Linked: The War of the Gems - Book 1

by Alexandra Johnson

  Aoi’s breath was heavy as she waited for the next person to move. But no one did. Had they learned their lesson?

  One of the yankii yelled. “Aniki, show that witch who’s boss!”

  Aniki? Their leader was already in play? Who was it? Ice gripped her stomach. Please don’t let it be Tatsuo.

  But before she could discover who the leader was, someone covered her mouth with a cloth. It must be the leader, she thought. She struggled, but she was held tight. Her ring disappeared as she lost focus. It was hard to think at all. That awful, sickly sweet smell was making it hard to do anything at all.

  And then there was darkness.

  She heard nothing. She felt nothing. She saw nothing. Until, finally, a voice broke the silence. At once, the world came into focus.

  “Arisawa-chan, wake up. Wake up. You’re in danger.”

  Aoi looked around, but it was hard to see. Mulan stood beside her, a helpless look on her face. Wherever they were was dimly lit. The walls seemed to go on forever. She didn’t know much more about the place than that. She knew more about herself. Her arms were tied behind her back, and the rest of her was tied to a chair. She struggled, then gave in. No good. She couldn’t get free. Her mind was still so groggy . . .

  “She’s up. About time.”

  What a familiar voice. Aoi knew she’d heard it before, but she couldn’t remember. What a pain . . . Somehow . . . It made her angry hearing that voice. She wished she knew why.

  A hand waved in front of her face. Aoi flinched.

  “Hey, hey. Calm down. I’m not gonna hurt you.” Someone flipped on a light. “See? It’s just me—Azuki-kun.”

  Makoto? Why would he do something like this? That didn’t make sense. It took a few moments to piece everything together. “You’re one of the yankii?”

  The harsh light twisted Makoto’s grin. Aoi shuddered. “Surprised? Sorry about the rough measures, but we had to get you here somehow.”

  “Here? Where’s here? And why?”

  Mulan spoke. “You’re in an abandoned building of some kind. He tricked both of us. I have failed you, Arisawa-chan.”

  Makoto couldn’t see Aoi’s spirit, let alone hear her.

  “This is the place where Akabori finally goes down.”

  Akabori? What did he have to do with this? “I don’t understand.”

  Makoto’s fists clenched. “He’s bested my gang for the last time. You were there for that—the humiliation on the roof. He caught my guys by surprise, but this’ll surprise him.”

  Aoi’s mouth fell open, but no sound came out. All she knew was that it hurt. She’d trusted him. He was her friend. And then . . . Then this. It wasn’t fair.

  “I’ve had my boys tell him you’re here. When he shows up to get you, he’ll pay. That asshole has bested me for the last time.”

  Aoi’s mind spun, whether from the drugs or the situation wasn’t clear. This was insane. It was like something she’d watch in an anime, not happen to her in real life. She turned to Mulan for help, but the spirit looked as lost as she did.

  “Akabori won’t come for me. We don’t even know each other—I’m pretty sure he hates me.”

  Makoto laughed. “That’s not what I’ve heard. He’ll come, trust me. He wouldn’t want your blood on his hands.”

  Blood?

  Makoto struck her. She bit her lip, but a soft whimper escaped. Her cheek felt warm, and possibly wet. It was too numb to tell.

  “Too late,” he said.

  Mulan tried to strike Makoto, but her spirit form went straight through him.

  “Coward!” she screamed, but only Aoi could hear.

  A loud bang echoed from somewhere far away. It sounded like something buckling—the door, perhaps?

  Makoto spun around. “What the . . .?”

  Another bang. Another dent.

  Footsteps. Someone was running toward them. A yankii with a swirly black mustache and the word “stupid” drawn on his face entered the room. “Boss, he’s here!”

  “Stand strong! We’ve got that bastard outnumbered this time!”

  One more dent before a few boys dared to open the door. There he stood, sunset behind him like some kind of action hero.

  Tatsuo Akabori, with a bokken draped over his shoulder.

  His face was dark with anger. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, dragging some kid into this?” He looked over at Aoi. “Hey, kid. Real sorry ’bout this. I told you you’d get yourself in trouble. Just sit tight for a little bit.”

  Aoi wished there was something she could do, but there wasn’t. She was helpless. At least she could encourage him. “Good luck.”

  “Thanks.”

  A boy rushed for Tatsuo, one fist pulled back.

  Tatsuo turned in time to dodge the punch. His bokken slammed into the boy’s face, before Tatsuo kicked his legs out from under him. The delinquent crashed to the floor.

  The next boy came from behind and jumped on Tatsuo’s back. He reached to strangle him, but Tatsuo grabbed the punk by his arms and flung the boy off of him. The boy hit the wall with a thud, before crumpling on the ground.

  “One on one won’t work! Think a little!” Makoto snapped.

  They instantly complied. The odds were against Tatsuo now—five against one. But it didn’t seem like he was too worried about his chances.

  The delinquents circled around Tatsuo, holding chains and pipes. He turned this way and that, trying to keep an eye on them all. But that was impossible.

  Especially when they rushed him at the same time.

  Aoi screamed. “Look out!”

  It was too late. Pipes slammed into him. Punches made him gasp for air. Kicks forced him to double over. But Tatsuo didn’t stop, and Aoi didn’t know why.

  Tatsuo never stopped fighting back. He never stopped swinging his bokken into their faces, limbs, stomachs. Not until the five went down. And then he turned his attention to Makoto.

  “You called for me?”

  Makoto shrugged. One of his hands gripped the back of Aoi’s chair. “Yeah. And so what if I did?”

  “I woulda come if you’d just asked. You didn’t need to bring her into this.”

  “But I knew it would work.”

  Tatsuo staggered towards them. He was bruised and bloody, but he refused to quit. “Yeah. If you wanted to piss me off.”

  “At least you’ll take me seriously.”

  Makoto stood behind Aoi, out of her sight. But Mulan was facing her holder, and her holder’s holder.

  “He’s reaching into his pocket.” Mulan moved closer, just as Tatsuo slowly approached the younger gang leader. “He has something in his hand, behind your chair. It’s a—I’m not sure. A metal something.”

  Aoi knew exactly what that was. “Senpai! He’s got a gun!”

  Makoto kicked the back of Aoi’s chair, sending her toppling to the floor. Her head smacked against the floor, but luckily the large chair protected her small body from the impact. From where she lay, she watched Makoto aim the small pistol at Tatsuo. She didn’t want to watch any longer. She squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to see this. She didn’t want to see Tatsuo die because of her.

  A gun was fired. Then there was a thud.

  She knew she’d hate what she’d see, but Aoi slowly opened her eyes anyway. Both of the boys still stood.

  The bullet had gone through Tatsuo’s shoulder. Blood oozed from the wound. He panted, but didn’t go down. His bokken had slammed into Makoto’s stomach, making him double over.

  “This ends now,” Tatsuo growled.

  It was only a split second, but Aoi was sure saw it happen. The gem on Tatsuo’s necklace glowed bright red before disappearing. Aoi eyes widened, but Tatsuo distracted her before she could think about it anymore. Tatsuo slammed his bokken down against the back of Makoto’s neck. Aoi gasped.

  Tatsuo gave a labored laugh. “Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing. I made sure I didn’t kill him.”

  He stumbled over and untied her, then
cupped her chin in his hand so he could look into her eyes. “Did they hurt you?”

  Aoi raised a hand to her cheek. It was sticky. But she shook her head. “I’m okay.”

  “You stupid kid.” Tatsuo slumped to the floor.

  “Akabori-senpai?”

  His eyes were closed, but he was breathing. Barely. She had to do something. Quickly. He was bleeding so much.

  Without thinking, she ripped off the bandage from her hand and wrapped it around Tatsuo’s shoulder. She had just changed it that morning; it should be pretty clean. Besides, anything was better than nothing at this point.

  “Mulan! I need you!”

  Mulan nodded. “Name it and it shall be done.”

  “Please . . . Find my bag. If I have my phone, I can call a hospital.”

  “They put it over there while you were unconscious.” She pointed to a pile of old boxes in the corner of the room. “I couldn’t do anything but watch. I’m so sorry. I hate being dead.”

  “It’s fine.” Aoi rushed over to find her school bag.

  The other boys had all recovered and run off when Makoto pulled out the gun. Aoi guessed they didn’t want to be associated with that level of violence. It left her alone with a spirit and two unconscious boys in an unfamiliar and dark place.

  When she found it, she grabbed her phone and hurriedly dialed 1-9-9. The phone rang for a few moments before someone answered. A voice on the other end asked what she needed.

  She cleared her throat, but her voice was still choked up. “Please. Please help. Please, I . . . He’s gonna die.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I don’t know. It . . .” She looked around. “It looks like a warehouse.”

  “Run-down?”

  She nodded. They couldn’t see that. “Yes.”

  “We got complaints of a gunshot in the housing district.”

  That was one less thing to explain. “Akabori-senpai was shot. Please. You have to hurry. He’s gonna die. Please, I . . .” She had to stay calm. She couldn’t cry. She couldn’t. And yet tears filled her eyes. “Please hurry.”

  “We’ll be there soon. Just stay on the phone.”

  Aoi didn’t answer. She held the phone to her ear and gripped Tatsuo’s cold hand. She couldn’t hold it back any longer. She started to cry.

  This was all her fault.

  Chapter 9

  The beeping of the heart monitor filled the room. It was the only reminder that Tatsuo wasn’t dead.

  The bruises were starting to show up now, but at least the cuts had stopped bleeding and likely scabbed under the bandages.

  Somehow, the beeping was comforting. Tatsuo wasn’t dead. He hadn’t died because of her. Sure, he was badly hurt, but the doctors said he’d live.

  Didn’t mean she forgave herself though. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  How long had it been? How many hours had he been unconscious?

  She never left his side, except for when they made her stay in the waiting room. But she’d gone to the hospital with him, and she sat with him now. She had no intention of leaving.

  At least she thought about her dad. She’d made sure to call and say where she was so he wouldn’t worry. That couldn’t be said through text. He deserved the call.

  The door creaked open and Aoi raised her head to see who it was. She managed a small smile. “Hi, Dad.”

  He rushed to her and pulled her into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe. I was so worried.” He stroked a thumb along her bruised cheek. The nurse said she didn’t need any stitches, and Aoi was thankful for that. She didn’t want her dad worrying more than he was.

  Mr. Arisawa glanced over at Tatsuo—as familiar as any other stranger in a hospital bed. “Who’s that?”

  “Akabori-senpai. Some guys from school kidnapped me, but he saved me. He got hurt just to save me.” Tears wet her eyes again, but she didn’t stop smiling.

  “Akabori-senpai,” her father repeated. “Is he . . . you know?”

  She raised an eyebrow. Was he asking if he was her boyfriend? “No?”

  “A punk.”

  Aoi breathed out a sigh of relief. “He’s a good guy, Dad.”

  His brows furrowed, then he sighed. “I don’t trust him. But, if he saved you, he can’t be all bad.”

  “He isn’t bad at all.”

  “Yeah, right. Anyhow,” He offered her a bag. “I brought you some burgers and fries. I figured if you hadn’t gone home yet, you wouldn’t until he woke up. You’re a kind girl like that.”

  Aoi smiled. He was right, she had no intention of leaving yet.

  “They’re just for you, though.”

  “Thank you so much.” She was totally sharing them when Tatsuo woke up.

  He shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  She was fine. It was Tatsuo she was worried about.

  Mr. Arisawa stood. “I’ll be heading out.”

  “Going home?”

  “Yeah. Give me a call when you’re ready to come home. I’ll come pick you up.”

  She nodded. “Alright. I will.” She waved as he turned to leave. “Have a safe trip home.”

  “I will. See you soon.”

  The door closed quietly behind him.

  Aoi didn’t want to eat. Not right now. She put the bag on the nightstand settled back into her chair. She examined Tatsuo’s calm, resting face. Asleep, he looked much younger, closer to own age. His hair was matted in sweat, falling around his pierced earlobes. He had a ruby stud in each ear, along with a couple of rings, that matched his necklace. But his necklace was gone now.

  “Mulan,” Aoi whispered. “Are you here?”

  Mulan appeared beside her. “Always, Arisawa-chan.”

  “I saw Senpai’s necklace disappear during the fight. I think—I think he may have become Linked. But I don’t see a gem on the back of his hands.”

  Mulan’s eyes widened. “More Linked? I thought that was impossible . . . Well, the gem doesn’t have to appear on your hand, I suppose. It could be anywhere on his body. Did you search?”

  Aoi’s cheeks reddened. “No, of course not. But, if he did—”

  A soft moan interrupted her. Aoi leaned closer to the bed. “Akabori-senpai? Are you awake?”

  His eyes opened after a few weary blinks and he looked over at her. “You’re okay.”

  She nodded. “You saved me.”

  “I guess I did.” He tried to sit up, but winced before giving up.

  “Hey. Take it easy.”

  “I just wanna sit up. Give me a hand?”

  “Okay . . .” She couldn’t very well tell him no. She used a few pillows to give him something to prop up against and helped him sit up. “Thank you so much.”

  He shrugged off her thanks. “Think nothing of it. Why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be getting home?”

  She looked down as color rose to her cheeks. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. There’s food here, if you want it.”

  “Thanks.” Tatsuo grabbed a burger out of the bag and passed the rest to her. They ate in silence, the only sound was the consistent beeping from the machines.

  “Hey, Senpai?”

  “Mm?” he mumbled through a full mouth.

  “Why’d you do it? You didn’t have to.”

  He stopped eating. He just sat there, staring at her. He looked away and spoke in a quiet grumble. “You’re too innocent for that shit. It wasn’t fair to you.”

  Aoi was surprised by his answer. It didn’t sound like anything she’d heard of him before. “I’ve heard a lot of bad stuff about you, and I’ve seen you do some mean things. But today . . .” Her voice went quiet. “Are you actually as bad as everyone says you are?”

  He said nothing. Just took a vicious bite out of his burger. The silence was deafening, and the sounds of eating didn’t make it any better.

  Eventually, he shrugged. It didn’t sound like he wanted to explain himself.

  But Aoi wanted an explanation. Sh
e needed to know if Tatsuo was as bad as everyone said he was, or if people were wrong about them.

  The question was how to go about figuring that out. The answer to questions was just that—a question. So she asked the first question that came to her mind. “So you hurt people?”

  “Yeah, I do. Might even end up hurting you.” He stared at his burger for a moment, then took another chomp out of it. His brows were knit together. “Already did, in fact.”

  She didn’t know what was on his mind, but Aoi was confused. “But . . . you saved me.”

  “Arisawa-chan, I don’t believe this is the kind of person you want for a friend,” Mulan said slowly, almost as if she was afraid he might hear her. Of course he couldn’t.

  Maybe the spirit was right, but Aoi didn’t want to believe it. She wanted to believe Tatsuo was always as kind as he was that day.

  But fear tugged at her stomach. It had since she’d found out his name. She wished she could just ignore it, but that had proved near impossible. Not that she was alone in her fear. No, everyone seemed to be afraid of Tatsuo. Or at least hate him.

  But he had only ever been kind to her—when he wasn’t yelling.

  “Should I be afraid of you, Akabori-senpai?”

  He didn’t respond for a moment. He didn’t move, didn’t speak, didn’t even take another bite of his food. He just sat there quietly.

  But she didn’t want silence. She wanted an answer. “I mean, I get it. You’re apparently a really bad guy.” The understatement of the year, if the gossip was right. “All the other kids are afraid of you or hate you. Maybe both. But . . .”

  But what? She couldn’t figure out what else to say that she hadn’t already said.

  Aoi sighed softly, her shoulders slumping. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

  He breathed out a heavy sigh. “Maybe you should.” His voice was little above a whisper.

  “What?”

  “Maybe you should be scared of me.”

  Aoi didn’t know what to say. She’d hoped he’d say something. But not this. She’d wanted him to tell her just the opposite. And now she couldn’t figure out what she was supposed to say.

  Tatsuo started eating again. “I don’t care if people are afraid of me or why. If they’re gonna be scared, let them. Who the hell cares?” Even so, his brows were still knit together.