Kindling Flames: Burning Nights (The Ancient Fire Series Book 6)

by Julie Wetzel

  Darien crossed his arms over his chest unhappily. “And he sent you at a time when I should be resting?” he asked, letting his displeasure show.

  Shuri stood and met his eyes. “He bid me to come as quickly as possible to inform you that he’s found the would-be assassin and to assure you that their death will be swift and final.”

  Anger washed over Darien as he dropped his arms. “No!” he roared. “I want this person alive.”

  Both women flinched at his outburst.

  “But it’s too late,” Shuri said in an apologetic and pleading tone. “My master is questioning them as we speak. He will deal his justice once he’s satisfied.” She explained, “He’s been steadfast in this quest since you left and will not stop until it is finished.”

  This news inflamed Darien’s anger more. “Call him!” he demanded. There was no way he was going to leave the trial and punishment of Vicky’s attacker to the Hawaiian Council.

  “I cannot,” she said. “He will not answer and my master has a short temper. No one will interrupt him while he works.”

  “I will.” Darien growled as he turned from the woman and stormed from the room. Aggravated, he yanked his damp shirt off and threw it down on the floor. He wanted this attacker alive. There was something about Kusanagi that Darien didn’t trust. He wanted to know why someone tried to poison Vicky, but he didn’t trust Kusanagi to give him the whole truth. The only way he was sure to get the answers he needed was to question the attacker personally. Choosing a shirt, he pulled it on and sat on the bed to change his pants.

  “Darien?” Vicky called from the bathroom area.

  Darien looked up to find her wrapped in the hotel bathrobe.

  “Is everything all right?” she asked, coming over to his side.

  Blowing out a breath, Darien shook his head as he finished getting dressed. “No,” he said softly. “Shuri is here on behalf of the Council with an apology and tribute.”

  “Tribute?” Vicky asked, stiffening in surprise.

  Darien nodded. “It’s not uncommon. But she also told me Kusanagi has found your poisoner and is about to kill them.”

  “What?” Vicky said. Reaching up, she clutched the top of her robe and held it tight in fear. Slowly, she sank on the bed next to Darien.

  “You’re safe,” Darien said as he reached out and pulled her into his side. “But I’ve got to go and stop this. I need this person alive to find out exactly what happened.”

  Shocked, Vicky nodded and leaned against him. “I don’t want to go back there,” she said weakly.

  Turing, Darien laid a kiss on the side of her head. “And I don’t want you to go back. But I have to get this straightened out.” He squeezed her to his side before releasing her and standing up. “Stay here. When I get back, I’ll call the Great Council and we’ll get the hell out of here.”

  Vicky nodded and stood up. “Be careful.”

  Darien smiled at her and took her hands. “Always.” He leaned in and kissed her gently. “I’ll be back soon,” he promised, released her hands, and turned back to the problems waiting for him. Storming through the door, he pointed at the two women waiting for him. “You, come with me. We’re going back.”

  A tear rolled down the blood slave’s cheek as her knees gave way.

  Darien watched in shock as she dropped to the floor and sat there in despair. He turned to meet Shuri’s eyes.

  “He’ll kill them if you send her back,” she said softly, a hint of animosity glowed in her eyes.

  The fallen woman sniffed softly as she wept.

  Darien closed his eyes and drew in a deep calming breath. How could he have forgotten so many of the subtle nuances of vampire culture? The girl was his now. If he refused her, she would go back disgraced. Few masters would tolerate such an insult, but since they couldn’t take it out on the Elder offering the slight, they took it out on the person they felt failed them—the servant. And from the sounds of it, her fate was tied to another’s. Running his fingers up over his head, Darien turned away from the girls and ruffled his hair, rethinking his position. He couldn’t send the girl back to the Council until he was ready to leave. Then, if he did call the Great Council for an inquisition, her safety wasn’t necessarily guaranteed. He turned to find Vicky standing in the doorway, listening to the conversation. There was disbelief mixed with horror in her eyes.

  Letting out a breath, he turned around to face Shuri and the girl. “What’s your name?”

  The girl looked up from the floor and sniffed again. “Nalani,” she answered before dropping her gaze away from him.

  Darien considered her natural dark skin and long hair. “You’re native to the island?” he asked.

  Nalani nodded.

  “Was Kusanagi your master?”

  The young woman’s head snapped up to meet his gaze before turning to Shuri for permission to give a response. There had been a note of hate in her eyes that answered his question.

  “Answer!” Darien barked, letting the irritation show in his voice.

  Nalani’s attention came back to him, but she lowered her head and bit her lip, afraid to speak.

  “You need not fear harm from the Council. I protect what’s mine,” he said in a reassuring voice. He looked up to Vicky as he finished. She stood silently in the doorway, but he could tell that she did not like what was going on. He sent her comforting thoughts as he focused on the problem in front of him again.

  Finally, Nalani spoke. “No. Kusanagi was not my master.” She raised her eyes to meet his again. A spark of anger lit her eyes. “Polunu was.”

  “I see,” Darien said as he turned from her to pace across the room. His mind churned as he put things together. “Kusanagi chose you to punish Polunu for his rudeness.” He paused and looked back at the girl and saw in her eyes that he was right. “You’re important to him. A lover?”

  The anger in her eyes flared brighter and her spine stiffened. “His only.”

  “And if I send you back. Kusanagi will punish both you and Polunu?”

  Pain chased the anger from Nalani’s eyes. “He threatened to stake us both out for the dawn,” she said softly as she dropped her face to stare at the carpet.

  Chills raced up Darien’s spine. He knew what it was like to be tied out for dawn with someone he loved. He glanced over at Vicky again. Rage flashed in her eyes. Turning back to Nalani, he walked over and held his hand down to her. “Stand up.”

  She considered him before taking his hand to rise.

  He wrapped his arm around her back and turned to Vicky. “Could you find her something to wear while I make a call?”

  “Of course.” Vicky said, coming into the room.

  Nalani gave Darien a confused look as he pushed her towards Vicky.

  “She’ll take care of you,” he reassured the girl.

  “Let’s get you out of that thing,” Vicky said taking Nalani’s arm and leading her back into the bedroom.

  “You’re keeping her?” Shuri asked, surprised.

  “No,” Darien said, picking up the phone and punching the number for the front desk. “But I’m not sending her back to be murdered.” When the front desk answered, he turned his attention away from Shuri and had the clerk register him a second room in the hotel. When it was done, he hung up and looked back up at the woman waiting for him. “She can wait here until I’ve gotten this sorted.”

  As if on cue, Vicky and Nalani came out of the bedroom. Both of the women had gotten properly dressed.

  He looked over the shirt and shorts Vicky had put the girl in. “Much better,” he said as he came over and stood next to Vicky. “Thank you.” He gave her a quick hug and kissed her on the temple.

  “You’re welcome,” Vicky said, leaning into his side.

  “I’ll be back soon,” he promised, giving her one last squeeze before letting her go. He turned his attention to Shuri and Nalani. “Let’s go,” he said, leading the way towards the door.

  “Darien,” Vicky called before he could get
to the door.

  He stopped and looked back at her.

  “You’re forgetting your keys again,” she said with a smile.

  He let out a small laugh and grinned. “As always,” he said, shaking his head at his own forgetfulness. “Excuse me for a moment.” Heading into the bedroom, he rounded up his suite key, wallet, and phone. As he headed back out, he glanced at Vicky, now standing with the other women. “Call me if you need me.”

  “Of course,” she said.

  “Now, let’s go,” he called to the other two women.

  They followed him as he headed to the door and held it open for them. “Did Mano bring you?”

  “Yes,” Shuri answered

  “Good,” Darien said as he pulled the door shut behind them and pointed the two women towards the elevator. “Then once we get Nalani settled, he can take us back to the Council.”

  “But it’s daylight there, my lord,” She said worried. “You’ll burn.”

  Darien punched the button for the elevator and stepped back to wait for it. “That’s my problem to worry about. Not yours.”

  Shuri raised a curious eyebrow at him, but didn’t say anything.

  When the elevator arrived, Darien ushered them all in and sent it to the lobby. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and worried about how he was going to solve this. If he didn’t choose his path carefully, he was going to end up in a fight that he wasn’t sure he would win.

  Watching out the front window of the car, Darien drew in a resigned breath and let it out slowly as they pulled into the drive of the Hawaiian Council’s complex. This was not how he wanted to spend his afternoon.

  “Forgive me, my lord,” Mano said, drawing Darien’s attention from the view outside the window. “This is as close as I can get.” He stopped right at the end of the sidewalk, but there was still a fair walk up the path to the main door.

  “That’s fine,” Darien said as he reached over and popped open the door. The sunlight bit at his skin, but he ignored the sting and got out of the car. Standing up, he looked around to get a better feel for the layout of the place. It seemed bigger in the light of day. Shutting his door, he turned his attention to his companions. “So where can I find Kusanagi?”

  “Inside,” Shuri said as she got out of the back of the car. “I suspect he’s still in the dojo.”

  Darien nodded his understanding and headed for the front door at a normal pace.

  “He’s a day walker!”

  The hushed tones of Mano’s astounded observation brought a smile to Darien’s lips. He glanced back to see the surprise on the man’s face. It was amusing to see awe at an action he had grown accustomed to. Turning back around, he made his way up to the main door and pushed it open. The sounds of the gurgling koi pond echoed around him as he stepped into the shade of the house. He took a deep breath as the cool, moist air soothed the stinging from his skin. As the door closed behind the group, he turned to face his companion. “Where now?”

  “This way,” Shuri said as she turned left and skirted around the edge of the pool.

  Darien fell into step behind her with Mano bringing up the rear.

  Halfway across the room, Shuri took the steps leading up to the wooden floor of the connecting hall. The floor squeaked loudly as she stepped on it. Each additional step she took sent up a shrill, chirping noise.

  Pausing, Darien raised an eyebrow before following her up the steps. “Nightingale floor?” he asked as he stepped down and the wood flexed, letting out another barrage of musical squeaks. “I haven’t seen these outside of Kyoto.” He pulled his attention from the intricate flooring as he walked on, making them sing. “Does your master have trust issues?”

  “My master had this specially made to keep out intruders,” Shuri said as she glanced back over her shoulder. “And yes, he doesn’t trust anyone very much. But considering his past, I understand why.” She turned her eyes back to the front and led the way down the hall.

  Darien considered Shuri as he followed her in silence. He wondered how much of Kusanagi’s background she actually knew. He thought about asking her, but decided to keep his peace. He had a feeling that she wasn’t as human as she was pretending to be, but she didn’t feel like a fay. He reached out and brushed his power over her, trying to sense what she was, but he found nothing unusual in her aura. She felt as human as they came. He shook the feeling away and paid attention to the hallway ahead of her. He could see a set of framework doors at the far end. There was a thin paper stretched across the wooden slats.

  “My master should be in here,” Shuri said as she placed her hand on one of the doors and slid it open.

  Stepping past her, Darien stopped and glanced around the large room. There was a narrow walkway around the edges, but the center of the mostly empty room was covered with grass tatami mats. Kusanagi sat on the floor directly across from the door, dressed in a white Gi jacket and hakama pants. Even knowing it was rude, Darien stepped straight onto the mats and marched across the room to stand a few feet in front of Kusanagi. Darien studied the younger man as he waited for Kusanagi to respond.

  After several long minutes, he final spoke without moving from his meditative position. “You would disturb my rest?”

  “I would,” Darien said, crossing his arms over his chest.

  Kusanagi opened his eyes and looked up at him. “What can I do for you, Ancient One?”

  Darien’s jaw tightened in anger. That title was usually used as a sign of admiration, but there was no respect in Kusanagi’s voice. “I want the poisoner,” he demanded.

  There was a long pause as Kusanagi stared out at him. “You’re too late. They have already been dealt with.”

  “How dare you show me such disrespect?” Darien snapped. “I told you I wanted them alive!”

  Kusanagi hopped to his feet and took a step towards Darien. “And I am the master of this Council,” he snapped back. “I will deal with my people as I see fit!”

  Darien took a step closer and raised his voice. “I wanted them alive!”

  Tension radiated out of Kusanagi and his eyes narrowed. “Are you challenging me?” he said in a low but threating tone.

  Drawing in a deep breath, Darien tried to reign in the fury eating at him. “I did not come here to challenge you,” he said in a more even tone. “I came here to get justice.”

  “And you’ve had your justice,” Kusanagi said as he threw up his hand and turned away from Darien. He walked over to a low table and picked up a sheet of paper. “Kimberly Hunter poisoned your human.” He held the paper out to Darien. “She admitted to ordering her servant to administer the poison in hopes of starting a war.”

  Darien reached out and took the paper.

  “She and her agent have been dealt with.” Kusanagi finished. He crossed his arms over his chest as Darien read over the signed confession.

  Anger furrowed Darien’s brow as he finished. He looked up at Kusanagi with hard eyes. “Victoria isn’t just a human. She’s my wife.” His hand tightened around the paper, crushing it as he lowered it. “We are properly bonded, making her my life mate. Ancient laws are very clear on the subject of attacks on one’s life mate. The life of her attacker is mine to demand, and I hold the right to take it myself.”

  “It’s too late.” Kusanagi said flippantly. “They are no longer your concern.” He turned away from Darien and went back to the pad he had been resting on. “If you have no other business here, I’d like to take my rest now.” Kneeling down, he dismissed Darien without another word.

  Rage ate at Darien, but he couldn’t see what else he could do without challenging Kusanagi outright. It was an idea, but he didn’t know if he could win as he was. “The Great Council will hear of this insult,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “As you wish.”

  Kusanagi’s words stiffened Darien’s spine even more. Turning on his heels, he stormed off towards the door.

  “Oh,” Kusanagi called, stopping Darien before he
could get out of the room. “By the way, you have two days to remove yourself from my island before you violate your visitation rights. And since you did not formally request permission to stay, I expect you to be gone.” He lowered his face and glared at Darien from below his brow as he went on. “If you choose to remain, I’ll take it as an act of war and I’ll have full rights to deal with you as I see fit.”

  Darien met his glare with one of his own, but did not respond. Biting his tongue, he turned and left through the sliding door. The squeaking of the floor irritated him more as he stomped his way to the car with Mano hot on his heels. “Keys!” Darien snapped holding out his hand.

  Mano dropped the car keys into Darien’s palm without question.

  Climbing into the driver’s seat of the black sedan, Darien jammed the key into the ignition and took off without waiting for Mano to get in on the other side of the car. He needed some time away from everyone to cool off and think about what to do. He glared at the confession still crushed in his hand before crumpling it more and throwing it down on the passenger’s seat.

  That sheet of paper took most of the bite out of his threat to call the Great Council. And Kusanagi’s smugness had shown he knew it. They may reprimand the man for not allowing Darien to take his justice properly, but with a signed confession they probably wouldn’t look very deep into the matter. Especially since Vicky had lived. Had Vicky died, they would have torn the Hawaiian Council apart to make sure the right person was punished.

  Darien drew in slow, even breaths as he made his way back to the hotel. As he got his temper back under control, he decided on a course of action. He’d call the Great Council and report the offense. With Kusanagi’s background, they might take a harder look at the situation, but Darien doubted it. Then, after he had reported Kusanagi, he was going to gather Vicky up and get the hell out of there. This whole trip had gone from bad to worse, and the only way to keep things from escalating was to leave. Maybe in a hundred years, when things had settled down and their kids were grown, he might think about trying this again. Then again, probably not. Island hospitality wasn’t what it was cracked up to be.