Awasa stared silently at him. This had to be the calm before the storm.
But it wasn’t anger that burst out of her. It was laughter. At first it was soft. Then her lips peeled back, exposing her fangs, as her laugh deepened into a cackling roar. She slammed her hands down on the table. Tea sloshed out of the bowls and the kettle turned over.
“You are such an idiot!”
“You—you aren’t mad?”
Laughing so hard she was crying, Awasa shook her head.
Motekeru stormed in and skidded to a stop. He cocked his head to the side, like a bird examining them. “Everything is…okay, master?”
Lu Bei swept into the room. Since he could record everything Turesobei did even when he wasn’t in the room, he knew what was going on. “Everything’s fine, big guy.”
“I haven’t laughed since…I don’t remember,” Awasa said. “Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed that hard.” She took several deep breaths. “So…” she snickered, “…how did Iniru react to this?”
“How do you think?”
“It was quite the drama of young love embittered and betrayed,” Lu Bei said. “A thing of beauty to behold.”
Motekeru shook his head. “It was annoying.” He stiffened suddenly. “Master, I misspoke. I beg forgiveness.”
Turesobei chuckled and waved a hand. “It’s fine, Motekeru. Don’t worry about it.”
“If you say so, master.” He bowed and went outside.
Awasa continued to laugh. “Now she knows how I feel, or how I felt rather. Two fiancées and a girlfriend. You really should propose to Iniru. It only seems fair. Especially before—”
“He proposes to another?” Lu Bei asked, smirking.
Awasa nodded. “It shouldn’t take him long.”
Turesobei groaned. “Ha-ha. I’m glad you two think it’s funny.”
“So you couldn’t break it off?” Awasa asked.
He explained all of it. “Now that we’re out of her world, I could break it off but….”
“You can’t break it off with a sick girl.”
“And she would take it incredibly hard,” Lu Bei said. “She likes him a lot.”
“Honestly, I like her a lot, too,” Turesobei said. “In another time or place, maybe things would be different, but—”
Awasa gasped. “Turesobei! You’re smitten with her!”
“What? No! I didn’t say that.”
“It’s kind of obvious,” Awasa said, “given the way you talk about her.”
“Try telling him that and see where it gets you,” Lu Bei said. “He doesn’t see it.”
“I certainly don’t like her enough to get engaged. And I don’t like her as much as I like Iniru.”
“He just can’t help himself,” Lu Bei confided to Awasa.
“That’s true,” she said.
“I thought you’d be angry,” Turesobei said to Awasa.
She shrugged. “I desire you. And if I decide I want you, I’ll fight for you. But—”
Hannya strolled into the room. “I need to interview Awasa.”
Awasa rose to her feet and pointed Fangthorn at Hannya. “You are not welcome here, traitor!”
“I care not,” Hannya said, never taking her eyes off the sword. “We are going to talk, whether you welcome me or not.” She turned to Turesobei. “Leave. And take the fetch with you.”
“I don’t think—”
“I am not going to hurt her. Now, go. Unless I am mistaken, Kurine is about to wake, and I think you want to be there for that.”
Chapter Twenty
Turesobei rushed to Kurine’s room. Lu Bei came flapped along behind him. Iniru was watching over her as Turesobei burst in.
She stood. “What’s wrong?”
“Hannya just said that Kurine was about to—”
“Master, she’s stirring.” Lu Bei had landed beside Kurine and was leaning over her face.
Turesobei hurried over. Kurine’s eyes fluttered open and she made a faint groan.
“The…little…demon?” She sighed weakly. “I’ve…woken up…in Torment.”
Her sense of humor had come through intact.
Lu Bei crossed his arms and stamped a foot. “She’s still broken.”
Turesobei scooted in close and Lu Bei flew away. He took Kurine’s hand. Their eyes met.
“And now…it appears…I’m in Paradise.”
Turesobei smiled. “Er…welcome back.” He had no idea what he should say. Iniru standing nearby made it worse. He felt like whatever he said was going to be judged. Things were going so well between them right now. He didn’t want to screw that up.
“Are you okay…all of you?” Kurine asked.
He nodded. “Even Awasa, relatively speaking. We rescued her.”
“Of course you did. I….” She squeezed his hand with the faintest of strength then drifted back into a deep sleep.
The Blood King appeared, suddenly and silently. Where had he come from? Judging from Iniru’s expression, she was surprised too.
The Blood King stepped up. His eyes were violet. His manner impatient. “Out of the way. Now that she has woken and seems to be functioning mentally, there are critical procedures I must begin.”
“She’s going to be okay, though, right?”
“My confidence in her recovery is greater now than before,” the Blood King said. “Now, get out. I have delicate rituals to conduct.”
Out in the hallway, Turesobei sighed with relief. “If her first words were to poke fun at Lu Bei, then I think she’s going to be fine.”
Iniru took his hand. She had a hopeful gleam to her expression. “I was afraid she’d be really messed up, like I was when I came back.”
“It was different for her. She wasn’t in the Shadowland.”
Iniru frowned then she took his hands. “When Kurine woke up, you should have told her you love her.”
“What?!”
“She deserves that.”
“You wanted me to tell Kurine I love her?”
“That’s what I said.”
“But I can’t lie to her.”
Iniru grimaced. “Oh, Sobei. You don’t know yourself at all, do you?”
“I love you,” he said with exasperation.
“I never said you didn’t.” She gave him a deep, lingering kiss then pulled away with the saddest smile he’d ever seen. He understood her less now than ever. “I’m going to tell the others the good news.”
Chapter Twenty-One
As Iniru trotted off, he fell back against the wall with a hard thump. Why were girls so complicated? Iniru was as mysterious to him as the Great Darkening. Awasa had always been complicated and was now, understandably, a mess. Kurine was easier to figure out than the others, but she kept him on his toes and was always a step ahead of him. But maybe it wasn’t all girls. Enashoma didn’t seem that complicated. Though Zaiporo might see it differently, since Enashoma wouldn’t just come out and say that she loved him.
Turesobei chewed at his lip. It couldn’t all be his fault, could it? There were serious cultural differences between him and both Iniru and Kurine. Especially Iniru. Her people had formalized friendships, the possibility of multiple mates and all sorts of complexities he didn’t understand. Every time Iniru explained it to him, it left his head swimming.
Motekeru followed Lu Bei in from the Courtyard.
“The annoyance told me Kurine woke up.”
Lu Bei blew a raspberry at Motekeru. “If anyone needs me, I will be in the Courtyard gathering herbs.”
Turesobei filled Motekeru in on the details, few as they were.
“Good. I’ve grown quite attached to the girl.”
“Motekeru, when you were a….”
“Normal man?”
He nodded. “Did women make sense to you?”
The flames within Motekeru’s slanted, misshapen eyes flared. “Oh yes, master.”
Turesobei flinched. “I—I don’t suppose you could explain them to me….”
&n
bsp; “Don’t think of women as being mysterious, master. Women are people with desires, beliefs and quirks just like you. Find out what makes each one tick and the rest is easy.”
Easy? Nothing about that sounded easy. “But I’m not good with people, regardless of gender.”
“I’ve seen you deal successfully with many people, master.”
“Only in formal situations. Or when I’m dealing with someone like Hannya or the Keeper of Scrolls. Girls are…scary. And Iniru and Kurine are…beyond my understanding.”
“You are young and girls make you nervous. This is hardly unusual, master. I suspect your biggest problem is that deep down you’re afraid these girls are out of your league.”
“Well…yeah, I guess I do.”
“Whether you think they’re in your league does not matter. Liking you is their decision, master. Do not dishonor it.”
“So you were good with women?”
His eyes sparked even brighter. “I was in fact a ladies’ man, master. I courted many women in my youth. And you must understand that while I had money enough, I was not wealthy. And I was an ugly man. But I made up for my limitations by being a good listener, a good friend and a good lover.”
“Er…so, when you got married, how did you know which girl to choose?”
“I simply picked the three I liked best.”
“Three?!”
“Things were different back then, master.”
“I guess marrying three would make my life simpler.”
“No, it wouldn’t. Trust me on this, master. If you have three wives and they don’t get along, and they often won’t, then you have serious problems. Having a mistress or two on the side doesn’t help matters, either.”
Turesobei stifled an incredulous laugh. It was hard to imagine that Motekeru as a player.
“Made you should break your girl problems down to one girl and one issue at a time, master. You can’t unravel it all at once. What’s your key problem?”
“Kurine gets under my skin somehow with all her charm and enthusiasm and everyone sees that. But they don’t see how I really feel about Iniru. And no matter what I do, I can’t seem to convince Iniru she’s the one I really want.”
“First, you must convince yourself of that, master.”
Turesobei groaned. Not Motekeru too!
“Now, unless you need me further, master, I will go. I have talked too much. I feel…” he shrugged, “…not myself.”
“Thank you, Motekeru.”
Motekeru stomped away toward the Library. That was the most he’d ever heard Motekeru say at once, by far. And he’d never seen him so animated before. Turesobei must’ve conjured up good memories.
Lu Bei bustled back in with a sack full of herbs, roots and petals. “He’s not lying. He was stupid ugly, but he could charm a rock. His voice was deeper then, too. And without that hollow ringing Master could never quite fix. Motekeru got every woman he wanted, his station or lower, and even a few of much higher station.”
Turesobei frowned. He wished there was something he could do for Motekeru. He wished he hadn’t inadvertently brought him out of his centuries-long slumber. Such was the burden of being Chonda Lu’s heir. Chonda Lu may have been a good Kaiaru, but he was poor in character when judged by the standards of ordinary people.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Hannya exited Awasa’s room and approached him. “I tested her dexterity, her cognition and her emotional stability. Awasa is nimble and reasonably intelligent. She is stable enough for me to teach her the art of Pawanaré Mudra Abjuration. And she’s unstable enough that she desperately needs to learn it.”
“Teach her what?” Turesobei asked suspiciously.
“Pawanaré Mudra Abjuration.”
Mudras were ways of holding one’s hands and fingers in precise positions to channel kenja. They were essential to many spell castings. Pawanaré was a land in the far east of the old continent, a land said to be steeped in mysticism. Abjuration was the art of repelling forces and banishing spirits. He’d never encountered those three terms used together though.
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“I suppose the art must be lost to the wizards of your time. Pawanaré Mudra Abjuration was designed to complement standard wizardry. Before I became a dragon, I was amongst a small number of Kaiaru who advanced and perfected the art. Though primarily defensive, it does encompass channeling and compelling techniques, as well. The hand forms are more intricate than those used for standard spell-casting and require more dexterity than most wizards possess.”
“But Awasa isn’t a Kaiaru. She doesn’t even have a kavaru.”
“She absorbed enough power from Barakaros the Warlock to work the First and Second Circle Forms, perhaps some from the Third Circle, as well. Only the Fourth Circle will be completely inaccessible to her.”
“Okay, so why do you want to teach her?”
“The abjurer must envision elaborate mandalas while making the gestures. This takes a tremendous amount of focus. And the study itself requires many hours of meditation during which Awasa will have to direct her thoughts and control her emotions. The benefits for her in that regard should be obvious.”
“And the Blood King is okay with this?”
“It was his idea. When my lord sends you on missions to the other realms, you are going to need Awasa’s strength and her sword. If she knows a magical art as well, then all the better.”
“I already have a capable team.”
“They may not be enough.”
“But I can trust them. Awasa is unstable. I can’t take her into a fight.”
“That choice is not yours to make. And studying the art will help stabilize her.”
Turesobei gave up. There was no point arguing about it. If the Blood King required it, Turesobei would have to deal with it.
“Did you ask her if she wanted to learn?”
“Yes, but I hardly needed to. She desperately wants to master her mind and control the darkness within.”
“I don’t want you corrupting her.”
“The girl has already been corrupted. What could I do to make her worse?”
Turesobei sighed. Hannya might be insane, but she wasn’t evil. She was a Kaiaru. That alone explained a lot of her behavior.
“I will also begin training Enashoma.”
“What?! How? Why?”
“Your sister has sufficient ability to manage all the First Circle mudras. She might even be capable of one or two of the Second Circle techniques.”
“So she can help on the missions as well?”
Hannya shook her head. “Enashoma will not be going on the missions. My lord will explain.”
“No need. I get it. She’ll be collateral to ensure we come back from the missions. I had already figured as much, given that Enashoma is the least capable fighter amongst us.”
“Indeed.”
“So why teach her?”
“Because I care for her.”
Turesobei snorted.
“Doubt me if you want, but I am honestly concerned about Enashoma’s well being. You continuously drag her into danger and the defensive fighting style she was trained in is woefully inadequate against the threats you face.”
“Iniru’s going to help her become a better fighter.”
“Regardless of how much combat instruction Iniru gives her, it will not be enough. Enashoma is neither strong nor athletic. This, however, would give her something special she could do to protect herself, and perhaps to one day help you—after my lord frees you.”
The Blood King would never free him. Turesobei had no doubt of that.
“I still can’t see how she could manage anything without a kavaru.”
“Some with Kaiaru lineage and talent can do the First Circle mudras without a kavaru or any other power source. It takes only training and determination. If your people had given her a kavaru, Enashoma would be a powerful wizard already”
“I suppose she would.”
�
��You suppose?” Hannya arched an eyebrow. “You really do not see it, do you? You are so blessed with special talent that you cannot tell.”
“Can’t tell what?”
“If not for your…inheritance of Chonda Lu’s legacy…your talent would be impressive, but less than your sister’s.”
“Huh?” Turesobei shook his head. “Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“I had no idea.”
“You had no reason to notice. The stupid, sexist clans of your day abandon half their wizardry candidates for no good reason. Enashoma is extraordinarily talented. And it will be good for her.”
“Well, if she really wants to learn, I guess it couldn’t hurt.”
Hannya glanced toward Kurine’s room, where the Blood King was still working. “My lord saw no benefit to her learning. So I had to earn this gift for her. Implore her to take it, if you must.”
Hannya left and Turesobei leaned back against the wall, his head spinning. Hannya had earned it for Enashoma? Why would she risk the Blood King’s wrath just so Enashoma could learn mudras? And Enashoma had more natural talent than him?! He was excited for her, but it seemed so farfetched. He rubbed his temples and groaned. The whole world seemed off kilter these days.
Lu Bei brought him a bowl of steaming tea. “A special blend, master, to calm your mind and help you focus. The base is a white tea with a hint of orange to cover some less pleasant herbs.”
He relaxed as he took a few sips. “All that about Shoma….”
“I have known she was powerful since the first time I met her,” Lu Bei said. “It is a shame she wasn’t given a kavaru and trained. Instead of that dolt three years younger than you.”
“Rikiu? He’s not the brightest.”
“Lady Shoma has ten times the talent and….” Lu Bei gazed off wistfully, tears welling in the corners of his eyes.
Turesobei scowled. “What?”
“Nothing, master.”
“You’re hiding something.”
Lu Bei’s touched his chest and his eyes widened. “Me? Would I ever?”
“Keep your secrets if you want.” He took a gulp of tea and handed the half-empty bowl back. “I’m going to tell Enashoma.”
The Blood King’s Apprentice Page 10
