“Japanese red,” Nadya said under her breath, just loud enough that Rynn and I would hear.
“I know that,” I said. Japanese reds are known for treasure hoarding, but they’re also known for bad tempers and short attention spans when it comes to humans. Those two personality traits did not work well in our favor.
Mr. Kurosawa lowered his head so he was eye to eye with us, so to speak, and I cringed, imagining what being shredded alive by razor-sharp teeth felt like. A quick glance around the room showed no sign of Oricho. At all.
Instead of opening his jaws to eat us in one bite, he started to shrink. The ribboned mane grew and turned from gold and red to black. It swathed the red scale hide in mad swirls, consuming the dragon completely. Out of the storm of black and red walked the Japanese businessman I’d grown to fear about thirty times over, complete with expensive black suit and Italian shoes.
“And to think I almost slept through the entire show,” he said.
He stopped just short of me and held out his hand, an unpleasant smile on his face. Every time I had the pleasure of meeting him, I liked the look on his face less and less.
“My scroll, if you please,” he said.
I’d forgotten about that little detail. I fumbled it out of the inside of my jacket, almost dropping it as I handed it over.
He turned it over and raised an eyebrow at me. The scroll was wet and covered in my sooty fingerprints.
I cleared my throat. “Those will wipe clean off, and it dries better than you’d think. We put it over a heater last time—oomph.” I glared at Rynn and then Nadya. Both of them had jabbed me in the side at the same time. Well, so much for making small talk with the dragon.
Mr. Kurosawa watched me, his eyes glittering under the sprinklers and light. I don’t think he had any trouble reading through my façade of confidence. I was quaking in my proverbial boots, and he knew it. Though even I had to admit that I was doing a damn good job of not fidgeting.
Not taking his eyes off me for a second, his face an unreadable mask of geniality, Mr. Kurosawa snapped his fingers. From the ruined arcade of slot machines I heard the unmistakable heels clicking against the soot-covered, ruined, wet floor.
Lady Siyu was back in her business suit and dragging a scarred and burned Oricho. Well, the dragon hadn’t eaten him, but knowing these two, I didn’t think that was a good sign.
“Look, Mr. Kurosawa, there has been a huge misunderstanding—” I started.
Oricho lifted his head and straightened the charred sleeves on his ruined shirt. “No misunderstanding, Owl. Mr. Kurosawa is apprised of the situation.”
Mr. Kurosawa’s lip turned up, exposing a residual fang. He lingered on me a moment before turning towards Oricho. “And here I thought I had won myself a loyal kami, sworn to my service. All this time I had an onryo in hiding, waiting and plotting to kill me. Well played, Oricho.” He glanced over at the ruined slot machines. “Though your warriors are free, you have failed to avenge them.”
I stood there and waited for Oricho to throw the rest of us under the bus. Blame us, blame Marie, blame Lady Siyu for Christ’s sake. I’d almost consider backing him if he said Lady Siyu was behind it—especially the way she was looking at me . . .
“Mr. Kurosawa and Lady Siyu are aware that I acted alone, and that you and your associates were as much victims of my plot as they,” Oricho said, looking at both Lady Siyu and Mr. Kurosawa evenly.
Mr. Kurosawa turned to me. “Yes. Much to my surprise, little thief, you have kept your end of the bargain.” The main door swung open. “You three are free to go.”
I waited. There had to be something more to this. No argument, no double-crossing—they were letting us walk out alive?
“No catches. The vampires will leave you alone and you are free to go, with payment we agreed upon.”
I turned to go, but I couldn’t leave without knowing. “What are you going to do with Oricho?” I asked.
Mr. Kurosawa frowned, at the end of his patience for humans. His eyes glinted as he glanced at the slot machines. “I do not take betrayal lightly.”
I stood there and exchanged looks with Rynn and Nadya. I didn’t like this one bit. Mr. Kurosawa had the scroll; what was the point of torturing Oricho to death?
“You’ve won,” I said.
“Don’t worry, little thief. I intend to give him a sporting chance.”
The way Mr. Kurosawa and Lady Siyu were circling Oricho like a pair of sharks, I doubted that very much.
Oricho removed what was left of his jacket and, as if sensing my reluctance to leave, said, “I appreciate the sentiment, but I am ready to accept the consequences. My warriors are now at peace.” A smile crossed his face. “The same thing cannot be said for Mr. Kurosawa’s treasure room.”
Great, now Oricho gets a sense of humor.
Don’t get me wrong, Oricho wasn’t a good guy. The skin walker, Marie, almost being burned alive—all of this would be giving me nightmares for a long, long time. But he wasn’t exactly evil either. His methods were nuts, and I think he took a step off the deep end a few hundred years ago, but it’s not like he was out to kill people for kicks. Mr. Kurosawa and Lady Siyu, on the other hand . . . well, let’s just say I got the distinct impression they’d enjoy punishing Oricho, not to mention us if we didn’t hightail it out of there . . . Goddamn it, there was no right or wrong here. Just a lot of very angry monsters who’d had a few centuries to stew.
“This whole thing sucks,” I said to Nadya and Rynn.
After a nod from Mr. Kurosawa, Lady Siyu broke off and sashayed towards us. “Leave now,” she said, and flashed me her fangs. “If I have to throw you out of our casino, odds are not good you will survive.”
“Fine, we’re going,” Rynn said, turning both of us around. “Owl, there’s nothing we can do. I wish it were different, but it’s within Mr. Kurosawa’s rights. I’m sorry, I’m not happy about it either. Oricho’s been a good friend—”
“Even though he tried to kill you?” I said, surprised, to say the least. Oricho hadn’t planned on killing us, but Rynn? He’d been a calculated casualty.
He shook his head and looked back. “I’ve known him a long time. A few hundred years with his guilt, and maybe I’d be pushed to a breaking point as well.”
We’d won. We should have been celebrating. So why did I feel so sick to my stomach?
I stopped in my tracks and grabbed Rynn’s sleeve. I knew damn well why I felt sick to my stomach; I was better than this. Yeah, my conscience had gotten me thrown out of the university, but I was the one who had to live with it.
I stopped and turned to face Lady Siyu and Mr. Kurosawa.
“Alix, what are you doing?” Nadya said.
“Something really, really stupid,” I said. But it was worth it if I could walk out of this without the guilt. I raised my voice to address Mr. Kurosawa. “What can we do?” I said.
Mr. Kurosawa and Lady Siyu turned their gazes on me, not even making a pretense this time at geniality. I was interrupting their dinner.
Rynn grabbed my arm. “This isn’t your fight. Oricho knew what he was getting into when he concocted this plan.”
I ignored him. “There has to be something, Mr. Kurosawa,” I hissed. “What? What would be worth more than the satisfaction of killing Oricho?”
Lady Siyu looked as if she wanted to flay me alive, but Mr. Kurosawa eyed me with an even, thoughtful expression. “Not even you have enough treasure stashed away to buy Oricho’s life from me,” he said.
I nodded and turned back towards the door. I’d tried. I’d failed, but I could sleep at night with that.
“But you might be able to steal enough.”
I turned back. Mr. Kurosawa’s murderous stare had turned thoughtful. “I’m branching out into antiquities,” he added. “And I’m in the market for an acquisitions and appraisals agent. Interested?”
It took me a second to realize what he was proposing. “You want me to find more treasure for your hoard?” I
said.
“What you humans would call an employee/employer arrangement. A three-year contract,” he continued as I balked. “I pass jobs your way, and you fetch the items. Why, I’ll even allow you to pursue other projects on your own time. Think of it as a mutually beneficial agreement.”
I highly doubted there was anything mutually beneficial about it.
“Owl—” Rynn tried, but Lady Siyu silenced him with a hiss.
“I agree to work for you and you’ll what? Just let Oricho go?”
“No, but as a sign of good faith, I’d be obliged to give him a running start. He might even live.”
I ran it over in my head. It was the only chance Oricho would get.
“Seventy/thirty,” I said. “And you pay the expenses.”
“Sixty/forty, and that’s me being very generous,” he said. The teeth were back, and I took that as “negotiations are over.”
“If he gets out?” I asked, desperately trying to think my way out of any loopholes.
“Then Oricho is free to try and kill us another day.”
“And what about her?” I said, nodding at Lady Siyu.
She smiled. “I’ll kill him if I ever see him again.”
Considering the position I was in, that was probably the best I could do.
I looked at Oricho, who had a frown on his ruined face. “You have no obligation to indenture yourself to their service,” he said.
“Oh, it’s a contract. Three years, and I plan to make one hell of a profit out if it.”
Not to mention I’d be able to hide from the IAA for the rest of my life. Make no doubt about it, this last week’s series of disasters put me well back on their radar. The difference was in three years I could afford to hide without having to steal antiquities. Ever again . . . Did I mention the money?
He bowed his head.
“And for the record, Oricho, if you make it out of here alive, I never want to see you, ever again,” I said, and turned back to Mr. Kurosawa. “We have a deal,” I continued, as Rynn drew in a sharp breath beside me.
Mr. Kurosawa laughed. “Lady Siyu will be in touch.”
All I wanted to do was get the hell out. I turned to leave, Nadya, Rynn, and Captain close on my heels. “And consider me on vacation for the next month,” I told him.
We were almost out the doors when Oricho called my name. I made the mistake of glancing back in time to see him darting through what was left of the casino. “I owe you a debt and a life. I always repay them.”
I kept walking. Why did Oricho have to be the bad guy? Or maybe just the bad guy who lost? No . . . Killing Mr. Kurosawa was one thing, killing Rynn and dragging a damaged, hapless vampire like Marie into it . . . besides, I’d made my bet with the dragon. For now.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Nadya said.
I shook my head. “I’m pretty sure I don’t.”
We got the hell out of there. With the firefighters and patrons roaming around the main floor, no one paid us any mind. I thought about leaving without my computer—I was this close to doing it but decided to grab what I could.
I don’t think I’ve ever driven the Winnebago that fast before in my life; even Rynn opted to sleep in the back instead of watching me drive.
Maybe hanging around me is a death sentence. I really seem to attract trouble.
Then again, I’ve gotten some interesting friends out of it too.
Epilogue
I’M ON VACATION
11:00 a.m., Saturday, April 10, my place, Seattle
I grabbed a coffee before heading to my favorite window seat overlooking Elliott Bay. It was April and gray and raining—it’s always raining—but I couldn’t have cared less. Damn, it felt good to be home—and have my apartment back—without the vampires. Hardly seemed like I’d been out of Vegas almost a month.
I’d closed the bedroom door so Rynn could sleep in. Usually he was up before me, but last night we’d been out, and I’d been learning about the Seattle supernatural underworld. Apparently this city wasn’t quite as free of supernaturals as I’d thought. Vampires, yes, but there was a whole other layer I’d never realized was here.
I liked having the odd morning to myself. Rynn usually left me alone first thing—he seemed to think it helped me cope, or whatever psychoanalysis crap he was reading and bouncing off me.
Little-known fact: supernaturals know less about humans than you’d think. Rynn had thrown himself into learning. It had unnerved me at first, until we’d come up with an arrangement—I’d put up with the psychoanalysis hobby if he’d start giving me lessons on the supernatural world. The arrangement was working and eased some of the—I don’t know what you’d call it. Interspecies tension?
I wasn’t used to having any roommates except Captain, albeit Rynn was a roommate with his own place in Tokyo. But Captain seemed fine with it, which was good enough for me. I was even starting to trust my own judgment about people as well.
Despite the rain, the view from up here looked awesome. Not even one goddamned vampire.
Then the phone rang, breaking my Saturday morning peace and quiet. I dreaded looking at the caller ID, knowing who it would be.
Lady Siyu.
Again.
Goddamn, it’d only been a month and I already missed Oricho. Soooo much easier to deal with over the phone. Still, neither one of the bastards would tell me if they’d eaten him or not. Between you and me, I was guessing Oricho had gotten away. Why? I’m positive Lady Siyu would have bragged if she’d caught him. A lot.
Wherever Oricho was, I hoped he’d stay the hell out of trouble. And far, far away from me.
“What?” I said.
“Vacation is over. You are to meet Mr. Kurosawa with your companions tomorrow at noon. I have made flight arrangements.”
“You could have emailed,” I said.
I could just imagine her eyebrow and a corner of her lacquered red mouth lifting in contempt. “You have an uncivilized habit of not answering your messages on time.”
“Oh come on, I have to sleep. Besides, I just saved you and your boss—”
“I expect prompt responses. You have yet to deliver on that expectation.”
I ground my teeth. “Nadya is in Japan. She’ll be hard-pressed to get here by next week, let alone tomorrow—”
“See that the two of you are presentable,” she said, and hung up.
I closed my eyes. Damn it, I did not make a friend there. No sirree.
I picked up the phone and called Nadya.
“Hello?” she said. I could tell she’d been asleep.
“We’ve been summoned to Vegas. Tomorrow.”
Nadya swore.
I didn’t blame her. She’d insisted on helping me with the contract, though with a phone call in the middle of the night I suspected she was rethinking it.
We set travel arrangements just as Rynn came out of the bedroom.
“Who was that?” he asked as I hung up.
“We’re being summoned. Mr. Kurosawa has a job for me and Nadya. And I don’t think they’ve eaten Oricho yet,” I added.
He nodded. “I’ll come with you—”
“I thought you said you weren’t back to normal yet?” Rynn was still recovering from the scroll’s effects.
“Better than I was.”
“Wait here until we have the job. I doubt much will happen while we’re there.”
“I’m fine,” he said.
I let out a breath and stopped myself from saying the first thing out of my mouth: No, you aren’t. Rynn, who’d spent years working as a club host, had pride. Who knew?
“I’m not suggesting otherwise, I’m suggesting you might as well take the rest.”
He came up beside me and touched his forehead to mine. “I’m fine. Besides, I’ve reached a deal with Mr. Kurosawa.”
“You what? Please tell me you’re not the new Oricho. Toadying is not something I see you doing well.”
He winked. “I’m taking over the casino bar.”
I groaned. Not what I wanted to hear.
He kissed me on the forehead “Alix, I’ll be fine. The bar was running a deficit. If there’s one thing dragons hate more than insults to their pride, it’s losing treasure. I’ve even got staff coming from Tokyo, and I’ve got a mind to put some of the nymphs to work as servers.”
“Why is this the first I’m hearing of this?”
“Because you’re a train wreck and never tell me anything.”
“Whore,” I said as Rynn disappeared into the shower. I wasn’t sure if it was an incubus thing or not, but Rynn sure as hell loved his showers. Though mine was pretty luxe. Two nozzles, large stone walls. I’d gone all out.
I opened up my laptop. It’d been days since I’d logged into World Quest. Carpe opened up a chat window as soon as I was on. I’d been limiting our conversations to chat lately, trying to curb his stalker instincts.
I need your help was all the message said.
Sure, I have a couple hours to kill, I messaged back.
I need to talk to you in person, he wrote.
Not a chance in hell. I closed the chat function and headed into my game.
My phone rang. Lady Siyu. Goddamn it. “What?” I said.
But it wasn’t Lady Siyu.
“Owl, I need your help. I’m serious,” Carpe said.
“Why you little toad. How dare you trick me into answering the phone?”
“I wouldn’t be contacting you if it wasn’t a matter of life and death. It’s supernatural. I need you to find something.”
Crap.
“Listen real good. I don’t do supernatural.”
“No offense, but that’s not what I hear.”
“I don’t care what you hear, I’m not doing it.”
There was a slight pause. “Please don’t make me go through Mr. Kurosawa.”
I don’t think I’ve ever been that floored in my entire life. Here I am trying to keep what’s left of my subnormal life normal . . . I did something I haven’t done in my entire gaming career. I flipped on the camera and dropped his firewall with a worm I’d been keeping stashed for a rainy day.
Owl and the Japanese Circus Page 41