by A. L. Knorr
His face was so close to mine and his grin was all for me. I thought I would burst with the pleasure of the moment. Toshi's chest and shoulders heaved under my hands as he caught his breath, his slick skin sliding under my palms. I had never touched any man this way before, yet somehow, it felt so natural. His hands closed around my waist and he looked down at me.
"Why did you stay away for so long?" he asked.
"Well," I brushed strands of hair back from my face, "you were a thorn in my side." I swallowed and panted, my heart still pounding in the cage of my ribs.
"Akiko," he said and put his forehead to mine. The sun reflected in one of his eyes and lit it from within, as golden as honey. His hands squeezed my waist. "Tell me you knew."
"Knew?" I pulled back and gazed at him, palms on his arms.
"Tell me you knew that I loved you. From the moment I first stood near you and was intoxicated by your scent, by your being. I loved you. I love you still."
My nerves made me laugh, in spite of the seriousness that had taken over his face. "My scent?"
He leaned down and put his face next to mine with a soft inhale. Shivers coursed up my spine as he breathed me in. "Like the air after a thunderstorm. No one else smells this way."
I closed my eyes, letting him hover there. If my mother had seen me she would have been horrified, maybe even ashamed of how wanton Toshi had made me. But I didn't care. I felt alive, and no one would ever see us here. This was my clifftop, mine and Aimi's, and now it belonged to Toshi, too.
"I had no other way to get close to you, other than to harass you," he said quietly, his breath grazing my neck. "It was the only way I could have your smell, your smile."
I laughed and stepped back. "I don't remember smiling at you—cursing you was more like it."
"You did smile," he said, taking my hand as we walked to the edge of the rock slab to overlook the ocean. "You always had a smile for me, even when I was horrible. Tell me I can have that smile for the rest of my life?"
I gasped. "Our parents—"
"Yes, I know. We have to get their approval. It won't be difficult, Akiko. We are a perfect match. And my father has always said there was something special about the Susumu girls. You will see." He pulled me around to face him again. He put his fingers under my chin and lifted my face. "Say yes. I will pledge my life to make you happy, keep you safe, and make sure you want for nothing."
I thought my heart would leap from my chest and into his hands. He was completely irresistible. I could not remember loving him when I was a little girl, but my heart was brimming over with it for him in that moment. It was impossible to say no. So I didn't. And there, on the rock slab, under the hot summer sun and overlooking the ocean, Toshi held my face and kissed me.
Chapter 5
Consciousness first came back to me as a bright white light and the feeling of spiraling downward in wide lazy circles. The next feeling was of an empty stomach. My vision returned and every anxiety and question came flooding back to me. A bird's brain is a small thing, so how was it that mine could be so packed full of crashing thoughts and wonderment? The angular shadows, artificial lights, and squared off parks of a city took shape beneath me. I could only hope that it was Kyoto. It wasn't like I could put GPS coordinates into the Æther.
If this city was not Kyoto, then I was in for a challenge. I had no money and no phone until I made it to the lockbox Daichi had prepared. If I was in Tokyo or Hiroshima, I would have to figure out which direction to fly in and wing there without using the Æther.
What came into view beneath me was nothing like the Japan of my childhood. Clusters of high rises and the sounds of traffic and voices formed a dense audio-fog in a layer that hung over the city.
I had also lost all sense of time while I was riding the Æther. I had to trust that I had arrived within the time frame that the wakizashi was on display.
Once I'd dropped below the roof of the tallest building, I changed into the form of a gray pigeon, small and unremarkable. I felt the weight of my silk collar more at this size, and it brushed the fronts of my wings as I flew, making my flight awkward. I dropped and flew lower, my tiny lungs protesting at the change in air quality. I needed to find somewhere I could change without being noticed.
Spying an open-air mall, I perched on the rafters of a half-roof. Lots of other birds sang and flew among the rafters, helping to camouflage me and my strange silk scarf. I hopped along the beam, my little head cocking this way and that. A large discount clothing merchant had long tables loaded with piles of mismatched merchandise. Four curtained off changing rooms marked each corner of the store. Bingo.
I flitted high over the tops of the single person changing rooms, three of which were in use. Quick as lightning, before anyone noticed a pigeon with a black silk collar around its neck, I dropped into the empty one. The feeling of a thousand stars shimmered over my body as I phased and landed on human feet. I yanked the curtain shut and untied my silk kimono. Putting it on, I wrapped it tightly around me. The robe didn't offer any more thickness than a nightie, but at least it covered me from neck to just above my knees. In its own way, it was oddly flattering, and could even be quite pretty if paired with heels. But it was definitely not the kind of outfit that people wore out and about on a regular day. I fished in the pocket at my hip for the silk slippers. They offered no actual protection for my feet, but at least they'd draw a little less attention than bare feet would.
I took a breath and opened the curtain, praying that no one would notice that I didn't have any clothing with me to try on. I wandered along the tables slowly, pretending to shop but scanning any signage I could find. Nothing gave me a clue as to where I was.
I left the discount tables and walked casually through the mall, trying to look like I belonged there. I got a few strange looks, a few stares, and some looks of concern, mostly from older women—mothering types wondering what this young girl was doing wandering around the mall in a thin black kimono. The cold of the marble floors made my feet feel cool, which cooled my whole body. Suddenly painfully conscious that I had no underclothes on, I crossed my arms over my chest. I had to get to my lockbox, and fast. This was much more uncomfortable than I'd anticipated.
I spotted a soft-cheeked woman scrolling on her cell phone and sitting on a bench by herself. "Excuse me," I said.
She looked up. As she registered what she was seeing, her eyebrows pulled together with concern, then fear.
"I'm not begging," I said, putting my hand up. "I don't want anything from you. I'm just wondering," I tucked a stray hair back behind my ear, "am I in Kyoto?"
Her brows jumped from fearful to surprised. "You don't know where you are? Are you okay?"
"Yes, I just need to get to a storage facility behind a post office in Kyoto. It's in the Hayashi district. Do you know if I am close?"
"I don't know that area," she said. "But you are in Kyoto." She took a deep breath and a thoughtful look came over her face. She inhaled through her nose with more intention this time, leaning forward toward me as she did so. Was she smelling me? That strange scent that Toshi had loved so much?
"Thank you," I said, and turned away.
"Wait," she said. "Would you like me to put the address into my GPS for you?"
My heart leapt with gratitude. When I turned back to her, her face looked completely different to when I had first approached her. The concern had melted away and she looked eager to help. "Would you?" I practically sighed with gratitude.
"Of course," she said. She slid down the bench and patted the space beside her.
I sat down and gave her the address. I peered at her phone and noticed the date on her phone. July 5. Shock jolted through me. I had ridden the Æther for a dozen days. I should be dehydrated, starving, and unable to move. But I felt good, energized even. Was the time indicative of the way Æther travel would always be? Or was it indicative of the deadline of my task? Questions I wished I had someone to ask.
"There you are," she said, hol
ding the phone so I could see the screen. A blue line on the map appeared, showing that I was less than ten kilometers away.
"Looks like there is a train," she said, scrolling. "No, there are three trains you could take to get there."
"Would you mind zooming out?" I asked.
She pinched the screen to zoom out so I could see the layout of the city.
"A little more, please?"
She gave me a strange look, but did as I asked.
I could now see the shape of the Kyoto harbor and which direction I had to fly.
"Thank you, you've been so helpful," I said. I had enough information to get me closer.
"That's all you need?" she said, her brow wrinkling. "Not the train schedule?"
I smiled. "No, but thank you just the same." I got up.
"Okay, good luck." Her voice was doubtful.
I felt her eyes on my back as I made my way toward the discount store. With no money and no phone and no ID, my only option was to fly.
I went back to the changing booth at the open market and was winging my way over the city once again within a few minutes.
"ID please," said the gruff man behind the desk at the storage facility.
I swallowed hard and my heart began to pound. "My grandfather, Daichi, he sent you my thumbprint as identification. I shouldn't need to present you with paperwork. We chose your facility because of your state-of-the-art ID system." I hoped this was flattering to him. If he insisted on an ID card, I was screwed.
He frowned, and slid his chair close to the computer on his desk. "Last name?"
I told him for a second time. The seconds ticked by and I began to sweat, and not just from the warm summer afternoon.
"Here we are," he said. "You are right. Fingerprint ID." He shoved a small black box with a transparent panel on the top toward me. "Right hand."
I gave him my right hand and he took my thumb and pressed it to the panel, rolling it from one side to the other. A blue line of light rolled across the panel.
He nodded, satisfied. "Door to the right of you," he gestured. "You know your code? If you don't then there is nothing I can do to help you," he warned.
"Yes. I know it."
A metal door clicked and swung open and I went through. A long hallway of small lockers stretched out under fluorescent lights. I found the box and put in the code.
Relief flooded my limbs as the door popped open and I retrieved my backpack. I opened it and rifled through the contents. Cell phone (dead), cash (more than I felt safe carrying), photo ID, passport, sneakers, two changes of clothing, bank card to a bank I didn't recognize. Something crackled and I dug deeper and retrieved an energy bar. I smiled. Daichi could be thoughtful when he wanted to be.
Listening for movement on the other side of the door, I decided it was worth the chance. I hid around the corner of a stand of lockboxes, took off my silk robe and yanked on underwear, the twill pants, a bra and a t-shirt. I was just pulling on the canvas sneakers when the door opened and a voice called, "Girl? You finished?"
"Yes," I answered. I zipped my backpack shut and pulled it over my shoulder, my mouth dry. "All done." I appeared around the corner and left the locker-room as the man stood aside and held the door open for me. His eyes swept me from head to toe, noticing my change of clothes.
I ignored his look of curiosity. "Can you tell me if there is a hotel nearby?"
"Soiko Hotel," he grunted. "Two blocks." He jerked his head indicating the direction. "Can't miss the lights."
I thanked him and left, hitting the ground running.
Soiko was by no means a luxury hotel, and my room was more of a pod with barely enough room to stand. But it had outlets, a bottle of water, a clean single bed, and a wifi connection.
I plugged in my phone, kicked off my shoes and grabbed the water. I guzzled the entire thing and then collapsed backward onto the bed. I was tired, but considering how far I'd traveled, I felt remarkably good. I was in the right city, I'd retrieved my stuff, and I was within the time frame that the sword was still on display. So far so good.
For the first time since I left Canada, my thoughts went to my girlfriends. As if it could read my mind, my cell phone chirped with messages for so long I wondered if it would ever stop. All of them were between Targa, Georjayna, and Saxony.
Skimming the messages and photos that came through, I saw that they’d each arrived safely and were already embroiled in relationships and adventure. I smiled as I read Saxony’s descriptions of the children she was looking after, and how she’d already met a cute Italian man named Raf. Targa had sent through jaw-droppingly gorgeous photos of a red-brick mansion covered in ivy, and choppy gray seas with golden sand beaches. From Georjayna, the image of a tall, dark and handsome man carrying a bunch of broken windows against what looked like a garage. Jasher, she explained, was drop-dead gorgeous, and also a complete troll. Even the bad news made me smile. My friends were safe, cared-for, and having the kinds of adventures teenage girls were supposed to have.
I considered texting the girls but decided to delay it until after I had the wakizashi. Questions were not something I had time or energy for at the moment. I tapped out an email to let Daichi know that I had arrived and was checked into the hotel.
I looked up the museum on the map. I could take a high-speed train into the city center and go on foot from there. With any luck, the wakizashi could be in my possession by tomorrow. How I was going to go about stealing it, I had no idea. I'd have to formulate a plan when I knew what I was dealing with.
I took a shower in the world’s tiniest bathroom, brushed my teeth, and crawled into bed naked and clean. As my eyes drifted closed, the faces of my friends faded away and other faces took their place. Toshi, Aimi, my parents. I was back in Japan, back home. Only it didn't feel remotely like home, and my parents and my fiancé were long-dead and buried. And Aimi? Was she still alive? Had she and Toshi had a good life together, or had she betrayed him or used him the way some Kitsune were known to do?
Chapter 6
Toshi wasn't completely right about it being easy to convince our parents that we were perfect for one another. A few days after our secret engagement, his father came to visit my father.
Like us, Kito was descended of samurai-class and after studying tool-making under a master in Hiroshima, he was now one of the few remaining swordsmiths working under the Nihonto Tanrenkai, Japan's newly formed sword and forging society. Toshi worked as one of his sakite, an assistant. Kito was respected in Furano, Tottori, and beyond the Tottori Prefecture—as far away as Kobe and Kyoto.
My mother ushered Aimi and me out the back while the men lit their pipes and settled in for a man-to-man discussion of dowries and family alliances.
"And don't you dare eavesdrop at the windows. I'll know if you are there," my mother whispered as she sent us away. She didn't mean eavesdropping in human form. Aimi and I were notorious for taking our creature shapes so we could hide and listen to the adults talk. Mother had finally caught me when I had forgotten that birds do not look from one human to another while they are in conversation, following along with each speaker. Aimi would never have made such a mistake, but she had been a fox before she'd ever been a human, and I was a human who was trying to figure out how to be a bird.
I protested my mother's kicking us out but she would have none of it. My skin felt clammy with anxiety and my stomach threatened to bring up my lunch of steamed fish and rice. Toshi's father Kito was a fierce man, a man I knew to be good and strong, but also to be hard and determined to have his own way. What if he had found fault with me? It was irrational. Toshi's father would have barely known I existed until Toshi, or Toshi's mother on his behalf, brought me to Kito’s attention.
"Come on, Akiko," Aimi said, taking my hand and pulling me toward the path that led down to the sea. "Don't worry. We know what the outcome will be."
"We do?" I asked, my voice trembling. I craned my neck, looking back at the light in the windows of our home, tempted to take
wing and find somewhere to perch in a rafter or just outside the shutters.
"Of course. Why else would Kito have come unless it was to arrange a marriage for his son. Let's go swimming. It will distract you." Aimi picked a piece of long grass as we passed through the woods toward the ocean.
"I don't feel like swimming." In point of fact I felt like vomiting.
We walked in silence down to the beach where huge boulders lay scattered along the coast like some giant had long ago abandoned a game of marbles. Aimi scrambled up on one of the biggest ones, lifting her skirts high enough to expose her long pale legs. I climbed up after her, the smaller of the two of us. We sat down on the stone, warm from the sun. Aimi began to peel the grass into small green curls, whittling it down to a filament. She regarded me with her strange, moss-colored eyes. "You used to hate Toshi."
"I never hated him," I said. "He was mischievous and annoying, but I never hated him. Besides, he is not that little boy any longer."
She raised her eyebrows and gave me a sly look. "No, he's not." Her tone was pregnant with meaning. This was my Aimi. Everything she said meant more than just the words she spoke. Innuendo was her playground.
I whacked her softly on the leg and almost smiled, but I felt too much worry to smile.
"You are not the only person in our village to notice,” she said. “There are plenty of girls who like Toshi, girls who have spent the last few years not ignoring him, like you have." This was Aimi’s way to bring some thought into my head that had not arrived there on its own.
"Who likes him?" I said, sharply. That day on the rock slab, there had been no doubt in my mind how Toshi felt about me, and I him. But now, doubt began to creep in.
