“I’m sure the Mizuno lawyers are great. Lord knows, I’ve already met with them more times than I care to, but he has proof. Even if you try to dismiss the story as a hoax, there are too many witnesses who will attest to the validity of it. Hotsuma’s to blame for that when he went around fondling the women in the hot spring after he got free.”
“You dirty dog.” Masato laughed as he clapped Hotsuma on the back. “I’d heard the staff talking about all the women and their stories of a phantom lover of the hot springs. I was too hung up on Lulu to investigate it.”
Hotsuma pushed Masato away and cleared his throat. “What proof, Lulu?”
She said, “He caught Masato and me talking when Masato was walking on water in a human form.” She stopped and thought back to that time. “Or actually, I guess that was Hotsuma then.” She shook her head. “Whatever. He’s got video of it.”
“Lies,” Masato said in a dismissive voice.
“I’m telling the truth, damn it. That’s why I was meeting him. That’s the reason behind all of this. I was trying to protect you. Both of you and the damn Mizuno family. Those people fucking hate me, and I was putting my marriage on the line to protect them. I knew you wouldn’t believe me.” The tears Lulu had tried to hold back flowed down her cheeks as she got the answer to her earlier question.
Having them think she was a slut hurt, but she knew she wasn’t so she could ignore the pain. To tell the truth and have them doubt her was a pain unrivaled by anything else up to that point in her life, including being shot.
Masato walked forward. He smoothed his hand over her cheek, pulling the moisture of her tears into his water body and leaving her skin dry. She stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief when he laid a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. “Sweetheart, I’m not calling you a liar. I believe every word you said.”
“I believe you as well,” Hotsuma said though he didn’t join them.
Lulu didn’t understand the expression he wore. He didn’t appear angry at Masato’s familiarity. He didn’t look happy either. His attitude was cold, apart. She didn’t like it.
Masato said, “I’m calling Richard a liar. A good one too, since he got you to believe him, knowing full well he doesn’t have a damn thing.”
“He does.”
“Did you see it?”
Lulu hesitated. She hadn’t seen it. That was blackmailing rule number one -- get proof of proof. She’d been so fixated on the fact that Richard knew about Hotsuma she hadn’t thought to check his proof.
Masato kissed her again. “Cameras can’t see magic, sweetheart. If he was filming us, he got a nice long video of you talking to thin air. Sure it makes you look crazy, but you wouldn’t be the first Mizuno accused of that.”
She stepped back from Masato. His kisses were comforting but she didn’t like the way Hotsuma was reacting, or not reacting. She spoke to Hotsuma when she said, “That’s not all. I know the Mizuno lawyers. They would have found a way to bury a video. I’m not that stupid.” Okay, she was but she wouldn’t admit it. “He said he also knows how to end the ageman power. He may have lied about the video, but I think he’s dead serious about that threat.”
Hotsuma asked, “How? What claim did he make?”
“He’s in contact with Ichiro Mizuno’s direct descendants. According to Richard, there’s a long-standing grudge in that disowned branch of the family. They’ve been searching for a means to bring the whole family down ever since the disownment -- an if-I-can’t-have-it-no-one-can ploy.”
“Ichiro doesn’t have any direct descendants,” Masato said.
“That’s what you think. He married a woman, took her name, had children, and passed his grudge to them. Each generation has searched for a way to destroy Hotsuma’s powers. They found it.”
“Why not use it, then? Why let Richard use it for blackmail?” Hotsuma asked.
Masato said, “Because the barrier room not only kept Uncle in, it kept other magic out.”
Okay. Lulu hadn’t known that part. She wondered if Richard and his new friends knew. That would explain why they needed her to grant them full access. So this might still be a ploy for them to end the ageman power rather than getting luck like Richard thought.
She said, “They’ve been in the hotel as employees. If they had tried to use whatever they have during our little feud a few months ago, they would have succeeded, but they didn’t know about that chance.”
Masato yelled, “Names! I want names. I want to know who.”
She shook her head. “He wouldn’t tell me. Said that was his little secret and that if I don’t cooperate, the sleepers would end the ageman power forever.”
“Only the most trusted employees have access to the invisible hallway that leads to the barrier room. That’s a short list, but it would take too long to investigate the lineage of each person.” Masato cursed loud and long. His anger made the water behind him roll and thrash about like the ocean during a hurricane.
Hotsuma said, “We need to reinstate the barrier.”
Lulu and Masato stared at him. Masato appeared as disbelieving as Lulu felt. He said, “I never thought I would hear you utter those words, Uncle.”
“It’s the only way. The barrier kept them from acting before now. It’ll do so again.”
Lulu said, “No. That can’t be an option. That’ll restrict your powers again and possibly make you sleep like before. Now that you’re in Masato’s body, who knows what putting up the barrier will do to you and him?”
Masato grinned at her. “Worried about me now too, sweetheart? I’m touched.”
She ignored him, but his words floated around her head. She was worried about Masato. The man might be a complete, self-serving bastard but his actions hadn’t all been malicious. He’d used the threat of outing himself to the family and imprisoning Hotsuma but he’d had no intention of following through. She saw that now. Masato did it all to be with her. She would be touched but his desire probably stemmed from her being his only option.
That was a problem for her to solve later. They had bigger issues to deal with. She could figure out the relationship with Hotsuma and Masato once the Mizuno family was out of danger.
Hotsuma said, “We could expand the barrier to include the entire hotel. That might not affect me or Masato adversely.”
“It’s still a prison, though,” Lulu said. “A bigger one but a prison, nonetheless. You would never be able to leave for fear of Ichiro’s descendants.”
“They don’t know I’m in Masato’s body. And we all know part of my powers are still housed in the barrier room pool. I have to assume they need all three of us together -- the pool, Masato, and I -- for the negation spell to work. They might even need you as well thanks to your blood and the ritual that bound me to Masato’s body.”
“That’s assumption only. I don’t want to bet our futures on that.”
Masato said, “We would have to shut down and clear the hotel to set up the new barrier. Since we don’t know which employee is the sleeper, it’s best to make them all leave.”
Hotsuma nodded. “With the family coming in a few days, we could use the excuse of the Mizuno family gathering for a rare reunion as the excuse we need to close without it seeming suspicious.”
“Good thinking, Uncle.”
Lulu snapped, “I can’t believe you two are actually thinking of doing this. You don’t know how a barrier around the entire hotel will affect you -- either of you.”
Masato said, “Yeah, but we do know how it’ll affect us if we stand around doing nothing. You did a good job trying to protect us and the Mizuno family, Lulu. You’re a true head wife, but now it’s time for more drastic measures that only Uncle and I can carry out.” He reached out and pulled her to him for a quick kiss before returning to the water.
Hotsuma crossed to her side and cupped her head between his hands. When he kissed her, his lips were light against hers. She barely felt them and yearned for something more. He said, “We’ll handle this. Continue with Richard
as you’ve been doing. Don’t let on that you’ve told us or that anything has changed.”
“Okay.”
“Good.” He released her and left the room.
Lulu stared at the closed door, confusion and disbelief holding her rooted to the floor. Act like nothing had changed? Everything had changed!
Everything would change. She couldn’t let Hotsuma and Masato put up that barrier. But she couldn’t stop them, either. The barrier might be the only thing that could keep them and the ageman power safe.
“This isn’t fair,” she said to the air around her.
She had power too, but it served no purpose if she didn’t know the person trying to hurt the men she loved.
Wait…
Men?
She didn’t just think that. It was a slip of the mind. She meant man she loved. Singular. Masato was nowhere in that equation. As far as she was concerned, he was the same as Richard -- a blackmailing manipulator out for his own gain.
Except Richard didn’t make her pussy tingle the way Masato did. Richard left her feeling cold while Masato could get her hot from the sound of his voice.
Lulu shook her head. Lust. That was it. Not love. She loved Hotsuma. He was the only one. And she wasn’t going to waste energy thinking about this now. She needed to find a way to use her powers to protect her family.
Chapter Eight
Saturday came sooner than Lulu wanted. Both Hotsuma and Masato busied themselves planning the reinstatement of the barrier. The three of them hadn’t spoken since the day she told them about Richard. Not for lack of her trying, but because Masato and Hotsuma were too busy planning. Lulu had spent the last few nights alone in bed, worrying herself into an exhausted sleep.
Having nothing better to do, Lulu helped the staff placate the guests who had to cut their vacations short or cancel them outright. Lulu was able to coordinate with Voda to take on some of the guests and upcoming reservations. Everyone was offered a free stay voucher for the inconvenience. But through it all, no one complained much, and there was no huge outcry in the papers or on the Internet.
Lulu marveled at the ageman power at work. Any other hotel would have been buried under speculations of closure and such after turning away all guests and sending home the staff. Instead, people reported about the huge gala Onsen was planning for the Mizuno family reunion. That was the tale Hotsuma spun to keep the gossipmongers at bay.
The only ones left in the hotel were Lulu, Hotsuma, Masato, and the members of the Mizuno family who had arrived the day before. Fifty people in all for a hotel that could hold hundreds. It felt like a ghost town.
But, for the first time, Lulu witnessed the closeness of the Mizuno family. The women cooked all the meals while the men coordinated with Hotsuma to secure the hotel grounds and prepare for the new barrier spell.
“Lulu-sama, are you well?”
She startled and focused her eyes on Atsuji, Masato’s younger brother. She smiled for the man. “I’m fine. I’m just hoping this works.”
“It will work. The disowned branch doesn’t stand a chance when faced with the true power of the Mizuno family. Their folly is thinking we would abandon our uncle in this time of crisis.”
Of course they wouldn’t abandon Hotsuma. That thought never crossed her mind. She didn’t say that out loud.
Atsuji said, “Uncle may be the source of our prosperity and longevity but he is also family. He has proven himself to be a strong head, much more so than my brother Masato. I don’t resent giving up my power to one such as him.”
“That’s good.” She didn’t know what else to say. According to Masato, Atsuji was their biggest obstacle since he’d been in charge until Hotsuma took over Masato’s body. If Atsuji was happy with Hotsuma’s performance, that was one hurdle cleared.
She said in a hesitant manner, “I hope this new spell won’t hurt Hotsuma.”
“It shouldn’t. It is meant to keep magic out, not hold him in. The elders all agree that more magic where Uncle is concerned might be detrimental. We do not know how your blood or even your very presence might affect any spell we might have tried.”
“So you admit to discussing the possibility of putting Hotsuma back in his prison.”
“We must protect our interests, Lulu-sama. The survival of our family depends on Uncle and his powers. We have relied on them too long. None of us would know how to survive without them. It is a double-edged sword.”
At least the Mizuno family acknowledged their weakness. The family might well be able to survive without Hotsuma’s powers, but it would take too many generations and large financial losses before they found a way to do it. Lulu had heard what happened to her family when the nullifying power died with her great-grandfather. His gift had brought fortune to the family. The money had dried up when the power wasn’t passed on. Sure, it was reborn in her, but that hadn’t prevented her family from going broke and drifting apart. She wouldn’t let that history repeat itself with her new family.
Atsuji opened his mouth to speak but stopped when Lulu’s cell phone rang. She unclipped it from its holder and looked at the caller ID. Richard. She said to Atsuji, “Tell Hotsuma it’s time.”
He bowed and then pulled his own phone while running toward the elevators.
Lulu took a calming breath and then answered the phone. “Hello, Richard.”
“You cleared the hotel, even kicked out the staff. Are the Mizunos planning a showdown?”
“I don’t know what they’re planning.” It was true. She didn’t. Hotsuma and Masato hadn’t told her anything. And Masato had gone into hiding once the family arrived. The family knew about Richard’s threat. They wouldn’t find out about Masato’s new existence.
“We’re ready for you to uphold your end of our deal.”
“We’re waiting for you.” She smiled in relief when Atsuji returned with Hotsuma and a few others. They all watched her. “The doors are open.” As she said that, two men pushed open the front doors and held them.
“If this is a trap --”
“You’ll be walking right into it. You don’t have a choice. The ageman pool is in the hotel. Nothing you say or I do will change that.”
Richard huffed. “Be there in ten.”
“See you then.” She pushed the off button and then sagged against the counter. “They’re coming.”
Hotsuma asked, “Did he say how many?”
She shook her head. “No, and I forgot to ask. I’m sorry.”
He pulled her close and laid a kiss on her lips. “You did fine, Lulu. Leave the rest to us.”
“I want to help. What can I do?”
“Nothing.”
“But --”
“You cannot, Lulu-sama,” Atsuji said. “Your nullifying power would negate our plans. I told Uncle to send you away from the hotel so your presence wouldn’t affect the spell, but he refused.”
Hotsuma said, “Her powers don’t work like that. I researched them heavily before marrying her. She has to be in direct contact with a spell to affect it. And I want her where I know she’ll be safe, with family.”
“Of course, Uncle. I meant no insult.” Atsuji bowed at the waist and then stepped to the side.
Lulu hadn’t known Hotsuma had researched her powers. She wished he had shared some of his knowledge with her. She didn’t know what she could and couldn’t do. But since he had researched that meant he knew for a fact she couldn’t help. That hurt more than a little bit. The majority of this mess was her fault -- though the incident in the hot springs was as much Hotsuma’s fault as it was hers -- and she wanted to help solve it.
Rather than bemoan what she couldn’t do, she planned to focus on what she could. She walked to the entrance with Hotsuma at her side and Atsuji a few steps behind. Her face and manner exuded confidence she didn’t feel. If only she knew what was coming.
Richard led a group of fifteen people to the front of the hotel. They stopped outside the threshold. Lulu recognized two people in the crowd. One woman was a ma
id she’d seen on more than one occasion around the hotel. The other was a waitress from the hotel restaurant.
The Baba family must feel pretty confident if they were revealing their sleepers. Then again, Lulu wasn’t stupid enough to think those two women were the only ones, or that these fifteen people made up the entirety of the Baba family. For one thing, none of those present looked to be over forty.
Hotsuma said, “Welcome to Onsen.”
Richard said, “Glad to be here.” He gestured to the man closest to him. “This is Takumi Baba. I would introduce the others, but you don’t need to know their names to give us what we want.”
Hotsuma asked Takumi, “You’re allowing an outsider to speak for you?” He shook his head with a soft chuckle. “Of course, that’s a silly question. You already allowed him to negotiate for you because you were unable to do it yourself. I shouldn’t be surprised at his continued services.”
Takumi’s face turned red and he snapped, “The Baba family needs no outsider to speak for us. He was a means to an end. We used his connection to your wife to further our agenda. Nothing else.”
“His job is at an end then, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Hotsuma turned his attention to Richard. “Goodbye, Richard Grant. If you ever set foot in Onsen or come near my wife again, I will personally dismantle your life and ensure you spend the rest of your days living out of a cardboard box.”
Richard said, “You can’t send me away. We have a deal. I have proof that I’ll post all over the Internet.”
“Cameras cannot record magic. You have nothing, not even the protection of the Baba family.”
“My research into the Mizuno family --”
“Will be treated like sensationalist garbage once my family ruins your reputation. You don’t have the means or conviction to continue, Mr. Grant. I suggest you leave while I still feel generous enough to let you go.”
Lulu couldn’t summon up the smallest shred of sympathy for Richard as he stomped away. She hoped to never see him again. Assuming the situation with the Baba family turned out okay, she planned to give Stan a call and make sure he blacklisted Richard from staying at Voda ever again.
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