“You wouldn’t―”
“I am Lilian Pnév̱ma, daughter of Camellia. My Crest is that of the Lily!”
“L-Lilian-sama!” Kotohime was actually starting to look panicked. Her eyes had grown wide and round, and her voice had become slightly shrill. “Stop this at once! You don’t―”
“With my Crest as my witness,” Lilian continued, ignoring Kotohime completely, “and before the eyes and ears of one who serves as a vassal to my clan, and will now serve as witness and messenger to my declaration.”
“Lilian-sama! Stop!”
“I declare that I am no longer―”
“All right!” Kotohime shouted, her high-pitched voice making Kevin wince. “You’ve made your point! Please stop!”
“Are you going to keep disrespecting my mate if I stop?” Lilian asked, her eyes narrowed and a serious frown marring her lips.
Kotohime grimaced, but shook her head.
“No. You have made your point quite clear.”
“Are you going to try and take me away from him?”
“After a performance like that?” Kotohime rubbed her face, which looked haggard and worn, defeated in every way imaginable. “No, I know that such an option is no longer feasible. Not anymore. Not after you’ve made your intentions to me so irrevocably clear.”
“Good.” With that, all of Lilian’s strength seemed to ebb and the young, gorgeous redhead dropped gracelessly into her seat. Her shoulders slumped and her head fell back as she closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.
Silence permeated the room once again, a stillness so complete that Kevin feared breathing too heavily would break it and cause some irreversible catastrophe to occur.
“Um.” But break it he did, because Kevin still felt utterly clueless, and his ignorance was giving him a headache. “Can someone please explain what that was all about?”
***
After the intense conversation at the kitchen table, the group adjourned to the living room, where it was much more comfortable. Kevin and Lilian sat on the couch. For reasons that were beyond him, Kotohime had opted to sit on the floor. She sat in seiza, the traditional Japanese way of sitting that involved kneeling on the floor with one’s legs folded underneath their thighs. It looked very uncomfortable.
“How much has Lilian-sama told you about kitsune?” Kotohime didn’t want to bother beating around the bush, it seemed.
“Not much,” Kevin answered, his eyes squinting and nose wrinkling as he tried to remember what Lilian had told him about kitsune in general. “She mostly told me about kitsune powers, but I also know a little about her family. I know that they live in Greece, and that her family has several mansions located around the world. She mentioned the matriarch, and some of her other family members, too, like her sister and one of her aunts, but that’s about it.”
While Kevin spoke, Lilian quietly sat by his side. She still seemed exhausted by her actions in the kitchen, for her posture was slumped. She also had yet to chime in, which struck him as odd. Lilian was a very talkative girl… fox… girl.
“I see.” Kotohime paused, considering her words. What should she tell him? How much should she tell him? Regardless of Lilian’s choice, this boy was still human, and it wouldn’t do for him to become too involved in kitsune affairs―not at this stage. “In that case, I believe it would be prudent for me to tell you about the Pnév̱ma Clan first. They are one of the Thirteen Great Kitsune Clans. Known as the Great Spirit Clan, they are currently the largest and most powerful clan of Spirit Kitsune in the entire world.”
“Spirit Kitsune?” Kevin’s brows furrowed. He looked at Lilian, then back at Kotohime. “But Lilian’s not a Spirit Kitsune. She’s a Celestial Kitsune.”
“Oh? I had not realized you knew that.” If Kotohime truly was surprised by this information, her face did not show it. “You are correct. Lilian-sama is a Celestial Kitsune. However, she is an anomaly within her clan. With the exception of her and her sister, every other kitsune within the Pnév̱ma clan is a Spirit Kitsune.”
“Ah,” Kevin muttered, “okay.”
“Now where was I?” Kotohime absently polished the blade of her katana. Kevin and Lilian both shivered. “Oh, yes! As one of the Thirteen Great Clans, the Pnév̱ma Clan is a very important part of kitsune society. It is the Thirteen Great Clans that rule over all kitsune; they make the policies on everything from our dealings with other yōkai to policies on interacting with humans. It is the job of each Great Clan to ensure that all kitsune who fall under their jurisdiction follow the laws put in place.”
So Lilian’s family was a bunch of political bigwigs in the kitsune world? He should have figured it was something like that; her family did own several mansions and even had their own maids, after all. It only made sense. He actually felt kind of stupid for not figuring that out sooner.
“And what was all that… that… stuff back there about?” Kevin made a vague gesture toward the kitchen.
Kotohime had to pause before answering. When she did answer, it was slowly, as if she was carefully considering each word before speaking them. “As I have already mentioned, Lilian-sama is something of an oddity within the clan, being the only Celestial Kitsune in a clan full of Spirit Kitsune.”
“The only Celestial Kitsune?” Kevin blinked. “But I thought you said her sister was also―”
“Iris-sama is not a Celestial Kitsune, but a Void Kitsune,” Kotohime interrupted, “which just makes them both all the more unusual.” Her eyes narrowed. “Now stop interrupting me.”
Kevin flinched. “S-sorry.”
Kotohime looked to be barely withholding a snort.
“As I was saying, Lilian-sama is the only Celestial Kitsune of her clan. This would normally be grounds for banishment, as the clan is not supposed to have any type of kitsune other than Spirit Kitsune. It’s a part of the laws that govern the Great Clans in order to keep the balance of power. However, Lilian-sama was born with exceptionally strong celestial abilities.”
There was another pause. Kotohime looked thoughtful, as if she was remembering something from long ago.
“Normally, a kitsune will not exhibit signs of their elemental affinity until they gain their third tail. Exceptionally powerful kitsune may do so some time after they gain their second. Lilian-sama and Iris-sama both showed signs of their Celestial and Void powers before they’d even gained their second tail. They possess powers that are so strong they unconsciously manifested before either of them gained a human form.”
Kevin looked over at Lilian in shock and awe. Lilian noticed his expression and looked away, her cheeks surprisingly red.
“You never mentioned that.”
“I didn’t think it was important,” Lilian admitted, though he thought there might have been another motive for her omission.
“Such a thing is generally unheard of. There was simply no way Pnév̱ma-denka was going to let such power go,” Kotohime continued. “If she did, then the Great Celestial and Void Clans,Shénshèngand Gitsune, would have taken Lilian-sama and Iris-sama in, gaining even greater power than before and upsetting her clan’s place among those two already imposing forces. Pnév̱ma-denka went against several generations’ worth of tradition, and even broke the law to keep Lilian-sama and Iris-sama in the clan. She did this by rallying many of the lesser clans into action, perpetrating the fear they had about what would happen ifShénshèngand Gitsune gained any more power than they already had.”
“She only did it to gain more political power,” Lilian muttered, her voice a low-pitched growl. “She didn’t care about my sister or me. She just kept us so the other two clans wouldn’t gain more power through us.”
Kotohime sighed sadly, but didn’t say anything to dispute the girl.
“What do you mean by that?” Kevin asked. “How was that a power play?”
Before Lilian could answer—if she had any intentions of actually doing so—Kotohime spoke up again. “What Lilian-sama is speaking of are the mating arrangements that were made by Pnév̱ma
-denka and the leader of theShénshèng Clan, TheBodhisattva,ShénshèngShinkuro-dono.”
Kevin’s gut clenched uncomfortably as an unusual feeling welled up inside of him, one that he instinctively recognized, but couldn’t identify. Whatever this feeling was, it aggravated him greatly, like an itch he couldn’t scratch because it was underneath his skin, wriggling beneath layers of flesh like earthworms underneath the soil.
“What do you mean by mating arrangements?”
Beside him, Lilian clenched two fistfuls of her jean shorts, her fingers grasping the fabric with almost painful harshness.
“I mean just what I said. It is not unusual for two clans to make mating arrangements for the benefit of both clans,” Kotohime answered. “Of course, generally, the mating arrangements are done between one of the Thirteen Great Clans and a lesser clan of the same type. This was the first time that arrangements had been made by two Great Clans.”
Kevin still had trouble grasping the concept being presented to him, or maybe his mind simply refused to understand because of the consequences knowing would bring.
“And by mating arrangements, you mean…”
“Think of it as a human marriage contract.”
Kevin sucked in a breath. He didn’t really know much about marriage contracts. They had been used centuries ago—like, before America had even become America. What little he did know came from history textbooks, a couple of novels and manga he’d read, mostly ones that focused on European-esque fantasy settings, and occasionally Japan’s Sengoku period.
“So then she―I mean, Lilian is…”
“Nothing is definite yet,” Kotohime answered before he could finish, “Lilian-sama has not been promised to anyone, but there have been several candidates who have expressed interest in her, including Shinkuro-dono’s youngest son.”
Kevin frowned. The suffix “dono” meant sir or madam, but it sounded like Shinkuro held the same status as Lilian’s grandmother.
Is she using a less respectful suffix because she doesn’t like this Shinkuro guy?
At the mention of Shinkuro’s son, Lilian’s hand sought out Kevin’s. He looked down as she clutched his hand in desperation. It was shaking. Thin, feminine fingers quivered as they grasped his.
Almost without conscious thought, Kevin turned his hand over so he could return the gesture.
Kotohime saw this and frowned, but said nothing. It was not her place to mention things like propriety, not after Lilian had made her intentions toward Kevin clear.
That did not mean she would approve of this relationship, however. If Kevin was going to be Lilian’s mate, he would have to prove himself first. If he did not—well, this would not be the first time a young kitsune had been left heartbroken by the loss of her mate.
***
Kevin and Lilian prepared for bed the moment Kotohime’s impromptu lesson on kitsune culture ended. It was late. The sun had already sunk behind the mountain range in the distance, the stars and moon coming out to bless the night with their brilliant luster.
As he stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror while brushing his teeth, Kevin thought about everything he had learned that day. There was a lot more to kitsune than he had initially suspected. He’d assumed that kitsune had a culture of their own, of course, but he had been expecting something similar to human culture. Everything Kotohime had told him was vastly different from what he had been expecting, and there was likely a lot more that he still didn’t know; maybe more than he would ever be able to learn in his lifetime.
That thought, the realization that he knew so little about the girl who lived with him, about her people and culture, was truly humbling.
He once again went back to Lilian’s situation. Her matriarch, who Kevin had learned during Kotohime’s lecture was actually Lilian’s grandmother on her father’s side, wanted to set her up with a mate.
A Mating Arrangement. Kotohime had said that it was similar to a marriage contract. It was basically the act of two clans arranging for members of their respective clans to mate. This union would create a child, who would then become an honorary member of both clans. It was a way of tying two clans together, an alliance forged through the combining of two bloodlines.
In other words, a marriage of convenience.
And Lilian’s grandmother wanted to set her up in one. Just thinking about his housemate being forced to mate with someone against her will caused a sharp pain to appear within his chest, like an icy hand wrapping around his heart and squeezing it into a fine paste. He could only imagine how Lilian must feel.
His gaze flickered to Lilian. The redhead wore a pair of yellow flannel pants and a pink spaghetti strap shirt that flattered her figure quite well―which was an oxymoron, because it implied there was some article of clothing out there that didn’t flatter her figure. It was a preposterous notion, to be sure. Lilian was so beautiful it was almost a crime. She could probably wear mud and make it look better than a 10 million dollar gown being worn by a Playboy model.
He went back to staring at his own reflection before she could notice him looking at her.
Kevin recalled how Lilian had been unable to tell him why she was so far from home when they first met. At the time, he had assumed she was just embarrassed by her situation, but now he knew better. She had run away, all in an effort to avoid marrying some jerk she didn’t even like.
After finishing their nightly ritual (brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash), the pair strolled into the hall where their progress was halted by Kotohime. The woman hadn’t moved from her guard position by the door the entire time he and Lilian had been preparing for bed. She’d followed them, walking several steps behind the two like a chaperone or escort, and then stopped by the bathroom door and remained there. It was kind of creepy, but Kevin tried his best to ignore the woman.
“Lilian-sama, could I have a moment of your time?”
Lilian looked at Kotohime with an inscrutable expression. Emotions flickered within her emerald irises, flashing by before he could figure out what she was thinking. Her features, which appeared tumultuous and lost, really did not suit her.
“I suppose,” Lilian turned her head to look at Kevin. “I’ll be back in a bit.” She smiled, but it wasn’t a true smile. It didn’t reach her eyes.
He smiled back, keeping up the charade. If Lilian didn’t want to worry him, then he would indulge her. It was the least he could do.
“I’ll just wait in our room.”
Lilian’s smile widened, transforming into something genuine. He wondered why, but decided not to question what made her so happy. Some things were better off remaining unknown.
***
Kotohime led Lilian onto a tiny balcony attached to the Swift residence. The older kitsune stood by the wall that acted as a railing while Lilian stood next to her, looking anywhere but at Kotohime.
A sigh was released when Kotohime realized that her charge was going to keep avoiding eye contact.
“Lilian-sama,” Kotohime said, her tone resigned, “I hope you understand what you are doing. Going against Pnév̱ma-denka’s will is not something to be done lightly, or at all. Need I remind you of what happened to the last person who defied the matriarch?”
“I am not my father,” Lilian snapped. She held Kotohime’s gaze long enough to penetrate her maid with a fierce stare. The kimono-clad femme was unaffected. Lilian sighed and looked away.
Lilian knew next to nothing about her father, the man who had given birth to her. She didn’t even know his name. Speaking about him was forbidden. Only Abercio, one of her many half-uncles and someone who seemed to have been close to her father, had the audacity to speak about him, and he’d been punished severely for doing so. Even now, after nearly a century, he wasn’t allowed to enter the clan’s estate in Greece.
The only thing she knew was that her father had been banished for defying the matriarch, an unforgivable offense. Lilian assumed he was dead. Kitsune with no clan didn’t live very long without a benefact
or, and no one would take in someone with the stigma of having been banished. Being banished meant you were a disgrace, and a disgraced kitsune wasn’t someone another clan would willingly take in, lest they invoke the wrath of the clan that had done the banishing.
“True, but you are a product of his defiance,” Kotohime said. “Your father had already been promised to another when he met Camellia-sama and had you and your sister. He was banished for his insolence, and the only reason Pnév̱ma-denka accepted your mother into the clan was because of the power you and your sister possess.”
“You don’t have to remind me,” Lilian wilted. Her ears, normally upright and perky, drooped. She did not like being reminded of their position within the clan. “I know that. Daphne always reminds me about how fortunate we are for the matriarch’s mercy every chance she gets.”
She didn’t enjoy thinking about her extended family. Very few members of her clan actually liked her thanks to the issues surrounding her parents’ union. It was that very same hatred which led Lilian and her immediate family to take up residence in the United States―well, that, and the fact that she had been a hellion for the past couple of years. Lilian assumed the matriarch had gotten sick of her attitude and decided to send them as far from the main estate as possible.
Her mother never spoke of her father. Lilian knew that the reason for this was partly due to her mom’s degrading mental faculties. It was hard to talk about someone you could barely remember, and harder still to talk about someone when you had the mind of a five year old. However, Lilian also believed part of the reason was because thinking about her father hurt. The man her mother loved, and who Lilian had chosen to believe loved her back, had been a disobedient traitor who defied the matriarch. That kind of information was not something people willingly wanted to remember.
“So, that boy…” Kotohime interrupted Lilian’s thought process. “Is he…?”
“Yes.”
“I see.” A pause. Kotohime visibly gathered her thoughts. “And does he…?”
“Of course he doesn’t.” Lilian shook her head. “Not that I would expect him to. He was just a child back then, a cute little boy no older than six or seven.” Her smile turned bitter as she spoke. “Besides, we both know that even if his memories did extend that far back, he’d still have no recollection of me. My family saw to that.”
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