I shook my head. “N-no, I'll be… okay. I need to tell you… to tell you what happened.”
So-yi glanced at her mother and her partner in turn. “What's going on, Mama?”
“I don't know. I suppose the little fox will be able to tell us, but she's so exhausted that I'm afraid she'll just pass right back out in the middle of the telling. We need to do what we can to help her.”
“Yeah,” Nicole agreed.
“Nicole, help her get out of those ruined clothes. I'm going to go make some food and tea. So-yi, draw a hot bath and help her get cleaned up.”
I marveled as Yoshiko's hastily-barked orders were quickly put into practice. So-yi rushed out of the room, heading toward the bathroom. Nicole, encumbered by her late-term pregnancy, was given the simpler task of stripping my shredded clothing away.
“I hope you don't mind me seeing.” Nicole's cheeks were faintly flushed as she started to pull away what she could with her hands. For the rest, she slipped a small folding knife from its place clipped to her pocket and began to carefully slice away the more stubborn remnants of my outfit.
The sharp steel made short work of the melted and shredded garments. Nicole piled the rags on the coffee table. I felt the cool air across my bare skin once she was finished. My boots were fortunately leather and only the nylon laces melted from the heat of the redirected spell-flame.
Nicole studied my boots for a long moment, trying to discern the best way to remove them without hurting me. Her hands were steady as she made shallow cuts across the melted laces and took the boots off my feet, pulling with them crumbling bits of cotton that had once been my socks.
“Can you stand?”
I nodded and held a hand out. Nicole pulled me up with surprising ease and I managed to stay on my feet with only a slight wobble.
“Come on, I'll help you to the bath,” she offered. I was grateful for the help; until I figured out a way to maximize the efficiency of the repurposed mana bond, it would be best if I kept exertions to an absolute minimum.
So-yi was already in the bathroom, having filled the tub ahead of me. Wisps of steam rose from the surface. “Thanks, dear, I'll take it from here. You should go rest—”
“So-yi, stop that,” Nicole interrupted. “I can handle helping out with this, honest.”
“Fine, fine, then go see if Mama needs any help in the kitchen. I can help Misaki get cleaned up. It's not like there's really room in here for more than two people, anyway.”
I studied the tub, my expression a little disappointed. So-yi's house was built in the Western style and didn't have a very good bath tub. I slowly eased myself over the edge of the tub and lowered into the soothing heat of the water, my arms shaking as they struggled to support my weight.
“Is it warm enough for you?”
I glanced up at So-yi and forced a smile. “It's perfect. Thank you for helping me.”
So-yi bent down near the tub and produced a bottle of bath wash. I closed my eyes and tried to relax as best I could as she worked to clean off all the dust, dried blood and other bits of detritus that clung to my body and matted my hair and the fur of my tail. My ears flicked and laid flat as I felt So-yi's fingers scratch at the base.
“I want to know what happened, but I guess it doesn't make sense for you to have to tell it more than once,” she stated as her fingers plunged into my disheveled hair, gently pulling the locks apart and coating them with soap.
My tail splashed in the water between my legs. “I'll explain…”
So-yi's fingers drew out of my hair and I felt a torrent of warm water poured over my head, rinsing out the soap and leaving it clean. I opened my eyes and peered through the curtain of wet hair at my love's sister. Her face was calm, but I could tell easily enough that her emotions were in turmoil beneath the surface.
“Keep your eyes closed for now, Misaki.” So-yi picked up a bottle of conditioning lotion and squirted a generous dollop in her hands. I acquiesced to her wishes and closed my eyes, trying to keep my mind clear and still and just enjoy the comforting sensations as the fingers massaged my scalp.
Another deluge of warm water cascaded over my head. I opened my eyes and saw So-yi holding out her hand to help me stand. I took the offered assistance and managed to get over the edge of the tub without stumbling. Already I was feeling much stronger as I adjusted to the tenuous bond linking me to Karin, my body and spirit somehow adapting to the far leaner energy source.
“Thank you.”
So-yi smiled. “Here, let's get you dried off. You can wear a yukata for tonight; we'll let you borrow some of Nicole's clothing for tomorrow. You two are close to the same size, so it should be fine.”
I took the offered towel and patted myself dry. Even though I created the healing bond, such magic was not something I understood perfectly. The mana that flowed from Karin's spirit and into mine was a trickle compared to the torrent that had once passed through the Relic, but it was enough to maintain my physical body.
“You're looking a lot better,” So-yi noted.
“Amazing what a little rest and a hot bath can do. Food will help, too.”
“I'm sure Mama and Nicole have that well in hand. Come on, let's go.”
I pulled the brown yukata on and tied the sash. So-yi led me into the dining room, to the same table that Karin and I shared with them the night before. I had been here only a day ago, and yet it felt nearly as distant as another lifetime.
“I didn't have much time to prepare, but I think this should do.”
Yoshiko came into the dining room with a serving platter heaped with grilled meat. The smell was heavenly; my stomach emitted a loud and ungraceful growl that prompted all three of the women to smile. Nicole set down plates and a container filled with freshly-steamed white rice.
I sat down and Yoshiko placed a well-laden plate down before me, accompanied by a smaller bowl of rice. The meal was a simple one: strips of rare beef marinated in soy sauce, honey, garlic and fresh chilies and seared briefly on the grill. I picked up my chopsticks and began to eat with far more enthusiasm than could be considered ladylike.
Yoshiko served three more plates with significantly less meat and distributed them evenly around the table. The four of us ate amidst a tense silence. I knew Karin's family was anxious to know what had happened, but they suffered the delay for my sake.
Several minutes later my plate was empty and I sipped at a cup of green tea that Yoshiko brewed fresh for me. She and her daughter and daughter-in-law all gazed upon me expectantly.
“I'm sorry I was too weak and exhausted to tell you right away. Things are really confusing right now, but… Karin is gone. Alive, but being held against her will.”
The relief on Yoshiko's face was obvious, but she couldn't quite rid her expression of worry. I felt vaguely sick in the knowledge that what I had to say would only worry Yoshiko even further.
“That's the only good news I have.” I frowned and my tail's reflexive swishing slowed, my ears drooping slightly. “She was hurt badly, maybe even in a coma, and AEGIS took her away through threat of force.”
“Where did they take her?” Yoshiko demanded.
“I have no idea, but you should hear the whole thing.” I sipped at my tea for a moment and took a slow, calming breath. “Karin and I were assigned to a major case, just as we told you before we departed. We were investigating a person of interest when everything started to go wrong.”
I paused and sipped at my tea. My throat felt raw, my voice just the slightest bit hoarse. The three women all looked upon me with a mixture of sympathy and anxious curiosity, waiting for an explanation. I gave a brief account of the events that led up to Karin's capture, omitting her contact with the mysterious mage. The base reality of what had happened would be difficult enough for our family to process.
“We were attacked at the crime scene. Karin and I managed to hold the enemy off until Star arrived with reinforcements. The five of us drove them off, but we lost one agent and another was
seriously wounded. Karin was struck down by a surprise attack. After the battle was over, she was alive, but unconscious and unresponsive.”
Yoshiko glanced at her youngest daughter and then back at me, but said nothing. My tail curled around my thigh, brushing my skin through the thin fabric of the borrowed yukata.
“Star requested a cleanup team to secure the scene and a medical unit to evacuate Karin and the wounded agent. Instead, black-armored soldiers arrived on the scene and forcibly relieved Star of her command. They shot their wounded agent and took Karin away. I don't know where she was taken, or for what purpose.”
So-yi and Nicole were stricken, both wearing horrified expressions. I hazarded a glance at Yoshiko and I was not surprised to see a complete and cold lack of emotion. She was a very strong woman with solid convictions. Yoshiko wouldn't easily break down, even at the prospect of possibly losing another child.
“So what are you going to do about it?”
The blunt delivery of the question sent tremors through my heart. I couldn't maintain my composure any longer. The tears gathered in my eyes and I buried my face in my hands. Even though she hadn't meant to, Yoshiko could not have done more damage if she had struck me physically.
“There's nothing I can do about it.” My tone was low, hoarse and miserable. “I may still be alive, but the tenuous bond that still ties me to Karin is too weak. I originally created it to help her injuries heal—it was never intended to perpetuate my physical manifestation. The spell-flame is all I can manage with so little mana. I have no idea where she was taken or what our former employers intend to do with her.”
“Nothing good, I'm sure,” So-yi muttered. I expected the grim set of her face; Karin's sister had never fully trusted AEGIS, a point of contention that occasionally produced arguments between the two sisters over the past several months. Now, it seemed, So-yi had been right all along.
“I know, and that's exactly why you must do something, little fox.” Yoshiko's voice was sharp yet also somehow comforting. “We all love Karin deeply, but we are just ordinary people who lived our lives without magic's touch. You are the only one capable of bringing her back to us.”
“B-but I'm almost powerless,” I objected, my ears drooping as my heart sank. “Even if I wasn't, I wouldn't even know where to start looking.”
“You mentioned that Star was forcibly removed from consideration.”
I blinked at Yoshiko, not immediately understanding her meaning. “She had no choice but to follow her orders—”
Yoshiko held up a hand to stop me. “That's what I mean. If her command was stripped away from her, it would imply that she would not have followed her orders had the decision been left up to her.”
My ears drooped even further. “I agree. She looked… crushed. Betrayed.”
Yoshiko's expression became pensive. “Do you have some way of contacting her?”
“I'm sure that the agency is monitoring her communications.” I tried not to sink deeper into my seat, but I felt more powerless than I ever had in my entire six hundred years of existence. The centuries I spent enslaved to the Tsukimura clan was nothing compared to the pain of being separated from Karin.
“I don't mean with a phone or a computer,” Yoshiko corrected. “Can't you use your power to reach out to her through magic?”
“I'm not sure if I know Star well enough to cast a sending that her mind won't reflexively reject.” I ran my hands over my tail, feeling the rough patches where rapid magical healing had knitted flesh and restored fur. It was just another reminder that my world had been turned completely upside down and nothing was likely to ever be the same again.
Light reflected off the heart-shaped ruby on the ring I wore on my right hand, one-half of a matched set. My eyes widened as the realization dawned on me. The bonds between Star, Karin and myself were strong. Even if we never knew her real name, or how old she was or what her favorite foods were, Star still fought with us and bled with us.
Maybe that was enough.
Yoshiko reached out and placed her hand upon mine. “It's worth making the attempt, little fox. Even if you fail, you'll be no worse off than you were five minutes ago.”
“Okay. I'll try.”
I didn't want to mention that in my weakened state, even such a minor invocation would tire me quickly. For now, at least, I was safe and even if the attempt did render me helpless, I had nothing to fear here.
I stood up from the chair and walked through the kitchen to the sliding glass door that led into the back yard. A wooden deck and gazebo had been erected and furnished with chairs and a table. I closed the door behind me and sat down near the edge of the deck, looking out into the rain as the storm raged in the sky.
With slow, even breaths I drifted off into a focus trance, sharpening my will just as I'd done with the continuous invocation the previous night. Such a minor casting would normally be a simple scribing of a runic phrase, but by first attuning myself to the magic within, I could reduce the strain on my spirit.
I allowed thoughts, cares, wants and fears to drain away. With singular purity of purpose, I traced the runes of the spell. I felt the mana slowly feed into the casting, using only the absolute minimum necessary. My body began to feel heavy and an indescribable weariness settled over me, but I ignored it and pressed on.
My thoughts exploded with memories of Star, of her rare but shy and unguarded smile, her embarrassed blush as she gifted us with the rings we still wore. I felt a brief sensation like static that suddenly cleared away. I could faintly feel Star's surprise and wariness as she recognized another mind touching hers, but the contact was successful!
Star, this is Misaki. I need to talk to you. Meet me at the place where I spilled coffee on your skirt at noon tomorrow.
I felt her mind relax as the wariness receded. Without knowledge of the invocation I used to contact her, Star could not reply with words, but connected to her mind as I was, I could roughly gauge her emotional state. I felt her mind become calm and agreeable, with the faintest surge of hope.
My eyes opened and I released the connection. The mental numbness that followed the touching of minds in such a way flooded through me and my eyes started to droop against my will. I yawned tremendously, but managed to keep my wits about me as I stood up and walked back into the house.
“How did it go?”
I wasn't surprised to see Yoshiko waiting for me in the dining room, sitting at the table with a pot of tea and an empty cup waiting to be filled. She sipped at her own cup and waited patiently while I sat down and helped myself to the tea.
“How long was I out there?”
Yoshiko shrugged. “A little over two hours. Nicole and So-yi already went to bed. Being pregnant can really wear you out.”
“Speaking from experience?” I asked, trying to keep my tone casual. Yoshiko snorted good-naturedly and refilled her cup of tea. I settled into the chair and took a long, slow sip. The brew was strong and bitter; Yoshiko and I both shared similar tastes in tea.
“Oh, yes. My second pregnancy in particular was very exhausting. Things didn't really change after she was born, either.”
“I think I was able to reach Star,” I murmured, trying to change the subject away from Karin before I could think too much about her. “She couldn't reply in words without also knowing how to cast a sending, but the touching of minds always allows some emotional impressions to bleed through the link.”
“What did you feel from her?”
My expression became thoughtful as I sipped my tea. “She seemed… calm, collected, much like her usual demeanor. There was the faintest swelling of hope as well. I'm sure she'll meet with me.”
“Then you should get some rest. You've got a big day tomorrow.” Yoshiko took a long swig from her tea and poured herself a fresh cup. I smiled, not without sadness, and filled my own cup again.
“I will. After I've had a few more cups of tea, of course.”
Yoshiko chuckled. “Of course.”
concordance
The little Portland coffee shop looked much the same as any other in the city, and much the same as it did the first time Star met us here, three months ago. Karin and I were working on a case that seemed routine, a botched summoning that released the specter from its binding and allowed it the freedom to cause trouble. It proved to be anything but routine, however, when it was discovered that the specter in question was more canny than most and decided to pursue profit and power over destruction.
I sat and sipped at my tea as I recalled the mission. The specter possessed the leader of a small drug operation, taking over the gang with ease and spurring it to new heights of depravity. By the time we caught up with the corrupt spirit, the gang had branched out into human trafficking. Karin and I never figured out who the specter's clients were, but we suspected an arcane house was purchasing children believed to have strong magical potential.
The case had been reassigned to internal AEGIS investigators and we moved on to the next job. After the Tsukimura operation, a noticeable rift formed between Star and her superiors. She did her best to assign us to investigation and analysis work, constantly fighting with Control's desire to put Karin's Relic to as much deadly use as possible. Despite her protests, the number of elimination missions increased greatly.
I tapped the sleep/wake button on my phone and checked the time. Star was nothing if not punctual; if she were asked to be somewhere at noon, she would arrive at or before noon, no later. It was 11:58.
I turned toward the mirrored decorative strip set into the wall nearest to me. In my reflection I saw myself: a slip of a girl appearing to be in her early twenties, with wavy, voluminous blonde hair, tinged just faintly with red. I kept my hair worn down and loosely flowing, the better to hide my lack of human ears. An oversized cloche-style hat perched atop my head, concealing my actual ears. They felt odd stuffed up inside, muffling the sounds that reached them.
Concealing my tail was a little more difficult, but the cool late fall weather gave me more options than I would have otherwise. I wore a long, heavy woolen skirt that trailed down to my ankles. The mental effort required to keep my tail from moving too much when it typically wished to swish and sway of its own accord was considerable.
Dimension Fracture Page 9
