The Sea Stone

by Nicolette Andrews

  The full moon in the sky lined everything in silver. They were so high up that the moon looked close enough to touch. Stopping to stare at the moon poking through the wispy clouds, she reached out for it, cupping her hand around the shape of it as if she could hold it in her hand. But like so many things in her life, it was an illusion and beyond her grasp. Sighing, she slid into a crouch, and her gaze moved from the moon to a long-neglected garden. The tree in the center was stripped bare of leaves, the pond emptied of water and fish.

  "Don't you think you're taking the joke a bit too far?" Rin asked, her voice carrying into the silent night.

  "Who said it was a joke?" Kaito countered.

  Their footsteps approached her, and Suzume jumped up and slammed her back against a nearby wall to conceal herself in shadow.

  "You don't really mean to sleep with her, do you?"

  Kaito laughed. "Of course not, she's a bit of an idiot that needs my protection. I'm teaching her a lesson is all."

  There could only be one idiot he was referring to. Suzume raised her fist, considering continuing their argument from before. She'd show him who was an idiot.

  "Why do you keep pushing her away?"

  He growled low in his throat. His temper washed over Suzume, eliciting sparks along her skin. Afraid the light would draw attention to her Suzume madly patted at her arms to extinguish the flames.

  "Are you trying to test my patience? Shouldn't you be more concerned with finding your own mate?"

  "Are you offering?" Rin purred.

  Suzume's heart thumped in her chest. Rin and Kaito had been lovers once, she knew, but the kitsune insisted that there was nothing between them anymore. It doesn't matter to me whether there is or not. Maybe he'd stop bothering me as much if he had Rin to distract him.

  Kaito chuckled. "Both of us know that's not a good idea."

  Rin laughed along with him and then there was a long silence. Why don't they move away already? Or maybe she should take this moment to make her presence known, but she couldn't make her feet obey her commands. With her back pressed against the wall, heart hammering in her chest, she stayed listening to their conversation.

  "How did your Hanyou die?" Kaito asked. There was a certain softness to his voice that Suzume never heard when he was speaking with her.

  He must really care for Rin. She didn't want to think about why that made her insides twist up and her chest feel tight. Kaito seemed like a different person when he was alone with Rin. Is that how he was with Kazue as well? She shoved the thought away, she didn't need to bring her into this mess as well.

  Rin didn't answer straight away. What are they doing in there? She had an image of the two of them embracing, holding onto one another for comfort over their lost loves.

  When Rin did answer her voice was constrained. "A yokai killed him."

  Kaito cleared his throat. "I'm sorry."

  I didn't even know he was capable of empathy. She scoffed and quickly covered her mouth with her hand, eyes darting to the side hoping they hadn't heard.

  The pair of them were too absorbed in their conversation to notice it seemed.

  Rin sighed. "We knew our time was limited from the start, or at least we assumed. Not much is known about hanyous."

  "Have you met any others?"

  "Are you asking to comfort me or for yourself?"

  "Forget I asked."

  Ice brushed against Suzume's skin, a clear indication he was losing his temper. Kaito's footsteps stomped toward her, and Suzume looked in both directions preparing to flee if necessary. From the corner of her eye, Suzume saw Kaito's shadow coming around the corner. Mere inches separated her hiding space from him and then she would have to explain why she was eavesdropping.

  "If you ever wanted to know more about him, I would be happy to tell you," Rin said.

  There was a pause, where something unspoken passed between them. Suzume frowned trying to read between the lines of their back and forth exchange.

  "What did she name him?" His voice was raspy.

  "Takashi."

  "She chose well." There was an edge to Kaito's tone, which sent even Suzume's heart fluttering.

  "Have you forgiven her at last?"

  Kaito moved back toward Rin and Suzume exhaled in relief, then he came back toward her and she sucked in her breath as if the sound of her breathing would give her away. He paced away, only to come back toward her again. Would you make up your mind already?

  "I made that mistake once, and I learned my lesson. I do not plan on making it again."

  "You can't change your heart."

  There was a long pause before Kaito answered, "You're right." He said something else but it was barely above a whisper and Suzume couldn't hear him clearly.

  Kaito stopped pacing and seemed to have settled further away. Already being this far committed, she inched closer to the corner, just mere millimeters separated her from them.

  "What can I do? I'm falling in love with her," Kaito muttered.

  "You should tell her how you feel," Rin replied.

  Suzume's eyes grew wide. He couldn't possibly be talking about her, could he? She shook her head - it wasn't possible. Kaito could not be in love with her. All he saw her as was a nuisance, a means to an end... or a stand-in for Kazue. The thought didn't sit well at all. He wouldn't confuse me with Kazue, not after I explained everything, would he?

  "You're right, Suzume might be a complete moron, and bull-headed but my heart belongs to her."

  "Who's a moron!" She shouted bursting around the corner without thinking. As soon as she did she collided with his chest, and was almost bowled backward. She was saved from falling on her already bruised rear, by Kaito's arm circling her lower back.

  "You know it's terribly rude to listen to other people's conversations."

  Suzume tried to push off his chest and escape him. "If you knew I was listening the whole time why didn't you say so sooner?"

  "And miss an opportunity to hold you in my arms?"

  Suzume's temper flared and with it so did the flames. She pressed against his chest and he jumped away from her to avoid getting burned.

  Rin stepped forward as if she was going to protect Kaito from Suzume, which was laughable. Who was there to defend her when he played with her emotions the way he did?

  "Do you think that's funny?" She snapped.

  "I do, actually." He smirked.

  That's all it was, all it had ever been. He never took her seriously, not as a fighter, not as a woman. If he was anyone else, she might have tried forcing a few tears, she could even argue with him if she thought it would do any good. But a sudden realization settled upon her. None of it would make any difference because she was just a joke to him.

  "I see," was her reply, and she turned from him without another word spoken.

  "Where are you going? Tonight is our wedding night!"

  She ignored his jibe, arms swinging as she marched away. You'll pay for this!

  4

  "We're leaving," Kaito announced as he strolled into their communal gathering space.

  His announcement had been timed for when everyone was gathered together, allowing him not only a dramatic entry but also providing maximum efficiency to dispense his orders. Of the four people gathered, only Rin looked up to acknowledge him.

  "Where are we going?" Rin asked, her fox ears tilted to the side, uncertain.

  "That doesn't matter, we've wasted enough time on this mountaintop." His gaze was fixed on Suzume who was staring into the simmering broth in the cook pot at the room's center. It wasn't like her to not have some sort of comment or at least complained at a probable journey to come. Could it be she is still mad about last night? He smirked to himself, she certainly could hold a grudge.

  "Good morning is the usual greeting, isn't it?" Kaito asked as he squatted down in front of her, forcing himself into her view. Suzume stubbornly refused to look at him and instead scowled into her soup bowl. Dark circles ringed her eyes. It looked as if she ha
dn't slept at all the night before. Probably wondering if I was going to come claim my bet after all.

  "Where are we headed?" Rin asked in a failed attempt to steal his focus from Suzume.

  Kaito did not bother to look at her, instead focusing his attention on Suzume as he said, "Let me worry about that." Then to Suzume he said, "You're grumpy this morning. Are you mad I didn't visit your room last night?"

  Without so much as a twitch, Suzume spooned broth into her mouth as if Kaito was not there at all. If she wants to play hard to get, I am more than willing to play. There was nothing like a challenge to wake you up in the morning. Not that he had slept. He'd done enough of that to last centuries.

  "Do you have new information about where Kazue hid the artifacts?" Akira asked.

  Couldn't they see he was in the middle of teasing the priestess? "That's not necessary." He growled a warning. And then in Suzume's direction he said, "We've been lazing about here too long. And I don't want to spoil my pet too much."

  "Then you don't have any leads?" Akira asked, interrupting his game for the final time. The dragon's temper flashed in his gaze as he shot a withering glance in Akira's direction. Akira stared back at him, a serene look on her face.

  "You have any better ideas?" his tone burned with acid. He'd been willing to overlook their disrespect but challenging his order was unforgivable.

  Akira fixed him with her glare. "If I had any idea, I would not be waiting around here. But heading out into the unknown is reckless."

  "We're not going to find the missing artifacts sitting around." He stood up and paced toward Akira. She stood as well, her dark gaze fixed on him unwavering. They stood posturing for a moment, neither willing to give in.

  "Hisato is still out there and he wants Suzume. For now she's our only link to Kazue and stopping him. If we leave this holy place you're putting her and all of us at risk. So unless you have a plan, I think we should stay here."

  Kaito laughed and then turned away from Akira. "The priestess is good for nothing." He threw the words over his shoulder as he marched over toward the cook fire where Rin and Suzume were seated. The priestess had not so much as raised her head from her bowl the entire time despite his taunting. Kaito reached past her, his arm brushing against her. The only reaction was a few errant sparks that rose from her skin when he got close.

  "Suzume hasn't gotten control of her powers yet, with more practice she may be able to connect with Kazue's spirit..." Akira said, her voice droning on in a failed attempt to sway him.

  Uninterested in anything his inferior had to say, Kaito made a show of ignoring her by snatching a bowl off the ground. He thrust it toward Rin to fill, and from the corner of his eye watched Suzume for a reaction, but still there was none. You cannot ignore me forever.

  "The best thing to do is to wait until she's mastered her powers," Akira concluded.

  She was expecting a reply and so Kaito tipped back his bowl and drank his soup, forcing Akira to wait for an answer while he drank. When he finished he smacked his lips and said, "We'll be here for a hundred years if we wait until she's gotten control of her powers. And if I remember correctly humans don't live that long." He dropped the bowl, and it was Rin's quick reflex that kept it from shattering on the ground. "I tested her ability yesterday, she's made no improvement. It's time to go." Surely she would say something now. Suzume remained uncharacteristically stoic.

  "Then you leave in search of the artifacts while Tsuki and I continue her training."

  "You are operating under the assumption that I trust you," he said with a smile that revealed his canines.

  A flush rose along Akira's cheeks. "We all share the same goals, we want to bring Kazue's soul back together—"

  "I have no desire to see Kazue resurrected." Kaito snarled. "I only want to destroy Hisato and regain my kingdom. Stay here if you desire, I have no use for you. But the priestess is mine and she will be coming with me."

  Suzume set her bowl down with a mild thunk and stood up. Now he would get the reaction he was hoping for. Her outburst would diffuse the tension in the room, he and she would bicker and then everyone would agree to search for the artifacts together.

  "She doesn't belong to you. Suzume is a person not an object," Akira shouted, a note of hysteria in her normal stoic persona. Kaito hardly noticed as his entire focus was upon Suzume.

  "Thank you for the meal," Suzume said before heading toward the door.

  "Have you lost your mind at last?" Kaito teased, she was acting strangely. It wasn't like her to not lose control by now.

  Again, she acted as if Kaito had not spoken at all. To Akira she said, "I'm going to get ready for practice."

  "There's no point, you should be packing to leave. We've got a lot of walking ahead of us. I hope you're prepared," Kaito said, knowing the threat of walking would get a rise out of her.

  Once more he was ignored and with it came the rise of his temper. Kaito had enough of these games. As she tried to walk past him, he grabbed a hold of her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. Unlike usual, she did not shout at him to let her go, the only reaction was the sparks along her wrist which were quickly quenched by the ice seeping from his skin. Spiritual power unfurled from within him blanketing the room in a suffocating aura. Because he was so much stronger than the rest of them, his untamed power could kill them all with the mere weight of it.

  "Have I not been giving you enough attention, my pet?" he said in a mockingly sweet voice.

  Suzume yanked her hand free without a word and continued toward the door. Kaito not one so easily deterred gave chase, but was surprised when Noaki stepped in between them. His expression was unreadable as usual but his hands were resting on his twin blades, making his intentions clear.

  "Out of my way, guardian." The swordsman was already on thin ice after his interference the day before, and this was between him and the priestess. If she wanted to play games, then he was more than willing to play.

  "She wants to be left alone," Noaki said.

  "You speak for her now?" Kaito rumbled.

  The swordsman did not respond but when Kaito tried to go around him he held out his arm to stop him.

  "Why not let her be?" Rin said as she planted a hand on Kaito's shoulder, trying to be the peacemaker. But Kaito was in no mood.

  He shook her off. "We leave as soon as we're packed." His tone final as he attempted to push his way past Noaki, but was knocked back instead.

  "Move," Kaito snarled.

  Noaki stared at him, his frame taking up the doorway. This was a challenge. One he'd faced over and over throughout his long life. Kaito had risen to his position through blood. If Noaki thought to take control of their group from him, then he was in for a rude awakening. The dragon's power might be diminished but he was still strong enough to take on a mere guardian. Perhaps now was the time to make his position in their group clear. It would make the journey from here that much easier.

  Having no need of weapons, Kaito swung a fist encased in ice at the swordsman's jaw. Noaki moved too fast for mortal eyes, and his hand blocked Kaito's punch before it could land. He shoved Kaito backward in one singular movement.

  "We do not serve you," Noaki said.

  The swordsman's words cut the last thread holding onto Kaito's composure and his power flooded out of him, like a torrential downpour unleashing his spiritual energy, transforming him into something more beast than man. His hands, tipped in hooked claws, balled into fists and his lips pulled back from his rows of pointed teeth in a threatening gesture. When he opened his muzzle, ice poured out of it like a series of deadly arrows which were projected at Noaki in a scatter shot. They pierced the wall behind him, embedding themselves, spreading ice outward from it. Noaki fled, one step ahead of his attack. The edges of the room froze over as his icicles dangled from the ceiling.

  Outside the thunder roared, echoing the dragon's displeasure. The swordsman was a fool to challenge him. While the swordsman had been playing nursemaid to the gods, he had ba
thed in the blood of his enemies. If he thought that they were equals he was wrong. Come to think of it, they were overdue for a rematch. The swordsman had beaten him the last time because Kaito had been weakened, he would not repeat that failure again.

  Rin and Akira shouted for them to stop but their voices were nothing but an annoying buzz in his ear. Kaito rushed toward the swordsman, clawing at him, but Noaki was always one step out of the way. Speed was on his side, while Kaito had sheer power. Using the cook fire as a barrier, Noaki thought he could keep Kaito at bay, but the dragon merely leaped over it. The swordsman, not anticipating the maneuver, was caught off guard and Kaito knocked him off his feet at the same time he knocked over the soup pot. Hot broth spilled onto the trail of ice on the ground, sending up clouds of steam around them. Everything else faded away as Kaito looked down at his opponent.

  "You lead with anger," Noaki said, unafraid despite being pinned beneath the dragon inches from death.

  The audacity of his statement gave Kaito pause and left an opening for Noaki. The swordsman leaned forward head butting Kaito and knocking him backward and giving him room to escape. Kaito snarled as he followed the swordsman out into the hall and to a desolate garden beyond. When they entered the garden, Noaki was waiting for him, twin blades in hand. The pair of them circled one another. The swordsman was the first to attack, rushing Kaito blades twirling like two deadly stars. Kaito pivoted to avoid the first but the second caught him on the forearm, fortunately for Kaito his layer of scales kept him from penetrating the skin and the only casualty was his kosode. But knowing he had been struck only angered him further. It was better to get this over with as quickly as possible.