Read Online Kei's Gift by Ann Somerville - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ann Somerville
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find Reji watching him with lazy, heavy-lidded eyes.
“‘ Morning. Sleep well?” Reji asked.
“Hmmm, like a rock. I’m starving.”
Reji grinned at him and poked him on the nose. “I’ve nothing in my pantry, Keichichi, so we’ll have to go and beg breakfast from someone.”
Kei yawned, not really wanting to move, but he couldn’t lie abed all day. “I said I would visit Misek today—why don’t we go to Rin’s house and beg there? I know they’ll want to see you.”
“What an excellent idea. You’re not only good-looking, but also clever. Why don’t you marry me?”
“Because you snore and hog the blankets, that’s why,” Kei said with a grin, jumping out of the bed before Reji could exact revenge for the insult. He pulled his clothes and boots on while Reji still struggled out of bed—he wasn’t someone who appreciated mornings when he had a proper bed to leave, which was rare enough for him—and splashed water on his face, before tossing Reji’s shirt at him. It was a fine morning, and as they walked out into the ever bright sunshine, the village looked newborn, dust washed away in the rain, the droplets of water yet to be burned away in the day’s heat sparkling prettily. It was a day to make a person feel good to be alive, and Kei felt the most light-hearted he’d been in months. Possibly as much as he’d felt in the year and a half since his mother had taken her own life.
“You’re looking cheerful.”
“Yes, I am, aren’t I. Life is good, don’t you think?”
Reji put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Yes, it is. Like I said, there’s not much more a body could want but good friends, good food and a useful role to fill.”
“True, very true.”
Their legs carried them in short order to Rin and Meis’s front door. Kei knocked and walked in without waiting for a response, sure of his welcome. The family were at their food, but Meis got up and clasped her hand to her breast. “Oh my, Reji. I’m so glad you’re back.”
Reji swept Meis into an embrace, and she buried her face in his chest. Kei looked at Rin in sympathy. He and Meis were as devoted a couple as one could wish, but Meis had suffered a heavy loss with the death of her much loved brother, and her emotions were still troubled. Rin clearly found it hard to deal with sometimes. That was why Kei had sent Myka in his place as often as not—Meis’s grief rubbed him raw. But this morning Reji’s calm and cheerful mood buffered her distress, and Kei felt less guilty at having avoided a family who were among his oldest and closest friends. He pulled up a stool and sat down next to Misek, whose face still bore the hideous marks of the explosion.
“How do you feel, Mis?”
“Better, Keichichi.” His friend gave him a brave smile. “I slept well. The rain helped.”
“So it did.” Surreptitiously, Kei used his gift to check the way Misek’s eye was healing, concerned at the prolonged pain. There was still some inflammation, but it shouldn’t explain.... Wait, there was something. Had he overlooked the solution all this time? “Mis, I want to check your eye. Are you finished eating?”
“I suppose so. Is something wrong?”
“Not sure. It won’t take long.”
Rin gave him a piercing look from under bushy eyebrows, worried and a little fearful at this fresh threat to his family. “Do you need help, Kei?”
“No, it’s fine, Rin. I think there’s something I can do to help the pain. It will take but a moment, but I’d prefer the privacy. Would you all excuse us?”
“Kei, shall I come with you?” Meis asked, her voice trembling ever so slightly. Pijli and Risa listened in silence, big eyes wide, their worry for their big brother clear.
Kei smiled his most reassuring smile. “Calm down, everyone. It’s a very minor check I’m doing, nothing more.”
“Ma, don’t fuss,” Misek said, getting to his feet, and indicating Kei should follow him up the stairs to the room he now
“‘ Morning. Sleep well?” Reji asked.
“Hmmm, like a rock. I’m starving.”
Reji grinned at him and poked him on the nose. “I’ve nothing in my pantry, Keichichi, so we’ll have to go and beg breakfast from someone.”
Kei yawned, not really wanting to move, but he couldn’t lie abed all day. “I said I would visit Misek today—why don’t we go to Rin’s house and beg there? I know they’ll want to see you.”
“What an excellent idea. You’re not only good-looking, but also clever. Why don’t you marry me?”
“Because you snore and hog the blankets, that’s why,” Kei said with a grin, jumping out of the bed before Reji could exact revenge for the insult. He pulled his clothes and boots on while Reji still struggled out of bed—he wasn’t someone who appreciated mornings when he had a proper bed to leave, which was rare enough for him—and splashed water on his face, before tossing Reji’s shirt at him. It was a fine morning, and as they walked out into the ever bright sunshine, the village looked newborn, dust washed away in the rain, the droplets of water yet to be burned away in the day’s heat sparkling prettily. It was a day to make a person feel good to be alive, and Kei felt the most light-hearted he’d been in months. Possibly as much as he’d felt in the year and a half since his mother had taken her own life.
“You’re looking cheerful.”
“Yes, I am, aren’t I. Life is good, don’t you think?”
Reji put his hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Yes, it is. Like I said, there’s not much more a body could want but good friends, good food and a useful role to fill.”
“True, very true.”
Their legs carried them in short order to Rin and Meis’s front door. Kei knocked and walked in without waiting for a response, sure of his welcome. The family were at their food, but Meis got up and clasped her hand to her breast. “Oh my, Reji. I’m so glad you’re back.”
Reji swept Meis into an embrace, and she buried her face in his chest. Kei looked at Rin in sympathy. He and Meis were as devoted a couple as one could wish, but Meis had suffered a heavy loss with the death of her much loved brother, and her emotions were still troubled. Rin clearly found it hard to deal with sometimes. That was why Kei had sent Myka in his place as often as not—Meis’s grief rubbed him raw. But this morning Reji’s calm and cheerful mood buffered her distress, and Kei felt less guilty at having avoided a family who were among his oldest and closest friends. He pulled up a stool and sat down next to Misek, whose face still bore the hideous marks of the explosion.
“How do you feel, Mis?”
“Better, Keichichi.” His friend gave him a brave smile. “I slept well. The rain helped.”
“So it did.” Surreptitiously, Kei used his gift to check the way Misek’s eye was healing, concerned at the prolonged pain. There was still some inflammation, but it shouldn’t explain.... Wait, there was something. Had he overlooked the solution all this time? “Mis, I want to check your eye. Are you finished eating?”
“I suppose so. Is something wrong?”
“Not sure. It won’t take long.”
Rin gave him a piercing look from under bushy eyebrows, worried and a little fearful at this fresh threat to his family. “Do you need help, Kei?”
“No, it’s fine, Rin. I think there’s something I can do to help the pain. It will take but a moment, but I’d prefer the privacy. Would you all excuse us?”
“Kei, shall I come with you?” Meis asked, her voice trembling ever so slightly. Pijli and Risa listened in silence, big eyes wide, their worry for their big brother clear.
Kei smiled his most reassuring smile. “Calm down, everyone. It’s a very minor check I’m doing, nothing more.”
“Ma, don’t fuss,” Misek said, getting to his feet, and indicating Kei should follow him up the stairs to the room he now
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