Due East, Beasts & Campfire Feasts

by Erin Johnson

  “Voyeur,” Iggy quipped from behind Hank’s back.

  The prisoners in the cages put their hands together and clapped in unison, the oddly rhythmic applause echoing throughout the cave.

  Hank frowned down at me. “Why are they clapping?”

  “You know, they’re happy for—” I frowned. “The people who locked them up,” I finished flatly.

  I glanced around Hank to where Wiley stood with his arm around Maple. She held Cat like a baby. Just a happy little family. Cat clapped his monkey hands together and lights danced in his eyes.

  “Ew. He’s making them, isn’t he?”

  I pulled Iggy around to face me and nodded. “Yep.” My nostrils flared in distaste.

  Misaki and Jun leaned away from each other, a blush on their cheeks as the applause thundered through the cave.

  My little flame shook his head at Cat. “I can’t with that one.”

  Galloping hooves echoed from the tunnel that led to the main cave, and my friends and I spun toward the sound. My heart froze in my chest—were there more coming?

  The duck-headed white horse trotted into view. It threw its head back and quacked.

  I shook my head. “Get out of here!” The thing trotted closer and I widened my eyes at Maple. “We set it free earlier, and the dopey thing is back?” I scoffed.

  Maple pressed her lips tight together and narrowed her eyes, as though she were about to give me bad news.

  I lowered my brows. “What? What is it?”

  She sucked in a breath over her teeth. “That, Imogen, is a unicorn.”

  My face fell. “No.” I shook my head. “No way. Unicorns are pure, innocent, majestic creatures, and that—” The duck-horse thing ran into a wall, and its hind legs buckled. “I mean, look at it. Besides—uni, one, corn—that must mean horn, right?”

  Hank cleared his throat and looked down at me. “Actually, it comes from the latin cornu, which can mean horn, but in this instance means bill, as in a duck’s bill.”

  The corners of my mouth drooped. “No.” I shook my head. I’d had too many shocks today; this couldn’t be one of them. “But all birds have one bill, that doesn’t even make sense.”

  Hank shrugged, and Maple mouthed, “Sorry.”

  I shook my head. Just when I’d thought the worst was over.

  31

  Steamy

  We knelt in the meeting room at the front of the guesthouse Misaki’s grandma owned. The council sat at the long, low table before us. Ryuu Tanaka and a few members who’d been present at the monster fight were notably absent.

  “And so, after we rejoined Captain Kenta and the others and had a—” Misaki paused. She stood before the council and a deep blush spread across her cheeks. I grinned—it looked cute on her. She cleared her throat. “A happy reunion, we spent another sleepless night in the cave, and left at first light to return here ahead of the storm.”

  A sheet of rain crashed against the windows behind us, and Maple and I jumped and looked back. We’d just made it, too. Hank and I had transformed into bears and carried the party up the last leg of the mountain as the winds thrashed the forest and rain showered down. I sniffed—no lightning though, that’d been all Kai.

  Misaki continued. “And so we hope to return to the old mining caves as soon as the storm lets up with a large contingent of the guard to arrest Ryuu Tanaka and Kai and all others involved in the monster fights.” Her throat bobbed. “And to recover the bodies of Reo and Sora.” She knelt back down and bowed her head. “That is all, thank you, council.”

  Jiji, Misaki’s grandma, sat at the far left end of the table and petted her big white cat as it lounged beside her. She sniffed. “I say we just leave them there to rot.”

  The center councilwoman lifted her thin brows. “Jiji!”

  Misaki’s grandma shrugged and continued to scratch the cat’s head. “Not the bodies, of course. Ryuu Tanaka and the other lowlifes.”

  The councilwoman in the center frowned and adjusted her silk dress sleeves. She took a deep breath and blew it out before lifting her head to address my friends and me, along with Misaki and the guards. “We owe you all a great thanks for helping to expose this shameful behavior and to bring justice to those responsible.” She nodded to herself, then looked past the guards kneeling in front of us to my friends and me in the back. “It is the least we can do to accept you newcomers as full citizens of Kusuri.”

  I turned to my left and grinned at Hank, who knelt beside me. Jiji had fed us all a meal of hot, hearty ramen and tea as soon as we’d arrived. Hank’s face now had more color to it.

  He slid his hand into mine and squeezed it. “I guess we get to stay.” He grinned.

  The councilwoman continued. “And we shall certainly see that justice is done to those who committed these horrendous crimes. Are you sure they were locked up securely?”

  Captain Kenta’s eyes danced. “They’ve been injected with the antimagic potion, locked into cages, and are surrounded by a raging typhoon and a forest teeming with angry monsters.” He grinned. “They’re not going anywhere.”

  The councilwoman’s mouth stretched into a thin smile and she dipped her chin to hide it. She looked up, once again composed. “Very good. Then as soon as the storm relents, we shall set out. In the meantime, I hope you will all get some well-deserved rest. Oh!” She lifted a finger. “And I must commend you on retrieving the kusuri herb our town is named for. You have saved many more lives with the potions we can make from it.” The councilors bowed their heads and I leaned my forehead to the woven mat floor in response.

  The special meeting broke up, and the guards and councilors hurried back to their homes before the storm got too bad to go out in. Jun squeezed Misaki’s hand before dipping his tall frame through the curtained doorway and out onto the porch. Jiji saw her guests off with the white cat perched on her shoulder, and Misaki came over to me.

  “My grandmother says you can all stay here.”

  “Oh.” I looked from Hank to Maple.

  Hank’s brows pulled together. “We don’t want to impose.”

  Maple shook her head.

  “You’re not. This place used to get lots of visitors before the monsters came, but now we just have a bunch of empty rooms upstairs. So you’re welcome to them.”

  Maple bowed. “Thank you so much.” When she straightened up, she turned to me. “I love bowing—it’s fun.”

  I grinned. “Super fun.”

  Misaki nodded. “Plus, besides everything else, my grandma’s overjoyed that Ryuu Tanaka and his cronies are off the council. She thinks maybe now we’ll get some more forward-thinking members who are more accepting of change.”

  I lifted a brow. “Change like us coming to your town, change?”

  “Exactly.” Misaki grinned. “Come on—I’ll show you to your rooms.”

  “I want to help.” Her little sister Fumi skipped around the corner and led us to the wooden staircase in the main room. Upstairs, we peeled off to our own rooms, but Hank paused in the long, narrow hallway and squeezed my hand.

  “Meet me in the bathhouse in five?”

  I grinned. “Sure.” As he turned away to go to his room though, my face fell. We’d made up, that was for sure, but we still needed to talk.

  A few minutes later, I padded down the long wooden hall in fabric slippers and a thick, woven cotton robe. I’d tucked Iggy in for the night with a pile of his new favorite wood, cedar. The rain tapped away at the roof above as I navigated the staircase down to the main floor and entered the back rooms through a sliding paper door.

  “At the end of the hall, to the left.” I repeated Misaki’s instructions for finding the bathroom. I half expected to run into my friends, but I didn’t see anyone until I slid open another paper door and found Hank waiting for me.

  I stepped into the steamy room and slid the door closed behind me. I lifted my nose and took a deep breath. The hot steam smelled like rosemary and something floral. I stepped out of my slippers and moved in ba
re feet across the chilly clay-tiled floor.

  “It’s cold.”

  Hank looked up at me and smiled, handsome stubble across his strong jaw. He sat in a beige robe identical to mine at the edge of a rectangular pool. His feet hung in the steamy water and red flower petals floated across the misty surface. I plunked down beside him, my legs aching, and slid my feet into the water. Pins and needles tingled my feet and calves, but as the heat melted into them, my muscles relaxed.

  I closed my eyes and sighed. “This is heaven.” I opened my eyes as Hank gently handed me an earthenware mug. “What is it?”

  “Green tea.”

  I peered down at the light green liquid. While I appreciated the gesture, I wasn’t sure I was in the mood for something so bitter.

  “With milk and sugar.”

  I grinned at him. “You know me so well.”

  We smiled at each other a moment longer, until a thought flashed through my mind. Unless he thought he didn’t know me. I’d kept so much from him. My smile faltered and I looked away toward the wall of greenery in front of us.

  Hank had slid the paper wall open to the lush garden behind the guesthouse. A constant sheet of rain poured down, a calming and steady rush of water. The wind shook the bushes and tall, slender bamboo stalks outside, making being inside the warm bathhouse all that much cozier.

  I sighed. “Hank, I—”

  “You didn’t trust me enough to tell me about Horace.”

  I looked up.

  Hank stared down at the green mug cupped in his hands. “That’s what hurt the most.”

  I licked my lips. “I’m sorry. I lied to you—for a while.” My throat tightened. “I hated it. I really did. And I wanted to tell you, it was eating me up.”

  “Why didn’t you?” He looked up, into my eyes.

  I shrugged and fought back tears. “I should’ve been honest. I wanted to be. I wanted it to feel like we were just Hank and Imogen, two ordinary people. But your duties, your dad, your betrothal to Shaday.” I let out a sigh. “You being the prince.” I shook my head, searching for the words. “I didn’t want it to, but it created some distance between us.”

  His big hand slipped around my wrist. He ran his thumb over the back of my hand. “That’s a big part of why I’m upset—with myself.”

  I found his eyes and frowned, confused.

  “You may not know this about me, but I’m not the best at relying on people.” His eyes lifted to mine, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

  I grinned, though my eyes welled with tears. “You don’t say?”

  “My only friend I ever had was Colin—and he was paid by my parents and fifteen years older than me.” Hank licked his lips. “I’m not used to having friends or people I can trust. But you see the real me, Imogen, not the prince.” His throat bobbed. “I got so upset because I felt like you not telling me— it was you treating me like the prince version of myself.” He shrugged. “But what did I expect? I say I want you to see Hank, not Prince Harry, I tell Maple not to curtsy to me, as though I’m a regular guy, and then I turn right around and say I have to go through with the wedding to Shaday and put my duties and public opinion before our relationship. I ask you to go to boring luncheons and have dinner with my detestable father, all precisely because I’m the prince.” He shook his head. “I’ve been deeply unfair to you.”

  I nudged his shoulder with mine. “Maybe. But it was worth it, to me. I didn’t want you to have to choose between me and your crown and family.”

  A tear trickled down Hank’s cheek and my heart ached. I reached up and wiped it, my fingertips brushing against the rough, dark stubble of his beard.

  His throat bobbed. “I was also worried—” He shook his head, then started again. “I was worried that you weren’t thinking for yourself, that Horace was just this con man, pulling one over on you, exploiting your kind heart.” His nostrils flared. “There I was, thinking it mattered that I follow my father’s laws, my father’s wishes, even though so much about them, and him, struck me as wrong. I’ve been complacent with a man who did despicable things. And he, more than Horace, more than anyone, was the con man, and me his blind follower!” His nostrils flared. “I’m sorry, Imogen. I’m so sorry for everything, and the way I’ve reacted.”

  I found his hand and squeezed it. “You didn’t know what he’d done—and as soon as you did, you made the right choice and stood up to him.” I frowned when Hank hung his head. “I hope you think it was the right choice?”

  He looked up, his gaze locked on mine, eyes intense. He squeezed my hand, hard. “You are always the right choice, and I will always choose you.”

  Tingles rushed up my spine. He slid his big hand behind my neck and leaned in to kiss me. I pulled back and lifted a finger. “Wait. I’m sorry, too.”

  Hank blinked, looking a little dazed.

  I gulped. “And thank you for seeing that Horace is not just this evil guy through and through.”

  Hank nodded. “He’s your brother. And I understand that, in his own bizarre way, he was working toward the greater good. He exposed the truth of these massive crimes, and for that I am grateful.” He sighed. “I get that he’s… he’s more complicated than I gave him credit for.” He lifted his brows. “It doesn’t mean I like him, but I get it.”

  I nodded. “I know. And I appreciate that. I don’t know if I can trust him either, honestly. He’s…” I shrugged. “Enigmatic. But you—I can trust you, and I should’ve remembered that. You are the most honest, admirable man I’ve ever met, and I never want to keep anything from you ever again.” I sniffed. “We’re a team and I know you’ll be there for me.” I lifted a finger. “But if I mess up, and I will, you can’t stop talking to me. That was awful.”

  Hank dipped his chin. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to having friends or people I can rely on, so when I felt like you betrayed me, I did what I always used to do and pulled back.” He looked up. “And I think I was having trouble forgiving myself. For putting you through that almost-wedding to Shaday and making you feel like you had to run away.” He scoffed. “To here, of all places. And we ended up here anyway.”

  I scooted closer to him. “It’s not so bad.” I grinned at the flower petal bathwater.

  He slid an arm around my shoulders and hugged me tight to his side. “Are we okay?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. If you are?”

  He leaned his cheek against the top of my head. “Yes.”

  “I think we were just in a hard situation.” The rain poured down outside and my eyelids drooped. The tension eased out of my blistered feet and aching calves. “But the next time we’re in one, I’m going to talk to you. And tell you how I feel. And I’m not going to run away.”

  Hank hugged me tighter. “And I’ll talk to you too. I’ll tell you how I feel and I won’t pull away—I’ll stay right beside you. And if I know something’s bothering you, I’ll be there for you until you’re ready to tell me about it.” He passed his mug to his left hand and held his right one out. “Deal?”

  I grinned and took his hand in mine. “Deal.”

  We shook. Then we stared out at the falling rain for a while, enjoying the sound and the cozy warmth of the bathhouse.

  “I love you, Imogen.”

  I smiled, and tears welled in my eyes. It might have been the exhaustion or the relief, but at least some of it was gleeful happiness. “I love you too, Hank.”

  “I know this is a crazy situation. I wish I knew what was happening in the kingdoms. I’m worried about Amelia and your brother and the BA.”

  My heart sunk. “And Maple’s family.”

  Hank nodded, his head still leaning against mine. “But somehow, as long as you’re with me and we’re okay, none of that seems quite so daunting.”

  I looked up at him. “I’m glad you’re feeling more friendly toward Horace.”

  Hank made a face. “Friendly might be pushing it.”

  I held up a finger. “He healed you, remember?”

  Hank
squeezed his eyes shut tight. “True.”

  “Because once this storm lets up I intend to find him. He has portal mirrors—a way back.”

  Hank nodded, his eyes faraway. “That’s a good point.” He looked at me. “I’ll help you.”

  I smiled.

  “But in the meantime, maybe it won’t be so bad here.” He grinned. “Maybe this is our chance to be just two ordinary people. Hank and Imogen, without all the royal pressure.”

  I took a sip of my sweet and earthy green tea latte and let out a happy sigh. “You know, it’s raining outside and we have no ladies’ luncheons to attend or royal dinners to suffer through. It’s just you and me and a lot of free time.” I leaned back and Hank lifted his head to look at me. I gave him an exaggerated wink. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

  He blinked his bleary eyes, but gave me his best rakish look. “You want to go up to my room, curl up on the floor mattress, and—” He leaned close and breathed the next words against my ear. “Sleep. Hard.”

  I chuckled, then groaned. “Yes. A thousand times, yes.”

  Hank helped me to my feet, we stepped into our spa slippers, and then shuffled back upstairs, hand in hand. We collapsed onto the floor futon and snuggled together, still wearing our soft robes under the thick cotton sheets and warm wool blanket. The rain tapped away at the roof tiles.

  I yawned and snuggled into Hank’s chest. “You know.” I closed my eyes, unable to keep them open any longer. “I think it’s been about three days, a prison break, a quest, and a monster fight since we last got any real sleep.” I sniffed. “Hank?”

  A low, slow snore was the only the response.

  <<<<>>>>

  THE END

  A note from the author

  I’ve always dreamed of being a published author, and to realize that dream, and have people like you actually read my book—I can’t tell you how much it means to me. So, truly, thank you.

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