Twelve Lords

by Max Jager

  "Master Yoite!"

  Everyone jerked to look toward the window at the frightened scream from Imae just outside. Growling Kiyoshi gently lifted Yokiyo around her waist, snagged her friend by her collar and was nearly instantly at the window jumping out to land between an angry Yoite with Imae clinging to his legs. And an equally angry monk. Turning to him as he released Yokiyo who rushed to Imae, Kiyoshi growled deeply. "Get out. Your mate has come to terms with it. It is now time for you to do the same. Yokiyo is my mate. Imae is my daughter and that is the end of the story. Get out. Stay out."

  "Bastard!" Itachi glared harder as he held his sword. His whole body shaking from anger and frustration. "I know you lied to her! Yokiyo would have never willingly mated with you! Just like you forced…"

  "Itachi!" standing with Imae in her arms and Yoite and Umarus now flanking each side of her, Yokiyo glared into his eyes. "Don't you dare say another word. There is a child present. You will not, I repeat will not finish that statement is that clear? He did no such thing. I chose this. Get over it."

  Turning wide eyes to her, Itachi pointed right at Kiyoshi with his sword. "But he is a demon Yokiyo! A miko as pure as you should never stoop so low as to be with an abomination as him!"

  Glaring, Yokiyo sat Imae down and put a hand on her head as she latched onto his clothes with a death grip. "The only abomination that I see right now is your mind and how narrow it is. I want to be with him. I chose to do this. Get over it or stay out of my life." She then turned to Izumi who seemed a bit shocked as she looked at her husband. "I was right Izumi. You are welcome he can stay the hell away."

  Taking up his stance again this time at Kiyoshi, Itachi glared. "Enough is enough. I will be taking my wife, Yokiyo and the little girl with me right now Kiyoshi. Stand aside and let them go. It is disgusting how you would even want a human like Yokiyo. Fooling her or forcing her whichever it was. I will not allow you to get away with such a vile act as that. Demons and humans were never meant to mix!"

  "Would you please shut the hell up with that holier than thou crap. It was annoying as kids and even worse now."

  Jerking their heads up, Yokiyo gasped as tears flew from her eyes. There standing on the wall, with a glare for Itachi was her brother! "Senri!"

  With his spear over his neck, and his arms draped over it, Senri smiled as he turned to his sister. "Yep it's me." Though he did have to wonder if everything going on with her and Kiyoshi was a way to get the kid out on her own. Though seeing what was going on somehow he doubted that was the case.

  Though he wasn't happy about it. Not at all. Not to Kiyoshi, of all the demons that there were all over the world, not to him. But he wasn't going to say or do anything about that until after he talked to his sister about it. Then he would have a talk with the bastard.

  His eyes wide as he looked up at Senri, Itachi shook his head as he pointed to Yokiyo now. "You are saying that you are alright with this? You are alright with your sister with him!"

  Looking back at his sister for a second then back to Itachi, Senri sighed as he closed his eyes. "I am still on the fence about that situation. I came in on this, so until I talk to her I don't have an opinion. But if this is truly what she wants in life then I am no one to judge her at all." He then turned and looked down and behind him with a smile. "Right Zokeni?"

  With a bright smile, her own spear behind her, Zokeni laughed as she gave a sharp nod and stepped around Senri. "That's right."

  His eyes going even wider, Itachi just stood there. "Wait Senri you mean that even you mated a demon? I thought that you and I had the same views on them!"

  "We did as kids." Senri then turned hard eyes to Itachi as he took a deep breath. I have been mated to her for three years now. So I have no right to judge my sister for doing the same thing. And of all the people in the world, I am the only one who has that right Itachi. Not you. Or Izumi."

  His rage building Itachi shook violently. "But what about what he did to the two of you!?"

  Looking at Kiyoshi as he and Zokeni dropped down from the wall, he noted how Kiyoshi moved so that he was between he and his sister. But it wasn't guarding, more like protecting. 'Well that is interesting.'

  Turning back to Itachi he sighed as when he got close enough shocked everyone pulling a terrified gasp from Izumi when he reached out and slammed his fist into Itachi's nose and sent him flying back about ten feet. Shaking his head Senri rubbed the back of his neck. "You know Itachi if you would remember correctly, really the only thing that he did to us personally was ignore two human kids. I never believed that he was a good guy like our parents did but that was my choice. It was the bitch of a dragon Shinra that destroyed our world back then."

  As he stood, Itachi glared at Senri, then his demon mate, then to Yokiyo and Kiyoshi, finally he closed his eyes as he took a deep breath and moved toward his wife. "The two of you make me sick. It is disgusting." He then took his wife by the hand and stormed off for the gate. "Let's go Izumi. When they see they are wrong and repent we will see them again then."

  Rolling her eyes as she followed along with him, Izumi turned back and gave a smile to Yokiyo as she sighed. 'I will be back soon Yokiyo. Just to make sure that you are right. Itachi likes the fact or not.'

  With eyes still glaring, Senri turned to Kiyoshi, but then softened them as he looked at Yokiyo who moved the kid to grab onto Kiyoshi's legs. "Yokiyo I really am…" But then he gasped as she threw herself into his arms as she sobbed. Wrapping his arms around his sister he sighed as he closed his eyes, ignoring the growls of her new mate. "I really am very sorry Yokiyo. I know that you wanted to go with me, and that you think I should have taken you with me. But I just didn't want that sort of life for you."

  After a moment, Yokiyo eased out of her brother's arms and then glared up at him as she slapped him then crossed her arms. Tears still streaming down her face. "So you see that as just cause to make me think that the one and only family member that I had left in the world abandoned me?!"

  Easily catching her hand a second time, Senri let out a sigh. "Yes I did. Yokiyo you were still so young then. The life I lead held no future for you but to be isolated. Zokeni and I ended up together because I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and I just couldn't walk away for some reason. After a year, we went back to the village and I saw that mass grave. I have been intently looking for you since then."

  Finally settled down some, Yokiyo took a few deep breaths but she couldn't stop the tears or the rage of emotions that she felt inside. She wanted to hate him more, she wanted to yell and scream at him. To beat him around the gardens just because he did what he did. But she just couldn't face to face with him. "I would have still gone with you ya know."

  Then almost as if she just knew, Yokiyo turned and stepped right into Kiyoshi's arms. That feeling of being safe and at peace once again, she felt herself calming down as she let out a long sigh. "Well Senri you know who Kiyoshi is, Kiyoshi this is my brother Senri. Senri, I am sure you know Kiyoshi is my mate now."

  "Yeah I gathered that." Senri then turned a glare to the demon as he took a deep breath. "I am going to need to have word with you about him in private Yokiyo."

  Hearing him growl, feeling the vibration Yokiyo rolled her eyes as she glared up at him. "Oh get off it. He is my brother. I am sure your nose has already told you this."

  Looking down at her with a glare and a growl, Kiyoshi still didn't let go. "It is not that you wish to speak to your brother miko. It is the emotional state that you are in that I don't like at the moment."

  With a smile Yokiyo laughed. "Once I talk to my brother and then get some more tears out, I will be just fine. I promise." But the look in her eyes was clear. He wasn't going to act jealous or protective when it came to her brother. He had a sister so he should know how it is going to be.

  After a moment of growling and glaring from both sides, Kiyoshi finally sighed as he dropped his head. He understood her bond with her brother, he had the same basic one with his sist
er. He then kissed her forehead and gave her a soft look. "Fine."

  "Good." Stepping from his arms, Yokiyo then reached down and lifted a wide eyed and clinging Imae into her arms as she moved toward her brother and his mate. Reaching them she smiled as she looked at Imae then to her brother. "Senri, Zokeni. I would like you to meet someone. This is Imae. My daughter."

  "What?"

  Seeing the absolute shock in his eyes Yokiyo giggled as she looked down at the excited chocolate eyes before her. "That's right. Kiyoshi adopted her, and now that he and I are mated that makes me her Mama now."

  Flipping around and pulling on Yokiyo's clothes Imae gave her father, Yoite and Umarus a look, the smiles on their faces as she dropped down she jumped up and down. "Really? You are my Mama now? Really!?"

  Giggling, Yokiyo nodded. "That's right honey. And Mama is all you get to call me now. We will tell you how it happened when you are older. But just like Yukani and Kamui are your Aunt and Uncle, well now that I am Mama, this is your Uncle Senri and Aunt Zokeni. Why don't you take her and show her some of the flowers near your father?"

  "Right Mama!" Imae then turned and grabbed Zokeni's hand and pulled her with her. "Come on Aunt Zokeni! I will show you some pretty flowers!"

  Turing to her brother, Yokiyo laughed as he smiled and watched Zokeni and Imae. "She never lets anyone feel out of place for long."

  Sitting on a bench, followed by his sister, Senri laughed. "Well that is a good thing I guess."

  Nodding, Yokiyo never took her eyes off of Imae. And just like she thought, she was already pulling her all over the gardens while Umarus and Yoite were having trouble trying to keep up. "Well Zokeni seems nice. What kind of demon is she?"

  "She is. She is a water sprite but Yokiyo…." Turning serious eyes to his sister, Senri sighed. "What is the deal with him Yokiyo? Is this legit or just a way to try and get….."

  Laughing a she shook her head side to side, Yokiyo looked over at Kiyoshi then back to her brother. "It isn't a way to do anything. I didn't go out looking for this to happen. I saved Imae, and I just couldn't leave her, and things with the two of us just sort of happened. We have fought, but there have been some tender moments too."

  With a growl, Senri crossed his arms as he leaned back. "You gotta know that I am not happy about it. I won't fight you on it since you do seem to want to do this. But why him?"

  "I didn't go out and choose him ya know." Looking back at her brother she then dropped her head as more tears misted in her eyes. "First thing I said to him was how much I hated him and why. It took a few months, but we finally sat down and really talked about what happened. Someone else told him that Shinra was still in the area and he was on her trail. I don't know when it happened but I do love him."

  "I see." Standing as he kept his arms crossed, Senri was far from happy of her choice, but glad to finally see a truly happy look on her face. "Well I am going to still have a talk with him ya know. Do you think you could go find my mate for me?"

  On her feet too, Yokiyo grabbed his arm and pulled his eyes to her as they filled with worry. "Senri you aren't going to leave mea gain are you? You know as well as I do that Mama and Papa never intended this to be how it was between us. Please don't say you are leaving again for who knows how long."

  Smiling down at her as he winked Senri reached out and laid a hand on her head then teased her hair like he did when they were kids. "I am not leaving to hunt this time. She proved to be impossible to find. Though I got a feeling that I will see her again one day soon I am sure. And we are going to be close to here. There is a village that is welcoming to peaceful demons and humans as well as mixed mates like us. No more hunting, time to settle down."

  "Thank you."

  X

  Watching as Yokiyo went to go and get his mate, Senri stopped right next to Kiyoshi, but kept his eyes were cold and stern as he glared straight ahead. "So this is real on your part huh? My sister seems to have legit fell for you somehow. I don't think I will ever understand how she could have given your reputation. But what is it like on your side."

  Looking to the side as Yokiyo laughed as she caught Imae with a laugh and a smile, Kiyoshi took a deep breath. "I told your sister this as well. A human miko would not have been my first choice by any means. However, it was taken out of my control. It is not ploy nor head game when it comes to her. My demon has deemed her worthy and strong enough to become my mate. So that is what was done. Though it was her choice."

  "I see." Looking to his mate as they started toward them, Senri crossed his arms. "So there will be a presentation?"

  "That's right."

  "When is it going to happen? I will be here and have her back in that. I have heard how they can be."

  "She is talking about having it at the end of the month."

  Flinching as he turned to Kiyoshi, Senri's eyes were wide. "Wait she? Yokiyo is doing it?"

  "Yes it is custom in my world that the new Lady of the land is the one to organize the event where she is presented by the Lord as his mate and Lady of that land." Though he didn't hide the growl in his voice as his eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms. "The damned bird in the West will try. Though I doubt it will be more than what she can handle. The true threat will be whoever comes from the North. That will be a threat that I refuse to let come to fruition."

  Watching as he stepped away from him to meet Yokiyo, his arm going around her waist and the instant look of relaxation on his face. It was his demon doing this so it was at least legit on both sides. Though as he walked toward them, he fixed Kiyoshi who me this glare with one of his one. One that any brother would know the instant that they saw it. If he hurt her in any way at any time he would not rest until he had his head.

  The Priestess and The Demon Chapter 68

  "My Lord you have a message from Lord Kiyoshi."

  Looking up as the messenger held out the scroll, Kurosai had an odd look on his face. They only send messages back and forth about once a month unless something is wrong. "Really? I wonder what he wants?"

  Blinking as they stopped their work in the flowers, both Sorae and Yukani looked up at him. Standing Sorae brushed her hands off. "Well what does he say?"

  Opening the scroll, Kurosai sighed. "I have no clue. I hope it is telling us that..." But then he jumped to his feet with a growl and tipped the table over sending everything flying. "That damn fool!"

  "What?"

  Turning to the twin voices, Kurosai glared and he growled. "We should have listened to Yukani and went right back. Or at least the second we found out that she was there after she healed."

  Paling, Sorae took a step back. "Oh no he didn't."

  Nodding a she glared down at the scroll in his hand Kurosai let his lip snarl. "He has taken that miko as his mate. I will find out how far the bond goes. If it is still early enough for him, I will stop this. Imae was one thing, but a miko for a mate is a totally different story."

  Going to her father, Yukani all but jerked the scroll from his hand. She was absolutely livid and knew she should not have left. "But I talked to the messenger just two weeks ago. He said that all they do when they are around each other is fight. That they didn't even appear to like each other. What in the hell changed?"

  "Watch your mouth Yukani!" Sorae was breathing heavy. She knew that the way that she and Kurosai, Yukani and Kamui and others in the higher stations of the demon world didn't always have the primitive way of mating, but that is exactly what it sounds like. "It is late. We will leave first thing in the morning. I know it is going to be a lot of yelling when we get there and I would rather not scare Imae and wake her up with it. But be on your toes everyone. If what I am thinking is right, and his demon was drawn out by the fighting, he will not be the same Kiyoshi. He could even become volatile toward anyone. Even myself and Yukani."

  Her eyes wide as rage flew through her Yukani just looked at her mother. "Oh Mama you don't think?"

  "I hope not let's say. But what you just described, most of our status wouldn't
know about. Mama told me about it. It is a primal and primitive way of mating where the two fight like they hate each other. Each one trying to assert dominance over the other. If that is the case it could be his demon." Taking a deep breath Sorae sighed. "We have to assume that there is a real bond forming. I hope it is all for show. If it is for show, maybe for Imae then we would only have to deal with it for about fifty years. She won't live long enough to mess anything up for him. But if it is his demon…."

  Storming away from his mate and daughter, Kurosai glared as he growled. "I don't give a damn. I will kick his and his demon's ass until they see reason. He will be forced to listen this time. I won't let this go so easy as we did with Imae. Everyone be ready at dawn."

  Nodding Yukani then turned a small smile to her mother. "And Mama you know that Kiyoshi would never hurt me or you. No matter what, miko or not, or mate or not." She then turned and rushed to catch up with her father as they vanished into the palace. Each one already deciding how they were going to 'force' him to see reason where the miko was concerned.