by JK Ensley
“You are a witch,” he hissed. “Tell me. How it is you can freely speak of such things? Who whispers my life within your ear?”
“You do, Mikage. You scream buried secrets at me.” She pushed him further. “If you tell me your magical ways, White Wizard, I may tell you mine.”
“I wish I’d never brought you here, woman,” he grumbled.
“A feeling I return in-kind. Be that as it may, now that you have me, what is it you intend to do with me?”
“I intend to do nothing with you,” he spat. “I wish only to never have to look into those bewitching eyes of yours, ever again.”
“A wish I will gladly grant.” She smiled viciously at the aging Shinobi. “Turn now and never look back.”
“Would that I could, yet, I cannot. I swore a vow to deliver you, and deliver you I shall.”
“To whom did you swear such a vow? To the Emperor? Surely he wasn’t the one to initiate such a horrible deed as this. Know he not, he yet remains in power only because of the temporary peace he’s brought to Jinn? If this were not so, I would’ve personally removed his head years ago. Fate has tricked you, Master Mikage. The summons will come. And when it does… pray your name is withheld from the scroll.”
“There is no man in all creation that could land a blade against Emperor Musashi’s neck,” he boasted.
“You unwisely speak of that which you do not know, fallen ninja.” Her tone and smile were icy and lethal. “I am no man, Mikage, and I promise not to use a blade.”
He stared at her, unsure of… everything.
Ahh, now I smell your sweet fear, mighty Shinobi. “Tell me. Why has a gifted ninja allied himself with a filthy Ronin? The centuries-long hatred has surely not been forgotten.” She closed her eyes, inhaling his scent. “Especially with one who bears more Koga blood than Iga.”
“How did you—”
“The how is irrelevant,” she interrupted. “Tell me the why.”
“Koga and Iga are now one and have been for countless years now.”
“Not countless. Precisely four hundred and eighty-seven years have passed since Ieyasu feared your abilities and pitted the proud ninja against one another. Hatred caused you to be foolish and vengeance nearly annihilated your people. Shall I continue? Or has Fate destined you to repeat the sins of your ancestors?”
“How do you come by our history? How do you even know where you are?”
“I’ve been to Jinn before. The lavender field gave no reason to dissuade my assumption. As for your history, is it not common knowledge to all?”
“All upon Jinn, perhaps, but you do not hail from here, Demoness.”
“Demoness, is it? You named me Angel but a moment ago. It’s not possible I should be both, not at the same time. Alas, you’re one of the races who believe yourselves to be the only ones worthy of this vast universe.” She sighed loudly. “Mikage Abe, I may not hail from Jinn, but you’re ill-advised to presume your history is secret from any who wish to know it. Jinn’s past, as is true for all the layers, is recorded within the annals of time.” She leaned in closer to him. “And besides, I’m an Angel.” She raised a single eyebrow. “I just know.”
“And I know your history as well.” He smirked haughtily. “You have only just become an Angel.”
“My dear man, one does not just become an Angel. You’re either created an Angel or you’re not. Yet, I see you know my story. It’s true I became aware of this fact only recently. Alas, awareness doesn’t change one’s origin, a thing I should think you know all too well.”
She winked at him, but it was in no way a playful gesture. He understood exactly what it was she referred to. She knew, somehow; she knew of his sordid past and the children he’d never claimed. He was certain of it.
“I refuse to cross words with you any longer. I shall deliver you as promised,” he snapped. “And be done with you forever.”
“Such sweet words, dearest Mikage. Are you trying to woo me, you sly devil?” She enjoyed taunting him way too much. “You must quit speaking thusly or I may come to believe you’re growing to like me after all.”
His face turned the color of blood. “I will find a way around your binding spell, Witch, and when I do—”
“Let me guess,” she interrupted his threat. “You shall come to me immediately.” She yawned. “And take my head, no doubt.”
Chapter 14
Vanahirdem
(van-ah-HEAR-dem)
“What do ye mean, vanished?” Vittorio roared.
“Have you trouble with the word, Brother? Vanished—as in, disappeared.” Varick sighed and closed his eyes. “We were laughing, talking, picking flowers, designing our future. I was looking right at her. Then… she was gone.”
“Could this be one of her new Angel powers?” Vareilious mused.
All eyes turned toward the glowing giant. “What? Were you not the one, just yesterday, telling me of all the strange things she’s now able to do?”
“Aye, the maid confessed tae us both, Varick. Changes were happening tae her every day an’ she knew nae the how or why,” Vittorio added.
“Changes with her mind, her senses, her mental abilities. The only physical change she has experienced was the loss of such ability,” Varick said.
“What of the eyes?” Vareilious asked. “Where were you, exactly, when she disappeared? Was it near where she sensed those alien eyes looking upon us?”
“Aye now. What bloody eyes are ye talking aboot an’ why in the hell dunnae I know what all’s going on here?”
“It only happened yesterday, Vittorio, chill out.”
“Aye, Vareilious, cease yer mundane eighth layer jargon with me. I wulnae chill out. It matters nae it was only yesterday. I should’ve been told.” Vittorio turned his furious gaze toward Varick. “I spent hours in yer home just last night an’ ye breathed nae a word of this tae me,” he snarled.
“How could I, oh glorious one? I couldn’t manage to get a word in edgewise. You were too busy going on about your incredible adventures, showering her with gifts, and proclaiming words of undying love to my Anicee. In our own home, no less.”
The enraged warriors jumped to their feet, growling threats—their sculpted chests banging together, their wings expanded.
“My, my, such a sight.” Vareilious chuckled. “You’ll both soon burst into balls of green slime if you don’t control this ridiculous pubescent jealousy.”
“Shut up!” Their words rang out in unison toward their gloating brother Vanir.
“I have seen and heard enough,” Valadrog roared. “She didn’t simply vanish. She was taken. If she had come by some strange new power and could disappear, reason stands she could also reappear. Vareen has scryed the whole universe. Jenevier is nowhere to be found. It’s obvious—to anyone who wishes to use their mind—she has been taken by someone powerful enough to magically hide her very existence.”
“Tell me, Father. Who could hide her from God? Whose magic is as great as that?”
“Do not sharpen your tongue with me, son. Why do you assume she’s hidden from God?” Valadrog spread wide his arms. “Should the skies part for you and readily display answers to all you speak of?”
Vareen gently placed her hand on her husband’s arm. “What your father is trying to say is that just because I haven’t been given a vision concerning your colorful little Anicee, does not mean God doesn’t know where she is, Varick.” She looked toward the other two warriors and held her words until she was certain they were giving her their full attention. “You well know, mighty Guardians of Innocence, everything happens for a reason. You also know we are privileged to see only what it is we’re meant to see. Many things are withheld from my sight, especially concerning Jenevier.” Her sorrowful gaze fell upon her grieving son. “She is not of us, Varick. She isn’t like us. We helped an innocent maiden who proved herself worthy of our talents. As I look back, I’m given pause as to the good we actually did concerning her. She’s no mere mortal, this we all know. Perha
ps, we were never meant to grant her entrance here.” She released a weary breath and closed her eyes. “I’m no longer sure.”
“Do not cause your heart grief in this thing, Mother. I can assure you, she was always meant to come here. She was created for that very purpose.”
Vareen opened her ethereal eyes and looked on her son with knowing pity. “You speak from your heart, Varick, not your head. Think back. Not once did we receive a summons against Merodach, and not once did I receive a vision instructing us on her training. Everything we knew about the maid came from your constant observation of her.” She sighed again. “Perhaps you weren’t meant to be her protective shadow. You claimed that responsibility, it was never given to you by any other than yourself. I know not the truth in it, but my heart is in turmoil where she’s concerned.” Vareen stood, clasped her hands in front of her, and lowered her head. “No, the more I think on it, the more I dwell upon the whole of it… the more I am convinced. We have no part or lot in the things concerning that tiny little Angel, and we never did.”
“You crush me with your dark words, Mother. I never wish to hear them again. We weren’t wrong in helping her nor were we wrong in training her. And I’m not wrong in loving her.” Varick stood, facing his noble parents. “She passed the tests. She completed the training. She was chosen during her Pyrolysis. You know, as do we all, who does the choosing and the blessing during that holy transformation. God does. Not you and not I. If He didn’t wish her to be here, why did He bless her with Vashti? And still, God continues to bless her at every turn. How can you stand there and say we were wrong? She is what she is because of us.”
“No. She is what she is in spite of us,” Vareilious said. “Don’t spin about on me as if I’m your enemy, Brother. The only harsh words you and I have ever exchanged were concerning her. I will always love her. And dammit, if she ever called for or needed my help, I would lay down my very life for her.” A tiny tear trickled down with his words. “But I must give weight to your mother’s wisdom. What she says rings true. Jenevier isn’t like us. She’s more than we can ever be. She is Angel, Varick. When have you ever been given charge over an Angel?” He motioned his arm to encompass everyone in the room. “We were all blessed by her, each in his own way. But perhaps it’s because of what she is, not what we are.”
“Aye, yer all mad.” Vittorio snorted and shook his head. “She wasnae an Angel when she walked through that gate. An’ if she was, she knew it nae. She was an innocent child. She was one of the reasons there are Guardians in the first place, her an’ all the ones just like her. We only did what we are created tae do. Nae harm can come of that.”
“Do you even hear yourself, Vittorio?” Valadrog asked. “Of course harm can come of it. Have you not been living among us these last many years? Harm has come of it, many times over. Harm to her and harm to us as well. Search your heart and know I speak the truth. You very nearly died because we let her walk through that gate. She very nearly died for it as well, thrice. This is what Vareen means when she says we have no part or lot with her. Do you deny all the blood, all the pain, and all the tears that have befallen each and every one of us simply because she walked through that gate? Think with your heads, Warriors, and damn your hearts. Perhaps God withholds knowledge concerning her, because… she’s not our concern. We butted in on something we were never supposed to touch, gentlemen. And we have all been burned because of it, her included.”
Silence filled the room, tears filled their knowing eyes.
“Aye, she’s the most delicious poison I’ve ever tasted,” Vittorio whispered. “An’ I only crave more.”
“Delicious poison?” Varick’s shocked words drew everyone’s attention to the sentinel he was glaring at.
“Aye, delicious poison. The most painful, gut-wrenching, heart-shattering, bitter thing I’ve ever wanted tae experience over an’ over an’ over again. A delicious poison.”
Vareilious chuckled. “A more fitting description could not be given that colorful little bundle of curls.” He laughed as he slapped Varick on the back. “I should say she’ll be the death of us all.”
Varick smiled. “And I welcome it with open arms.” He looked to Vittorio and nodded in agreement. “Yes, a deadly delicious poison I will spend the rest of my existence hungrily searching for.”
“Very well, then. It appears you’re all in agreement concerning this—concerning her. Since we cannot find a clue as to where we should start looking, we’ll start looking everywhere.” Valadrog turned a hardened gaze toward the majestic sentinels. “Pick a layer and go. Don’t waste anymore of this energy warring with one another. Sweep the skies. You have each tasted her. You should have no problem catching her scent. Now, go.”
Only the sound of mighty wings could be heard in the distance when Valadrog collapsed into a chair. Vareen tenderly rubbed his tense shoulders.
“God has shown you nothing?”
“No, dear one. He has not.”
“Will this never end?” He placed his head in his hands. “Had I known all the trouble and heartache this tiny little girl would bring to us, I would have met her at the gate and—”
“And what, my love?” Vareen smiled at her glorious husband. “What would you have done or said that would’ve been any different?”
He sighed. “Nothing, I suppose.”
“It’s okay to love her and be worried for her, dearest husband. You don’t always have to be the strong voice of reason. You know, as well as I, things happen for a reason. Now, we must be still and wait.”
“I am never the voice of reason, my love. You are,” he whispered.
Chapter 15
Mika
(MEE-kah)
“Emperor Musashi, I humbly present the woman you desired.” Mikage bowed low and waved his hand toward Jenevier. “If that is all, Milord, I’ll return to my home within the forest.”
“Return home? This is awfully sudden, Master Mikage. My intent was for you to remain in the palace.”
“Yes, Milord. But circumstances have changed.”
“Circumstances?” The Emperor shook his head in confusion. “What circumstances?”
“I fear he refers to me, Your Grace.” She made a respectful bow and curtsied. “It seems this great wizard has become rather fond of me and no longer trusts his intentions concerning me.” She flashed a secret wink at the old Shinobi.
“Mind your tongue, Witch, or I shall remove it,” he hissed.
“Truly?” Jenevier sneered at the enraged man. “Then I would see your words forged into action, oh mighty one.”
He fixed his lavender gaze upon the monarch before him. “I beg you, Emperor Musashi. Grant me release from your service,” he pleaded.
“I will not grant such a thing.” The Emperor turned toward the nearby soldiers. “Guards, show Master Mikage to the room prepared for him.” He leaned in close to the older man. “We shall not speak of this again until you have properly rested and regained your strength. Until then, remove thoughts of leaving and turn them towards how best I may handle this maiden you have gifted me,” he whispered.
“Remove her head and take her charms,” Mikage said as he glared in her direction. “There’s no other way, Sire.”
Jenevier cleared her throat. “Will you tell me now why you’ve brought me to this place? Or does it yet remain secret?”
The handsome Emperor turned to her with a radiant, yet forced, smile. “Apologies, Princess, you must be weary. Your long journey would have been trying for a trained warrior. In your fragile state, it must’ve proven a most horrific ordeal.” He stretched his hand forth, but didn’t touch her. “Please, rest for a while and see strength returned. I will come to you at such time.” He looked over her shoulder. “Guards, gently see the lady to her lodgings. Bring her all she desires, deny her nothing.”
*****
Jenevier was impressed with the grand suite she was given. Sitting down heavily upon the soft lounge, she propped her weary feet upon the matching ottom
an.
“Will you be requiring anything else, Milady?” The guard bowed before her with his fist crossed over his chest.
“Do you, by chance, have any Tissamon fruit?”
“Tissamon? I’ve never—”
“Then, that will be all,” she interrupted.
The only thing I truly need is a long soak and time alone to think.
She rested a moment more before gaining enough strength to run the bath and remove her clothing. It proved no easy task. She sent a little prayer of thanks out into the universe in hopes Varick might sense it and know just how much she truly appreciated all the little things he did for her every single day.
What I wouldn’t give for some rosewater right about now, she thought.
I’ve never seen any rosewater, but I have seen lavender water in the apothecary.
“Then why don’t you be a good little girl and run get it for me?”
Wha… Did she just speak to me? Can she hear my thoughts?
Jenevier laughed softly. “Of course I can, Mika. You are an extraordinarily loud thinker.”
You know my name?
“Yes, it sings clearly within your head. Did you not know, dear child, it’s rude to stand next to someone and refuse to speak properly to them? Especially when one of them is unrobed and bare-skinned to the world.” Jenevier shrugged her shoulders. “I didn’t think you’d mind if I made ready for my bath. I mean, we are alone in here, are we not?”
Mika gasped. “You can see me, too?”
“Yes, child, I can see you.” Jenevier smiled at her. “And you are especially lovely, I might add.”
“I’ve never met another who could see me and hear my thoughts. How have you done this?”
“I know not what you ask. I haven’t done anything.” She smiled knowingly at the shocked little girl. “I can understand your surprise. I knew no one else could see you, not even Musashi.”
