A Fox's Family (American Kitsune Book 4)

by Brandon Varnell

  Kotohime stroked the hilt of her katana, her thoughtful hum momentarily filling the air. “The Sons and Daughters of Humanity… I take it they are some kind of anti-yōkai group?”

  “Yes. Their modus operandi is basically to protect humanity from the threat of yōkai incursions.” Noticing the disgusted looks being sent her way, Heather raised her hands in a weak gesture of defense. “Hey, don’t look at me. I don’t really care about yōkai or whatever. I only worked for them because I had no other choice.”

  “How did you come into their services?” asked Kevin.

  Heather squirmed in her seat and laughed nervously. “W-well, you know how it is… these things just tend to happen sometimes.”

  Everyone deadpanned at her.

  “No,” Kevin countered swiftly, “we don’t know how it is, because these things don’t just ‘tend to happen.’” Everyone nodded in agreement—even Eric. “So, please, explain it to us.”

  Kotohime looked at Kevin in approval, causing the teenager to flush a bit and bury his face in Lilian’s hair.

  Lilian giggled when his hot breath hit her neck and wiggled in his lap. “T-that kind of tickles.”

  “A-alright, but you guys have to promise not to laugh.” Heather eyed all of the people present. “Before I became a member of The Sons and Daughters of Humanity, I was actually a cop.”

  “I can believe that,” Kevin said, and Eric nodded in agreement. While the woman looked sort of like a cheerleader with her blond hair, bright attitude and curvaceous figure, she also had a toughness about her that was reminiscent of several police officers he’d met before.

  “Right, so, I actually used to work for the LAPD, however, I was fired for, uh, reasons.”

  “Reasons?” Several brows furrowed, Kevin’s included. “What kind of reasons?”

  “Oh, you know…” Heather avoided eye-contact with everyone. “The usual reasons.”

  “Stop beating around the bush and just tell us!”

  “I was caught peeping, okay?!”

  Silence.

  “Um, what?” Kevin asked, not quite sure he’d heard her properly.

  With those words, the dam broken, there was no stopping Heather now. “It all started back when I was younger. Ever since I was little, I’ve been enamored with women’s bodies. There’s just something about a woman’s figure that drives me wild. The way their breasts bounce, how their butts jiggle, the flow of seamless curves, it’s enough to really get my motor running. Kukuku…”

  Heather giggled like a perverted old lecher. Her bluish-green eyes glazed over and drool leaked from her mouth, dribbling down her chin.

  She eventually snapped back to reality and noticed that everyone was looking at her with matching deadpan expressions―except for Eric, who had stars in his eyes. She blushed, absently wiping the drool away.

  “A-anyway, this love for women’s bodies soon turned into something more: admiration and the desire to immortalize the beauty of women everywhere, which is why I began peeping—and also because I wanted to use them as inspiration for the books I’m writing.”

  A moment of silence ensued.

  “It’s a female version of Eric,” Kevin suddenly deadpanned.

  “A female Eric has descended upon us,” Lilian added.

  “At least this female Eric is hotter than the male version,” Iris said, which caused everyone to look at her strangely. “What? All of you were thinking it, too.”

  After several headshakes, the group turned back to Heather.

  “Please continue, Heather-san.”

  “Um, right. So, anyway, I would peep on women and, well, I eventually got caught, like, multiple times. After the… seventh time, I think?” She paused, then nodded. “Yeah, after the seventh time getting caught, the Chief of Police fired me. He said something about how I was breaking the law.” She huffed. “I don’t see how I broke the law. I’m a woman, they were women; it’s not like it’s illegal for me to ogle another woman.”

  “The fact that you would even use the term ogle is reason enough to fire you,” Kevin stated with certainty.

  “That still doesn’t explain how you came to work for these Sons and Daughters of Humanity,” Kotohime pressed.

  “That came later,” Heather admitted. “See, I was pretty down on my luck after that. I couldn’t hold a job for very long because I kept peeping on my female coworkers while they were changing. My managers would always fire me after receiving several complaints—or when they discovered the hidden cameras I had installed inside of each locker.”

  Kevin would have facepalmed, but since his face was buried in Lilian’s neck, he refrained.

  “I was eventually picked up by a recruiter, who said that my experience as a cop would secure me a job with the agency he worked for. He also said they didn’t care if I peeped on women in my free time, so I took it.”

  “And these people turned out to be The Sons and Daughters of Humanity?” Lilian asked for clarification.

  “Yep.”

  Silence fell over the group as everyone absorbed this latest piece of information.

  “Dang,” Kevin grunted, “those people don’t have very high standards, do they?”

  “I think it’s more that they just don’t care who works for them, so long as that person is skilled enough to be of use,” Heather told Kevin.

  “Why are these people after you now?” asked Kirihime. “Weren’t they your comrades?”

  “Because I disobeyed orders, I think, or maybe because I failed to deliver Red over there.” Heather pointed at Lilian, who puffed up her cheeks at the new nickname the woman had given her. “I’m not really sure what goes on in the minds of those up top. All I know is that after the debacle in which Red and Swift got away, the agency decided to cut us loose.”

  “And by cut loose, you mean they tried to silence you,” Kotohime stated more than asked.

  “Right.” Heather nodded. “I’m pretty sure the others in my division are already dead. Our base was attacked and completely destroyed. I was out at the time, so I wasn’t there when it happened, but I saw the aftermath. There were a lot of corpses and no survivors.”

  “How do you know it was these Sons and Daughters people?” asked Lilian. “Couldn’t it have been someone else?”

  “You mean aside from the killer robots that attacked me?” Heather shot back. “The only people who knew the location of our base are the people in my division and our superiors.”

  “We also know where it’s located,” Kevin pointed out.

  “No,” Heather shook her head, “you know where our holding cells were. That wasn’t our actual base, which is located seventy-two miles outside of Phoenix in the middle of nowhere.”

  “If you knew these people were after you, then why are you still in Arizona?” Lilian asked the question that Kevin wanted to know as well. It didn’t make much sense to him.

  “Where would I go?” Heather shrugged at her own question. “These guys aren’t a small terrorist cell or a tiny drug cartel. They’re a large organization that spans fifty-two different countries. They’ve got spies everywhere. How else do you think they can kidnap so many yōkai without anyone ever knowing it’s them?”

  No one had an answer for her, and it was this very lack of an answer that scared Kevin the most.

  Aside from what Heather had just told them, he had no clue as to who these people were, but he knew one thing for sure.

  This would not be the last time he and his friends encountered The Sons and Daughters of Humanity.

  Chapter 8

  Invitation

  “I see. So, both Kotohime and Kirihime are acting as my Lilian’s bodyguards, are they?”

  “It seems that way, Lord Jiāoào.”

  Jiāoào sat on a comfortable-looking couch made of red leather. Gold inlays and intricate designs swirled around it in esoteric patterns. The leather squeaked as he shifted. Laying on the couch with her head on his lap, a docile Maddison rested, her dead eyes staring into a void.r />
  His current abode, while still depressingly tiny, had a much more ostentatious appearance now. Large tapestries hung from the wall, their colors a combination of royal purple and gold. The plain white carpet had been switched out for the same purple as the tapestries. He had even added several gigantic columns to the foyer and switched out the boring staircase for a much grander one.

  While he still didn’t approve of the place and would be glad to leave it, at least now it held the decor of someone befitting his station.

  “I should have known they would be here,” Jiāoào murmured, mostly to himself. “Kotohime has been my Lilian’s personal bodyguard ever since she gained her second tail, and Kirihime has been taking care of her sister and mother for decades.” He stroked the underside of his chin with one of his two tails. “Is there any chance you and Maddison could defeat them?”

  “Doubtful,” Ling’s answer was swift and sure. Had anyone else spoken in such a manner, or told him such a thing, they would have been punished. He trusted Ling’s judgement on matters such as this, however.

  “Which means we cannot attack while either one of them is around,” Jiāoào mused.

  “In a two on one battle we might be able to defeat Kirihime,” Ling said, her three tails writhing agitatedly at the thought of fighting the water user. “However, it would be a close call. She did not earn the title of Yandere Berserker for nothing.”

  “Hmm.” More thinking noises. “What if we went after Lilian while she is at that… school that she is currently attending?”

  “We would be breaking one of the few laws that all yōkai must abide by, Lord Jiāoào, in which case, we would have to deal with Davin Monstrang, a yōkai whose power is said to be on par with an eight-tailed kitsune.”

  Jiāoào grimaced. “That damn Saint is causing me problems without even realizing it.”

  All yōkai traveling to the US had to go through an immigration process, where their names were put on record. Jiāoào had not wanted to deal with the Four Saints, so he’d simply infiltrated the country by entering the human way. This meant they had to be more cautious than he normally liked.

  “If you’d like,” a voice spoke up, “I could take care of those bodyguards for you.”

  Jiāoào looked at the speaker, trying not to show his disgust as he contemplated the suggestion. “No, even if you could defeat these two, doing so would create too much of a ruckus, and I would rather not have to deal with a member of the Four Saints.”

  “As you wish,” a man garbed like a butler bowed mockingly low.

  Sighing, Jiāoào relaxed back into his posh, comfortable sofa. His fingers idly scraped Maddison’s scalp. Maddison shuddered, but she didn’t react to his ministrations otherwise. Jiāoào ignored her shuddering.

  “This is quite the conundrum.” Thinking about the issue some more, he eventually happened upon an idea. “I want you to enroll in my Lilian’s academy. Find out everything you can, and if you see an opportunity to capture her without rousing suspicion, then do so.”

  Ling bowed before him. “Of course, Lord Jiāoào.”

  As Ling left to perform her duties, Jiāoào smiled as an image of Lilian appeared within his mind. “Soon, very soon, you will become mine.” He looked down at the pathetic excuse for a kitsune resting on his lap. “And then I can get rid of you.”

  Jiāoào drifted off, thoughts of how he would break Lilian flitting through his mind.

  He never noticed Maddison gritting her sharp canines. Nor did he see the single tear that leaked from her right eye.

  ***

  On Monday morning Kevin, Lilian and Iris headed to school with Eric.

  Eric did not take the bus to school, because his old man was the principal—a fact that appalled women. They were driven to school by Mr. Corrompere, who somehow managed to sleep through everything that had happened last night.

  I guess it’s because Kirihime had placed an enchantment on him.

  School felt very odd that day. Perhaps it was because of what happened last night, the break in their routine, the knowledge about the anti-yōkai group, and the strange machines that Kirihime and Kotohime had fought, but Kevin and Lilian felt off all day. Going to school, sitting in class, and spending time with friends talking about regular teenage stuff--all of it felt so normal that it threw them for a loop.

  “I’m telling you, nobody can beat Kenshin Himura in a straight up sword fight. He’s the ultimate badass swordsman, and that style of his is way more awesome than anyone else’s.”

  “You clearly don’t know what you’re talking about. Kirito would pound Himura’s ass into grass.”

  Kevin let the argument between Alex and Andrew wash over him. Lilian sat beside him, listening to Lindsay as she tried to convince the redhead to join her soccer team.

  “Are you sure there’s no way I can convince you to join the soccer team? I really think you would be a good addition,” the tomboy was saying. “You’re really fast, and you’ve got some serious kicking power.”

  Lilian smiled apologetically at her friend. “I’m sorry, but I’m not really interested in playing sports.”

  “Ha… I get it. I’ll stop asking, for now at least.” Lindsay gave her friend a pout. “But, don’t think I’ve given up or anything.”

  Lilian’s demure giggle rang through the air like wind chimes. “Of course. I would expect nothing less from you.”

  “By the way, I noticed that Kevin seems kind of tired today.” Lindsay leaned into Lilian, a somewhat mischievous grin on her face. “You two didn’t do anything inappropriate, did you?”

  “Great,” Kevin sighed, “Lindsay’s become a gossip.”

  “Hush, you,” Lindsay said without taking her eyes off Lilian. “So, did you?”

  Lilian tilted her head in curiosity. She appeared genuinely confused. “I’m not sure I understand.”

  Lindsay gave her a dubious look. “Oh, come on. You know. Did you and Kevin get up to anything…” she leaned forward more and whispered into the redhead’s ear, “naughty?”

  Kevin took a bite of his pork cutlets as he cast a sideways glance at the pair.

  I wonder if I should tell Lindsay that I can hear every word she’s saying?

  “Naughty?” Lilian’s frown grew.

  Lindsay nodded emphatically. “Yeah, you know. Like, some healthy adult fun and all that?”

  Lilian placed a finger against her lips, her thoughtful mien undeniably cute. “Well, Kevin and I did take a shower together, and we lounged in the bath afterward. We also kissed a lot.” Lilian looked at the now red-faced Lindsay, who apparently hadn’t expected him and Lilian to have actually gotten up to anything risque. “That might have tired him out a bit, but I don’t think we did anything inappropriate.”

  “How could you say you and Kevin didn’t do anything inappropriate?” Lindsay looked scandalized. “Everything you just told me is completely inappropriate. Seriously, you two… and in the bath… how is that not inappropriate?”

  “Kevin’s my mate. Anything he does to me is not only appropriate, but completely normal.”

  Lindsay looked like someone had just smacked her in the face with a dead fish. “… Is this another kitsune thing?”

  “Ara? A kitsune thing?”

  While Lilian and Lindsay spoke of things that Kevin rather wished he couldn’t hear, Christine sat down on his other side.

  “Hey,” she greeted, “you look like shit.”

  Kevin gave her a bland look. “Gee, thanks. Hearing someone say I look like crap really brightens my day.”

  Christine blushed. “T-that’s not what I―I just meant you look tired!”

  “I know.” Kevin rubbed a hand down his face. “Sorry, I’ve got a lot on my mind right now.”

  “You wanna talk about it?” When Kevin looked at her like she’d said something strange, Christine’s cheeks turned blue. “W-what the hell are you staring at me like that for, you idiot?”

  “No reason.” Kevin’s blond hair swayed as he shoo
k his head. “I’m just surprised you’re being so, well, so nice.”

  Christine looked offended. “I can be nice!”

  “You yell at me every time we talk.”

  “Urk!”

  “You’ve also started hitting me whenever we talk, too.”

  “Gurk!”

  “Don’t forget the number of times she’s beaten up Eric,” Lilian added.

  “Ugh!”

  “Eric deserved all of those beatings,” Kevin pointed out.

  “True, true.” Lilian nodded. “I was just pointing out how violent she is.”

  “Stop talking about me like I’m not here!” a blue-faced Christine shouted.

  “Speaking of Eric,” Alex started as he and his brother stopped arguing, “where is he?”

  “Don’t know,” his twin said, “but it’s kinda odd that he’s not here. Eric’s not one to miss out on a chance to try and grope Christine.”

  “Wha―SHUT UP ABOUT THAT!”

  “Justin is also missing,” Lindsay added.

  “So is Iris,” Lilian frowned.

  “Eric’s probably trying to peep on the freshmen girls while they change into their PE uniforms,” Kevin determined. “That, or he’s already running from them.”

  As if on cue, loud, obnoxious wails of agony echoed across the campus, followed by equally loud screams of pain.

  “NOT THE FACE! NOT THE FACE! AAIIEEEE! YES, THE FACE! YES, THE FACE!”

  A stiff breeze blew through the now silent clearing. Several birds cawed in a most annoying manner.

  “Or he’s already been caught,” Kevin said into the silence.

  “And Justin and Iris?” asked Lindsay.

  Kevin and Lilian shared a look.

  “Last I saw, Iris had convinced Justin to give her a tour of the school,” Lilian said.

  “Tch! Lucky bastard,” Alex grumbled. “How did someone like Justin manage to catch the interest of a babe like Iris? He can’t even hold a proper conversation!”