The Fractured Soul

by Nicolette Andrews

Suzume pulled up her burnt haori closer to her neck. “They’ll heal. I only agreed to come back to the palace, because Noaki is worried chasing her might be a trap.”

  Ryuu sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. He knew that glimmer in her eyes, it was too much like her mother, Izume. When she set her mind on something, nothing would deter her.

  “He’s right not to let you rush in. What if you had been more seriously injured? You’re safer here within these walls, while we make a plan. Now let me treat your burn.”

  She sighed heavily, pulling down collar of her haori to expose her burned shoulder. It was an angry red. “You sound like Kaito, if it were up to the two of you I would be locked inside forever.”

  A scoff escaped his lips without meaning. Just like The Dragon? She couldn’t really mean that. Kaito might be his sire, but they were nothing alike. He dabbed the salve on her burn a little harder than he intended, and Suzume hissed.

  “We’ve spent months searching for the missing piece of Kazue’s soul, doesn’t it seem odd that she arrives now, right under our noses?” He said as he wrapped her burn.

  It could not have been mere coincidence that the soul piece arrived now, just as the neko returned with news of the hidden shrine. The two must be connected.

  “But what if she’s been trying to find us as well? Today when the hybrids attacked me, she raised a wave to save me from them.” Suzume pulled back up hoari.

  “Or she could have been trying to drown you,” Ryuu replied, while packing away the salve and bandages.

  “If you’re trying to tell me to be patient and just wait, I’ve done that, for months. I can’t sit still any longer, not while Hisato has my family.” Suzume threw her arms up, and the glass in front of her wobbled dangerously until he caught it in time and moved it away from her flailing appendages.

  To someone who’d lived as long as him, a few months were the blink of an eye. But for Suzume, it might feel like an eternity. The memories of the restless youth he’d once been bubbled up to the surface. If he told her about the hidden shrine, her hunger for adventure could put her in more danger than she already was. At times he envied her innocence, having never truly experienced danger and loss as he had. She had the confidence of youth. If only she could remain this innocent forever.

  “This could just as likely be a trap set by Hisato. He has used pieces of Kazue’s soul to trick you before.”

  “This won’t end until all the soul pieces are united. I’m done waiting, either you join me or I go alone.” She jumped to her feet and made her way to the door.

  Just the thought of her rushing in, straight into a likely trap, made his chest tight. He’d lost too many over the centuries, he wouldn’t lose her too.

  “Don’t go,” Ryuu said with a sigh.

  Her hand was reaching for the door when she turned and scowled at him. In that moment, she was very much like Izume. How many times had they argued, only for her to storm out and him to chase after her? Izume had him wrapped around her little finger in those days, and without realizing it, Suzume had done the same.

  He ran a hand over his face. What was he doing?

  “Even Kaito has stopped treating me like a child, why can’t you?”

  Would it be inappropriate to confess he saw her as a child? Young and foolhardy. In her, he saw a reflection of himself at her age, ready to take on the world, unaware of the dangers that lay before him. And being that she was Izume’s daughter who he had sworn to protect from the moment of her birth, he was even more obligated to keep her safe. And unlike the parents who had abandoned him, he wanted to protect her from all the world’s dangers.

  “I apologize, you are right, your strength has improved immensely in the past few months. And I should give you more credit to your abilities,” he said.

  “But?” She narrowed her eyes at him.

  “Just today, I received information about a hidden shrine in a valley not far from here, it could be that is where the last piece of Kazue’s soul is hidden,” Ryuu said hesitantly.

  “We know exactly where to find them, what are we waiting for?”

  Ryuu approached her and put his hand on top of her head. “I acknowledge your powers have improved. But if this is a trap Hisato has set, then it puts more than you in danger, but us all. We cannot let him capture you.”

  She heaved a sigh. “Then what do you suggest?”

  It was a hollow triumph. He couldn’t avoid investigating the shrine now, nor would he put Suzume in danger. Which left only one option. He would have to go there himself.

  “I will go and find out what secrets the shrine hides. And if I find the last soul piece there, I will bring them back.”

  Suzume scowled at the ground. She didn’t like it, but it was what was best for her. Just then there was a knock on the door. Ryuu and Suzume shared a look, and he reached for Tetsuyama once again, but when he opened the door, Rin was there to greet him with a smile.

  “Oh, you’re both here, good. Kaito has called for a council meeting, he says he has an important announcement to make.” Her smile was strained.

  Bad omens came in threes. What was it that The Dragon was planning?

  6

  As Kaito entered the audience hall. Streams of golden sunlight filtered through sliding doors, and a salty breeze blew onto freshly painted red arches that towered over the assembled yokai as they rolled back, like the waves from the shoreline for him to pass through. This was what he had been missing, a sea of adoring subjects.

  Many of the old clans had returned, as he caught a glimpse of familiar faces in the crowd, he smiled and nodded, receiving solemn nods in return. This was who he was meant to be. And after centuries of suffering, his kingdom was restored. A yamawaro, a hairy one-eyed yokai, wearing nothing but a loin cloth bowed deeply before him.

  “Master, we of the yamawaro clan are at your service.” His coarse hair stuck out in all directions as his forehead nearly touched the ground, his clansmen followed in his footsteps.

  This wasn’t the representative of the yamawaro he remembered. As he glanced around the room, seeking out familiar faces, strangers stared back at him. The palace might be restored, but the old court was gone. Allies had fallen in his absence, and friends had yet to return.

  “You shall be rewarded for your loyalty,” Kaito said, before striding away. If he weren’t careful, they’d all start groveling, and then it would be hours before he got to his announcement.

  At the front of the room, his closest generals and advisers awaited him. Hana and the other dragons who’d once followed his brother, Jirou, bowed at his approach. When Kaito had come to reclaim his kingdom, he had found Jirou playing pretender. And when Jirou betrayed him and tried to kill Suzume, he had no choice but to kill him. Jirou might be gone, but his specter continued to haunt him. At times he thought he caught a glimpse of Jirou, among the other dragons or in the halls. Kaito had killed many times before, but this death among all others lingered. Like a wound that would not heal. And perhaps never would.

  Even though the dragons had followed his brother, they were loyal to Kaito now and had earned their place as his elite guards. Beside them were Rin and Shin, his oldest and most trusted friends, along with Noaki and the leader of the Oni whose father had once been Kaito’s general. They all bowed as he approached, Shin, in particular, giving Kaito a wolfish grin. With his trusted general at his side, and his subjects before him, all he needed was his empress to rule beside him.

  He took his place on the dais facing his subjects. Their hungry eyes stared up at him, they wanted peace. Centuries of fighting had left his once peaceful kingdom divided. As their ruler, it was his duty to restore peace. Hisato had sown discord among them all for too long, and the only way to unite Akatsuki and stop Hisato was to make peace with the humans. They would resist; it was in yokai nature to hate humans. But he would make them see, if there could be love between a human and a yokai, then couldn’t there be peace among their two kinds?

  Kaito scanned
the crowd, but Suzume was nowhere to be seen. Was she really still angry? He’d stayed away from her, even when Noaki had reported the attack on the nearby human village. Even after he had learned Suzume had nearly drowned. He hoped she would come to him, so they could plan their next move, but the chilly silence between them only grew. Everyone was ordered to come to hear his announcement, he couldn’t declare her his bride without her here. Kaito motioned for Rin.

  “What is it?” she asked in a hushed tone.

  “Where is Suzume?”

  Her fox ears tilted backward as she looked around the room. “I told her she couldn’t miss this, just like you said.” Her bushy tail flicked back and forth. “She didn’t seem happy about it. Are you sure we need her here just for a council meeting?”

  “Yes, it is crucial that she is here.”

  Rin sighed heavily. Before stepping away from the dais.

  For now, he would proceed as planned. If anyone could coax Suzume here, it was her. “I am happy to see many new and familiar faces here in my hall,” Kaito said, his voice echoing around the room. “I see we have the uwan, shojo, and yambiko clans here.”

  Each representative stepped forward, bowing their heads as they were acknowledged. It helped to fluff a few egos before getting into the meat of the matter. They were of lesser power, and before he’d been sealed, he would never have bothered paying them any lip service. But clawing his way back to his former glory was not without sacrifice. And he wanted them all in a good mood before he revealed his plans.

  “There is still much work to be done,” Kaito said, his voice booming over the crowd. “These are trying times, indeed. For centuries our kind have been at war with one another. But it’s time we put our differences aside and join hand in hand as one kingdom once more. The feuding between clans will come to an end, and we shall rise to a new era of peace.”

  The yokai cheered, their voices a mix of roars, squawks, stamping feet, and growls. Kaito basked in their admiration for a few moments before holding up a hand to silence them.

  “There are still many more of us missing, where are the tengu, the kirin, the baku, and the reiki?” Kaito looked across the crowd. None of those who were gathered would look him straight in the eye. While many had returned, some had never come back. None hurt him more than the tengu. Before Kazue had sealed him away, the tengu had been his strongest supporters. The Elder’s oldest son, Morikazu, had been his general. And yet months had passed, and multiple attempts to reach them had come back unanswered.

  Shin stepped forward. “Great Dragon,” he said loud enough for his voice to carry.

  “Yes, Shin.” Kaito gestured with his hand for him to continue. At the back of the room, Rin led in Suzume, whose head was down and her arms crossed over her chest. Good, everything was going according to plan, then. Only as Rin made her way around the edges of the room to return to the front, Suzume remained at the back of the crowd, with that bastard, Ryuu. They were mere inches between them, their shoulders almost brushing as he leaned down much too close to whisper in her ear. Kaito balled his hand into a fist as Suzume’s lips curled in a smile. What was that bastard saying to her?

  “What do you think of this plan, Great Dragon?” Shin prompted. With his back to the crowd, they could not see the furrowed brows on his face. He’d been so distracted by Suzume’s entry he’d lost track of what he was saying.

  “I trust your judgment Shin, it shall be done as you say,” Kaito replied.

  “Then, as I suggest, Hana to the kirin, and the oni to the reiki, and I shall go to the baku, while Rin goes to the tengu.”

  Beside him, Rin yelped before clamping a hand over her mouth. Her ears flat against her head as she glared at Shin, who smirked back at her.

  “It is decided then,” Kaito said, his eyes still on Suzume. She was avoiding looking at him. Instead, her head was tilted, so she faced Ryuu. She must be doing this to drive him mad.

  Rin cleared her throat. “Once the clans have rejoined us…” Rin prompted him in a whisper.

  He’d been so distracted by Suzume flirting with that bastard, that he’d nearly forgotten. The crowd stared up at him, awaiting his announcement.

  “With the clans’ alliance, we will nearly be a unified Akatsuki once more. But one piece remains,” Kaito said and paused letting the tension build. Suzume tossed her hair over her shoulder, laughing at something Ryuu said. He needed to end this and now. “To truly bring peace to Akatsuki, we must end eons of war with the humans, and I plan to do so by marrying the human emperor’s daughter, Suzume.”

  There was a collective gasp around the room, followed by the heightened whispers of the onlookers. Heads swiveled around as many bodies fidgeted among the crowd. Suzume’s gaze snapped up toward him at last, her eyes were blown wide. Beside her, that bastard crossed his arms over his chest, brow furrowed.

  “You must be joking,” the oni leader shouted.

  Kaito glared in his direction. “I am quite serious.”

  The oni flattened his lips together, his hand reaching for the hilt of his blade.

  “This madness, you would marry a human?” asked another yokai.

  “I have declared it before, and I will say it again, Suzume is my woman, and through our love and union, we shall unite our two kinds.”

  The ebb of voices rose as one, where no single one could be distinguished from the rest. A yokai at the back of the room pointed out Suzume. And they started to close in around her. Suzume reached for her staff, and Ryuu stepped forward, thrusting out his arm to protect Suzume.

  “Calm yourselves!” Kaito roared, but his command was lost in the voices rising up in anger. Unable to calm them with a word, Kaito jumped down from the dais, pushing the crowd. A press of bodies closed the space between them, and he lost sight of Suzume. They closed in around him, claws, hooves, and hands grasped for his sleeves, his face and his shoulder. Twisted, angry faces shoved and pushed, trying to get into his face.

  “We cannot accept a human.”

  “How could you betray your own kind!”

  “Kill the human!”

  “Out of my way!” he growled, as he shoved them aside.

  The Dragon’s guards, Shin and Rin, encircled him, pushing back the crowd and giving him space to move forward. He’d known they wouldn’t approve, but he never expected quite so volatile a reaction. Shin led the way, cutting a path through the crowd, leading him out of the hall, more and more yokai poured out chasing after him, their shouts reaching a fever pitch. But where was Suzume? He had to make sure she was safe.

  “Where is Suzume?” Kaito asked Shin.

  “I’m more worried about you getting torn to shreds,” Shin said with a shake of his head. “What were you thinking?”

  Kaito didn’t respond, instead focusing his energy trying to find her in the crowd. But there were too many yokai, too much noise. They pushed through the mob, and made their way to the inner palace, where none but his inner circle could enter. The guards blocking the entryway, stopped the crowd, and in the courtyard beyond Suzume stood with hands on hips, Noaki, Tsuki, and Ryuu on guard.

  As he approached, her head popped up, and she stomped toward him. “Are you trying to get me killed?” She pointed a finger at his chest.

  Flames flickered around her body as her temper rose. Normally he would have found it charming, but right now, his only concern was her safety. He grasped her, pulling her into his embrace.

  “I’m so glad you’re not hurt.”

  She shoved him back. “No thanks to you.”

  “What were you thinking declaring you’d marry a human?” That bastard Ryuu said, inserting himself into their conversation.

  Kaito met that bastard’s gaze, a growl rumbled in his throat. “It doesn’t concern you.”

  Ryuu grabbed Suzume’s shoulder, pulling her closer to him. “Suzume’s safety is my concern. And if you cared for her, you wouldn’t have done something so reckless.”

  “You forget your place,” Kaito snarled, taking a st
ep closer to Ryuu and jabbing his chest with his index finger. He never should have let this bastard stay; he’d known from the moment they met he was trouble.

  Suzume inserted herself between them, hands on either of their chests. “I don’t need either of you to protect me.” Then pointing at Kaito, she said, “But you must want me dead. Don’t you realize those yokai all hate me more than before now? How could you suggest we get married?” Her voice rose, she was flustered.

  He grasped Suzume’s wrist. “Let’s talk, alone…”

  Before she could protest, he dragged her into the room he prepared for her, which remained empty since their fight. Someone had cleaned up since he tore it all apart.

  When they were alone at last, she yanked her arm free, and stood back, her legs apart, and her hands balled into fists as if she were preparing to spar with him.

  “I’m done playing games with you, do you want to sleep with me or do you want me dead? I can’t keep up with this back and forth anymore,” Suzume snapped.

  Kaito blinked a few times as her words sunk in. Hadn’t he made himself and his desires clear? “Isn’t it obvious, I plan on marrying you,” he said in a teasing tone.

  She swung her hand back, presumably to slap him but he caught it before that. It was so small and fragile, and belied her inner strength, that fire, and tenacity which had drawn him to her. The perfect balance to his ice. It had taken their fight for him to realize just how perfect she would be ruling at his side.

  “This isn’t funny.” Flames flickered in her dark gaze, and she tried to pull free, but he held on tighter.

  Pulling her close, he snaked one arm around her waist. He’d wanted to do this for so long, to feel her melt into him. But instead, her hands were pressed against his chest as she arched backward, doing her best to pull away from him. She really didn’t believe him when he said he wanted to marry her? Did she not think his feelings were sincere, either?

  “It’s not a joke, I want to make you my empress,” he said in a more solemn tone.

  Her mouth fell open, as her eyes grew wide. He knew how much she craved power, she was ambitious. Being a human among yokai wasn’t easy, he knew that. But Suzume had proven herself more than capable of standing against them. She’d defeated the hybrids attacking the village without fear. That sort of strength was what he needed in his partner. Didn’t she see that?