Destroyed by Onyx (A Dance with Destiny Book 4)

by JK Ensley

  “Aye, wee Shinobi. I already knew that. My colorful lass loves me too much.” He smiled his charming half-smile. “But yer right in saying she doesnae even know it herself. I love that giggling bundle of curls more than ye’ll ever know.”

  “To be loved like that—magically, ferociously, unconditionally,” Yui whispered. “We should all be so lucky.”

  Vittorio sighed. “Aye, lucky.”

  Yui heard his deep sorrow, felt the weight of it upon his young heart. He mercifully changed the subject. “So, as I was saying. Musashi loved her the only way he knew how. Actually, she was the first person he had ever felt that way toward. So… she got it all. The best and the worst of him. When he realized the time had come when his mighty swords and royal crown could no longer protect her, he did what he thought was right.” Yui looked Vittorio in the eye. “He tried to get her back to you.”

  “By beating her?”

  “No… by forcing her to don her wings. His intent was to push her into either getting so angry with him, or fearing for her sons so horribly, that she would do whatever she had to do to protect them.” He shook his head, rubbing his brow. “But he ignorantly trod into dangerous territory he knew absolutely nothing about. His physical desire overtook him and he succumbed—broke like a twig underfoot. He didn’t realize how powerful a thing passion could be.”

  “Aye, Lad. Ye mean he nae?”

  “No. Never. He knew nothing of women, not in that way. He was a natural warrior, through and through. He had only ever walked the path of violence and death. And… delicate, feminine things have no place on the battlefield. He had only learned to be tender because of her and the babes. His heart changed when he saw the great pain she endured during their birth, and the even greater love she held for them. He had never known such a thing, not during his own twisted youth.” Yui smiled fondly. “And nothing can weaken a heart like looking into the eyes of a swaddled babe—so innocent, so helpless. Oh, and the way they smell… it’s like a drug. Watching the tiny little thing nurse from its tender mother’s breast… rocking it in your arms while it sleeps the blissful sleep of a newborn Angel.”

  Vittorio chuckled softly. “Sounds tae me like yer Emperor’s wasnae the only heart turned tae mush by those wee lambs.”

  Yui blushed. “Anyway, he was tender with them while things were peaceful. He learned by watching them, by witnessing a mother’s love… the most powerful magic in the universe. But when life or death was thrown into the mix, when the time for confrontation came, well, he reverted back to the only thing he knew… force. It was his way. It was his life. Triumph via blood and steel.”

  “I wish he’d met my wee Death Angel in all her glory,” Vittorio grumbled. “Nae matter how strong he thought he was, one look intae Vashti’s ruby eyes an’ he’d have pissed his royal pants.”

  “In truth, I believe that was his intent,” Yui continued. “He confided as much to Hanzo, after Apollyon had left this realm. Said he was ready to sacrifice his own life to send her back from whence she came.”

  “Aye. An’ then the bloody fool went an’ kissed her.”

  “Yes.” Yui nodded. “And it was his undoing.”

  “I still dunnae understand why she dinnae change, why she dinnae defend herself.”

  “Tenshi and Daichi.” Yui stood and walked to the banister. “She was completely convinced her powers had left when the twins came. In her heart, she was just a regular human again, a regular human mother. And she did what she thought she had to do so no harm would come to her precious Angels.” Bitter tears trickled down his face. “She told me once, in her mind… she could see Tenshi and Daichi trembling outside her chamber door, swords to their little throats, crying for her to hold them.” He absently wiped his cheeks. “She said… she would bite her tongue to keep from screaming. She didn’t want them to hear their mama cry out, didn’t want to scar their fragile little minds.”

  Vittorio’s growl was knee-weakening. “Aye, I hate that Daichi killed the bastard so swiftly. I would’ve liked tae have gotten my hands on him for a few hours. See how long it took him tae cry oot.”

  Yui nodded his agreement and both warriors fell silent for a time. They remained lost in their own tormented thoughts until a handmaid came with their afternoon meal.

  “Anyway,” Yui said after savoring his first sip of fresh tea. “That’s when I found her stumbling around in the dark. I carried that broken little Angel on my back, took her to our new home. We were blessed. Our eclectic little family lived hidden away in blissful peace for the next couple of years.”

  “Aye, a debt that cannae be repaid, Lad,” Vittorio said softly.

  “Taking care of her, seeing her smile… that’s all the payment I could ever hope for.”

  Vittorio smiled knowingly.

  “I still have nightmares about it,” Yui admitted. “I wake up in a cold sweat, her whimpers still bouncing around in my mind, the look of her torn flesh as I peeled her kimono off her back.” A shudder ran through him. “I know not how she lived through it. She is made of much stronger stuff than I.”

  “Aye, she’s made of much stronger stuff than the lot of us.”

  Yui spent the next few hours filling Vittorio in on their life together. Every laugh, every tear, right up until Munenori walked into their lives… and brought the outside world with him.

  “Everything else I know about her from back then came from him, from the Angel,” Yui said. “After she ended Apollyon’s vengeful war, Munenori told me about her bonding with the ancient blue Dragon, and the amazing story of how she was blessed with her new weapons. I would’ve liked to have seen that.” Yui chuckled. “I bet her eyes were sparkling brighter than her blades. He told me she could talk to the Dragons in her mind, just as plain as we’re talking right now. Munenori said she acted like them, too.”

  “Aye, what’s this now?” Vittorio laughed. “She breathes fire an’ hoards gold?”

  “I know not. He just said they were the same. Something about being easily distracted by shiny things, rare things, beautiful things. And how they tease and taunt and laugh and play.” Yui shrugged his shoulders. “He said they were exactly the same—the Dragons and Naga. Said they were as perfectly matched as a new pair of shoes. Munenori swears she is the absolute embodiment of them. A Dragon in Angel’s clothing.”

  Vittorio snorted out a laugh. “Aye, is that what she is? A wee Dragon? Dressed up as a lass?” He smiled fondly, staring out at the flowing lavender. “Hmm… makes a bit of sense when ye think upon it, especially the being distracted by shiny things part. She certainly has a fiery temper an’ lethal talons, that’s for sure.” He looked sideways at the smiling ninja. “I cannae refute his reasoning, wee Hand. An’ that would definitely explain the new name Father gifted her.”

  “Yes… Kagi Naga.” Yui laughed. “Anyway, the next time I saw her was when she came back from Vanahirdem. She came to my village, kept her sweet promise of return, and brought me here to mind her home in her absence.” He leaned back, propping himself up on the banister with his elbows. “So, your turn. Fill me in on the war that met its end here. Tell me what happened when she left afterwards and went back to your city. And if you know, explain why she is minus all her vibrant color.”

  Vittorio looked off into the distance, pain filling his moistened eyes. “Aye, Lad, we thought her dead,” he began. “The two years ye lived peacefully hidden away in yer secret valley, we spent in constant war with hell’s henchmen. Day in an’ day oot… blood enough tae fill a riverbed. It was the battle here on Jinn where I finally found my wee Angel, alive an’ well. An’ she lost her beloved Varick… almost in the same breath.” Vittorio filled the weeping ninja in on every torturous moment of that horrible day. “An’ when that broken wee Angel walked back through our crystal gates, she was met with epic hate, the likes of which I’ve nae heard tell of. Varick’s mother, Vareen… she would’ve claimed her head if it weren’t for that blue Blessing of hers. An’ Jenevier was broken enough tae just sit
there an’ let her do it.” He went on to tell the young man about the healing they all shared in and how they had decided to pick layers and help with the healing of the universe as well. “An’ that’s when she left us, headed back tae her birthplace.”

  “Alone? You let her go all by herself?”

  “Aye, Lad, dunnae rub the salt in too deep. But, yes. The three who claim tae love her best stood there an’ watched as she entered those clouds alone. When next I saw my Angel, she was as a ghost. A wee lost soul… adrift with nae anchor.”

  “Do you know what all happened to her while she was lost?”

  “Nae, Brother. She left before I saw anything other than pain an’ rage. Yet, Valencia was there.” Vittorio sniffed and shook his head. “Vareilious saved her worthless hide. He stayed Daichi’s hand before he could end her, an’ we took her back tae be tried.” He turned and looked Yui in the eye. “She was in bad shape, Valencia was. She wouldnae speak upon it, but she was broken. Inside an’ oot.”

  “By whom?”

  “I dunnae know the answer tae that, Brother. But… Ahriman was there.”

  “Ahriman?”

  “Aye, Apollyon’s right hand an’ soul-eater extraordinaire. Jenevier named him Vybius.” Vittorio shook his head, sighing. “That fallen Angel, I fear him more than that dark Prince, where Jenevier’s concerned. He befriended her in hell an’ she trusts him, she does.” He gazed out at the coming night. “An’ he’s nae one that should ever be trusted… nae by anyone.”

  “Was he the one who found her when she fell? This… Ahriman?” Yui asked worriedly.

  “He wasnae the one. Thank the heavens. Yet, he was the one who had her when we found them.” Vittorio’s beautiful blue eyes glazed over with bitter memory. “By his side… she was the picture of exquisite darkness. Mesmerizingly lethal, cold, hell’s wee porcelain doll, she was. I couldnae stop staring at her. I’ll admit tae ye now, Brother. The two of them together like that, scared the hell outta me. If Ahriman ever won her over… heaven would tremble.”

  They sat in silence as the sun finally set and the moons of Jinn rose in all their glory.

  “Nae have I seen anything quite so lovely,” Vittorio whispered.

  “Yes, it is beautiful,” Yui agreed. “But do you know what it is you now look upon?”

  “Aye, Lad. A riot of color in a dreary gray sky.”

  Yui chuckled. “Yes, it is that as well. But, no. What you see before you is your Jenevier. She emptied the Angel’s blade by stabbing the surface of that little moon. The whole of who she once was now brightens our night sky.”

  “…Damn.” Vittorio snorted out an amused laugh. “Ye cannae tell what the wee lass will do next. Alas, ye err, Brother. That’s nae the whole of her. The biggest part, mayhap. But nae the whole. I saw her on Val Hal. She wasnae mine Angel, yet… a sliver of her remained. She had memories she should nae have. An’… she loved. She wasnae minus heart an’ mind. Uriel erred.”

  “She loved?” Yui gasped, wide-eyed. “A man?”

  Vittorio chuckled. “Aye, a man. An’ a rare man at that.” He smiled then. “Naethin’ like his own people. A warrior crowned with snow. Yet young and fair, he was.”

  “Of course he was,” Yui grumbled. “Her heart’s too big for her own good. Love finds her no matter where she falls, hell included. How could we expect anything less?”

  Vittorio saw the hard set of the young ninja’s jaw line. “Aye, Lad. Careful now. If ye plan on loving that one, ye’ll have tae get a firm hold on yer jealousy. It cannae be helped. She brings it oot in the best of us.”

  Yui snorted and folded his arms, his lavender eyes glowing as bright as his flushed cheeks.

  Vittorio only laughed. “The way I see it, she had a heart an’ a bit of her past.” He pointed up to the skies. “What ye see sparkling up there in the heavens, is the sorrowful result of a happy soul. A happy soul… plunged intae the depths of sadness, yet again.”

  “A happy soul?”

  “Aye, Lad, happy. Minus all the pain an’ heartache of her past, she was blissfully happy, she was. Even though she lost her essence, it became a sort of blessing for her. Albeit an unlikely blessing, but a blessing naetheless.” He nodded his head as he continued to speak. “Seems she woke up on Val Hal a brand new creature with a brand new start. When we showed up tae save her, tae bring her memories back tae her, pain came along with them, erasing her newly found bliss. A tiny part of me hates we even found the wee Angel. Alas, had we nae, Ahriman would be skipping through hell with her as we speak.” He sighed wearily. “Poor Lass. Every time she smiles, Fate knocks her tae her knees.”

  They sat in silence, feeling the weight of Vittorio’s words settle upon their hearts.

  The young Shinobi eventually retired to his chambers. Yet, the Guardian remained. Unable to leave her balcony, unable to take his admiring eyes off her lovely moon.

  Chapter 28

  Kagi Naga

  (KAH-jee NAH-gah)

  So… you yet live, little Naga.

  “Yes, Nilakanta. I live. And I’m not a Shikabane, like you thought. I’m just a girl. Minus her color and beauty, yes, but flesh and blood, to be sure.” She smiled and hugged his snout.

  You could never be minus your beauty, Milady. Yours comes from within. As I see it, your skin now matches the diamonds upon your back. And there’s little in the world a Dragon loves more than diamonds.

  “Stop spoiling her,” Munenori complained. “She’s hard enough to live with as she is. If you continue to fill her head with praise, there’ll be no getting on with her.”

  Hmm… I believe you’ve done more than enough getting on with her as it is. The gigantic smirk in the Dragon’s words couldn’t be missed. You have been an especially naughty little Angel, Munenori. Yet, I see clearly within her just how much she enjoyed it. So I’ll not scold you further.

  The mossy lavender Angel’s cheeks flamed bright red. “Ugh, Dragons.” He rolled his eyes.

  Nilakanta, you are horrible. She giggled in her thoughts.

  I know, and it’s so much fun. Now, little Naga, tell me how you came by that word. Who told one as young as you about Shikabane?

  You did, my friend. You first asked if I was minus my soul, then you asked if I was a Shikabane.

  The Guardian Angel of Jinn listened closely to their mental exchange, yet did not interfere.

  Not so, little one. I have not spoken with you since you left me here. You should never have left me, Naga. I will not let you do thus again.

  I know. You told me that, too. She winked at him.

  Munenori, help me understand what she speaks of.

  “I know not.” Munenori shook his head. “Uriel said she would be minus heart, soul, and essence when we found her. He said she was only a shell; her true self had been stolen and was prisoner within his blade. Yet, she had retained some of her memories. And she definitely had a heart. It had only been days… yet some rare warrior was begging her as his wife.”

  “He’s not just some warrior,” she said. “He is Finnean, and he is beautiful.”

  Way to go, Naga. Her Dragon’s laugh was deep and warming.

  “Don’t encourage her,” Munenori scowled. “She already has too many beautiful men in her life. She certainly doesn’t need another.”

  “Jealousy doesn’t become you, Brother.” She turned back to Nilakanta. “Anyway, you came to me in a vision or memory or something. I thought you had brought me home. You helped me remember a great deal, much more than I’d been able to on my own. You were there for me when I needed you most.”

  Hmm… There is great magic in this world, and I do not claim to even know the half of it. If by some strange spell I came to you and helped you, then that’s good enough for me. Understanding may come in time.

  “I suppose.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Have you noticed the baby moon?”

  I have. He chuckled. Did you do that, Naga? Did you gift the moon your color?

  “I did.” She smiled brightly. “Do you
like it?”

  Very much, tiny mistress, Nilakanta said. Yet, I am a selfish Dragon. I want you all to myself. Hanging up in the sky like that, everyone gets to enjoy your rare beauty.

  “Tell me.” She leaned against his sapphire neck as she spoke. “Why were you born a Dragon and not a man?”

  He sighed. Ahh, Naga. Being a Dragon is more glorious than being anything else in the universe.

  She giggled. “I suppose you’re right.”

  Besides, you have way too many men in your life as it is, little Naga.

  “Yes,” she mumbled. “Such seems to be the case.” She sighed. “I’m certain I do not recall all of them, not just yet. But the ones I can remember, they are priceless treasures.”

  Then why wish me one of many? As I stand, I am your only Dragon.

  “That you are.” She giggled again. “But we are so much alike, you and I. I simply cannot help but ponder such a thing. Were you a man, we would have too much fun together.”

  Ah, Naga. This universe could not survive it if the two of us were of the same species.

  “We could rule the whole thing.” She held her arms out wide, spinning around in a circle as she giggled. “We would demand many sparkling tributes, and dance under the stars every night until the break of dawn. All meals would be feasts and every moonrise would bring with it a party… and too much wine.”

  Sounds like heaven, Naga. He chuckled then. I believe the more appropriate question should be… Why are you not a Dragon?

  “Hmm… I have been many things thus far. A Dragon doesn’t sound too bad, not too bad at all.” She winked at him. “Who knows, right?”