"What time is it?"
There was a pause while he checked the clock. "It's four in the morning."
Nodding, I closed my eyes and snuggled back into my pillow. I smiled at the gentle kiss on my forehead and nearly banged my head against his as I sat back up. Someone was pounding on the door to our room.
"Sorry," I muttered and slid out of the bed. I undid the deadbolt and pulled the door open. "Remy? What's wrong."
"Rome," he corrected me. I was still having trouble telling them apart. "David is…missing."
"What do you mean?" It was a stupid question, I know, but it was all my brain came up with.
"Remy went to relieve him at the temple…and David wasn't there."
"Well, he wouldn't have just wandered off."
"Precisely." He shifted uncomfortably.
"You think he ran away," I said deadpan, recognizing the look on his face.
"I do. Remy does not."
"Where would he have gone?"
"Sabine…"
My heart stopped beating as pain seized it. "No," I whispered.
"I am going to have to agree with your brother," Hiroki said behind me. "He loves Kaede. There is no way he would have left to be with your sister…"
"That is what Remy said. Maybe he was jealous of Remy?"
"No. He was the one who talked me into also seeing your brother. Hell, he wanted me to date Roki, too. Even you."
"Me?" He chuckled.
I let it go, too worried about David to verbally spar with Rome. Then another thought settled in my head. "What if he didn't leave?"
"What?"
"What if your sister took him? She seemed to be having trouble letting go."
Instead of outright denying it, he stopped to actually think about it. I was kind of shocked. Usually, when people accused family members of things, the gut reaction was to deny. That wasn't true of the Laterans. They might have their faults, but blind family loyalty wasn't one of them. His action forced me to raise my opinion of him a little higher. If he kept it up, I was going to have to quit teasing him. One day a week. Maybe.
"Are her friends still under guard?"
"Yes," Rom answered, cocking an eyebrow in question.
"Let them go. We can't find her, but you know, sure as shit, they'll probably make a bee line for her if they can."
He nodded in thought. "Smart little fox."
"Thanks. I have my moments. When I'm sober."
"It's probably safer for all of us that those times are few and far between."
"I know right?" I stepped up to him. "In all seriousness, we need to find David. I have a bad feeling about this."
He nodded. "As do I."
"Thank you for telling me."
"You're welcome. Go back to sleep. I'll let you know if we find him. Or anything."
"Thanks, Rome."
Without another word, he was out the door and I settled my back against it once it was closed. The fear in the pit of my stomach threatened to chew its way out the front.
"You are not going to take his advice. I can tell. Where are we going?"
"To fucking look for David, that's where."
"As I figured."
"You don't think we should?"
"I think we should follow your plan to let Sabine's friends lead us to her. Stumbling around blindly in the dark will not be useful."
"So, we should follow Rome is what you're saying?"
"Hai. But I would suggest not getting caught. He will be…angry with you."
"Angrier."
"Hai."
∞ ∞ ∞
"Is that him?" I tried to peek between the branches of the row of hedges across the way from the administration building, and ended up with a stick in the eye.
"Shhh. Yes," Hiroki answered.
"Let's follow him," I said and went to move, but Roki stopped me with a hand on my arm, motioning for silence.
Looking back toward Rome, I froze. He was staring directly in our direction, tilting his head and listening. He was going to be tough to follow with his damn dog ears.
Crouched behind the bushes, motionless, in the pitch dark was not how I wanted to spend fifty-seven seconds of my life. I knew because I counted until he turned and started walking back toward our dorm.
We kept to the shadows, farther back than I would have liked, but it paid off. He made it all the way to the dorm without turning back around. "He's going to the back entrance," I whispered. "Head for the dining hall. We can watch for them to come out from there."
"Hai."
We set up camp behind one of the large columns that surrounded the hall. Hiding behind one, we waited. And waited. Then waited some more. "We should have brought some playing cards…"
Hiroki just nodded and blew into his hands. The sun would be up soon, but the pre-dawn morning was way colder than the night air.
"Think they'd notice if we started a fire?"
"Probably," A voice said behind us. A familiar voice. Rome's deep chuckle echoed around us.
I stood up straight and turned around slowly. "About time you got here. We've been waiting for like an hour."
"Uh huh. Go back to bed, Kaede. They're not the brightest of girls, but they're not stupid enough to run straight to Sabine."
"Then why are you here watching?"
"I heard you moving around in the bushes by the headmaster's office. I was waiting to see what kind of stupid situation you were going to get yourself into."
"You mean if, right?"
"No. When. I got tired of waiting."
"Shhh," Roki whispered and pointed. Two blonde heads bopped out the back door and jogged down the stone steps, heading straight for the woods.
"You were saying?" I elbowed Rome in the ribs.
"Wow. They really are that stupid." He stared after them, shaking his head.
"My plan worked. Muhahaha. That makes me kind of brilliant, doesn't it?" I grinned at him.
"No. It just means that you put yourself in their shoes. You think like them." He rolled his eyes and patted me on the head.
"Did you just call me stupid?"
"I would never. I was saying when the situation calls for it, you do not struggle to think like an idiot."
"Oh. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Hiroki's hissing laughter ruined our bonding moment. "Maybe we should follow them?"
"Their hearing is as good as mine. Give them a head start. I can track them."
"GPS?"
"Nose."
"We need James Bond and get Toucan Sam." I sighed and leaned back against the column.
"Who?"
"Toucan Sam? Froot Loops? Follow your nose?"
"The cereal bird?"
"Yes."
"Are you saying I have a big nose?"
I sighed and shook my head. "Nevermind."
And he calls me stupid.
"Can you guys communicate with telepathy or something?"
"What? No. Why?"
I stared thoughtfully in the direction the girls had gone. "How do they know where to find Sabine?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. "There's these wonderful technological devices call smart phones…"
"Why didn't you use it to track her?"
"Because she has her location services off. I even tried texting and calling. She didn't answer either."
"But she answers Tweedle-slut and Tweedle-ho?"
"They are her…handmaidens, I guess you would call them. La ancella."
Not gonna lie, the Italian was kind of sexy. Even from Rome's lips… I'd have to get Remy to talk Italian to me later. I wonder what Romanian sounds like…
"We should go. They are far enough ahead." He took off toward the woods and as soon as he was close enough, he leaped into the air and landed on all four paws of a giant black dog. He looked back over his shoulder at us and huffed.
"That is a big dog." Roki shuddered next to me.
"Yeah. Maybe we should change, too."
I shrugged. "When in Rome… Oh, my kami, that sounds dirty…" I chuckled and shifted, still laughing through my fox lips as I took off after them.
I started to panic when we followed the same trail that lead to the Temple of Fenrir. Even Rome turned and gave me a worried puppy look. He growled and carried on. I could feel the tension leave him as he followed the scent up another mountain path before the clearing. This one was very overgrown and hardly used. I hadn't even seen it the last time I'd come this way and almost destroyed the world.
You have come.
Shit, I thought to myself and not at him. Or at least I hoped. No. One of the hellhounds took my wolf friend. We are trying to get him back. Going the totally opposite direction from you. Sorry. I'll try and stop by on my way back.
His laughter resonated in my head. You cannot lie to me, little fox. Find your friend. It is not time for me to wake. Yet.
I didn't like the "yet" he threw onto the end of his thought. Not even a little bit. Dun dun duuun.
Lost in thought, my head nearly collided with Rome's leg. Thankfully he was much taller than me in his hellhound form. That would have sucked. I crawled under him and yipped from under his chin.
His head was almost as big as I was, and it was a little intimidating as he looked down at me. He growled low in his chest and looked back up.
"Where are they?" I managed to form the words with my fox mouth. I could talk, but it wasn't easy and I kind of sounded like a snake instead of a fox. Making sibilant sounds with sharp incisors sucked.
He just growled and crept forward. Either he wasn't in the mood to chat or hellhounds couldn't talk. I was betting on the latter. There was no way he could have gone that long without insulting me without a reason.
Without warning, he dropped to the ground and blended in with the foliage. The sun hadn't crested the horizon yet, but once it did, he was going to stick out like a sore thumb. Kind of like I was with my white fur, but at least I could hide behind him. I wanted to see what was going on. I shifted back to demi-human, snagged a leaf and slapped it against my arm, turning my skin, clothes, and hair variations of black and gray. The ultimate nighttime camouflage. Unfortunately, my spells only lasted a short while.
Picking my way along his side, I stopped next to his cheek, absentmindedly rubbing his jowls as I looked to see what had stopped him. We were on the edge of a clearing. On the opposite side was a tiny cottage. "Did you know that was there?"
He shook his doggy head.
"I'm going to go take a look."
He growled.
"I'll be fine."
He snorted.
"Seriously. I can be quiet."
That was the first time I ever heard a dog laugh.
I flipped him off and hugged the edge of the clearing as I headed toward the house. Roki nipped my heel and leapt into the foliage. I did the same, just as the front door opened and one of Sabine's friends stepped out and lit up a cigarette.
Tsk Tsk. That's against school rules. I think?
The other one walked outside, a frustrated look on her face. "Where the hell is she?"
My heart broke. If they didn't know where Sabine was…
Do you wish to know?
Until the day I died, which I fervently hoped would be many years in the future, I would never get used to a god's voice just popping into my head whenever it wanted. You know where David is?
I can smell all my children.
Tell me, please…
Little fox, nothing is for free. Even for my herald. You wish to find him?
Yes!
Come grace me with your presence.
I can't. I am forbidden and there's no way I'm going to overpower a hellhound.
Bring him with you.
He wouldn't let me come even if I begged.
You are a fox. He is a hound. It is in his blood to chase you…
You want me to run? My mouth opened in shock.
Prove your worth. If you make it to me, I will protect you. Let me see a hunt, even if it is in my dreams.
You swear you can find him?
I have no reason to lie.
You won't wake up?
You have my word.
Without even pretending to hide anymore, I stood and walked to the middle of the clearing, ignoring the shouts of the assholes on the porch. I made eye contact with the hellhound lying on the forest floor.
"I'm sorry," I said and shifted, taking off at full speed toward the far side of the clearing.
Roki tackled me from behind. "What are you doing!" His speech in fox form was much better than mine. He'd had longer to practice.
"Back off, Hiroki!" I snarled as we tumbled through some underbrush. When we stopped, I popped thirty-feet away. Rome's howl echoed all around us as he crashed into the forest.
Fuck. Thanks, Roki. I took off running again, popping whenever visible distance opened up in the patchy forest.
Good. You have the lead.
Distracting… I sent a mental sigh at the slumbering god.
Weaving through the trees, I made it back to the trail leading to the clearing and the cave entrance. Just a few more moments, and I'd be safe. Or so I thought until the six-hundred-pound hellhound crashed from the bushes and took a swipe at me with its enormous paw. Rome wasn't fucking around. He was out for my ass, and not in the fun way.
I ducked, flattening myself and popping on top of him, springing from his shoulders and focusing on a spot as far away as I could safely pop to. His paw swiped my hindquarters, knocking me into a tree with enough impact to blast the air from my lungs. I saw stars as I slid down the tree and crumpled to the ground in a heap. He growled in anger as he closed the distance between us.
I opened my eyes, popped behind him, and then back down the trail, going in the wrong direction but putting some distance between us.
Shifting into my demi-form, I called my blade.
"You have to let me pass," I said tiredly.
He shifted back, not even looking winded. "There's no way, Kaede. You're not getting any closer to that cave."
"He promised to help me find David."
"And you believe him? He's a god. The son of the original trickster, himself. He's using you to wake up."
"I believe him."
"You're a fool."
"Fuck you, Romeo." I took off running, blade leading the way and screaming as I charged.
He shook his head and shifted back, stomping his paws and crouching to spring. When I was close enough, he leaped into the air, intending to squish me beneath his massive weight, playing for keeps.
I grinned and launched my sword at his exposed underbelly, shifted, and popped to the spot he had launched himself from. Without looking back, I popped four more times consecutively and then ran as fast as I could, closing the last thirty feet between me and the entrance to the cave, slamming into Remy's chest as he stood there, blocking the way.
"No! That's cheating!" He pushed me from the mouth of the cave.
I didn't fall to the ground, he didn't shove me that hard, but I knew from looking at his face he wasn't happy to see me. "You can't be here, Kaede!"
"Fenrir," I called over him. "I made it!"
Yes. You did. I shall honor our agreement.
The runes on my face flared, briefly illuminating the ground in front of me blue. The chain started to burn and twist, not choking, but more than a little unpleasant. The howling of a hundred wolves filled the night air, causing each of us to stop in our tracks and shiver in the cascade of the lupine symphony. Crashing could be heard all around us as they converged on the clearing. Even the girls walked into the clearing, one looking confused and the other shifting into a werewolf to come stand beside me, standing on two legs and snarling at Remy.
"Kaede..."
"You need to let me pass, Remy. He won't awaken, I swear on my life."
"But can you swear on ev
ery life in this world? I know you love him, Kaede, but come on! Do you think he'd want you to risk everything?"
"I trust him, Remy. Just as I trust you." I slowly walked toward him, the different packs of wolves following behind me.
With a sigh, he stepped aside just as Rome started crashing through the wolves, not caring if he injured them or not. The werewolf beside me turned to intercept the threat.
"Stop him, Remy."
"I can step aside, but I will not fight my brother. I love you, but don't put me in that position."
I nodded. He was right and was being more than fair. I turned and called my sword again.
You do not wish to kill him.
No, I answered honestly.
Use the chain to bind him.
There was only one chain I could think of. I reached up and touched the tattoo around my neck. It flared to life again, becoming real beneath my fingers. I wrapped them around it and pulled, dragging it from my skin and flinging it at the charging hellhound.
It shot from my fingers, snaking around Rome's legs, tripping him and felling him. As soon as he stopped plowing the earth with his face, the ghostly blue chain enveloped his legs completely, and wormed its way around his muzzle. Helplessly, he looked at me as I shot him an apologetic look.
Thank you, Fenrir.
The chains that bind me are yours to command. And when the time comes, when you are ready, you will command them to release me. You will set me upon my enemies, and I shall spare the world that is precious to you.
As long as Midgard remains unharmed, I will help you.
That is all I can ask. The one you call Sabine has taken my wolf with her. She means to lure you to Helheim.
"How do I find her?"
How does one get to the underworld?
"Oh, come on. There's no secret door here in the back or something? There's always a secret door in the abandoned temple!"
Little fox, my body is imprisoned in the underworld. This temple was built to house my spirit in the mortal realm. They would not link them together…
"Good point. So, find the underworld, find the boyfriend."
Yes.
"You make it sound so easy."
If you have help…it might be. A word of caution. Should you see my sister…
"Give her a message?" I was his herald after all.
Run.
"Oh. Good plan. Thanks."
A Tail of Woah: A Reverse Harem Academy Tail (The Fox and the Hounds Book 1) Page 20
