Still, he’d do his job. That was what it meant to be a part of the Navy SEALs.
“Do you at least know where they’re going?” Sergeant Verräter asked.
“The bus they were taking goes further into the city. I assume Kuroneko has decided to give them a tour of Saint Byakko,” Jack answered.
“You mean Los Angeles, right?”
“… Yes, sir.”
“Very well. Cease following them for now. Instead, I want you to find a place where you can set up shop and continue to monitor them.”
“Understood.”
“Right, then Sergeant Verräter out.”
“What’s the plan?” asked Jill as Jack canceled the line of communication.
“We’re going to find a place to stay and continue monitoring the subjects until further notice,” Jack said.
“I see.”
Jack looked at his sister, whose face remained inscrutable. He couldn’t begin to fathom what she was thinking, and a part of him believed he was better off not knowing. Even he knew that women were a strange breed.
“There are several cheap hotels, so let’s find one and rent a room,” he suggested.
“That’s as good an idea as any, I suppose,” Jill said with a shrug.
He and his sister soon disappeared into the crowd as they began searching for a hotel to spend the night in.
It looked like they were going to be there for a while.
***
When Kuroneko said that she was going to take them on a tour, she really meant it. They’d spent several hours hopping from bus to bus, wandering down streets filled with pedestrian traffic, and visiting several places of interest.
Saint Byakko was different from what Kevin remembered of it. Some parts of the city had been destroyed, nothing but empty husks and decimated remains, but others looked like they’d been rebuilt from the ground up. The Los Angeles strip was one of those places, and so was Chinatown. No longer did they hold the same appearance as they once did. The strip had appeared less gritty and more respectable than before. The old structures of Chinatown, while still containing that Asian aesthetic, were gleaming and new.
“These places were destroyed during the war,” Kuroneko had said when he asked about it. “So, I had them rebuilt. Unlike Daven, who prefers to remain anonymous and doesn’t try to expand his wealth, I’ve invested money into hundreds of different ventures: Imports, exports, computer hardware and software. Half the reason the US Military can’t do anything to me is because I own a number of corporations they work with. They’ll attack if I give them an opportunity, but they can’t afford to make any hasty decisions because I could ruin many of their investments.”
She had given them a vague smile when she’d said that, as if she was sharing an inside joke with them. None of them had understood it.
After the tour, the group arrived back at The Yōkai Café, where Kuroneko immediately ordered her maids to prepare sleeping arrangements for them. Kevin thought that should have been done last night. However, with everyone drunk except for him and Lilian, that hadn’t happened.
“This is where you’ll be staying,” Hina said, scowling at the two kitsune like they were a blight upon her world. While Iris just ignored the look—Kevin imagined she was secretly basking in the kijo’s anger—Lilian stuck out her tongue and blew the woman a raspberry. Kevin imagined that, for just a moment, Hina’s red skin turned a shade of purple.
“Thank you,” he said, hoping to diffuse the tension.
“You’re welcome, my honey.”
Kevin shuddered.
Lilian possessively latched onto Kevin’s arm and glared at Hina, but the kijo ignored the redhead when a loud ringing went off in her pocket.
“Excuse me,” Hina mumbled, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a cellphone. Walking away from them, she placed the cellphone up to her ear. “Hello?” they heard her say into the phone before she disappeared around a corner.
Kevin and Lilian shared a look.
“That was weird,” he said.
“Who cares,” Lilian sniped glumly.
“Something wrong?”
Lilian sighed. “I don’t like her.”
“Yeah, I got that. I meant is there a reason you don’t like her?”
“This might be a conversation better held inside of our room,” Iris interrupted them. “Now, get your butts in here. I’m tired, my feet hurt, and I want to take a load off.”
Kevin didn’t argue with the Void Kitsune. He was pretty tired as well. He didn’t know how long they’d been walking around Saint Byakko for, but it had been morning when they left, and now it was early afternoon.
The room they’d been given was fairly standard, as far as rooms were concerned. The carpeted floor was white, the walls a light beige. It didn’t have much in the way of amenities. Aside from the bed, there was a desk, a nightstand, a dresser, and a walk-in closet. Their luggage had already been delivered to the room and sat at the foot of the bed. According to Kuroneko, their car had also been parked somewhere more secure than the garage they’d been using.
Leaving an impression in the mattress, Lilian sat down on the edge while Iris flopped face-first onto the bed and buried her face into the pillow. She’d already kicked her shoes off. Her toes curled and uncurled as though relishing in their newfound freedom.
Kevin took a seat by Lilian and silently waited for her to speak.
“Do you remember Kotohime’s lessons about the secret wars between yōkai?” Lilian asked.
“Yes.” Kevin pulled up the information he remembered and recited it like a student in a classroom. “She said that there have been many wars between the various yōkai races, some of which date back to before the new calendar.”
Lilian nodded. “That’s right. These wars were ones that involved all yōkai, not just one or two different races. However, there are also several wars that happened where two or more yōkai races joined forces to defeat another race. Most of those wars were against the oni.”
“I thought most oni were loners,” Kevin pointed out.
“They normally are, but sometimes an oni with incredible strength will be born. I’ve been told that it happens every few generations. These oni are born with more intelligence, and they’re a lot stronger, but they still retain their violent nature and love for destruction. It isn’t unusual for these oni to unite all oni under a single banner and wage war against the other yōkai.”
“How many times has this happened?” Kevin asked.
Lilian paused as she dredged up the information from her brain. “I think it’s happened… fifteen? No, about seventeen times.”
“Hey, Stud,” Iris interrupted the story. “Can you rub my feet? They’re killing me.”
Kevin barely even bat an eyelash when Iris rolled over and rudely placed her feet on his lap. He grabbed one of her feet and slowly kneaded it with his thumbs. Iris’s orgasmic groan echoed in his ears, a sensual sound that aroused him, regardless of how much he wished it didn’t. He did his best to ignore that, until Iris started to slowly massage his growing erection with her toes.
“Keep that up and I’m not giving you a massage anymore.” The toes stopped rubbing him. “Better.”
Kevin turned back to Lilian, only to back away slightly when the redhead got in his face, her green eyes sparkling like gems reflecting moonlight.
“Can I have a massage after her, Beloved?”
“Um, okay,” Kevin said. “I don’t mind giving you a massage as well. Anyway, why don’t you continue your story?”
Lilian did just that, leaning back on the bed and looking at the ceiling as she recited her tale. “Right, so, this has happened several times. When this happens, the other yōkai put aside their differences and feuds, band together, and defeat the oni before he can gather his army. The other races learned after nearly being destroyed for the fifth time that having an intelligent oni roaming the world is a recipe for disaster. So, even though a lot of yōkai hated at least one other race,
during crises like this, we were willing to unite—if only temporarily.”
It was almost interesting for Kevin to realize how little he still knew about yōkai. Kotohime was still teaching him about their history and the various races, but even so, it appeared there was so much more he didn’t know about.
However, what she said made sense. While human history didn’t have many instances like this, he could think of a few where countries that didn’t necessarily get along had banded together to fight a common foe. The Revolutionary War was actually one of those times. Before the American Revolution, the French had fought against what was, at the time, called British America. However, during the American Revolution, France had helped the thirteen colonies in their war against Britain.
Kevin was still confused about something, however. “How does this oni equate to your dislike of Hina?”
“I’m getting to that, Beloved.” Lilian smiled as she chastised him. “I just wanted to give you some context before I actually got to that part.”
Nodding noncommittally, Kevin switched from massaging Iris’s left foot to her right when she nudged his stomach with her toes. He separated her toes and applied some pressure. Iris’s foot twitched as she let out a number of erotic noises that made him tempted to stop, though he didn’t in the end. If nothing else, he could at least tell that Iris wasn’t making those noises for the purpose of arousing him. He was just making her feel that good.
“Right. I should probably tell you that the Pnevma Clan hasn’t always been living on that island,” Lilian continued. “According to Kotohime, the Pnevma clan lived on Greece’s mainland until about one hundred and twenty years ago.”
One hundred and twenty years, huh? That would have made Lilian and Iris… forty years old.
It really sounded kind of wrong when he thought about it like that, but he tried to ignore this vast age difference between him and them.
“I don’t remember a whole lot from that time,” Lilian admitted. “Kitsune never remember much of their time as a regular fox. Daphne once said it’s because we’re reborn when we become supernatural creatures and therefore have no use for our old memories, but I never really cared much about the hows or whys.”
“You also never listened to her if you could help it,” Iris teased.
“Hush, you.” Lilian mock glared at Iris. When it was clear that her sister wasn’t paying attention to her, she returned to looking at Kevin. “Anyway, while I don’t remember much, there is one thing that I do remember—the entire city that our clan was living in had once fallen under attack by a group of oni.”
Now it makes sense…
“And the one leading those oni was the intelligent oni that you were talking about?” Kevin asked, though he was already positive of the answer.
“Yes.” Lilian shuddered, her arms wrapping around her waist, eyes glazing over. No doubt she was remembering that time. “Even though my memories from that time are fuzzy, I clearly remember the attack. Iris and I were in the pen when they attacked, and many of our fellow foxes were killed during that time. Had it not been for Kotohime and the others, Iris and I wouldn’t even be alive right now.”
I understand now.
“Hina smells the same as an oni, doesn’t she?”
Foxes had a strong sense of smell. It wasn’t a big surprise. While foxes didn’t get along with dogs—mostly because domestic dogs had been and still were being used to hunt foxes—they still belonged to the canine family.
Lilian bit her lip as she nodded. “Yes. I know it’s wrong of me to dislike Hina because of past memories, but still, I can’t bring myself to trust her. I just can’t.”
Learning a little more about Lilian’s past was another reminder of how little he knew about his mate. This wasn’t through any fault of his or Lilian’s. There was simply too much information to tell him. It was like trying to compress a history lesson on World War II into a single class—impossible.
There also weren’t many opportunities to really sit down and converse about her past. Lilian liked to live in the now. She’d rather play video games, watch anime, and read manga than spend time telling stories about when she was a fox, and Kevin respected that.
“I understand,” Kevin said after taking in everything she’d told him. “And I won’t ask you to accept her or anything. Chances are we won’t be here long enough for it to matter anyway.”
Lilian’s lips curved at his words. She seemed relieved. “Thank you, Beloved.”
“You’re welcome.”
A sudden snore interrupted what would have been an otherwise touching moment. Kevin and Lilian glanced at Iris, whose eyes had closed. Her mouth was open and a little bit of drool leaked from the vixen’s lips and trailed onto the bed.
“I am so not cleaning up my sister’s drool,” Lilian declared.
“Me neither,” Kevin said. “Maybe we can ask for another room?”
“It’s worth a shot.”
“By the way,” Kevin began, “that oni you mentioned. Does he have a name, or is every oni that starts a war just called Shuten-dōji?’”
“Most oni don’t name themselves unless they become a powerful warlord like Akuma no Oni, or they live in human society like that one we fought,” Lilian said, shrugging. “This particular oni never went by a name either—or if he did, then we never learned it. However, the yōkai races did give him one because of the threat he represented.”
Kevin remained silent. He could sense a slight tension in the air.
Lilian looked at him, her eyes serious and holding just a hint of reverent fear. “They called him Kakugyōki; the One-Armed Demon of Destruction.”
CHAPTER 6
THE GIRL WHO JUST WANTED TO HELP
It was a day just like any other: Bleak, downtrodden, and downright depressing. The dark sky overhead stretched out for miles. It looked like thunderclouds covering the sky, but she knew otherwise. That inky blackness, which twisted and morphed into bizarre shapes, wasn’t clouds.
She walked along the pavilion, ignoring the monstrosities in the sky. She’d long since learned not to let such things bother her. Off in the distance, a massive palace rose above the earth, a cathedral of the most aesthetically pleasing design. It was a truly beautiful place, marred only by the ugly landscape surrounding it. Perhaps it would have looked better if that palace had been reduced to rubble.
Her servants were probably searching for her, frantically checking everywhere to see where she had gone. They were probably panicking by now. The thought amused her, but it didn’t last very long.
“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
She turned at the sound of the voice. Standing several feet away was a woman. Her elegant form, wreathed in golden silk that glowed as if spun from the sun itself, stood at the pinnacle of female perfection. Cascading blond hair framed a porcelain face that was so beautiful even she felt jealousy. Glossy pink lips pursed, and oceanic eyes gazed at her with an almost inquiring look.
“Are you not going to ask why I’m looking for you?”
She grinned. “I figured you were looking for me because everyone else is looking for me. And if that isn’t the reason, then I’m sure you’ll tell me soon enough.”
“You’re no fun.”
She shrugged, as if to ask, “How can I have fun in a situation like this?”
The woman sighed. “I’ve managed to convene the council of gods, and we have come to a unanimous decision.”
She perked up. That was intriguing news.
“We have decided… to let you go.”
She needed a moment to respond. “Really?”
The woman nodded. “Really.”
“Yes!” She pumped a fist into the air, cheering. “Yes, yes, yes! That has to be the best news I’ve heard in over 2,000 years!” She rushed up and scooped the woman into a hug. “Thank you! You have no idea how happy this makes me!”
“Oh, I can imagine,” the woman replied mildly, seemingly unbothered as she was
swung around like a ragdoll. “Now then, please put me down. There are some things that we must discuss before your departure.”
“Like what?” she asked as she set the woman on her feet.
“Like the conditions you need to follow when you go back. We are breaking a number of rules in allowing you to do this, you know? However, we are also aware of how bleak the situation is.”
She pondered that before nodding. “What are the conditions?”
The woman held up a hand, signifying for patience. She pouted, but she didn’t say anything. They might be equal in terms of combat, but this woman was of a much higher rank than her.
“We will discuss those at another time. I have written down all of the rules that you will need to follow while you are there. You will keep these rules on you at all times and refer to them whenever you find yourself uncertain.”
Her pout grew more prominent. “You make it sound like I’ll forget everything you ask of me.”
“Knowing you as I do now, I am positive that you will forget this entire conversation ever happened the moment you leave here.”
“… Hawa.”
***
“Kevin and Lilian didn’t show up to class again today.”
“Oh, yeah. I noticed that, too. Iris hasn’t been around either.”
“Leave it to a guy to notice that girl’s absence.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that all men are horndogs.”
“Totes.”
Numerous conversations passed over Lindsay as she sat in English class. Naturally, the topic of conversation was her friends, who’d been gone for about two days now. Sitting by her side and trying to remain unobtrusive was Jessica. The gorgeous usagi sat close enough that she could smell the girl’s unique scent. She felt a little guilty over taking pleasure in that. It made her feel a bit like she was betraying her feelings for Christine.
“Do you know where they are, Lindsay?” one of the girls asked.
A Fox's Alliance (American Kitsune Book 10) Page 15
