakes cookies in a lair outside of Phoenix, Arizona, which she shares with a hockey-Âloving husband, a numbers-Âobsessed son, and a cat the size of a canned ham.

Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at
hc.com
.

ALSO BY BETH CATO

The Clockwork Dagger

The Clockwork Crown

The Deepest Poison: A Clockwork Dagger Story

Wings of Sorrow and Bone: A Clockwork Dagger Novella

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Excerpt from
Breath of Earth
copyright Â© 2016 by Beth Cato.

FINAL FLIGHT
. Copyright Â© 2016 by Beth Cato. All rights reserved under International and Pan-ÂAmerican Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-Âbook on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-Âengineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperÂCollins e-Âbooks. For information, address HarperÂCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.

EPub Edition APRIL 2016 ISBN: 9780062411280

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ABOUTÂ Â THE PUBLISHER

Australia

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Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

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Canada

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