“You there, stop!” a soldier called out.
She had no choice now. She backed up a few feet and then ran. Her bare feet pounded on the roof tiles. One slipped beneath her foot and she stumbled. It slowed her down, but she kept going, gaining as much momentum as she could. The edge came up faster than she expected and she leapt, a prayer on her lips. She sailed through the air in slow motion. Beneath her, she saw a pair of servants pointing up at her, one covering his mouth with his hand. She collided with the edge of the roof. She hung there for a moment, her legs kicking, searching for purchase. Then with trembling arms, she pulled herself up onto the roof. She ran over the top to the other side and crouched down out of sight. The space below was deserted. She lowered herself down, but her hands shook and her fingers could not hold her weight. She fell onto a veranda. Her legs jarred and pain ran up her limbs like sparks of flame. Fueled by fear, she kept moving. After a quick glance, she found an empty room, the doors opened onto the veranda.
Footsteps rained on the roof overhead and shouts rang out from beyond the garden. She scurried into the room and hid herself behind a screen at the back. Just as she slipped behind it, the door opposite the veranda opened and she heard footsteps.
“What is this commotion?” Hotaru asked.
She held her breath. It was just her luck. If Hotaru found her hiding from the guards, her cover would be blown.
“Sounds like the men are practicing in the halls,” said a second man, who laughed at his own joke.
“This is serious, Kichirou,” Hikaru said.
Rin moved closer to the screen to better hear what they were saying. It was a risky move, but she dared not let a golden opportunity pass her by.
“Are you afraid you will have to fight after all, brother?” Hotaru taunted.
“I fear our staff have run mad with stories of spirits, and they are jumping at their own shadows,” Hikaru replied.
“But if it is an attack, then you will not be able to hide behind your wife’s army as you hoped.”
“Now, now, brothers, I am sure it is just a misunderstanding,” said Kichirou.
A tense silence followed. Though Rin could not see them, she imagined Hikaru and Hotaru glaring at one another while the third brother grinned at their discomfort.
Hotaru broke the silence. “I will not stay locked away like a cowering old woman. You two can join me or wait, the decision is yours.”
He stomped out of the room and slammed the door after him as he left.
“Do not let him get to you, Hikaru. He does not mean anything by it,” Kichirou said.
“You do not have to defend him.”
Rin fought the urge to reveal herself and comfort Hikaru. The defeat in his voice spoke to her. She knew what it meant to live in the shadow of someone who eclipsed you in all things. Her entire life had been spent attending to Yokai that were more powerful than her, better connected and knew it. Why the Dragon had chosen her out of all the other options, she would never know, but she knew she had to prove her worth. I never realized how similar humans are to us. It was a revealing thought.
“Will you come and lead the men?” Kichirou asked.
“No, go and join our brother. I will be out in a moment.” Hikaru’s voice sounded close by. He must have crept over without her realizing it. Damn this inferior hearing.
The door opened and closed. Rin held her breath for a moment. Now was her chance. Of all the brothers, Hikaru was the most likely to help her get back to her room unseen and without questions. She stepped out from behind the screen.
“Rin!” he shouted.
She rushed forward to cover his mouth from screaming further.
She looked to the door, listening for approaching footsteps, but it seemed they were looking for her elsewhere. When she looked back to Hikaru, he was staring at her. She was wearing nothing more than her white undershift. His eyes grazed over the swell of her hips and skimmed along the tops of her breasts. She flushed unexpectedly. She took her hand from his mouth. She brushed her fingertips against her palm; it was warm from his breath.
“What are you doing here, and dressed like—” He coughed.
She smiled at him. She regretted her temper from the day before. She had a hunch that Hikaru’s wife had something to do with this treaty the witch was intent on destroying.
He shook his head. His eyes drifted downward only to snap back to her face suddenly. “You were the one on the roof, weren’t you?”
She lowered her lashes in mock shame.
“It does not matter. I should take you back to your room. My father will be furious if he finds you here… especially in your underclothes.” He cleared his throat and then turned his back to her. He shed his overcoat and handed it to her.
She took it and slipped into it. His scent clung to it. She inhaled deeply. Even as a human she found his scent pleasant.
“Follow me, I know a secret way.” He held out his hand for her to take. He did not grab her as he had done before. He can be taught.
They went down the back steps through the garden and into a hallway. Hikaru led the way, not letting go of her hand. She found the pressure of his pulse against hers comforting. He opened a chamber door, poked his head inside and then motioned for her to follow with a jerk of his head. She went after him. They moved through the room, the only sound was their footsteps on the floor. Then through the transparent paper doors, she saw a shadow just beyond. Hikaru stepped in front of her, blocking her from view. The figure stopped outside the door and seemed to be considering opening the door, then after a few tense moments, turned and walked down the hall. Hikaru exhaled. He opened the door, checked to make sure the coast was clear, and then they ran down the hallway together.
When they reached her chamber, they burst through the doors and slammed them shut. They were both breathless as Hikaru laughed. “I cannot believe you were sneaking about in your underclothes. What madness drove you to do such a thing?”
She tilted her head and regarded him. He was very handsome, especially when he smiled. She pulled him close, and when their faces were inches apart, she leaned forward. He pulled back suddenly and dropped her hand.
“I’m sorry, you’re beautiful and…” He shook his head. “I am a married man. I cannot betray my wife.”
That doesn’t matter. I only need you for one night, just enough time to learn your secrets. She moved closer to him despite his protests.
He stepped back. “I am sorry. If even a whisper of my infidelity reached my wife’s father, it would destroy the treaty.”
Rin stepped back, her hand pressed to her chest. She looked at him with new eyes. This was it. The answer to breaking the spell. I will have you, then. You do not know it yet, but no mortal can resist a Kitsune’s charms. Even one without her powers.
10
His false skin chafed. As if the original owner fought him from beyond the grave, it grew tighter around him each day. His true energy needed release. He needed to return to the forest and purge himself of this evil energy. A dark aura clouded the palace. If he had known, he would have fought Akio on sending him here. Each day he felt his strength waning. The aura polluted the very air he breathed. The humans here were fearful and suspicious, and he was not sure how much longer he could hold his disguise.
Akio had ordered him to watch the young lord, and he had. Hikaru was peculiar, the others mistrusted him, and he had to wonder if this aura was the cause. Of the residents in the palace, Hikaru was one of the few who seemed unaffected by the evil that tainted the palace. As much as he wanted to spare Hikaru, he would need to report this to Akio. As he had suspected, Hikaru was not human, but once Akio found out, he feared for the young lord.
He paced the length of the halls. Going about the mundane human tasks helped him organize his thoughts. He spread out his senses like a blanket over the palace. In this way he could survey the entirety of the palace. Most nights it was quiet, but more than once he had sensed the Okami visiting Rin’s chamber. It was a
gamble allowing him into the palace, but because they were the Dragon’s servants, he let them do as they pleased. After all, as far as Akio knew, Rin was long gone. And he planned to keep that secret from his master at least.
As he turned a corner, he felt a spark along the palace wall. The witch had returned. He let her enter without challenge—it would be futile anyway. He had underestimated her power. How could he have known she could turn a Kitsune to a human? No human should have that sort of power. Perhaps I made a mistake agreeing to help her. He traced her progress through the palace. She knew where to find him, because he felt her awareness through her energy—she did not try to hide her power within the palace walls, as if she wished to flaunt her prowess before him. He ignored her for now, instead focusing on the second presence that crept into the palace, hiding behind her larger spiritual energy. He almost missed it.
Continuing along his route through the palace, he evaluated the second intruder. At first, he thought the second arrival was the Okami, but as he tried to get a better read on the energy, it disappeared, leaving a void in the energy field. Meaning it was a lesser Yokai. Strange.
Before he could search out this invader, the witch appeared dressed as a miko, though he doubted she was a real priestess. She materialized from the shadows and kept her face averted from him. She moved on soundless feet from the opposite end of the veranda. He nodded to her as she approached.
“Evening, Captain,” she said in a low voice.
“Priestess,” he replied.
“The night is dark and something lurks.”
He nodded. The second intruder had a foul, dark aura. Until he knew it did not belong to the priestess, he would not move. But he was curious; using his energy probes, he unmasked the creature’s clumsy shield. He was not here to protect the humans, but the slimy caressing of his probes raised his defense. It moved sluggishly, its spiritual vibrations so low they would not alert a Yokai with less training in reading the aura of others. This is a tricky one, it could be dangerous. If he focused, he could feel its slow progress and read its malcontent as it snuffed and slithered through the palace. It was hunting for something. This did not belong to the witch; it reeked of Akio. I should have known Akio would discover the witch eventually, or perhaps it’s Rin he seeks. Either way, he would need to be on the alert.
“Is that why you’ve come? To warn me?”
She chuckled. “I came to meet our Kitsune and check on her progress. This disturbance followed me in. I believe your master sent it for her.”
“Ah. Then should I take care of this?”
“Yes.” She tilted her head as if listening to a voice only she could hear. She turned back to him and he saw the dark shadows that cast her face in relief like a garish mask. “I want her safe until the time is right. We cannot sacrifice her to Akio’s whims.”
“Just your own?” he asked. He wanted to leave the Kitsune out of this, lest he bring down the Dragon’s wrath upon himself. But what choice did he have? The witch was his last hope to save Tsukiko.
“Yes, just my own. Go, the creature is out for blood.”
He bowed to her once more and ran in the direction of the creature. But he could not rush, or the humans would see and suspect. It was headed for Rin’s chamber, just as the witch said. Damn Akio. He was too impatient by half. Naoki turned a corner at a stroll. He nodded at the guards on duty, who stood at attention as he passed by. He knew once he was gone they would slouch and continue gossiping. The real Sadao’s memories had helped his transition. They had not even blinked an eye when he arrived and assumed the role of captain. They were too blind to see the truth. Despite their superstitions, they were blind to the real monsters among them.
A scream rent the night’s stillness—the Yokai had struck. He ran now as the household stirred and the humans were shaken awake. It was over in an instant; he felt the Yokai exulting in the kill. It hummed with pleasure, sending a sick spasm through Naoki. He withdrew his probes and cut off his connection before he took in the dark poison from the Yokai’s aura. At times his ability was a blessing and a curse. He had a better understanding of other Yokai’s intentions, but he also took on their thoughts and energy, clouding his own. He followed the sound of the creature’s murmurs and found it gloating over its kill, a dark form hunched over a woman’s body. He could not see the face, but he feared he was too late.
The Yokai looked up as he approached, long pointed teeth dripping with blood. Its doglike snout was matted with dark fur, and it had large beady black eyes. The flesh fell off the carcass, revealing femurs and hip bones that jutted out like white maggots. One of Akio’s favorite errand boys.
Drawing his blade, he waited for it to abandon its kill. Then growling, it lifted its bloody snout and bared bloody teeth. But it was too slow to be even a challenge, his sword cut through the decayed flesh as if it were paper, and the separated pieces fell to the ground with a wet flop. He stared down at the dismembered monster bleeding black blood onto the ground. He looked to the woman, fearing what he would find. The kimono was stained with blood, and her throat ripped out, but her face remained intact. It wasn’t Rin. He knew this woman; it was Rin’s maid lying on the ground, beside her a pile of silk. Rin’s dirty kimono. The creature had mistaken her for Rin. She was too young for such a fate, not even seventeen. This is a pity; only Akio would send a creature that was this sloppy.
Just then a woman came around the corner. Upon seeing the bloody mess, the girl cried out, a wailing devastated sound. She fell to her knees, screaming, her face strained, and tears rolling down her cheeks. If anyone in the household was left asleep, they slept no longer. She did not see the creature dead beside her. Even when they were dead, Yokai were invisible to most humans. He would need to dispose of the body before Hikaru woke, however; he would surely have questions Naoki was not ready to answer.
A scream woke him from a deep sleep. Hikaru sat straight up in bed. Once he was awake, he realized it was more of a long echoing wail than a scream. It seemed to roll through the palace, building in intensity.
“What was that?” Kichirou shouted outside Hikaru’s door.
Hikaru grabbed his sword off the stand by the door. He never used it and he toppled over the stand as he clumsily snatched for it. It was almost laughable to grab the sword, but if they were under attack, he did not want to be without some sort of protection. He threw open the sliding door and it hit the end of the track with a thunk. The flimsy wood and paper shuddered beneath the force of the collision. He ran out into the hall, where all manner of cousins and extended family tumbled out into the night, lightly dressed in their sleeping robes. His uncle’s sparse white hair stood up on end in every direction. Hikaru doubted he looked much better. His brothers stood to one side, conversing. Hikaru went over to them as the other family members chattered nervously amongst themselves.
“That sounded like a woman,” Hotaru said to Kichirou; then noticing Hikaru, he sneered. “What do you plan to do with that?” He jutted his chin towards the sword Hikaru held limply in his hand.
One of their cousins burst out into the hall, preventing Hikaru from answering. His cousin brandished his sword as he shouted, “Are we under attack?”
“Put your sword away,” Hotaru said. “We’re not being attacked. There was just a woman screaming. Perhaps it was some nightmare.”
“I doubt it,” said Kichirou. “I am starting to think there is some evil spirit haunting this place.” He shivered.
Hikaru bit his lip. Kichirou did not say it, but he knew he was thinking about Rin. The fear of her had only spread. There had been no word from the Nishimoris, and worse yet, the messengers had never returned. Three had gone out now, never to be heard of again. He wanted to believe Rin had pure intentions, but she had propositioned him twice now. The servants feared her and now the Nishimoris could not be reached to corroborate her tale. All the evidence is stacked against her, but I cannot believe she means us harm. Perhaps it was because he wanted to believe the fox woman was r
eal, and she was Rin. Or maybe he was thinking too much with his nether regions.
“I’m going to investigate,” Hikaru replied, not taking care to disguise his anger.
“Careful, brother, there’s monsters out there!” Hotaru called after him.
He stormed away from his brothers and cousin. Hotaru was the fuel to this fire of superstition, he just knew it. There was no way to prove it, but this reeked of Hotaru. He would use Rin to shame Hikaru and better his own position. Perhaps he hoped this would be the final straw that would change their father’s mind about who would be made heir. The screaming had ceased, but he need only follow the stream of soldiers and servants to find the source.
He found a group gathered in the outer ring of the palace in one of the gardens. He pushed his way through to the front. His heart pounded in his chest. When he broke through the crowd, he saw an old woman sobbing on the ground. She was bent forward, pounding the earth with her fist. A guard had hold of one of her hands, trying and failing to get her on her feet.
“What happened here?” Hikaru said.
The soldiers glanced in his direction but did not answer. The servants did not even flinch. They were all transfixed on one spot. Sprawled on the ground, limbs at odd angles, lay a woman. He stared for a few moments, trying to comprehend what was wrong with her, and then he saw the gashes across her throat, hidden in the shadows, and the dark stain on the ground was her blood. Blood stained her kimono as well.
Bile rose up in the back of his throat. He turned to a nearby bush and retched. When the spasms stopped, he stood upright. The servants did not look at him; in fact, everyone nearby made a point to avoid eye contact with him. I am a disgrace. How can I hope to rule one day when the sight of blood turns my stomach?
Kitsune: A Little Mermaid Retelling Page 8
