by Emiko Jean
Satoshi bowed. “As you wish.” He vanished in a swirl of white robes and ash.
Taro crouched and scooped up a handful of the palace remains, then flung it into the air, dust in the wind. Hate burned his insides. Taro would track Mari to the mountains. He would find her village. He would locate her home. Then he would make her watch as he burned it to the ground. It would be a day all yōkai would remember with fear in their hearts.
A niggling voice in the back of Taro’s mind said something else. He wasn’t ready to kill the woman he loved. He might never be ready. But he wanted her to feel what he felt. Punish her.
Chapter 46
Mari
It was night in Hana Machi, the pleasure city. Travel-weary and numb, Mari stumbled through narrow alleyways that stank of sweet grass and spilled sake. Scattered rose-colored gas lamps lit the way.
Hanako led the group. “I think it’s just around this corner.” It was the fourth time she’d said it. “I haven’t been in Hana Machi in so many years,” Hanako said, a concerned crease lining her brow. Ren grunted. Mari couldn’t help but look at Akira. They’d barely spoken on their journey.
Laughter echoed in the dank alley. Ren clicked. He seemed agitated.
Hanako rushed forward. “Here it is! I remember this scrollwork.” Just above a pink painted door, an intricate berry vine was carved into the stone. It was a brothel. Hanako rapped on the wood. Almost instantly, the door opened a crack, emitting the musky smell of incense. “No more customers today.”
Hanako stuck her foot in the door and leaned down, addressing a small woman with whiskers on her chin. “Tell Madame Shizu her long-lost daughter has come to pay a visit.” The woman huffed and slammed the door. Hanako smiled. “She’ll be just a minute. When she answers the door, try not to stare at her neck. She’s sensitive about it.”
The door swung open. Lamps blazed, casting a very tall woman in dark silhouette. The woman’s height came not from her legs or torso but from her neck, which stretched nearly three feet. Between the folds of her heavy silk kimono, Mari spied a collar. The woman looked down her nose at Hanako, her neck twisting with snake-like elegance.
“Hanako, to what do I owe the pleasure?” The woman’s voice was low and smoky.
“Oyotsu.” Hanako bowed. “My friends and I require a place to stay and supplies for a journey through the mountains.”
Oyotsu clucked her tongue and crossed her arms. “You still owe me money for two nights’ lodging. And the last time I allowed you to stay, you taught my girls how to put a man to sleep by pressing on his jugular. What makes you think I would do anything for you?”
Hanako shrugged a delicate shoulder and rocked on her heels. “They wanted to learn, and I am, above all things, a teacher.”
Oyotsu flicked her hand. “Yes, yes, Weapons Master. What makes you think I would do anything for you?” she repeated.
“I don’t expect you to do anything for me, Oyotsu. But I thought you would be happy to serve the empress.” At that, Hanako stepped aside to reveal Mari.
“Your Majesty!” Oyotsu breathed in and stooped in a bow.
Mari’s eyes widened. Hanako had said that rumors of a yōkai empress had spread, but as far as Hana Machi? Apparently so, judging by the look on Oyotsu’s face. Hanako jabbed Mari with her elbow. “Act majestic,” she whispered.
Mari stepped forward, hands outstretched. “Please.”
Oyotsu grasped Mari’s hands and stood at full height. Mari peered up at the striking woman. “It is an honor to have you at my doorstep,” Oyotsu said. “Your likeness was explained to me, but they didn’t do justice to your beauty.”
Mari nearly winced at the platitude. Thank you, but I fear your eyesight may need adjusting. “And would it be an equal honor to host us for the night? I don’t wish to put you out, but we are in need of shelter.”
“Of course, of course!” Oyotsu opened the door wide, sweeping them inside. “Come in.”
Jewel-toned pillows made of silk were laid out on the floor, alongside low tables displaying potted orchids. Incense burned along the walls, giving the room a hazy air. Curtained alcoves lurked in the corners.
Still covered in ash and blood, Mari felt dirty amid so much beauty and finery. Hanako made herself at home, falling onto one of the cushions. “I haven’t felt silk on my skin in ages,” she said, rubbing her smudged cheek against a peacock-blue pillow. Oyotsu clapped her hands, and the woman with whiskers on her chin appeared with tea and refreshments. A small fire burned, warming the space. Mari gazed into the flames.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I don’t have any rooms available at this moment. My girls are occupying them with clients,” Oyotsu said beside Mari.
Mari held her hands to the fire. “This is lovely. I don’t wish you to go to any trouble on our account.”
Oyotsu shifted. “Your Majesty—”
“Please, call me Mari.”
“Mari,” Oyotsu said. “I think you will find many who will go out of their way to assist you. You only need to ask.”
Mari smiled, unsure how to respond.
Mari watched the woman’s long neck as she retreated. She wished to call out to her. Do not pin your hopes on me.
* * *
It was the early hours of the morning, and Mari hadn’t slept a wink. Ren had gone off to find some birds for breakfast. According to Hanako, oni didn’t need much shuteye. Hanako snuggled in an alcove with the wispy curtain drawn.
Akira sat beside Mari. “You should try to get some sleep,” he whispered. “We have a long journey ahead.”
Mari’s limbs were sluggish with fatigue, but her mind buzzed. “I don’t think I could, even if I tried.” Mari shivered, though a fire blazed in the nearby charcoal brazier. Akira draped a blanket over her shoulders. “I should have listened to you,” she said, drawing the blanket in closer.
Akira kneaded his neck.
“Why are you not angry with me?” Mari asked.
Akira said nothing for a long time. “It seems as if you are angry enough at yourself. We are our own worst punishers.” Light from the flames highlighted Akira’s scars in orange and silver.
“You’re right.” Mari covered her face. “Everything went so . . . This is all my fault. I was wrong about Taro. All that love wasted . . .” She stopped with a sound of disgust.
“Don’t say it. Don’t ever say that. Love is never wasted,” Akira said sharply.
“Even on a Cold Prince?” She kept her face buried so that Akira couldn’t see it.
“Even on him.” Akira leaned back, stretching his legs in front of him. He removed a throwing star from his belt and rolled it from finger to finger. “The night of your wedding celebration, I watched him, watching you. I observed a man whose love ran deep.” Mari snorted. Akira’s voice tightened. “It is not your fault. You saw the prince as you wished he could be. It’s an admirable trait. You place faith in others.”
Mari swallowed, unable to speak of it any longer. The wound Taro had cut was too fresh. She nodded to the gleaming star as Akira threaded it through his fingertips. “You didn’t learn how to use those on our mountain.”
Akira smiled like the edge of one of his stars, glinting and dangerous. “No. Hanako taught me.”
“You’ve changed.”
“So have you.”
Mari smoothed her hands over her hakama. She’d had a bath and gotten new clothes. In a few days’ time, she would be home, back in Tsuma. An isolated village untouched by time. “After we warn everyone, what will you do? Will you go on to the West Lands with Hanako?”
“I found a cause, and I’m willing to fight for it,” Akira said.
“You’ll join the yōkai Resistance?”
“It seems I already have.” Then he added under his breath, “You’re a part of it too, you know.”
“And if I don’t want to be?”
Akira shrugged, sliding his throwing star back into his belt. “You’re a part of it—whether you want to be or not.”
Mari brought her knees to her chest. The fire crackled and popped. Sparks flew from the grate. “I wish we could go back to how it was.”
“But we can’t. We’ve learned the truth about the world, and now we must speak it. Silence is the cousin of invisibility. I want to be seen. Don’t you?”
Mari’s chin jutted out, her old stubborn streak coming back. “I think I’ll try to get some sleep now.”
She curled on her side and brought the blanket to her chin. She knew what Akira was thinking—that his life could serve a greater good. She’d had the same musings once.
Another way.
Mari didn’t have the heart to tell Akira that he longed for the impossible. She’d let him dream. For now.
Chapter 47
Mari
The walls of Hana Machi were thin lines behind them. Ahead ambled the dirt road leading up the Tsuko funo Mountains. They’d said goodbye to Oyotsu, and Hanako had told the brothel owner of the emperor’s army. Hide. Be prepared to hide for a long time.
Akira leaned on a birch tree as he shifted the weight on his shoulders, a pack jammed with blankets and dried fruit, bare essentials for their journey. “We can travel the main road for a little while, but we should move into the forest by afternoon. We’ll forge our own trail there.”
“How many days will it take?” asked Hanako.
“Four if we stop to sleep every night. But we can make it in three if we hike part of the night.” Mari looked into the rising sun. Wind rustled through the trees, beckoning her home.
“I’ve never needed much sleep,” Hanako said.
Ren grunted in agreement.
Akira eyed Mari. She remained silent but lifted her chin, a subtle yes. The Son of Nightmares nodded. “Three days, then.”
They started to climb.
* * *
Home.
The sky faded to a smoky sapphire. The smell of wood smoke permeated the air as the iron gates of Tsuma came into view. Mari let out a yell, dropped her pack, and ran. Hearing her, Animal Wives spilled from their homes. She ran past them, her legs carrying her through the village. A few feet from her door, she skidded to a halt.
Tears built in her eyes. Home. Most days, she’d dreaded setting foot into the cottage and seeing her mother. But at this moment, she couldn’t think of a better sight to behold. She’d taken so many things for granted.
The door slid open, and her mother stepped out. “Mari?” Tami asked, hand to her chest. “Daughter?”
“Mama,” Mari choked out.
They embraced, and in that moment, without a word spoken, all was forgiven.
The moment was short-lived. There was no time to waste.
“We need to talk.” Mari gestured to the open door. “Inside.”
* * *
Mari trailed her fingers along the walls of the tatami room. Her house. The village seemed so small now. From the corner, Tami watched Mari inquisitively.
Ren, Hanako, and Akira entered. Tami’s nostrils flared at the guests but she didn’t utter a word. With her three friends standing in solidarity behind her, Mari wove her tale. The sun set. A crackling fire was lit in the irori. Moths gathered, beating their powdered wings against the windows. Mari told her mother everything, how she’d conquered the Seasons and taken the life of a fellow yōkai. She even managed to keep her voice steady when she spoke of falling in love with Taro, and dreaming of another way.
Yuka brought refreshments, and other Animal Wives filtered in. Except for Hissa. Mari couldn’t help but notice the absence of her friend. All eyes focused on Mari as she told of the army at their heels.
Noriko, an Animal Wife, leaned forward, the firelight on her cheeks. “And you say they are coming here?”
“I don’t know for sure. But Taro will be searching for us. His only lead is my home. It is likely he will travel here, and soon. I’ve come to warn you. You must leave as soon as possible. I’m sorry.”
A small cry broke from the back of the crowd. Yuka hushed and bounced Mayumi on her hip. “We cannot leave,” Noriko said. A murmur of agreement ran through the group. Tsuma was sacred. The first Animal Wife had chosen this place. To leave it behind would be to abandon their history, a part of themselves.
Ren clicked, motioning at his collar.
Hanako nodded. “If you stay here, you’ll be collared.” Hanako fluttered a hand near her collar. “Fleeing is the only chance you’ll have at freedom.”
Noriko snorted. “And a life spent in hiding, is that freedom to you?”
“It is better than living in chains,” said Hanako.
“I think they are equal,” Noriko said.
Hanako did not argue.
Mari cleared her throat. “There is no choice. We have to leave.”
Tami slowly shook her head, flames glinting in her dark eyes. “No.”
Mari leaned in, her voice lowering to a whisper. “You can’t possibly be thinking of staying. What about Mayumi?” The baby dozed in Yuka’s arms now.
“Yuka and Mayumi can go. They should go. But the rest of us . . .” Tami looked at each Animal Wife. “We have the choice to stay and defend our home or slip away. My mother and my mother’s mother are buried here. The first Animal Wife built her home here. The gingko tree that shelters us and gives us life is here—all on this mountain.”
“I say it is better to live and fight another day,” one Animal Wife called out. Some nodded. Others looked unsure.
Tami cleared her throat. “Each of you has the choice. Stay or flee. None will be judged for her decision.” Her eyes landed on Mari, something unspoken in her gaze.
“And what will you do?” Mari asked her mother, though she knew the answer.
Tami smiled softly. “My life is here. To leave it would be my death. I will stay and defend my home.”
Tears filled Mari’s eyes. “Mama—”
“Hush, daughter; do not forget where you’ve come from, who you are. Do not forget who I am.” With that, Tami’s eyes melted to black, giving way to the beast inside. The Animal Wives answered the call of Tami’s beast. Where Tami led, they would follow.
Hanako cleared her throat. “It doesn’t matter. Whatever power we possess is negated by the priests. The moment they utter their curses, we will all lie down like clipped pieces of string.”
“Not all of us.” Akira spoke from the corner. He straightened, walking to the center of the room. “The curses don’t affect me as much as most.”
All eyes swiveled to Akira.
“What do you mean?” Noriko asked.
Akira’s jaw clenched. “My mother is yōkai; my father is human. Just as I carry my mother’s powers, I also carry my father’s humanity. I can help defend against the priests.”
“Why would you do that?” Yuka asked, her voice full of spite.
Akira shrugged. “I’ve chosen my side. It is with you, with all yōkai.”
Ren clicked.
“The emperor is probably bringing a whole contingent of samurai and priests with him,” Hanako translated. “How many do you have in this village? Forty or fifty? Our numbers are paltry compared to theirs.”
Tami leaned forward, a dangerous curve to her smile like the glint of a knife. “Yes. But we are uncollared. With our beasts unleashed, we’ll be able to conquer an entire army.”
“And the priests?” Hanako asked.
Tami nodded toward Akira. “He can handle them.”
Hanako snorted. “Maybe one or two, but not a dozen.” She paused. “We need a plan, something other than brute force, especially if our goal is to push them back from the mountain.”
How do you defeat an undefeatable army? An idea came to Mari with the ferocity of a spark. “We separate them,” she said. All eyes turned to her. “The emperor pitted yōkai against one another, kept them separate. We shall employ his tactic. If we can get the priests sequestered from the samurai and vice versa, we have a chance at defeating them. Conquer the priests; conquer the army.”
“We’ll need weapons an
d explosive powder,” Hanako said.
Someone cleared a dainty throat. Chika, a petite Animal Wife, held up her hand. “I have weapons and explosive powder.” She blushed and giggled. “My fourth husband was the steel smith for his clan.”
Hanako smiled, and it proved contagious. Soon the whole room was grinning. A plan was brewing.
* * *
Gravel crunched under Mari’s feet as she approached her mother. Tami’s eyes stayed fixed on the millions of stars twinkling in the sky. Mari had forgotten how brightly the night sky shone up on the mountain. In the city, smoke obscured everything. The moon was waning, just a sliver in the dark. A phantom. Ghost moon.
“Yuka is going to take Mayumi to the monastery and ask the monks for sanctuary,” Mari said.
In the predawn hours, Tami had told each Animal Wife to fortify her home.
“That is good,” her mother said.
“The only person I can’t find is Hissa.”
Tami blinked. “Hissa is gone. She left shortly after you. I tracked her as far as the river.” Her mother’s lips twitched. “I’m sorry.”
Mari felt sick. At least she won’t have to fight to her death. At least she is somewhere safe. I hope. She wished she still had Hissa’s hair pick. It was all she’d had to remember her by. Mari swallowed, fighting off her sadness. She tried to focus on something other than the pain. “Everyone besides Yuka and Mayumi is staying,” Mari said. “I am—”
Her mother cut her off with a sharp look. “You will fetch all of the copper coins, jewelry, and gold from under the floorboards, and you will run.”
“What? No!”
Tami grasped Mari’s shoulders. Her mother’s eyes were wild. “You will obey me in this. It is my final wish.”
Mari shrugged out of Tami’s hold. “I will not.” Never let your fear decide your fate. “I will stay and help.” Mari’s next words were biting. “What does it matter to you anyway?” How easy it was to return to old habits.
