by Cole Gibsen
Kim frowned. “I know you want to say goodbye. I understand—but she won’t recognize you.”
“I know.” I nodded. “It’s not that.” I turned away from him and gave a pointed look to Dr. Wendell. “You have to take care of her. You owe me that.”
He was quiet a moment before clearing his throat. “Rileigh, listen. I’m your handler—well, at least I was. And that meant part of my job was to keep a close eye on you.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “At first, my interest in your mother was strictly business-minded. I saw her as an opportunity to get closer to you.”
A small flame of anger flickered inside me. Reflexively, my fingers curled into fists. “Go on.”
He sighed. “I just want you to know that after I got to know your mother, I’ll admit I did fall for her. She’s a remarkable woman, Rileigh—amazing, really. Just like her daughter.”
The flame inside of me extinguished and my fingers uncurled.
“You should know,” he continued, “that I care for your mother a great deal. And I will look after her as long as she’ll have me around.”
The knot of anxiety inside me loosened. After my grandmother died, I was the only real family my mother had. I had no idea what Dr. Wendell would tell her about me—but I hated to think she’d have to suffer alone. At least I could leave now with the comfort that she’d be looked after by someone who genuinely cared for her. “Thank you,” I said.
He nodded. “You should also know that, even though the two of us haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, I’ve also grown to care about you a great deal.” He sucked in a shaking breath. “I’m going to miss you.” He lifted a finger and pointed it at Kim. “And I want to know when you’ve arrived safely … well, wherever
you go. Don’t disappear forever.”
Disappear forever. The words echoing inside my mind made my gut clench—not because Kim and I were finally going to be together, but because we were going to walk away from our current lives and never look back.
Kim’s fingers slipped into mine. “Are you ready?”
I bit my lip. Was anyone ever ready to leave their life behind? I sucked in a breath and shrugged. “I guess I am. It’s not like I have a bag to pack. I don’t own anything.”
He shook his head. “You’re wrong. There are two things that belong to you—this.” He bent over and picked up my
discarded katana from the ground. After handing it to me, he took my free hand and placed a hand over his heart. “And this.”
His heart beat under my open palm, as if it wanting to leap into my hand. I swallowed, my throat suddenly tight. “That’s all I need.”
And it was.
33
Kim loaded the last duffle bag into his car and slammed the trunk while Rosie danced around his feet. The other samurai had arrived sooner than we’d expected and now stood half-circled around us like mourners at a wake.
“Rileigh, I’m so sorry we didn’t realize Sumi was impersonating you sooner.” Michelle’s lip trembled, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
“Is that why you’re leaving?” Braden asked. “Because we failed you?”
Kim whirled around. “Of course not! No one here failed anyone. We’re leaving because it’s going to be too hard for Rileigh to remain here and be reminded of the life she no longer has. We’re off to claim a new one.”
Drew folded his arms across his chest, his lips tight.
Kim placed a hand on his arm. “Brother, this isn’t forever. Once we’re settled, we’ll let you know where we are and you can join us.”
Drew’s face softened. “Really?”
Kim smiled. “Of course. We’re family. A lifetime doesn’t change that.”
Drew looked away, and for a moment I feared that would be the end of their goodbye.
Kim must have thought so, too, because his smile dissolved. He started to turn, but Drew caught him by his arm and pulled him in for a hug, thumping his fist against his back as he did. “Brothers,” he whispered.
“Forever,” Kim agreed. He slowly pulled away. “That goes for you as well.” He cast pointed looks at Michelle and Braden.
“What about the Network?” Michelle asked. “What about our jobs as samurai?”
“We will always be samurai,” Kim answered. “The Network doesn’t determine that. Besides, I think it’s time we stop fulfilling the missions of others, and instead focus on our own mission.”
“But what’s that?” Braden asked.
Kim arched a single eyebrow. “That is your mission—to figure it out.”
Braden frowned. “Now you’re starting to sound like Lord Toyotomi.”
My breath caught at the mention of his name. Kim and I exchanged quick glances before both of us looked away. We hadn’t mentioned to the others that we’d seen him, and I could tell by Kim’s reaction he wasn’t eager to bring up the subject. How would they feel knowing we’d found him only to lose him again? Our first stop on our journey was to find out if he was okay. If he wasn’t … it was probably for the best the others didn’t know.
I glanced over my shoulder at the dojo. Q stood in the doorway and waved. With my throat tight, I waved back. I knew he couldn’t come out because he and Dr. Wendell were standing guard over Sumi until the Network arrived—and for that, I was glad. I could hold my emotions inside as long as there was distance between us. But if he were to come out here and put his arms around me, I was sure to fall apart.
“Rileigh?” Worry laced Michelle’s voice. “Are you okay?”
I was quiet a moment, unsure how to answer. I glanced at my reflection in the car window, still surprised to see Sumi’s face staring back at me. Would there ever be a time when I could look into a mirror and own the reflection staring back? “I hope so,” I answered. “Maybe with time.”
She nodded and opened her mouth to say something when Rosie scratched my leg and began to whimper.
Kim looked down at her and frowned. “What’s the matter, Rosie? I just took you for a walk.”
Rosie yipped and spun circles around us.
“I wonder what’s gotten into her,” Kim muttered.
No sooner had he asked the question than a yellow taxi pulled into the parking lot and stopped in front of the dojo doors.
Kim and I exchanged uneasy glances. It wasn’t like we were expecting anyone—especially not in a taxi.
The car door opened on the side farthest from us, and someone climbed out. A moment later, the door closed and the taxi pulled away, leaving its passenger behind.
My heart dropped into my knees. No. It couldn’t be.
Yipping, Rosie bolted to Gene and spun in circles around his legs. I pressed my hand over my mouth, still not believing the sight before me.
Braden was the first to speak. “Um, do any of you know this guy?”
“Gene,” I whispered, through my fingers.
“Who?” Michelle asked.
After petting Rosie long enough to get her to stop hopping, Gene looked in our direction and smiled. “You made it! I never doubted it for a second.” With his cane poised in front of him, he made his way over to us.
“How?” Kim asked, his eyes wide. “You were horribly outnumbered.”
Gene chuckled. “A skilled warrior goes into a fight knowing his only fight is with death. An unskilled warrior goes into a fight only to win.”
“Look, I’m sorry to interrupt.” Drew narrowed his eyes. “But exactly who are you?”
“Ah, Seiko.” Gene reached out and clasped Drew’s arm. “Still looking out for your brother, I see.”
Drew made a choked noise and the color drained from his face.
Braden crossed his arms. “How do you know that?”
“Yeah,” Michelle added. “What’s going on?”
Gene let go of Drew and clapped his hands together. “Yorimichi and Kiyomori! Ho
w wonderful! You’re all here.”
Michelle swallowed before answering. “We are. And since you know so much about us, would you care to explain who you are?”
Gene grinned. “My dear samurai, could it be you do not remember your old master?”
Michelle gasped and Braden staggered back as if he’d been punched. Drew, on the other hand, remained motionless.
Gene rested a hand on Rosie’s head and her tongue rolled out of the side of her mouth. She sat and her tail swished the ground at his feet.
“My dear samurai,” Gene began, “while I’ve waited a lifetime for this moment, I’m afraid a proper reunion will have to wait. I’m here to help our Senshi.”
Even though I couldn’t see his eyes through the dark glasses he wore, I could feel his gaze settle on me.
“Things have not been set right,” Gene said. “I can feel it.”
I swallowed several times before my throat loosened enough to allow me to speak. “I’m so thankful you’re all right, Gene. But I’m afraid your trip here was wasted. I ran out of time. I’m … ” Emotion cracked my voice. “I’m stuck this way.”
“Hmm.” Gene frowned. He reached out and grabbed my arm and gave it a squeeze. “Maybe you are stuck this way—but maybe not.”
“No.” I gently pried my arm free from his grip. “I’m afraid it’s true. My friend Q is a healer, and he confirmed it. This is who I am now.”
Gene tilted his head down. “We’re manipulators of ki, you and I, correct?”
“I used to be,” I answered.
Gene waved my words away. “So you know better than most the true state of the spirit. It is not an immovable object but something fluid. Spirit is always moving, always flowing.”
My hands began to tremble. “What are you saying?”
He shrugged. “I’m saying this would have been no problem
if I’d reached you before your spirit rooted inside this body. Now? Things are a bit tricky. But that’s not to say it’s impossible.”
“What do you mean tricky?” Kim asked.
“Whatever ritual was performed, Rileigh’s spirit was severed from her body, allowing it to be moved into another. Typically when a spirit is drained from a body, the end result can be quite dangerous.”
“More than dangerous,” I added. I thought about all the times I’d used my ability to manipulate ki in battle, knowing what would happen to me if I used all of it. “It could be fatal.”
“Exactly.” Gene nodded, his lips set in a grim line. “Death is a very real possibility. But that’s where I come into play. I can use my own spirit to sustain your bodies while we attempt the switch—something that wouldn’t be possible without another ki manipulator.”
“You’re saying it’s possible?” Hope swelled inside me like helium, making me feel on the verge of floating.
“Yes,” he answered. “But I won’t lie to you. There are risks. I’ve never attempted anything like this before.”
Kim grasped my hand tightly and spun me to face him. Lines of worry creased his brow. “You don’t have to do this,” he said. “I meant it when I said I don’t care what you look like. My feelings for you will never change.”
“I know.” I squeezed his hands. “But it matters to me.” I glanced at my reflection—Sumi’s reflection—in the car window. “Any other body, and I could handle it. But to see her? Every day for the rest of my life?” I shook my head. “If there’s even a small chance I could get my body back—my life back—I have to try.”
For several heartbeats, Kim said nothing. Finally, he nodded. “If you’re sure this is what you want.”
“I’m sure.”
Kim sucked in a breath. “All right. We better hurry. The Network will be here soon, and we don’t need them interrupting us.”
Gene grinned. “And I don’t think they’re going to be too excited to see me again.”
Braden shook his head. “I still can’t believe this is happening.”
Kim met my eyes, and I silently nodded. This was the right decision. I knew there were risks, but any chance I had to get out of my enemy’s body was a chance I had to take.
34
With my back against the dojo’s rubber mats, I stared at the ceiling and tried to pretend this was just another training session with Kim and the samurai. Still, I couldn’t help but glance to my right at my unmoving body beside me. “You have no idea how weird this is,” I said.
“I think I have a pretty good idea.” Quentin kneeled beside my body’s head. “Don’t worry,” he said when he caught me glance at it for the umpteenth time. “If she wakes up, I’ll zap her.”
I swallowed and watched Gene light the ring of candles he’d placed around our bodies. When he finished, he turned to me with a smile. “Are you ready?”
I clenched my jaw and swallowed. “Let’s do this.”
The door separating the dojo from the lobby squeaked open. I tilted my chin to see Dr. Wendell, Kim, and the other samurai step inside.
“Well?” Gene asked.
“We should have more time than I expected,” Dr. Wendell answered. “I just got off the phone with the Network, and they told me they were delayed in Ohio. Something about having all the tires on their vehicles slashed?”
Gene grinned. “I guess fortune smiles upon us this day.”
I gave him a knowing look. “Fortune? Is that what we’re calling reincarnated daimyos these days?”
“Never you mind that.” He rubbed his hands together. “Let’s get started.” He kneeled between me and Sumi and glanced over his shoulder at the samurai hovering by the door. “I’m sorry. This is a delicate procedure, and I’m going to need complete concentration. If you would all be so kind as to wait outside.”
Alarm rang through me like a bell. I didn’t want Kim to leave. If anything went wrong, I needed him close by.
Dr. Wendell opened the door and ushered Michelle, Braden, and Drew back into the lobby.
Kim didn’t budge.
“Kim?” Dr. Wendell called.
“Can’t he stay?” I asked Gene. “I’d be calmer if he were here. And I know he won’t distract you.”
Gene was quiet so long I was sure he was going to say no. Finally, he shook his head and chuckled. “Like he’d leave even if I said no?” He waved Kim over.
Seconds later, Kim hovered over me. Lines of worry pinched his brow.
“Sit, sit.” Gene patted the mat beside my head. “The only rule—and it’s extremely important—is that you mustn’t touch her. No matter what. Understand?”
Kim opened his mouth to argue, but Gene cut him off with the wave of his hand. “Do not doubt for a minute that I can remove you from this dojo in an instant. This is a delicate ceremony involving the transference of spirit. There’s no telling what outside contact could do. We don’t want Rileigh to accidentally end up inside your body with you, do we?”
My heart quivered against my ribs. “That’s a possibility?”
Gene shrugged. “There’s no telling what could happen. So let’s just plan on being safe over sorry.”
Kim kneeled beside me, his eyes wide.
Gene looked at me. “Rileigh, are you ready to begin?”
My pulse thrummed like an electric current inside my veins. Was I ready? What if it didn’t work? Or worse, what if something went wrong and my spirit bled out for good?
My throat went dry as I considered the possibilities. But then I thought of my mom, and Q, and everyone and everything I’d have to leave behind if I couldn’t get my body back. I had to try, for them and for me. I couldn’t surrender my life to Sumi without a fight.
I bit my lip and nodded.
“Very well.” Gene held his arms out. “Hands?”
Quentin plucked Sumi’s hand from the ground and placed it into Gene’s.
After a moment of hesi
tation, I closed my eyes and reached out my hand.
A second later, Gene’s fingers gripped mine and an electric current jolted through me where our hands met.
I gasped and arched my back.
“Hang on, Rileigh.” Gene’s voice wavered with strain. “Your spirit may be rooted inside Sumi’s body, but it’s eager to break free. The first thing we need to do is sever the root.”
I wasn’t sure if he was right about my spirit wanting to break free—but I could certainly feel something breaking inside of me. What felt like an invisible rope wrapped around my insides, pulling tighter and tighter until I thought I might burst.
A gasp of pain pushed through my clenched teeth.
“Rileigh?” Worry laced Kim’s words.
“Breathe, Rileigh!” Gene squeezed my hand. “Just try to relax. You might feel a tugging sensation.”
Before I could ask him what he meant, a stabbing pain pierced my chest. Unable to open my eyes, I was sure my insides were being ripped apart by daggers. A scream tore from my throat.
“What’s wrong?” Kim shouted. “This can’t be right.”
“I’m—I’m not sure.” Gene answered between labored gasps. “I think her spirit’s been too deeply embedded inside the body. I-I think it might be ripping her apart.”
A fire erupted inside of me, burning white-hot beneath my skin as it blazed a trail across my body. With an agonized cry, I opened my eyes to find the world around me shifting and out of focus, like I was looking through the glass of a fish bowl. Kim was nothing more than a dark shadow above me.
“Gene!” Quentin cried. “Look! We need to stop this.”
I didn’t have to see to know he was pointing out the trail of blood dribbling from my mouth. I could taste its coppery sweetness as it bubbled up from my throat and spilled over my tongue. No matter how much I gagged, coughed, and spit, I couldn’t rid my throat of blood. I was literally choking in it.
Gene released me. From a faraway place, I felt my hand hit the floor.
“Oh, my God.” Kim’s voice drifted inside my head, sounding
miles away instead of above me. “Don’t do this to me. Don’t
