"And two hundred years later, the Lady of the East. But everyone says it was her brother who tried to take her rule," said the big yokai who Ai had tried to strangle.
"Until he disappeared without a trace."
"One by one all the strongest yokai have fallen until there were none left," his brother said, turning to face them now. The light from the fire cast his face into deep shadows, making him appear almost skeletal.
Kaito looked across the group. No one would meet his gaze. "And no one took control of the island after that?"
They shook their heads. "There were those who tried," said the purple-haired dragon. "But anyone who came up on top was quickly defeated."
"By who?"
"That's the thing, it was always different. The Lord of the South, for example, they say it was his son who betrayed him. He rules but only over their clan. None of the yokai of the region would trust him or swear allegiance after that," said one dragon.
Another chimed in, "Mhhm. And the spider’s empress was killed by the leader of the neko and they've been warring ever since."
They continued to babble on about the rise and fall of power, but it was all things he'd heard before. When he was sealed his absence of rulership had plunged the world into chaos.
The jar of sake had come back around to Kaito. He held it in his hand for a moment, spinning it around. When he'd first broken free of his seal, he'd gone to visit the swamp guardian. He had said that no one ruled, that clans of yokai kept to themselves. But he had also mentioned rumors of a powerful shape-shifter absorbing yokai. He'd assumed it was Hisato, but according to Suzume he was only recently freed. It didn't explain hundreds of years of power shifts. What if there was something even more powerful out there? Someone had to have broken Hisato free.
Kaito took a long swig of the bottle before passing it on once more to Ai. She took a dainty sip this time, but even as she did, she pulled a face and passed it to the laughing dragon to her right.
"I've heard rumors of a shape-shifter who absorbs yokai."
There was an uncomfortable silence as the dragons around the circle looked everywhere other than him.
"You've heard it as well."
"It's why we've come together," his brother said, glaring at Kaito as if challenging him to argue against such a measure, or to call them cowards for doing so.
The dragon with the purple hair spoke, "All the yokai have splintered into different clans. We have to look out for our own. It only made sense to use the old dragon seat of power as our place." She met his gaze, not so much a challenge, but begging to be understood.
Kaito waved his hand in a gesture that said he forgave them. It was good to see someone had put the place to use.
"What became of my other brothers and sister?" Kaito asked, turning his attention to his brother.
He kept his back to Kaito for a moment, before saying in a very low voice, "They've fallen, all of them. We are all that remains."
He had feared as much. Kaito was quiet for a moment, thinking of how many of his friends had been lost. How many more remained or were in hiding?
"I am sorry to hear that," Kaito said.
His brother turned only to glare at him. Perhaps he blamed him for disappearing. It was true he would never have let this happen had Kazue not sealed him. Kaito laced his fingers together and leaned forward to look at the rag-tag group of dragons before him. They were lower-level dragons, deities of streams and local bodies of water. It was a sign of the times to see them gathered here away from where they should have been worshiped and adored, as they had in the old times.
"I can understand banding together, but why leave your posts?"
"The humans no longer respect us as they once did. The shrines are disappearing. And any whose power is too great come under suspicion and are hunted."
"Are you such cowards that you cannot stand against humans?"
No one would meet his eyes.
Kaito sighed. It was the woman dragon with the long blue-green hair who spoke for the first time. "We cannot fight against them. The yokai have grown weak. Without our powerful yokai to protect us, the lesser are left at the mercy of the humans who grow stronger every day. We need a strong leader to protect us, to guide us."
She batted her long lashes in his direction, and he took a moment to assess her. She was beautiful, he could see why his brother had taken her as a lover. It had been a long time since he'd taken another dragon to his bed, but he remembered his last one well, and he could see the lust in her eyes.
Ai stood up, placing herself between the two of them. "She is right," Ai said, glaring at the woman for daring to look upon him. "It is time we gathered your kingdom back together, brought back the rule of the yokai."
"I agree. But it will not be simple. With the island divided, and my court flung to all ends of the earth, I will need yokai who are willing to serve."
The dragons leaped to their feet, the hunger in their gaze was plain as day. They wanted to serve him, they needed to serve him. As if they'd been waiting their entire lives for this very moment.
"What can we do?" the purple haired dragon asked. She was the most eager of all. Kaito could see it in her eyes.
"I appreciate your enthusiasm. It gives me hope. For tonight, let's drink and think of better days."
The dragons cheered together. Memories of his old friends were brought to mind. He shook his head. He was not going to be caught in sentimental memories, not again.
They drank long into the night, and when the night was over, Kaito, not quite drunk but close enough, stumbled down the hall toward where he remembered his bedchambers had been. It had been a long time since he drank so much and perhaps a bit too much, because the floor swayed dangerously under his feet. He leaned against the wall for a moment, catching his bearings before continuing down the hall.
He found his chamber door open, as if he had just stepped away the day before. It was as if no time had passed here, as if his five-hundred-year imprisonment was nothing but a bad dream. Either way, he was glad to be back in his bed. He laid down on the futon, burying his face in the mattress. When he rolled over however, he found he was not alone.
He raised his head to see the beautiful woman dragon smiling at him, her long, blue-green hair artfully placed to cover her naked breasts.
4
Kaito's eyes grazed over her exposed skin. The firm globes peaked out from beneath the curtain of her hair. She shifted slightly, revealing more of herself to him.
"Well, I wasn't expecting this," he said, still a little foggy from the sake he had drunk.
"I thought you might be lonely," she said, leaning in. She pressed her lips to his. His hands snaked around the back of her neck, tangling in her long hair as he explored her mouth with his tongue. As ruler of Akatsuki, he'd met women like her that used their sexual appeal to climb the social ladder. It was clear that was her intention with his brother, and now that he'd taken over control, she'd attached herself to him. They were fun for a night, and he was just drunk enough to not care.
Her hands roamed over his chest, pulling at the hem of his hoari, signaling him she was ready to take it further than kissing. They broke apart, and he knelt on the bed in front of her as she pulled at the edge of his clothes. When she was bent forward in front of him with only the top of her head visible in the dim light, her blue-green hair was almost black. And for a moment he thought of what it might be like to have a different woman in his bed.
Kaito's entire body tensed. I must be drunk to be thinking about her.
To rid himself of such thoughts, he pulled his hoari off. As soon as his skin was exposed, she kissed a trail up his stomach. Kaito closed his eyes and indulged in her ministrations, but instead of enjoying the pleasure this woman had to offer he thought of Suzume's face and the moment she had walked away. Anger welled up in him.
When the dragon reached his neck, he'd had enough of play and pushed her back so she laid sprawled on the futon. Her hair fanned out around he
r and her eyes were half-lidded. But he didn't see the beautiful yokai. Instead he thought of Suzume that morning he'd woken with her in his arms.
Kaito growled and dipped down to kiss her once more, but the honeyed taste of her lips had turned to ash in his mouth. Her hands snaked around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. She tugged at him and pulled him to straddle her. But anger and the conflicting images in his head made continuing less than convenient.
Kaito closed his eyes. Now is not a good time.
"Something the matter?" she asked.
"Nothing at all." He dipped down to kiss her, hoping if he could focus on the feeling of her lips everything else would disappear.
But those pesky thoughts would not leave him, no matter how much she stroked and teased him. All lustful thoughts were thrown from his mind. Kaito climbed off the she-dragon and turned his back to her, running his hands through his hair.
"I think I may have drunk a little too much."
She crawled up behind him, pressing her breasts against his back. "I can help with that." She wrapped her arms around him, her hands dipping lower.
He pushed her away from him and stood.
"Have I done something to displease you?" she asked.
He turned to her as she leaned on one shoulder, her body artfully draped with the blanket. When he had been the ruler of Akatsuki, he had any woman he wanted. There had been a countless string of women, both human and yokai. Sometimes multiple women in his bed at a time. But that was before Kazue. There had been no one since her. And it would have been one thing if it was thoughts of her. But Suzume? That smart-mouthed brat? She had chosen to leave him behind. She'd banished him from her side. He shouldn't care if she lived or died, and yet he couldn't get her out of his head.
Kaito shook his head. "You are-" His eyes glanced up and down her body. "You are exquisite. But I've had a long journey and I am tired. For tonight, I think it would be better if I slept."
She pulled a face and rose up off the bed. She picked up a robe off the ground, hastily covering herself. She shook her head and headed for the door, then turned to face him.
"You know I've heard the rumors about you. Everyone says you got a taste of human and never looked back."
His eyes flashed blue with his displeasure.
"Get out." He pointed toward the door, and she stormed out without a second glance.
Once she was gone, Kaito flopped back onto his cushion and laid staring at the ceiling. Why had she filled his thoughts in that moment? He told himself that it was over. If she would go so far as to banish him from her sight then he didn't need her. Let her deal with Hisato and all that came with it. All he needed was his kingdom, to get back the life he had before Kazue. And here he was turning away, perhaps the most beautiful creature he'd seen in centuries.
"What a fool I am," he said to the dark.
In the morning, Kaito strolled into the audience room with a smile on his face. Not because he was in a particularly good mood, but because he didn't want to give the impression anything was amiss. A trio of dragons was standing beside the fire which doubled as a cook-fire. Fish had been put on spits and were roasting over the flames.
When he approached, they stopped whispering. So much for hoping she'd keep her mouth shut. They'd been talking about him. He could smell it in the air. The she-dragon was nowhere to be seen, but he could see from the look in their eyes.
"Anything wrong?" he asked.
It was the purple-haired dragon. He had learned last night her name was Hana. "Is it true you were sealed by a human priestess and that's why you disappeared for so long?"
He felt his anger rise. "Who told you that?"
The three wouldn't meet his gaze, but averted their eyes to everywhere but him. Kaito glared at them, willing them to speak.
"My brother was sealed by a priest," the big yokai, Kenta, said sheepishly to Kaito.
He felt his anger cool. It wasn't so much an accusation, but a way for them to bond with him. He decided to take his advantage while he had the chance.
"Yes, it was a priestess who sealed me."
"I knew it," the smallest dragon, Arata said. "These humans have grown too powerful."
"Was it the one they called Kazue?" Hana asked, her eyes wide as a child's. His nightmares were nothing more than fanciful stories to them.
"It was," Kaito replied flatly.
"I heard she killed hundreds of yokai," Arata said, shaking his head.
"Do you think she has anything to do with the attacks?" asked Kenta.
"What attacks?" Kaito asked.
"There's rumors of a priestess who wields fire killing yokai all over the island."
"It's not her." Kaito clenched his hand into a fist. It seemed he couldn't escape reminders of Suzume.
The trio turned, blinking at him in surprise. "How could you know? You were sealed."
Kaito realized too late they were talking about things of the past. Things he'd have no way of knowing.
Before he could explain himself, his brother, Jirou, as he called himself now, said, "Because he was in love with her." The she-dragon followed close behind him.
Kaito narrowed his eyes at him.
"That's not possible. You wouldn't love a human—they're beneath you."
"But he did. That's what brought the great dragon crashing down. He fell in love with a human woman."
Now he knew where the she-dragon heard about his fall from.
"It's early to be challenging me, brother," Kaito said, turning to him, posturing.
The wounds Kaito had inflicted the day before had healed over, but Jirou's pride it seemed would take longer to heal. He didn't want to have to kill him. There were so few remaining of the first children and he needed his strength. If only he could see past his bitterness.
His brother came closer to him, glaring at him. "A weak dragon cannot lead. If you can be brought down by a human, how can we trust you?"
Kaito flexed his claws, displaying the power in him and unfurled his full power, letting his brother know who was the stronger of the two of them.
"If you want to fight me, then do so."
"We want the truth. Did you love a human?" the she-dragon asked from behind his brother.
Kaito narrowed his eyes at her, but all the dragons were watching him and waiting for an answer. If he told the truth, he'd lose the little respect he'd gotten thus far. He wasn't going to lose his palace to a bunch of low-life yokai.
He threw his head back and laughed. "Don't mock me, brother. I may have made a mistake and been trapped, but I am back now. And nothing will stop me from taking what is mine."
His brother wasn't willing to back down just yet, however. "How do we know you're not going to make the same mistake again?"
The other dragons rumbled in agreement. Everyone wanted proof. But what proof could he give them? Even if he ripped out his beating heart to show them that would never be enough.
Kaito narrowed his eyes at him.
But before he could answer, Ai answered for him. "What if he were to take a bride?" He had not even heard her approach until she was already in the middle of them.
Kaito glared in her direction, but the dragons fed on her idea.
"If we allied ourselves with another of the first, we would be strong enough to take back our land," Hana said, balling her hands into fists.
"It could bring all the clans back together," Arata said, excitement glowing in his eyes.
Kaito seized on their enthusiasm. "We shall return to the glory of our former kingdom. With all of your help we can get back what was lost."
And all eyes were trained on him, shining with excitement. Kaito turned to his brother with a smug expression.
"Why wait? Let's start by ridding ourselves of those vermin on the coast."
"Yes, they've kept us trapped in this decaying castle for far too long," Kenta said, pumping his fist into the air.
"What vermin?" Kaito didn't like the glimmer in his brother's eye.
/> "Humans have settled along the coast, fishing in your sacred waters. They are using priests to drive away all the yokai. We've done what we can to keep them from this place, but every few decades they attack again. We should rid ourselves of them before they attack again. With your power we will be strong enough."
Jirou had trapped him without meaning to. If Kaito tried to stop an attack then it would make him appear weak. But he wasn't going to slaughter humans for no reason.
"I think we should wait until we are stronger before we can attack," Kaito said.
His brother seized on this as he feared he would.
"Why not now, unless you love humans?" he said, danger lurking in his gaze.
He was prepared for this. "You've already said it yourselves, the humans have gotten stronger. They know how to fight us. I, the strongest in Akatsuki, was sealed for five hundred years by a human. If we rush in and fight without a plan, we will all fall. I did not rise from the dead to be struck down once more."
The group growled in assent, seemingly appeased. "First, we must rebuild our fortifications and gather more soldiers to us, then you will have your revenge. Then the yokai will rise again."
"And you will take a wife?" his brother asked, a twisting smile on his face.
Kaito glared back at him. "I will do whatever it takes to protect my kingdom."
The dragons cheered but his brother only watched him with hooded eyes. The others gathered around him, all chattering at once. They didn't see as his brother slipped out the back, murder in his gaze. But Kaito did, and he would have to keep an eye on Jirou.
5
"You look like you could use a rest," Tsuki said, as he walked backward in front of Suzume. It had been a grueling two weeks since they'd left Kaito behind. Her feet hurt from walking. Her entire body hurt for that matter. But knowing Tsuki, this wasn't about her comfort.
"I'm not in the mood for your jokes," Suzume grumbled.
"I'm serious. We've been going non-stop, it's time we indulged a little," Tsuki said. "There was an onsen somewhere nearby here if I remember correctly."
The Song of the Wind Page 3
