“If you don’t get outsiders, who makes offerings to the kami?” Ryuu asked.
The first girl screwed her face as she considered it. “I suppose it’s the man who sends the supplies twice a year.”
“A patron of the shrine, do you know who he is?” Ryuu asked, leaning in closer to the priestess, and resting his hand on hers.
Her skin flushed further as she shook her head.
“Maybe its Kazue’s father!” said the second girl, grabbing onto his sleeve.
Ryuu froze, hearing his mother’s name had been an unexpected shock.
“That’s right, I heard the head priestess say she was going to the White palace,” said the first priestess grasping onto his other arm.
“Kazue?” He kept his tone neutral
The second girl leaned in to whisper.
“We all thought the head priestess was grooming her to be the next leader, but then that man came and took her away. I heard she was the emperor’s bastard.”
“A man took her, do you know what he looked like?” Ryuu pressed.
The second girl recoiled. “He was strange.”
“There was darkness in his gaze, it was as if you were looking into bottomless pits when you stared into his eyes.”
“You saw him from across the courtyard, how would you know,” the second priestess reached around Ryuu to argue.
“I did too, when he went with Kazue to pack her things. Just being near him sent a chill down my spine.”
Hisato. It had to be. And he’d taken her to the palace. Izume must have brought her back, to keep her close or perhaps to try and lure Suzume back there. If he went back and told her, she would only want to rush in and rescue her. If he delayed returning to Suzume, would she be in danger from the yokai of Kaito’s palace? He wanted to believe she could take care of herself. The seaside palace was in the opposite direction of the white palace, if he backtracked, word might reach Izume, and she could hide the soul piece in the interim. There was only one choice, he would need to return to the White Palace and find Kazue.
13
Suzume was never leaving her futon. She burrowed deeper in her blankets as afternoon light crept across the tatami. When her eyes had first opened, flashes of memory had bombarded her, and to avoid confronting the truth, she’d stayed in bed. Though she couldn’t remember much, she remembered enough that the shame wouldn’t allow her to show her face. Without the staff, she couldn’t control her power, and Kazue had taken control. She pulled her blankets tighter around her, as if she could block out the dawning realization as she did sunlight. Noaki had brought breakfast for her hours ago, but just the thought of eating made her stomach turn. How much damage had she caused this time, had she hurt anyone?
Arrogantly, she thought she was getting stronger. She thought she didn’t have to worry about Kazue taking control of her body anymore. But when Tsuki and Akira stole the staff, they shattered all her delusions. She never had power, she was nothing and worse, a danger to others. The only option left was for her to stay buried under covers until the last soul piece was found.
Someone knocked at the door, and she froze. Had Kaito come to condemn her for the damage she caused? Were the yokai going to rise up against her and get revenge? That Hitsotsume wouldn’t stop until she was dead...
The knock persisted, more urgent than before. Should she try and run? But where would she even go? Powerless as she were, she’d be picked off before she could get a mile from the palace.
“Suzume, I know you’re in there,” Kaito called out.
Her stomach did another flip flop. Kaito was finally starting to treat her like an equal, if he knew what she’d done, would he realize what a fraud she’d been all along. At the very least, he must be furious. She couldn’t face him. She rolled away from the door and clutched the edges of her blankets tighter.
He knocked again. “Open up, or I’m coming in,” he shouted, and he would make good on that threat, she bet.
“I want to be alone,” she shouted back, but her voice wobbled.
The pounding stopped, and Suzume held her breath. Knowing Kaito, he’d barge here anyway. A few minutes passed, and there was no more pounding. He’d left. It should have been a relief; she wanted to be left alone. But instead, it felt unsettling. How much havoc had she caused when Kazue took over that Kaito didn’t want to see her? A flash of fire and screams, was all she could remember. Perhaps she’d done something unforgivable.
Minutes stretched into hours, and he didn’t return. It should have been a relief, but it only made her more anxious. Was he angry with her? Was he planning on ejecting her from his palace?
Eventually, hunger drove her out from under her covers, and she ate her cold meal, just to ease the gnawing feeling in her stomach. But it didn’t go away, and Kaito still didn’t return. No one did...
The loneliness was like a stone dragging her beneath the waves. If Kaito turned his back on her, then who did she have left? She pulled her knees up to her chest, as she stared out onto the endless horizon, which stretched out beyond her window. It had been a mistake to open herself to trusting others. She knew, in the end, they would only betray her, and yet she’d let herself believe the lie that she was stronger with friends. In the end, they all betrayed her, Kaito’s flattery and declarations of love were nothing but words. She was the only one she could rely on.
The thought had her on her feet in seconds, and she paced the length of her chamber. Why was she sitting around here, waiting for Kaito to come and comfort her? She didn’t need him, she didn’t need Tsuki and Akira or any of them. If she didn’t have the staff, then she couldn’t fight. What was the point of waiting around for Hisato to come and find her? She would get on a boat and run as far away as she could, where no one could find her.
She headed for the door and pressed her ear against it. If Kaito wanted to see her punished for what she did, she might be guarded. At the least, Noaki might be lurking around. She strained but didn’t hear a sound except for the distant crash of waves on the shore and the wind’s howls. She slowly opened her door, the courtyard was still, as the sun sunk on the horizon, it cast long shadows. The sakura tree was dormant again, all the petals had fallen but for a single stubborn blossom clinging to the highest branches.
“About time you came out,” Kaito said.
Suzume jumped in the air and clutched at her chest. Kaito was crouched on the ground beside her door. Had he been there ever since the afternoon? That wasn’t possible, why would he wait around for her?
“What are you doing there?”
“Waiting for you.” He stood, and there was a lazy smile on his lips.
“All day?”
“I wanted to be there for you when you were ready to talk,” he said with a shrug.
Her mouth opened and closed. Had Kaito been possessed like Akira and Tsuki? Because this couldn’t be the Kaito she knew.
“Why didn’t you just barge your way in like you normally do?” she asked.
He quirked an eyebrow. “You told me you wanted to be left alone.”
Now she was certain this was a trick.
“That’s never stopped you before,” she replied.
Kaito rubbed the back of his neck. “Believe me, I wanted to go in there and drag you out of bed. But more than that, I was afraid if I did, it would push you away.”
Suzume inhaled sharply. He’d been listening to what she said, did that mean he was sincere? The part of her who had only known lies and deception wanted to reject even the idea. But the lonely part of her was desperate for it to be true.
“Come on, I want to show you something.” He held out his hand for her. It was up to her to take it.
Her stomach flipped, and she took it. His touch was warm, and the jolt raced up her arm. Before, when they touched, it was a clash of fire and ice. Now she just felt a pleasant warmth that was consuming her body, she never wanted to let go of him. He led her through the palace, past scorched buildings. Seeing them, she flinched. It was he
r fault, all the months of reconstruction were destroyed in a single afternoon. She wanted to return to her blanket cocoon. Kaito must have sensed her resistance, because he squeezed her hand tighter
“If this upsets you, we can go back until you’re ready.” His expression was sincere, more so than it had ever been before.
As much as she didn’t want to face what she’d done when Kazue had taken control of her, she felt more confident when Kaito held her hand.
“No, let’s keep going.”
He nodded, pulling her closer, so that their shoulders brushed against one another as they walked. The further they got away from the inner ring of the palace, the worse the damage was. The outer buildings that housed the majority of the yokai were charred, and one roof had collapsed. The main courtyard was blackened but for a single place in the middle. It had to be where she was standing when it happened. The halls and courtyard were eerily empty as if she and Kaito were the only ones left.
“Where is everyone?” she asked. She hadn’t killed them all, had she?
“I told them all to remain indoors for now.” There was an edge to his tone. Was he upset with her or the yokai? She wasn’t sure.
They entered the training grounds. The sparring pit was sprinkled with ash, and the side of the armory was scorched, but otherwise still standing. Kaito led her to the center of the sparring ring and turned to face her, taking both of her hands into his.
“Why did you bring me here?” she asked, her eyes scanning over the destruction she had wrought.
“We haven’t sparred in a while.” Kaito flashed her a smile.
She pulled her hand from his. Was all of this a joke to him? Her pulse raced. What if she lost control again and finished burning the palace to the ground?
“That’s not funny,” she said.
“It wasn’t meant to be a joke.” Kaito strolled away from her and picked up one of the training staffs that Ryuu used when they sparred together. He grabbed one and threw it to her, and she caught it.
“Because you haven’t forgotten anything that bastard taught you.”
She frowned at him. She’d caught the staff on reflex, it was as easy as breathing now. But this wasn’t the same, this wasn’t her staff. And though Kazue was dormant now. She knew she was there just beneath the surface, waiting for her opportunity to take over again.
She dropped the staff on the ground. “I’m not doing this”
He strolled closer to her with his own practice staff.
“I know you’re afraid, two people you trusted turned on you. And maybe you’re even scared about what you’re capable of. But I’ve seen you get stronger, and I know you don’t need a piece of wood to do it.”
She scowled at him. “It wasn’t just a piece of wood; it channeled my power, it—” Her voice caught, and she growled in frustration. Why couldn’t he understand? She wasn’t Kazue; she wasn’t naturally gifted. It had taken months of hard work to get this far, and then in an instant, it was all gone.
“One round.” He held up a single finger.
“And what if I burn the rest of the palace?”
“I’ll put it out.” He twirled his fingers, and an icicle formed in his hands, then with a flick of his wrist, it burst into mist.
Suzume inhaled through her nose. This was stupid. At the least, Kaito was going to knock her on her backside; at the worst case, she’d lose control again. And yet a voice nagged at the back of her mind. What if it wasn’t over, what if she could find a way to control it.
“Just one round,” she said.
Kaito smiled as they both got into position, they bowed to one another before the fight was on. Typically when she sparred with Ryuu, she started out on the offensive, but without her staff, she felt less sure and decided to take a defensive stance instead, circling Kaito, her hands clenched around her practice staff. Kaito rushed her, and she thrust her arms up to block.
“Good,” Kaito said, their faces were inches apart, his lips tantalizingly close.
She shoved him away, before she let those thoughts continue further down that path. This was a fight, nothing else. They circled one another again. Kaito tapped his staff against hers. She blocked and backed away. Over and over again, he repeated the same attack. He was toying with her, trying to lure her into an offensive maneuver. Even though there were no sparks, no indications Kazue would take over, the fear held her back, she was tangled up, too scared to dare strike first.
Kaito’s repeated attacks kept her on the move, the attacks though repetitive, were distracting, and before long, some of that fear melted away as she lost herself in the fight. He turned, exposing his side, it was the perfect opening for an attack. It had to be a feint. She resisted the temptation, and kept on the defensive. But he too had changed strategies and went on the defensive, and they watched one another warily, feinting to draw the other into striking.
“Are you going to make a move?” he asked.
“I will, when you do,” she taunted back.
“Well that’s the problem, I said I would wait for you to come to me first.”
Her skin flushed, he was teasing her, trying to put her off her guard.
“What will you do if I never come to you?”
He smirked. “Die of longing for you.”
Her heart stuttered in her chest. Kaito lunged, and she dodged, but as he came close, he grazed past her, brushing his hand along her arm, and the gooseflesh rose up along her arm.
“Did you ask me to spar just so you could tease me?”
“I asked you to spar cause I wanted to see how you fought first hand.” He tapped her staff again, once more exposing his left side. She was too flustered to overthink, and thrust forward, knocking him onto his back foot.
It was time to stop playing nice. She swung toward Kaito, and he stumbled back a few steps to avoid getting struck upside the head. Though she had enough sense and control to not actually strike him. While she had him on the back foot, she used a combo of strikes, Ryuu had taught her that knocked Kaito’s staff from his hands. It went sailing through the air, and Kaito watched it fly, his mouth hanging open.
She’d won. Suzume panted for breath as she smiled. He’d likely let her win, but it still felt good.
Kaito stared at the staff where it was on the ground. “You disarmed me.”
She shook her head. “You let me win.”
“No, I didn’t.” Was that awe in his voice? It couldn’t be. She’d never won a skirmish against Ryuu, how could she possibly win against Kaito?
She studied him for a moment. He must have given her a win because he wanted to make her feel better, like the way Tsuki had let her win the race because she was angry... Actually best not to think about him right now.
Kaito took a step closer to her. “I’m serious, I wasn’t expecting that combo. You genuinely caught me off guard.”
She stared at him for a few moments, her brain seemed unable to catch up with her mouth.
“You’re lying.”
Kaito cupped her cheek and smiled at her. “You’ve improved a lot, I hate to admit it, but that bastard is doing a good job teaching you.”
She pulled away. “I know you’re trying to cheer me up. I know that Kazue’s staff was where all the strength really came from. Without it, I’m nothing.”
“That’s not true.”
“How can you say that? You saw what I did because I lost control...” She gestured toward the palace before letting her hand fall to her side. What was she thinking, she’d never be his equal. It had been greed, which made her think she could ever master Kazue’s power.
“Do you know why I chose you as my empress?” Kaito asked.
Hearing those words again, her heart stuttered once more. Was he trying to kill her? Or maybe just distract her again.
“Because you want to make an alliance with the emperor,” she replied.
“That was just an excuse that I gave the yokai. The real reason is that I know you are what my kingdom needs. No matter t
he danger, you are not afraid, no matter how many times you’re knocked down, you get back up again.”
Her skin flushed. “What if I told you I’m always afraid, that I don’t want to keep fighting?”
“If you’re weary, then lean on me.”
He approached her once more, though this time he didn’t try and touch her. The space between them was charged. It was drawing them closer together, stealing the breath from her lungs, and filling her with a yearning for contact. She didn’t want to be alone anymore. More than anything, she wanted him. The realization struck her like a lightning strike. She’d been running from it for so long, but there was nowhere else to go.
Some sort of madness must have come over her. She closed the distance between them, and grabbed onto the front of Kaito’s haori and pressed her lips against his. His hand slid around her waist and drew her closer. Sparks erupted along her entire body, as they merged with the ice of his touch. She was fire, and he was ice, but when they were together, those same sparks turned to molten in her veins. Her hands grasped at his back hungry, desperate for more of him, all of him. There was a blaze in her that he had awoken, that passed between their lips. And as she had in that moment when his power had passed into her on the battlefield, she felt whole and complete. Even if she lost everything else, she had wanted for nothing else. At least she had him.
14
Rin crouched in the shadows of a barren tree. A bitterly cold wind blew off the mountain, and a chill ran down her spine. Hikaru’s teeth chattered, and he pulled up the collar of his jacket to block it out. Though Mori had equipped them for their quest. She couldn’t help but worry that the challenge was too much for Hikaru. She scooted in closer to him and created a fox flame in her hand to warm him. Hikaru looked at her, with a shy smile.
“I’m fine, don’t worry.”
She forced a smile for his sake. This wasn’t going to be as easy a rescue mission as she would have hoped. The yuki onna were typically solitary yokai, living in mountain ranges and other snowy areas, where they would capture lost travelers and drain them of their spiritual energy. But the yuki onna of the tengu mountain were different. They had gathered together, and built a glittering ice palace. It caught the rays of the noonday sun and rainbows reflected on the freshly fallen snow on the ground.
The Fractured Soul Page 11
