He stopped and regarded her, his thumbs hooked into the waistband of his hakama. "I just wanted to have a chat, that's all. We got off on the wrong foot before."
She snorted. "Do you make a habit of understatements? I'm pretty sure the dragon you created was trying to decapitate me back there."
"No, only seriously maim you." He shrugged as if losing body parts were a day-to-day affair.
This guy is nuts. "How reassuring." Suzume rolled her eyes.
He moved closer to her. Before she could back away, his hand darted out and grabbed a few strands of Suzume's hair. She twisted away and slipped out of his grip. She turned around and tried to hit him with the staff, but he moved too quickly for her.
"Don't touch me!" she shouted.
He only laughed. He had melted into the shadows of the chamber. For a moment all she could see was his white face against the dark before he was gone completely. Suzume spun around, trying to figure out where the stranger was.
"Oh, Suzume, you have so much to learn. They will let you believe you are Kazue, but you are so much more than that. Only I see your true potential, see you for who you are."
She knew better than to be lulled by this psycho's words, but she could not keep from replying, "You told me that you knew me when we first arrived at the shrine, that you and Kazue knew one another in another life."
"We did." His voice sounded distant as if he were talking to her across miles and miles.
"What was she to you?"
He did not answer right away. When he did, he sounded closer, as if his lips were pressed against her ear. "An enemy, of sorts," he whispered. "A friend, as well."
"What does that make you to me, a friend or an enemy?" Suzume asked.
He reemerged from the dark and rushed her. Suzume threw up the staff in a lame defensive move. He wrenched it from her grip and with one hand pinned her back to his chest and slung the staff over her arms, trapping her against him. She could not move and she felt his lips brush against her ear. She brought her shoulders up to try to defend herself from his offending mouth.
"Oh, no, Suzume, you are not my enemy. You don't have to live Kazue's life. Your choices are your own--that's why I showed you the Dragon. You could do what Kazue could not do and kill the Dragon. You have the power."
"Who says I want to kill him?"
She couldn't see his smile, but she felt it. With his face pressed against hers, she felt the muscles tighten along his jaw. "I can see it in your soul, Suzume. You have the bloodlust. Do it and I will teach you about power you've never imagined."
He moved around to her front, so they were face to face, but she remained bound in his arms, her arms locked against her body. He leaned in to kiss her like he had done in the courtyard. His lips mesmerized her; his hands weren't holding her captive any longer but holding her close, their hearts beating together. Could I kill Kaito? I'm not even sure anymore. I thought he would kill me, but now that he knows I am Kazue, everything is different. The stranger's lips were about to brush hers when there was a roar and shudder. The stranger pulled back and Suzume regained her senses.
"It looks like our playtime is at an end." He bowed to her. "Until next time."
"Who are you?" Suzume called.
He smiled at her and said, "My friends call me Hisato."
He disappeared into the shadows once more, leaving Suzume alone.
The building shuddered and groaned as bits of wood fell down from the ceiling. Then with a rip and the crash of broken beams, the ceiling came loose, and Suzume saw Kaito had transformed and ripped the roof off the temple. He did all that just to help me?
"What have you been doing all this time, you useless priestess?" he roared.
Suzume's hackles rose. "You're the one who threw me in here!"
He roared something that sounded like a laugh. She shook her head. For once she couldn't bring herself to get mad at him. She laughed as well, not because it was particularly funny but because her life had taken so many strange turns as of late and it only seemed to be getting stranger.
Chapter Forty
"Who is Hisato?" That was the question no one seemed to have an answer for. They knew he was a shifter, but where he came from and how he got his powers was a mystery. The group sat in a circle, discussing the possibilities. Tsuki was in control of his and Akira's body.
The priests had started to trickle back into the temple after Kaito had torn the roof off the temple. The second in command had taken over control. No one knew where the head priest had gone, and Suzume wasn't going to tell them that some shifter had been masquerading as their head priest, for who knew how long. The priest organized the cleanup and rebuilding, and it was going to be a massive undertaking. The temple grounds were torn to bits from three dragon attacks--Suzume counted the one where Kaito tore off the roof of the temple as an attack. Many of the dormitories were in ruins and the walkways were near impassable in some places.
The priests seemed trained to hospitality because despite the state of the temple, they still served Rin, Kaito, and Suzume a meal. For whatever reason, the priests still could not see Tsuki. Tsuki ate Suzume's noodles noisily while Rin sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, scowling. We can't stay here much longer, Suzume thought. We've destroyed enough of the shrine as it is. Where do we go from here?
Kaito paced back and forth, anger written in the lines of his body. Suzume watched him. She hadn't said anything, but she thought she knew who Hisato was. The Kami had told her darkness had risen when Kazue sealed Kaito. That has to be him. She kept this knowledge to herself. She was already dancing along a thread with Kaito and she feared bringing it up now would only shatter their fragile peace. For whatever reason, he was not going to kill her and that would have to be enough for now.
Tsuki slurped up the last of his noodles then said, "Could Hisato be a fake name?"
"Why give me a fake name? I think he wanted me to know him," Suzume said. Along with her knowledge of his potential identity, she had withheld the majority of her conversation with Hisato. She hadn't decided what to do about his offer yet.
"So the question is: how do we find out who this Hisato is?" Tsuki said. He leaned back on his forearms and watched the group with a half-lidded gaze.
"There are plenty of people we could ask," Kaito said. He stopped pacing and considered Tsuki. "What about Yasuharu?"
"Dead," Tsuki replied with a shake of his head.
Kaito's brows shot up to his hairline. "Really?" He shook his head as if he couldn't believe it. "What about Bunmei?"
"Also dead."
"You're kidding? That guy was the size of a mountain, literally! He was some sort of massive stone creature." Kaito's shoulders had relaxed, but it was more of a slump of defeat. "What about Naoki, Gengo, and Chiyuu?"
"Presumed dead, dead, and headless." Tsuki ticked off on his fingers.
"Shouldn't he be dead if he's headless?" Suzume asked. She scrunched up her nose just thinking about it.
Tsuki grinned. "Not for a Yokai. Sometimes they just wander round without heads, crashing into things. Seeing as he's missing a head, though, he cannot give us much in the way of information."
I cannot get my mind around this world, creatures living without a head? She considered telling them what she had deduced about Hisato, but seeing the pain in Kaito's eyes held her tongue. Everyone he knew is dead. Did Hisato kill them? Why does he want me to kill Kaito? If he could kill someone as large as a mountain, then why not Kaito?
Kaito and Tsuki went down a growing list of names and Tsuki ticked off more deaths, to Kaito's continued horror. Kaito crouched down on the ground, his head resting in his hands. He did not stop listing names while Tsuki recounted numerous gruesome deaths, his descriptions getting more graphic with each new name. Suzume felt a sudden urge to be away. She needed fresh air, she decided. She stood up and slipped out of the room. Kaito and Tsuki were so engrossed in their conversation, neither of them noticed her leaving.
Outside, the night cl
osed in. Suzume walked towards the decimated temple where she had talked with Hisato. In the dark, the beams and broken shards of wood look like a barren forest. Would I be willing to join Hisato if it meant I would be free of all of this? The thought kept popping up in her head. Kaito, Akira and Tsuki, even Rin all saw her as Kazue. I'm not her. I'm Suzume. Hisato said he knew her, the real Suzume; no one had said that to her before. No one knew the real her, she hid it deep down where no one could touch it, yet Hisato had spoken her thoughts. He was right; she did have a bloodlust, a boiling anger that sometimes threatened to swallow her whole. How can he know me? Or am I Kazue? And he is just telling me what Kazue was like before me? She growled and raked her hands through her hair.
Footsteps fell on the landing behind her. Suzume spun around, expecting another attack. She had left the staff behind and she felt naked without it. There was no light in this part of the temple but the stars above. The shadows were long and reaching Suzume. She squinted in the dark, looking for an attacker. Rin approached, materializing from the darkness and shadows Suzume had been cloaked in. Rin wrapped her arms around her torso, as if fighting off a chill. Now that the clouds had dissipated, however, it was humid. The heat and moisture stuck to the skin and sweat rolled down to the small of Suzume's back.
"What do you want?" Suzume said. She would rather be alone.
"You're not going to do it, are you?"
Suzume froze up. Did Rin suspect Suzume of allying with Hisato? Suzume wanted to learn more about him, like how he knew things about her that no one else knew.
"What are you talking about?" Suzume's voice was high and squeaky.
Rin sighed. She walked over and surveyed the dark temple grounds. She was close to Suzume but not close enough to be considered a threat. Rin spoke to the darkness. "You're not really going to try to seal Kaito away again, are you?" Rin looked at Suzume from the corner of her eyes.
Suzume turned away. Even though she wasn't looking at her directly, Suzume got the impression Rin could see right through her, as if she were transparent. "Not if he doesn't give me a reason to," Suzume said.
The wind rustled through the gingko trees and there was nothing said for a few moments.
Rin exhaled. "I'm glad, I was worried..."
The relief in her voice irked Suzume for some reason. Rin had insisted there was nothing between Kaito and her, but Suzume couldn't help but wonder. What does it matter if there's something between them? Maybe if there was, he wouldn't look at me like I'm Kazue, his reincarnated lover. No matter what she told herself, however, she felt a twinge of jealousy.
"What do you think about this Hisato guy?" Suzume asked Rin just for want of a change of subject.
Rin did not answer right away. She leaned on an intact pole that held up what was left of the covered walkway.
"I don't know, but he gives me a bad feeling. He's very powerful if he can create an illusion that realistic, plus he fooled us all. None of us sensed his presence. I wouldn't say this to Kaito, but I don't think even he could do that."
Suzume laughed and Rin smiled. They shared a brief moment of camaraderie before Suzume cleared her throat and said, "What does he want with me?" She knew, of course, but she wanted to see what Rin thought.
Rin turned to face Suzume and she had narrowed her green eyes at Suzume. "I'm not sure. Are you sure he didn't say anything more to you while you were inside the shrine?"
Suzume met Rin's gaze, not flinching lest she realize she was hiding information. "No, he just taunted me without giving me much information."
Rin stared for a moment more, her eyes searching Suzume's face, looking for the answers there. She flashed a smile again. "I guess Hisato is a bit like Kaito in that--maybe he's one of the first children."
Suzume laughed. "I don't know about that; why would a Yokai that powerful want to taunt me?"
"Maybe he's in love with you," Rin replied with a smirk.
Suzume's eyes grew wide and she shoved Rin hard, as if pushing her away would avoid the truth. "That's not funny, Kaito loved Kazue, not me."
Rin's smirk only grew wider. "I know. I meant maybe Hisato is in love with you."
Suzume's neck burned with embarrassment and she was glad it was dark out and Rin couldn't see. "I know, that's what I meant. They're both so similar I got mixed up for a moment."
Suzume had to get away from this topic and fast before this conversation went down a road she did not want to take.
"Uh-huh." Rin chuckled.
Suzume was in desperate need of a change of subject. "Where do we go from here? How do we find out more about Hisato?" How can I find out more about him?
"Well, as you may have noticed, there are not a lot of people left to ask." There was a hint of sadness in her voice. Rin had lost friends, just as Kaito had. "A lot of powerful Yokai have gone missing or have died since Kaito was sealed, and lower-level Yokai tend to keep to themselves. They wouldn't know much."
"Why is that? Where are they all going?"
"My guess is someone is killing them and trying to gather power."
"But why?"
"Why else do people look for power? To be in control."
Suzume frowned. It made sense, she supposed. Where did Kazue fit in with all of this, and Kaito? Hisato had to be the one killing the other Yokai. I wonder what he's collecting power for. Kaito had told Suzume once that he ruled over a region, and the priests seemed to pray to him in some capacity.
"Do you have leaders, among the Yokai, I mean?" Suzume asked.
"Not in the human sense. Six of the first children each ruled over the islands. At one time Kaito ruled here, on the largest island. But they don't do much now. Most of the remaining stay locked up in their palaces, never venturing out. The Eight original Kami used to rule in ancient times, but they've disappeared."
"Where did they go?"
"No one knows; maybe to sleep. They've lived for centuries, since the beginning of time, and they tend to view time differently than us."
This is all incredibly boring and unhelpful. None of it tells me what Hisato wants. Do I dare trust him?
"Hey, girls, come back in here. We found some rice wine!" Tsuki appeared down the hall, illuminated by the light spilling from the open door. He carried a jug of rice wine in his hand and his smile stretched from ear to ear.
"Please come and make him show some restraint," Akira said, using Tsuki's form. "It's been a long time since he's drank and I fear he will get out of hand."
Rin laughed. "We're coming."
By the time Rin and Suzume were back, Kaito and Tsuki were already pouring rice wine into small porcelain cups. Kaito and Tsuki clinked glasses and cheered. Kaito tossed back his rice wine in one gulp, and Suzume watched his throat work as he swallowed. His early anger had melted away, but there was a sadness there that she hadn't seen before. I'd want to drown myself in drink if everyone I knew was dead, too.
Kaito saw her staring, and instead of scowling or pretending to flirt, he gave her a smile, a rare genuine smile. His eyes crinkled at the corners and he gestured to her with the cup. Suzume took a seat beside him and accepted his silent peace offering; they were in a rare truce.
"Bottoms up, Priestess," Kaito said, before drinking another cup.
Suzume drank it down, the liquid fire burning its way down her throat. She was no stranger to drinking. She had more than a few late night rendezvous with sake involved. Somehow, this time she felt like she needed to hold back. The others were not as reserved with their drinking and soon they were singing rowdy songs with lyrics that made even Suzume want to blush.
At some point, Rin passed out. A cup fell from her hand and the liquid poured out, soaking the bamboo floor. Tsuki had gotten up, saying something about wanting to relieve himself. Suzume and Kaito were alone for the first time since they had found out she was Kazue's reincarnation.
Kaito took a swig of the sake and set the jug down with a plunk. "How long did you know?" he said, his words sloshing together like the rice wine in t
he jug. Despite his drunken state, his eyes were focused and intent on Suzume. It was disarming.
"Know what?" Suzume asked. She twirled her cup in her hands, avoiding his gaze.
"That you were Kazue."
She shot her head up, preparing to defend herself. Instead she saw him looking at her with a strange expression. He leaned forward. Crouched on all fours, he crawled over to her, wobbling slightly as he did so. Suzume scooted back against a wall to try to avoid him, but he came over and hovered over her, his arms placed on either side of her legs. They weren't touching, but she could feel that crackle of their powers colliding. She could smell the drink on his breath and she turned her face away from him.
"Your breath stinks. And I'm not Kazue, we just share a soul."
Kaito reached out and tried to touch Suzume's face. "You look like her, especially when I've been drinking."
She slapped his hand away, and sparks erupted where their hands contacted in blue and red. "As flattering as that is, I'd rather you didn't touch me."
He laughed; it was intimidating and thrilling at the same time.
"What's so funny?"
He leaned in close and Suzume felt the sizzle of commingling power, the heat that their combined energy seemed to create.
"You're funny, Suzume." He so rarely said her given name that it was always a shock to hear him say it. She spun her head sideways to look at him and found his lips very close to hers. Even though he was drunk, even though she knew it was a stupid idea, she thought about kissing him. Just to see what his lips would taste like, and to see if the sparks would erupt between them when their flesh met for real.
She closed her eyes and leaned in, intent on trying. He won't remember; he's too drunk. Kaito moved closer as well. She could feel his energy wrapping around her. The combat had ended and instead their powers were melding together, swirling and becoming something different entirely.
The sliding door crashed open and Tsuki called out a drunken slur. Suzume wrenched her head back just in time to crack it against the wall. She rubbed her sore spot, staring at Kaito, who looked at her with a strange expression.
The Priestess and the Dragon Page 29
