The Song Of The Wind
Dragon Saga 3
Nicolette Andrews
Magpie Publishing
Copyright © 2018 by Nicolette Andrews
Cover Art by Nadica Boshkovika
Cover Design by Covers By Combs
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
To my husband for supporting me no matter what. And to Kat for always being there to talk story.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Excerpt Diviner’s Prophecy
Also by Nicolette Andrews
About the Author
1
The only light was a smattering of stars across the inky black sky. Suzume's lungs burned from exertion, each breath coming out in a painful wheeze. The bamboo forest that surrounded them was growing denser, closing in on her and obscuring what little light she could see by. As they plunged deeper into the forest, the group found themselves in near impenetrable darkness. A creeping sensation persisted and sent cold shivers down her spine. She searched behind her for a pursuing yokai, but all that she could see was the faint glint of Noaki's blades. Just behind him, Tsuki flashed her a toothy smile. He would be having a good time. Suzume returned her attention to the path ahead. Her only guide was the flickering flames of Rin's multiple tails as she led them through the twisted maze of the bamboo forest.
Rin turned a corner and Suzume was left to fumble in the dark, using her hands out in front of her and what little she'd memorized of the path ahead. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She hadn't been imagining it—there was a powerful yokai nearby. Its spiritual pressure pressed down upon her. Her ability to sense these things was growing stronger all the time, and she could sense it as if were a scent, or as if she were touching something tangible. Neither of those senses quite described the feeling. It was much more of a queasy churning of her stomach. Gooseflesh rose all along her body, and the spark of flames traveled up her veins. It was getting closer.
A ferocious roar pierced the silent night. Suzume's head whipped around, searching for the source, but she couldn't see anything beyond the canopy of black above. The bamboo was so dense nothing should have been able to see her either. But she still got this sense of eyes watching her. She was so preoccupied that she did not notice Rin had stopped in front of her. The priestess collided with Rin, who was in her true form of a fox with multiple flaming tales. Suzume rubbed her nose, which had smashed into the giant fox's backside.
"You could have warned me we were stopping," Suzume grumbled.
"He's getting closer," Rin said, putting a damper on any more complaints Suzume might have.
"I gathered as much."
The group fanned out around her, reaching for their weapons. Suzume clutched at her staff, palms sweaty. The fire was right there at her fingertips, ready to be unleashed to wreak havoc upon any foe. She could do this. She had done it before. But after what she had done, knowing what dwelled inside her, she held back from reaching out to it. The ground beneath Suzume's feet trembled, the vibrations traveling up her body. It was getting closer.
From out of the dark shadows, a figure dressed all in black emerged. His eyes glowed green in the darkness as he sang a song. Suzume could feel the power rising off him, igniting every cell in her body. Her throat itched to join in with him, to feel that power course through her, but she clamped her mouth shut instead and just watched Makato, or Hikaru, which was his real name.
The notes of his song faded into the night and he turned to the others. "That should give us sufficient cover for now."
"It won't last forever. We better hurry," Rin said in a rumbling voice.
They continued through the twisted maze of the bamboo forest, and the creeping sensation would not leave Suzume. Maybe it was because the nights were turning colder, but the chill continued to grow. A small spark of her flame would both warm her and give her something to see by. But with her power, it wasn't always that simple. One little spark and the next thing she knew she'd be consumed by Kazue. Instead she followed the dim light Rin emitted and rubbed her palms against her arms, trying to keep warm.
"How much farther?" Akira asked, her voice floating from somewhere in the darkness behind Suzume.
It was a disorienting feeling, being surrounded but having no real way of seeing any of them. It was as if they were all lost in darkness.
"Almost there," Hikaru replied. His disembodied voice echoed around Suzume.
As if summoned by his words, the bamboo forest came to an abrupt end. The night was still and the only sound was the chirp of insects.
"I think we lost him," Suzume said, with an audible exhale of relief.
"Wait here, just in case," Rin said before stepping out from the archway of bamboo.
Rin lifted her fox head, sniffing the air. After a few cautious moments, she gestured for the others to join her. Outside the forest there was nothing but a long stretch of rolling hills, nothing to disguise them for a league. Suzume hurried across the space, wanting to be back in the shelter of treetops as soon as possible. Her gaze kept drifting to the cloudless night. If something was flying overhead, they'd see it in an instant.
Halfway across a cloud passed overhead, casting a long shadow over them. Behind her she heard the clink of a sword being drawn. The long serpentine shadow was directly over her and she tilted her head back to see a flash of blue scales against the dark sky. She squeezed her hands into fists to suppress the sparks that already threatened to ignite all over her body.
Maybe he didn't see us. But how could he miss them, when they were out in the open?
An ear-piercing roar shook Suzume to her core.
Or he did.
The others closed into formation around her, weapons drawn. As if they could protect her from what was coming. Suzume reached for her staff, but feared drawing it. If she fought now, the power would only leap to her defense and she feared the consequences if she did. So she dropped her hand to her side instead, relying on her friends for protection.
The dragon took a dive from the sky, on a crash course with their group. He skimmed over the tops of their heads. The rush of the wind as he passed tossed Suzume's hair back, and she whip
ped her head up to watch his progress as he landed a few feet away.
In a puff of smoke, he transformed from a serpentine dragon to something more human. From a distance, Suzume could see his icy blue eyes. He stormed toward them, one hand extended, partially transformed, and tipped with razor-sharp claws.
"Out of my way," Kaito growled at Noaki and Tsuki, who stood directly in front of her.
"Not gonna happen I'm afraid," Tsuki said. Even though she couldn't see his face, she imagined he had a grin.
"Then I'll make you move."
The dragon lunged for the two swordsmen, claws clashing with blades, the sound ringing out into the night. The two of them circled the dragon, whose face had partially transformed into something dangerous and beastly. Elongated fangs protruded from his mouth, his face was covered in scales, and his eyes were a dangerous blue. He spun slowly in a circle while the swordsmen held up their weapons, on guard.
"I do not wish to fight you," Noaki said.
"Too late for that," Kaito said as he lunged once more for the swordsman.
Even in a fight of two against one, the odds were in Kaito's favor.
Suzume's hands were slick with sweat as she gripped her staff. She let it go though, she wouldn't use it against him. Not at the risk of hurting him once more. She stepped out from the protective barrier Rin and Hikaru had put between her and the dragon.
"Stop!" she shouted.
Kaito froze, his hand in the air prepared to slash at Tsuki. His piercing blue eyes caught hers and narrowed.
"What are you doing?" she said to the dragon, hands on hips, arms trembling. She'd wanted to make a clean break. But knowing the dragon, that was never going to be possible.
Kaito lowered his hands to his side. "Excuse me?"
"Why did you follow us?"
He shook his head and stalked over to her, grabbing her wrist and yanking her close to him. "Is this a joke? You snuck away in the middle of the night. What else was I supposed to think other than you were kidnapped?"
Sparks danced between them as her fire could not be suppressed against the threat of his icy grip. It would be so easy to fall into old habits, let him lure her back in with an argument that he would inevitably win. She had left without a goodbye for this very reason. She yanked her hand away.
"You knew I wasn't kidnapped." She glared back at him.
A few errant sparks sputtered out and died, fading into the dark. Kaito glared at the space between them.
"You have a knack for trouble," he said but the old joke was half-hearted at best.
"Well you see that I'm fine, so you can leave now." She turned to walk away. If she looked at him, she might still give in and stay with him. Not because she thought he'd ask her to stay, but because she was afraid her own resolve would crumble. It would be so much easier to fall into his arms and become his pet, kept hidden away forever. But that's not who she wanted to be.
Kaito balled his hand into a fist. "What are you hoping to prove?"
She turned around to face him once more, her face flushed with anger. "Do you really not get it?"
"I see that you're still too reckless for your own good. I'm bringing you back before you get hurt."
He reached for her once more and she picked up her staff, blocking him with a flaming barrier that she had not intended to use, but was grateful for just the same. Ice coated his hand as he grasped the staff.
"Do you want to know why I can't go back there?" Suzume asked as she knocked the dragon backward. He skidded back a step or two. She was lucky that time. He'd not expected her to go on the attack. But before he could recover, she lunged toward him, swiping her staff at him. He dodged her attack, rolling out of the way. She felt her power swell inside her, a raging inferno that was just waiting to be unleashed—Kazue's flame, the power of the kami. Whatever it was, it wanted more than anything for Suzume to prove to Kaito just how strong she had become.
He had to feel it as well, the rise of her spiritual pressure. But he was pretending not to. He only saw her as a fragile princess, a woman incapable of protecting herself, but she had become so much more. She swung at him again, letting rage guide her steps. But Kaito was much faster than her and he was behind her in a heartbeat.
He wrapped his arm around her torso, pressing her staff against her body and pressing her back against his chest.
"I don't care what your reasons are. I know what's best for you."
Her anger rose in her like the tide, and flames burst out of Suzume, turning her into an inferno. Kaito jumped back and away from her before he too was burned. She turned to face him, and saw the flame reflected in his eyes and she saw his fear. The scales receded on his skin and he reverted to a more human visage. She thought Hikaru had broken the spell that caused her to steal Kaito's energy, but the bond was not broken. They were still connected and the longer they remained together the more she would hurt him and herself.
The thought sobered her and she let the flames die out. Kaito was left nearly bent over, clutching at his stomach.
"This is why I'm leaving," she said, gesturing toward him.
Kaito stood up again, as if he had not almost been brought to his knees by Suzume's brief show of power.
"You don't have to use your power," he growled. But she could see the strain on his face and the cracks in his veneer, which showed his real fear of her.
"That's what you don't get. I don't want to give it up. If I have to choose between you and my power, then I choose my power." It was a lie, of course. She didn't want this destructive power, but she didn't want to be a kept woman either.
She turned to walk away, hoping that she'd made her point clear and he'd let her walk away once and for all. But before she could even take a few steps, Kaito chased after her. He grabbed her but this time she didn't feel any of the frost in his touch. It was warm and firm.
It was so difficult not to turn around and beg him to protect her. She was terrified of the power inside her. So scared that she would lose control again, and hurt someone else.
She wished she could live the ideal life he wanted for her—living protected and comfortable, a similar version of the life she had once had back at the palace. But that Suzume was gone, burned away and nothing but ash.
"Let me go," she said, softly.
As if he was a puppet on a string, Kaito loosened his grip. It shocked her that he listened. His entire body was tense, clenched and angry.
"Do you think I'm going to let you go that easily?" he asked.
"Is keeping me like your pet going to change the past?"
"You're mine." His voice was a growl.
She shook her head. "No, I'm not."
She took another few steps and he followed. "Just stop!" she shouted.
Kaito froze in his tracks. "This isn't funny," Kaito growled.
Suzume turned to him once more. "I'm not trying to be funny."
"Then whose spell is keeping me from moving?" he snarled.
Everyone had the same confused expression on their faces. Then she remembered how after she'd taken Ai's energy she had been able to control her. Could it be she had the same control over Kaito?
"Pat your head."
Kaito's arm moved stiffly to his head and he tapped it once and then twice.
Suzume covered her mouth with her hand. He has to listen to me. There were so many evil thoughts running through her head, all of which would only lead to trouble. As much as she wanted to tease him, and fall back into the same routine they used to have, she knew there was only one command she had to give.
"I'm going to walk away and you cannot chase after me. Do not search for me. I never want to see you again."
"Do you think I'm going to listen to a mere human?"
"You don't have any choice. We're bound together and you have to obey."
2
It had been five hundred years since Kaito had gazed upon this shoreline. While he had been sealed away, his dreams at times had brought him back here—seated at the head
of the great hall, his subjects feasting while the sounds of music and laughter filled the room. The palace had been full of life and color, his people as varied as the islands over which he ruled. When he closed his eyes, he could almost hear them again. But when he opened them, the sky overhead was gray, and his once vibrant palace had been stripped of color, hardly distinguishable from the sky and sea. Everything was one muted canvas.
The palace long ago was a shining jewel set on the ocean’s surface. At the height of his power it had been a testament to his strength. Now all that remained was a bleak island, buffeted by waves. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing but crumbling stone. To any passing human eye, that was exactly how it seemed. But Kaito saw beyond that, to the crumbled walls which once fortified his palace. The beautifully painted tiles which once covered his roofs were cracked and bleached by the sun.
Raindrops pattered onto his face and Kaito tilted his head back to let them roll down his neck. Perhaps the clouds overhead were reflective of his mood, and the sea's raging against the sandy shore fueled by his anger. There was no denying it now, time had almost wiped away the last traces of him and his kingdom. Nothing was how it was supposed to be. First he lost Suzume, and now this.
"You are back where you belong," Ai said. Though childlike in appearance she had at one time been one of the most powerful of the first children. Beloved daughter of the Lord of the Sea, and Kaito’s one-time mistress. She had insisted on joining him on his quest to return home, rather than remaining in the underwater palace which had once been her prison.
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