by Kat Cotton
The crows cawed but stayed on the branches of the trees above. The air crackled around me, shimmering in a strange way.
“You can do this,” a voice said, resonating in my head.
Hell yeah, I could. I didn’t need the kami to tell me that.
I rose my hand toward the goon. It didn’t glow like Jin’s had but it shimmered. I was a god. I had no idea what that meant and no idea what I could do but a meat mountain like that guy wouldn’t control me.
Those intentions seemed to shoot from me.
The goon stumbled backwards, even the crows retreated. Then the goon covered his face, blocking his eyes from my stare.
“Get her,” Yamaguchi cried.
The goon sunk to his haunches and quivered. “I can’t.”
“Get up,” Yamaguchi yelled but the goon stayed down. He turned to the goon holding Yuki but that guy shook his head as well.
The two of them trembled to look at me. I had this. I really had this. Deep inside, I knew this was something I’d been capable of all along if only I hadn’t been too scared to access it.
I turned on the other goon, the one holding Yuki.
“Let her go,” I said.
Yuki had become even more fox-like and the goon had her around the neck.
The goon let go of Yuki and ran. I wanted to laugh but I turned to face Yamaguchi.
“Nani? What?” he said.
Yuki sunk to the ground, still fox-like. Shun ran to pick her up.
I tried the staring thing with Yamaguchi but it didn’t seem to take hold. I screwed up my face, pushing harder but it was useless. He had something around him the fear couldn’t penetrate. A protection or something.
“His protection can only last so long,” the kami told me. “You can break through it.”
I slowly smiled. “I’ve got you,” I said.
“You have powers but remember, I have the kitsune’s life force.” He held up something that glowed like a star. “I can destroy her at any time.”
Shit, yeah, I hadn’t considered that. With the goons powerless, we could leave at any time but that did nothing to save Yuki.
“I warned you,” Jin said. “I told you you’d gotten yourself on Yamaguchi-san’s bad side.” But he stood behind Yamaguchi like a scared little kid hiding in his mother’s skirts.
“You betrayed me, the three of you. You thought you could fool me with a simple trick? I can’t let that go unpunished. If word got out, people would think I’d turned soft. You need to pay.”
“What do you want?” I asked.
That cold gaze of his still scared me. He might not have powers of his own but he had no mercy and no compassion.
“I want you, little god,” he said.
That sounded so creepy and wrong, I shuddered. Did he mean he wanted to kill me or inappropriately touch me? Saving Yuki’s life force was all strong and noble of me but there was a line I wouldn’t cross.
I smiled at Yuki and shook my head. “Not going to happen. Soz, Yuki, not going to die for you.”
“I want you to work for me,” Yamaguchi said. “One year, fully paid. In return, the kitsune remains safe. You stay in the apartment and get paid fifty thousand yen a month. I’ll send you a contract and sort out your visa. And, at the end of it, I find your precious stone.”
Before I could answer, Shun grabbed my arm.
“Don’t agree,” he said. “Don’t you dare agree. He’s never going to let you go.”
I shook myself free. I couldn’t not agree. Didn’t Shun know that? One year wouldn’t be so bad.
“One year,” I said. “I’m free to go at the end of it. No tricks, no loopholes. I won’t do anything illegal. And Yuki gets her star ball back at the end of it.”
“He’ll never agree to that,” Shun muttered.
I ignored him and stared at Yamaguchi.
“Agreed.” But the creepy grin on Yamaguchi’s face almost made me regret my decision.
Chapter 31
Yuki got to her feet, fully human again now. “I’m not sure about you, but I’m getting a beer. I need one after that.”
“Hell yeah.”
Shun shook his head but ran to the nearest beer stall. The three of us found a seat and got drinking. That beer tasted so good.
“It’s over,” I said. “We’re free.”
Shun scowled. “Not so free. You should never have agreed to that.”
“Not to mention you owe a favor to the Snakes,” Yuki added. “And you agreed to a date with Hokuto. That could end up being all dirty and wrong.”
I sure hoped so. But Shun’s frowning expression wiped the smile off my face.
“Yamaguchi will own your soul forever,” he said.
Maybe. I took a swig of my beer. But I’d make sure that didn’t happen. I had no idea how but that old man would never own me. I’d tasted power and it was sweeter than cupcakes.
As Yuki lifted her beer, I studied her. Surely there’d be some sign of what she’d gone through. If it’d been me, I’d be quaking forever. Knowing that someone could destroy your life force just like that would turn me into a mess. But Yuki’s face looked serene as she drank.
She caught me watching her. “Thanks,” she said. “For... that.”
The words didn’t come out easily but she’d said them and, for an instant, I wanted to hug her then I remembered she was Yuki and would probably rip my face off if I tried.
“No problem,” I said. “I am kind of disappointed I didn’t get to see you turn into a fox, though.”
“I don’t turn into a fox. I am a fox. I turn into a human.” She bowed her head. “Maybe it was partly my fault the kami got stolen.”
Wowsers, stopping someone’s life force from being stolen really changed them. I could get around this new, humble Yuki. I might ask her to teach me how to do that cool winged eyeliner she did. And borrow her clothes. And we could talk about guys.
“We never found out who stole the kami,” I said. “I guess it doesn’t matter but I want to know.”
“Are you stupid?”
Wow, that change in Yuki didn’t last long. If she had insider knowledge about who Yamaguchi’s mysterious enemy was, she could’ve shared it earlier before we went through this whole ordeal
“Well, who did then?”
“Yamaguchi, obviously,” she said. She laughed and took a deep sip of her beer. “We ran around like idiots and sold our souls to the Snakes to fool him but he knew all along.”
“Huh? No way.”
Both Shun and Yuki stared at me for an uncomfortably long time. I looked away and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. They still stared.
“What?” I finally said.
“He got you to reveal your power and agree to work with him,” Yuki said. “You are screwed, Molly. You are so screwed.”
My stomach gurgled and the crows cawed. Every single sign in this world said that Yuki was right. But the seed of a plan formed in my head. I wouldn’t act recklessly and I wouldn’t mention it out loud. The idea seemed too big and too overwhelming but, before this year was out, I’d take Yamaguchi down.
THE END
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ABOUT ME:
I write character-driven Urban Fantasy with kick ass chicks and pretty boy vampires.
I’m a digital nomad, although I hate that term because it makes me sound like a wanky hipster. Which I’m not. Okay, I am a bit snobby about coffee and I sometimes wear twee vintage dresses but that doesn’t make me a hipster.
On my travels, I love visiting weird and macabre places. Mummified hands that remove curses, museums of infectious diseases, collections of taxidermed frogs riding Penny Farthings - hell yeah!
I love hearing from readers so if you’ve got questions about my books, cool locations I can visit or just want to say hi, email me - [email protected] or visit my website – http://www.katcotton.com.
Also
by Kat Cotton
Clem Starr Box Set
Clem Starr Demon Fighter Box Set: Books 1-3
Clem Starr Demon Fighter Box Set - Books 4-6
Clem Starr: Demon Fighter
Demon Child
Moonlight Virgin
Vampire Prince
Undead Alchemist
Super Starr
Merry Clem-mas
Mystery Widow
Harajuku Crows
Millennial Mischief
