Breaking Ties Read Online Free PDF Page B

hot. Mouth breathing all the way for me.
    â€œYou’re going to have to talk anyway if you’re planning on asking me questions.” Nothing. “C’mon, at least tell me who got me. A snatch-and-grab? That’s impulsive, so obviously you’re Coyotes. I can’t imagine anyone else being pissed off at me.” Still nothing. “Fine.”
    You’d think that being a Bard would get them to say something , but no dice. This leaves me with only one option.
    I sing the theme to My Little Pony . Shut up, that show is awesome.
    Luckily, I only have to keep it up for four run-throughs before an angry male voice shouts at me from the front passenger seat. “ Urusai! ”
    Japanese.
    â€œGreat, Kitsune. Fantastic. Any reason there’s a bag on my head?”
    A woman, presumably the driver, giggles softly. “You tell me, your hands are not bound.”
    Okay, that’s a little embarrassing.
    I pull the bag off my head, grumbling as my hair will be further mussed. “If you didn’t tie my hands, why bother with a bag?”
    The car comes to a halt at a red, and I get a look at the two of them. Like all Kitsune, they’re humans with fur and fox’s heads, and multiple tails, the male having russet-orange fur, the female black, both dressed business casual. The female looks back at me with a wink. “Because I figured you’d enjoy the opportunity to imagine yourself in an action movie.”
    Shiko. A Kitsune I’ve worked with, made out with once, and owe a favor to. She’s actually a guy, but she identifies as female, and I like to think of myself as progressive, you know? I comb my hair with my fingers while I check the doors. Locked.
    â€œYou do realize you abducted me from work, right? My boss is waiting on his coffee that he’ll likely never get, or is that the trick? Get me fired? How very Coyote of you two.”
    The male, whom I now recognize as Kazuhiro, growls at that remark. We have a friendly rivalry going, if you call grand theft of antiquities and getting stranded in fucking Japan friendly. I still need to get him back for that, honestly, but as I’m on the outs with the family, I fail to see how that’s possible.
    I turn my attention back to the driver. “So what’s going on, Shiko? Cashing in that last favor?” I initially owed her three. One favor I tricked her out of, the other favor, well, there’s a night in Japan I’m not allowed to talk about.
    Her voice is curt as she replies, “You don’t owe me a favor.”
    I have to blink at that. “Wait, so we’re even? That’s it? Just like that? You’re letting me off the hook? No more favors?”
    I catch her eyes in the rearview. “ Spencer Crain owes me a favor. You…” She gestures helplessly in my direction. “I don’t even know who you’re supposed to be.”
    I chuff at that. “Really, Shiko? C’mon, you know I’m Spencer Crain.”
    Again, she doesn’t bother to look at me, only a reflection of her eyes in the rearview. “No. You’re not. Maybe you were once, but not anymore, and I won’t have my reputation tarnished by needing a favor from a human .”
    Ouch.
    â€œSo why did you bother to pick me up, then?”
    â€œI heard of your run-in last night. I want information.”
    I shrug. “Oh, so now you need a human’s help?” I lean back against the backseat, lounge a bit. “How embarrassing. You need the help of a human .”
    Kazuhiro grins back at me, showing teeth. “And humans are not part of the Feud.”
    Oh shit. The Feud is the ongoing game of one-upmanship between the Kitsune, the Coyotes and the Phouka. Mostly we nail prime marks and each other as practice for the grandest of all tricks, the Emerald in the Snow, which is conning a Ra’keth, a Sorcerer King, into realizing and accepting his humanity, but only if the