Ghosts and Grudges

by Jasmine Walt

  The entire scene made my stomach roil, and it took everything in me to keep the look of revulsion off my face.

  “You must be the dancers,” the monkey king cried, his jowls quivering as he spoke. His eyes darted between us, then settled on me. I watched him lick his lips as he looked me up and down, and I had to fight the urge to recoil.

  “Yes, we are the famed kabuki dancers Komorebi!” the lead crab said, stepping forward and gesturing at us with one hand. His brilliant emerald robes flourished around him with the motion, snapping in unseen wind as he shifted and swayed to unseen music. He spun to reveal his swords, but instead of drawing them, he brought one leg up in a delicate arc, holding it there for a moment before shifting in midair to his other foot.

  As the lead crab started to settle back into a crouch, the monkey king sat up and roared. The whole room seemed to shake as he shoved the scantily clad monkey off his bulbous belly, sending her tumbling to the ground.

  “Your kabuki dance bores me!” he snapped, slashing through the air with one claw. Two monkeys appeared from either side of the center stage area. One of them grabbed the crab in mid-movement and jerked him roughly to the side. My mouth fell open in shock as the monkey king looked us over before pointing one stubby finger at Raiden.

  “You entertain me!” He shook his head, making his fat cheeks flap around his face. “And no more of the dancing stuff.”

  “Very well,” Raiden said. I could feel the waves of anger radiating off him, but he stepped forward calmly. As he did, I watched him sweep one of his stone tablets into the air and mouth something. Then he spun, so his back was to the monkey king, and raised his arms overhead. Light exploded from the tablet he’d palmed and bathed us in glowing blue. Raiden quickly palmed the spirit as it burst forth and slammed it into his chest. The female monkeys gasped as more tendrils of light wreathed him in blue, and he spun around on one leg while kicking his other out.

  “Prepare to be amazed,” Raiden said with a smirk. He held out a hand, palm up, toward the king, then snapped his fingers. A flurry of confetti shot out of his sleeve and flickered through the air. The king and his concubines looked up at the display, and while they were distracted, Raiden stepped forward and whipped a golden bandana from his pocket.

  “My apologies,” he said, offering it to the king. “You seem to have gotten some there.” He pointed at the monkey king’s cheek, offering him the bandana.

  “Oh, well, thank you,” the king said, glancing at the bandana before reaching to take it. But when he jerked it toward his face, it didn’t come away from Raiden’s grip. Instead, a blue scarf appeared on the end of it. The king pulled again, this time producing a green scarf.

  “What sorcery is this?” the king asked, taken aback and dropping the golden handkerchief in his hand. “Do you seek to make a fool of me?”

  “I would never—”

  Raiden was interrupted by the king lashing out, smacking him broadside across the face and batting him across the room like he was a rag doll. He hit the wall with a thwack and slid down it.

  “No!” I screamed as horror sliced through me. I took a step toward Raiden, but the king glanced at me and licked his lips.

  “You. Entertain me.” His eyes narrowed. “Do not fail me. This is your troupe’s last chance. Failure will not be pleasant.”

  I swallowed, unsure of what to do. I wasn’t a magician, or a dancer, and I’d thought both the crab and Raiden’s acts had been pretty good. How the hell was I supposed to top that? By waiting tables for him?

  Excuse me? the kyuubi’s voice echoed irritably in my head. Have you forgotten me already?

  Oh. Right. Sorry, I said to her, a little sheepishly. In my moment of panic, I’d completely forgotten about the powerful yokai inside me. Are you up for some monkey barbecue?

  I could practically feel the kyuubi wrinkle her nose in disgust. Monkeys taste revolting, she said. I have something a bit more…sophisticated in mind.

  Something in my head shifted, and suddenly the kyuubi’s entire plan was laid out in front of me. When I realized what she had in mind, a shiver of revulsion went through me…but the plan was pretty genius, and I didn’t have anything better in mind.

  Put your big girl panties on, Aika, I told myself. Your mom’s life is on the line.

  “Well?” the king asked, slapping his giant belly with one hand. “Are you going to do something, or do I just order the cook to prepare the stewpot?”

  “Don’t threaten me with a good time,” I said airily, pushing away my self-doubts. I sidled forward until I was close enough to touch him, then reached out and ran my fingers across his large belly, trailing them up toward his third chin. Another wave of revulsion hit me, and it took everything I had not to recoil. “Or I just might get too excited to perform.” I giggled and batted my eyelashes at him. “And you wouldn’t want that, would you?”

  Before he could respond, I sauntered away, showing off everything the kyuubi’s illusion had given me, even though my skin was crawling. I knew it wasn’t my body the king was ogling, but it still made me feel dirty.

  There was nothing for it, though. I needed to get the king’s liver, and if seducing him was the only way, then I would make myself the sexiest monkey that fat bastard had ever laid eyes on.

  After I’d reached the center of the room, I threw my hands up above my head and called on the kyuubi’s power. It answered easier than I’d expected, flowing into me like liquid magma and filling my veins with fire.

  Taking care to use my kyuubi’s power over illusion to ensure my act didn’t remind them of the fight on the beach and give us away, I raised my hands heavenward and smiled coyly at the monkey king.

  “Are you ready?” I asked, batting my eyes at him as I wove together living flame with my fingers like a spider spinning her web.

  With each movement, ballerinas made of sapphire flame leapt from my fingertips, and while I’d been worried the king would catch on to what I was doing, he seemed so enthralled by my conjured dancers I knew we had nothing to worry about.

  My ballerinas danced above my head as I spun back around and brought my hands around. This time the entire room warped, changing under the force of the kyuubi’s power as the illusion I’d called upon took hold.

  A moment later, everything in the room but the king and me seemed to vanish, and we were standing atop Mount Fuji. Stars glittered in the sky overhead as the ballerinas danced themselves into flaming oblivion. As they dissipated into the ether and the king turned his eyes back to me, his mouth fell open. He twisted around as much as his fat body allowed him, trying to figure out how he’d been transported.

  “Are you prepared to enter a world of illusion?” I purred, my lips quirking into a sly smile. I raised one finger to my lips while bending at the waist and shimmying backward slightly. “Where pleasure and decadence are only the appetizers?”

  Not waiting for a response, I stepped forward and took his hand, pulling him to his feet. Except he didn’t actually move—he only thought he did, thanks to the illusion the kyuubi and I were expertly weaving.

  “What’s going on?” he asked as I sidled next to him, moving my body against him as I shimmied to my own internal beat. As I did, the kyuubi smirked in my brain, and her power leapt over me. Fire leapt from the ground around us as our bodies began to writhe, perfectly in tune with each other. The king moved around me, his hands gripping my waist and running up my body, and I wasted no time flaunting myself while being careful to keep him from touching any of my more intimate parts.

  Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be caught dead seductively dancing with a two-ton Jabba the Gorilla. But I threw myself into the illusion so I wouldn’t think too much about it, and instead pretended I was dancing with a hot guy. Someone I didn’t mind bending over and shaking my ass for.

  Suddenly, the image of the king flickered, and Raiden was the one dancing with me. My mouth dropped open at the sight of him dressed in nothing but a pair of black jeans and boots, his w
ashboard abs fully on display. What the hell? Where had he come from? Wasn’t he still lying on the ground in the throne room?

  Careful, the kyuubi said, her voice rife with amusement. Illusions can take on a life of their own if you don’t control them. The image flickered away, revealing the monkey king again, and I quickly masked the shock on my face before he noticed. In my efforts to try and pretend he was Raiden, I’d actually turned him into Raiden. My face flamed, and I threw myself back into the dance.

  Thankfully, the monkey king hadn’t noticed anything amiss. Probably because he was too busy ogling my furry ass. I swiveled my hips a few more times, then, as the dance wound down, I raised my hands and summoned more fire. It leapt through the air like firecrackers, hitting the star-strewn horizon above and crackling into flares of color and sound that, in turn, danced and gyrated, replicating our own dance in the night sky.

  “Are you not entertained?” I asked, leaning in close to the king as another firework exploded overhead, dazzling us in brilliant amber light. I exhaled on his neck as I continued, “I only aim to please, my king.”

  The king opened his mouth to say something, and I stepped back. With a snap of my fingers, I undid the illusion. It shattered into crystalline fragments that rippled in multi-hued patterns before dissipating into the ether, leaving me standing in a low curtsy before the king while he sat on his throne, looking stunned.

  “Amazing,” he muttered, still staring at me as the room went dead silent. I hazarded a glance around, and as I did, I saw everyone watching us with mouths agape. Raiden stood on unsteady feet, his eyes wide. A surge of concern for him momentarily wiped out my sense of accomplishment, until I caught a glimmer of what looked like pride in his eyes. Was he impressed with what I’d done? How much had the others been able to see? I sincerely hoped he hadn’t seen the entire illusion.

  Before I could continue down that train of thought, the king was on his feet and coming toward me. He reached out, taking my left hand in his and bringing it to his lips. “Please, I must have more. Come back with me to my chambers and give me another show.”

  I could practically feel Raiden tense like a bowstring behind me, and my own spine went taut in response to the wicked gleam in the king’s eyes. But I ignored the sensation. This was what I’d wanted, right? The chance to get him alone and steal his liver.

  “Yes, I’d love to.” I smiled coyly at the monkey king, batting my long lashes at him. “You’ll find my show is much better in private.”

  15

  “Now then, how about you show your king just how playful you can be?” the monkey king growled teasingly as we entered his personal chambers.

  The room was lavish to the extreme, filled with decadent pillows. The walls were all mirrored, as was the ceiling, and the carpet was thick and black. In the center stood a massive bed covered in plush red pillows and satin sheets. It looked like the bedroom of a Lothario, not an impressively obese monkey.

  “Come on, don’t be shy now that we’re all alone.” The monkey king waddled over to the bed and plopped down on it. The whole thing strained under his bulk as he shifted on top of the satin sheets, causing his robe to fall open and leave him nearly uncovered. A flash of heat flitted across my cheeks as I turned my gaze back toward his face, but he must have seen me looking, because he smiled, revealing his yellowed fangs.

  “Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find a way for you to properly accommodate me.” His grin widened, and I swallowed hard. This was going to go south real fast if I lost control of the situation.

  “I think you’re quite right,” I said, taking a tentative step into the room. My bare feet sank into the plush carpet, and I was surprised to feel it caress my flesh like it was alive. Another shudder scrambled down my spine as I looked around the room.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, concern etched into his voice as he watched me look around in confusion. “Do you need something? I can assure you, I’m happy to satisfy all your needs.” The purr that entered his voice left no doubt in my mind as to what “needs” he was referring to.

  “I just…” I looked down at my feet and twisted my fingers anxiously. “I had heard about your magic liver and was hoping to see it. But it doesn’t seem to be around here, so maybe it was just a rumor.” I pouted, looking up at him through lowered lashes.

  “A rumor?” the monkey king boomed, lifting himself up on his massive arms so he could lean forward. This time his robe fell off his shoulders to reveal the biggest pair of man boobs I’d ever seen in my life. Or was that monkey boobs?

  He shoved himself off the bed with a massive heave and landed on the carpet with a heavy thud that shook the floor. My palms grew sweaty as he plodded toward me, and I surreptitiously wiped them on my thighs before allowing him to take my hand in his. His own flesh was hot and sweaty, and everything inside me screamed that I should run. But I let him drag me toward a massive window on the left wall, hoping that his plan was to show me the liver and not toss me out the window for daring to ask to see it.

  Huffing, the monkey king grabbed the silver curtains and yanked them aside. I gasped as a beautiful grove of persimmon trees was revealed. The trees were a deep, vibrant green, and the orange fruit sparkled like the fish I’d seen flitting through the sea.

  “Wow,” I murmured as we stepped through the open window and onto the balcony. The air outside was surprisingly cool against my flesh, and as I stood there next to him, the king pointed to the closest tree. Its trunk was as thick as a rhino and its bows hung low enough over the balcony that I could have reached up and plucked a persimmon if I was so inclined.

  “There,” the king said, pointing to the branch with his free hand. As I followed his finger, I saw what looked like a sliver of brown encrusted with gemstones that glowed with preternatural power. The thing was so large, I had a hard time believing it would even fit into a monkey, even one as big as the king.

  “Your liver is truly splendid,” I said, smiling at him and batting my eyes. “I wonder… no… I couldn’t ask that… surely…”

  “What is it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Could I, well… could I touch it?” I asked, my cheeks heating as the king watched me carefully. “It’s just so big, and I’ve never seen one that nice…”

  “I don’t know,” the king said, taking a step back and looking me up and down. “Do you really want to?”

  “Yes! I’ll be gentle, I promise,” I said, excruciatingly aware of how this conversation would sound to anyone listening from beyond a wall. God, I was so glad that Raiden wasn’t within earshot, or I would die of embarrassment.

  “Well, I suppose it’ll be fine as long as you’re gentle,” the monkey king said. I blinked, and the next thing I knew, he’d reached out and plucked the liver from the branch. He held it out to me, and as I took it from him, I was surprised by how firm it was in my hands. Heat radiated from it, and as I lifted it up to get a better look at it, I knew this was exactly what I needed.

  “Your liver is amazing,” I whispered, taking a step back and reaching into my pocket. My fingers closed around the osuzumebachi charm, and as they did, I jerked it free from my pocket and focused my power. “Maji!”

  As I spoke the word, a cloud of two-inch hornets exploded from the palm of my hand. I was immediately overcome by the presence of what felt like a billion tiny voices in my head all asking for directions.

  “What are you doing?” the king cried, taking a step backward and throwing up his hands to protect himself. That turned out to be a big mistake, because the hornets interpreted the motion as an attack, and they swarmed him instantly. The king screamed as they dive-bombed him, their huge stingers striking repeatedly, and he fell back against the balcony railing, flailing wildly.

  “Why are you doing this?” the king wailed, and for a moment I felt bad.

  Huge welts began to swell all across his body as he railed uselessly at the swarm.

  Your pity is wasted on this useless lump of flesh, the kyuubi
sneered in my head. He is greed personified, and must pay for his sins.

  The kyuubi’s words strengthened my resolve. “I’m doing this for the crabs,” I said, taking a step forward. “You’ve stolen their land, killed their brethren, and in general you’ve conducted yourself with dishonor.” I touched my chest with my thumb. “We came to your island peaceably and you attacked us with stones. Now you will feel the pain of that inhospitality a thousand-fold.”

  And with that, I spun on my heel, shoving the liver into a hidden pouch inside my clothing. The monkey king bellowed from behind me as I raced out of the room, and a cold sweat broke out across my forehead. But I refused to look back. Heart pounding, I flung the bedroom doors open, and ran straight into the two guards positioned outside. Their faces creased in confusion, and one took a step forward, as if to stop me.

  “Get out of my way!” I snarled, pulling my fist back. Fire wreathed my fingers, and I plowed my flaming knuckles straight into the monkey guard’s face. Pain exploded through my hand, and I cried out—I’d never actually hit someone in the face before. But from the way he flopped backward onto his butt, screeching and clawing at his burning face, I knew he had to be hurting a lot more than I was.

  “How dare you!” the other monkey screamed, baring his fangs. His hand went to the katana at his waist, but before he could draw it, I blasted him with more of the kyuubi’s flames from both hands. The monkey managed to dodge the first blast, but the second one hit him in the chest, and he went down screeching just like his companion.

  The blast the monkey had dodged hit the wall, and flames began to race across it. Cursing, I spun on my heel and raced back into the main room, wanting to get out of there before the place went up in flames. I had a feeling I’d be burning it to the ground on my way out.