Freedom, Humanity, and Other Delusions (Death's Handmaiden Book 3) by Niall Teasdale (best summer reads txt) 📕

‘Ah,’ Nava said, ‘but you can know a word and think you know its meaning. You may even be correct in your understanding. However, words can have additional or alternate meanings which you may not be aware of, and those meanings might cause offence. In addition, some adults, thinking that children should not use some words, can be offended or embarrassed when they do. It’s better to be cautious of such things in polite society.’

Michiko considered this for a second or two. Then she turned to her mother. ‘Why did you never explain it like that, Okaasan?’

‘I’m sure I have,’ Yuzuki replied. ‘Perhaps not all at once… Nava does have a talent for directness.’

‘Thank you, Yuzuki,’ Nava said. ‘No one has ever put that quite so politely before.’

‘Yes, well,’ Zackery said. ‘My wife has a great talent for concealing insults in compliments.’

Yuzuki’s gaze fell upon her husband. ‘Oh, really? I think we should discuss that later, Zackery.’

Zackery grimaced, but Michiko leaned closer to Nava and whispered, if rather loudly, ‘That means they’re going to have sex.’ Melissa went scarlet. Zackery’s cheeks coloured a little. Yuzuki, always the consummate lady, just gave her youngest daughter a resigned look.

Nava whispered back. ‘You know that conversation we just had about words adults don’t like children using?’

‘That was one of them?’

‘Yes, Michiko. That was one of them.’

236/3/3.

Nava had learned two things today. First, the mansion had a dojo. It was out in a wing along with a weight-training room. It was also quite a traditional Japanese build and came equipped with a number of martial arts weapons, most of them appearing to be purely decorative, though the various forms of practice sword did look as though they saw some use.

Second, Yuzuki was remarkably good at aikijutsu. She referred to what she did as aikido, but when she offered to spar with Nava in the morning, it became rapidly apparent that her art was far from an aesthetic one. Her skill went beyond what was generally taught in self-defence classes as well. Mitsuko’s mother was a badass. About the only thing keeping Nava from a really humiliating defeat was her speed; while not superhumanly fast, Nava had the advantage over the majority of humans.

While Nava and Yuzuki were busy wearing each other out in a battle of skill, wits, and speed, Mitsuko was having the snot beaten out of her by her father. Yuzuki, it appeared, had learned aikido because it was proper for a well-bred young woman to learn to defend herself. Then she had taken it further. Zackery had learned unarmed combat in the ASF and used the somewhat brutal, goal-driven style known only as ‘military unarmed combat.’ He was not bad at it at all. Mitsuko had had karate lessons, sort of. She had never been formally schooled in any style of karate, but she had been taught to hit things with her fists and feet. She was, objectively, not too bad at it, but compared to her father…

On the sidelines, Melissa and Michiko watched the interplay of the two couples with interest. And some wincing from Melissa when Zackery landed a slightly harder punch than intended. Mitsuko was likely to have a few bruises, though it was unlikely that Nava would allow that condition to remain the case for long.

‘Your mom is really amazing,’ Melissa said. ‘I mean, I knew your dad was a soldier once, but your mom is standing up to Nava!’

‘Okaasan is teaching me a little of that,’ Michiko replied. ‘She’s a good teacher, but she’s only teaching me forms at the moment. She says I can learn to break people’s arms when I get older.’

‘I think that’s something you should be a little older for.’

‘I bet Nava was very young when she learned to fight.’

Which, as Melissa was aware, was true. ‘Yes,’ Melissa agreed, ‘she was, but do you remember what she told you about growing up too fast?’

‘She said I should stop and enjoy being a child for as long as I could.’

‘Right. If Nava could go back and not have the childhood she did, she’d do it in a heartbeat. She told me I should never– Ouch! That had to hurt! That I should never be envious of what she could do because the reason she can do those things isn’t nice.’

‘Oh,’ Michiko said, watching her precious Onee-san pick herself up off the mat. ‘I think she’s wrong.’

‘You do?’

‘If Nava wasn’t Nava, Onee-san would probably be dead. A lot of bad things might have happened which this Nava stopped. I wouldn’t want Nava to change at all.’

‘Hm. It’s a bit selfish, but I suppose I’d probably be dead too, so I can’t disagree.’

‘Enough.’ Nava’s voice drew their attention and they looked her way to see her backing away from Yuzuki with her hands raised in a fending-off gesture. ‘I am getting far too into this. We should stop before one of us gets hurt.’

Yuzuki, resplendent in a full, formal martial arts outfit, executed a perfect bow. ‘As you wish, Nava. I admit that I was beginning to enjoy the novelty of a different partner a little too much myself.’

Nava returned the bow, though hers was a little more sloppy. ‘Thank you, Yuzuki. That was informative as well as a good workout.’

‘I am most glad to be of service. As I expected, you were a formidable opponent.’

Nava nodded rather than thanking the woman again. Then she turned to look at Zackery and Mitsuko just as Zackery backed away from his daughter.

‘I think we should call it quits too,’ Zackery said, grinning.

‘It’s only a split lip,’ Mitsuko replied. ‘I think you’re getting old and making excuses.’ Her lower lip was bleeding and there were early signs of a bruise forming to the side of her mouth. Then again, Zackery looked like he would be wearing a bruise on the right side of his jaw by lunchtime.

Nava raised her hand toward Mitsuko. ‘I like your lips as they normally are, Suki.’ A second