“I took you to dinner two days ago,” said Kenshin with an affectionate shake of his head.
“Was it only two days? Yes, well, it seemed much longer.”
After a quick bow, Kenshin gathered the woman into his arms and gave her a kiss atop the head. “I have missed you too.”
It was very sweet and not at all what I’d expected. When Kenshin unraveled himself from the woman, she turned to me. “What brings you by with this mysterious friend? Have you finally found a special lady love?”
Thank God, I had my hood up because my cheeks flushed.
Kenshin chuckled like an embarrassed child. “No, Watanabe-san. Valaria is only an acquaintance. We met today.” He turned to me. “V, don’t be rude. Watanabe-san won’t try to flirt with you like Masa. You don’t need to hide in that ridiculous hood.”
“It’s not ridiculous,” I shot back, removing the cover from my head. “Anonymity is a gift.”
Watanabe-san shrieked, then bowed long and low. “It is an honor, Red Ghost. Such an honor.” When she rose from her bow, her whole face was alight. “May I touch you?” she asked.
Kenshin shook his head. “She doesn’t—”
I reached a hand out to take hers, and she bowed again, her forehead to my hand. “Women have received much more respect since you came to the city. The streets are safer.”
Kenshin’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand. I thought you didn’t like—”
I shot him a look. “She asked. You didn’t.”
I was confused and delighted by Watanabe-san’s reaction to my presence and her assertion that the streets were safer since my arrival. Despite the direness of the situation with Midori missing, a brief happiness overtook me, and I smiled. It’d been a long time since I’d received accolades of any kind. For once, it felt good to be noticed. The women in Tokyo were safer because of me. Because I sometimes kicked ass.
“You can smile,” said Kenshin, a baffled expression on his face. “I’m….” He shook his head as if amazed. “I don’t know what I am.”
Watanabe-san gave Kenshin a swat upside the head. “You must respect the Red Ghost.”
Kenshin shied away when the old woman went to hit him again. “Sheesh. I do respect her,” he griped. He turned to me for confirmation. “Don’t I?” His eyes were pleading.
“Mostly. It’s okay, Watanabe-san. I’m getting used to Kenshin and his smart-aleck ways.”
She gestured to her small dining table. “Please, sit and join me for a meal.” The frail woman pulled out a chair for me. “What brings you here, Red Ghost?”
“Please call me Valaria,” I said, “or V.”
Watanabe-san proceeded to fuss over us as I told her about my missing friend and the men who’d disappeared from the flesh den. She served a delicious sencha along with an assortment of wagashi confections. The best was one made of anko or azuki bean paste. I tried to refrain from over-indulging as Watanabe-san clearly wasn’t rich, but it was hard. Really hard. The woman could cook.
“The Kami are up to something,” said Watanabe-san, shaking her head in dismay at my tale. “Did Kenshin tell you that my Akemi shouldn’t have been taken as a priest? Last year the Kami accepted twice the number of priests. My boy is kind and strong, a good lad, but he is not what you would call priesthood material. He is not a scholar by any means, but last year they took nearly everyone who applied.”
I’d only been in Tokyo for six months and hadn’t heard anything about the unusual number of people accepted into the priesthood. Midori had, however, mentioned that the Kami’s review of local children yielded no one with magical abilities. Powers were passed down within Kami bloodlines, but it wasn’t uncommon for a lay-child to be born with powers as well, at least until recently. According to Midori, there had been a dearth of exceptional children for the last decade. Many locals were glad as they wished to raise their own children rather than have them whisked away to the Mount. Although the Kami were revered, there existed an undercurrent of worry associated with them because of their power. They were seen as a hibernating bear that might wake up and go on a rampage. Given that Midori was taken by the Kami, and I had been stabbed, perhaps that bear was already awake. I shivered involuntarily at the thought and stuffed another wagashi down my gullet.
“What have you heard from Akemi?” asked Kenshin. “Anything that might be of interest to us?”
Watanabe-san retrieved several letters from a nearby drawer and took a seat at the table. “I received a letter just yesterday. As I told you at dinner a few days ago, I hadn’t heard from him in a while, which was very unusual.”
“Did Akemi say anything interesting?” asked Kenshin.
“It’s not so much what he said, but rather how the letter arrived.” Watanabe-san pulled her hand from the pile of letters. Most of them were neat, unbent and had been sealed with a wax stamp. The one on top, however, was crumpled and water-stained. “It did not come via the apple vendor, but rather a vagabond passing through Tokyo. He apologized for the delay and said Akemi had written from the Yamanashi prefecture. Hayakawa of all places.”
“That is very interesting,” said Kenshin, his eyes finding mine. “I haven’t heard of any Kami business in Hayakawa. Most of that zone is irradiated. There’s not much out that way except a few stalwart farmers.”
Watanabe-san handed the letter to Kenshin, so he could have a quick read of it, and he passed it to me. It said nothing in particular. He wrote about the weather, food, his general well-being and how much he missed his mother. “Does he normally say so little?” I asked. “There’s nothing here about what work he’s doing or what Kami he might be serving.”
Watanabe-san’s forehead crinkled as her eyebrows headed skyward. “You’re right, Valentin-san. I didn’t think of how little substance was included. I was so happy to hear he was safe and surprised he was in Hayakawa.” She handed me another letter. “Akemi does tend to be newsy and often talks about the Kami. I didn’t think it would suit him, but he quite likes serving them. He says he’s a favorite of Amaterasu and is given special projects. Of course, he never says what those projects are.”
Kenshin gave Watanabe-san a nudge. “You’ve been holding out on me. There is no higher honor for a priest than serving the Sun Goddess.” Kenshin shook a hand as if he’d been scorched by something hot.
Watanabe-san waved away his comment. “To brag is unseemly.”
Kenshin stood and leaned over to kiss the top of the old woman’s head. “You’ve been more than helpful. We will go out for a fine meal when next I see you.”
“If you go to Hayakawa…if you see Akemi…” The old woman’s words trembled.
“If I see Akemi, I will tell him his mother loves and misses him, but not too much because she’s adopted me as her new favorite son.” Kenshin paused to snake another wagashi off the plate. “And I’ll tell him how you feed me all the best treats. He will surely be jealous.”
Watanabe-san popped up from her chair. “I must send along food for Akemi, in case you visit. I just finished a batch of daifuku.” The old woman scurried around her small kitchen, plopping treats in a towel before tying it off. She handed it to Kenshin. “Kenshin, you are my second son. I will feed you more when you return. These are for Akemi.”
Kenshin threw his head back and laughed. “I would not dream of stealing my brother’s food. You can rest assured he will receive every crumb if we find ourselves in Hayakawa.” Kenshin glanced at me, eyes mischievous. “Although I may risk life and limb to do so, the appetite of the red ghost is voracious.”
“Of course it is,” said the old woman, giving me a wink. “It is hard work fending off the lascivious hordes. Here, let me send a small bundle with you as well, Valentin-san. Kenshin can find his own food.”
Kenshin stared at me aghast, then waved us both off and exited the container.
“Please, Watanabe-san, you do not have to do this. This food is too costly. You must eat it yourself.”
“Nonsense. I am old and hav
e no appetite. I make these for the children in our small community. To see them happy is one of my only true joys now.” She handed me a small bundle of goodies before bowing. “It has been an honor.”
I returned the gesture. “Thank you for your help. When I come next time, I promise to visit you again and bring you gifts to repay your hospitality. I am in the acquisitions business. Perhaps I can find you something helpful for your kitchen or maybe a pretty bauble.”
Watanabe-san took my hands and bowed again. “I would be the talk of the village to receive such a gift from the Red Ghost, but a simple visit would be more than enough. The elderly are in need of few things but company.”
“It is a date then. And I will make sure Kenshin keeps his word and does not touch Akemi’s food.”
She smiled. “You needn’t worry. I was only joking. Few men are more honorable than Kenshin.” The corners of her mouth edged up farther as her eyes turned playful. “He would make a fine husband.”
Heat rose in my cheeks, and I had to clear my throat several times before speaking. “No doubt. Some woman will be very lucky one day.”
After a quick bow, I scurried down the sidewalk after Kenshin. Just not this woman.
Chapter 9
After visiting Watanabe-san, Kenshin and I tracked down the homes of the flesh den’s two missing men, Jin Sato and Hideaki Ito. Brief talks with neighbors revealed that neither of the men had been seen in days and no one had a clue where they were. Each kept to a well-worn routine and wasn’t the type to travel. Coming up empty on Sato and Ito, Kenshin and I decided that a trip to Hayakawa was our best chance at uncovering something useful. We knew the Kami had taken Midori and perhaps two other men—and the fact a group of Kami and priests was stationed out in the boonies of Hayakawa was unusual enough to raise questions. Maybe nothing was connected, or maybe everything was, but only a trip to Hayakawa would tell.
We planned to meet in two hours at the library after Kenshin rustled up some horses and camping supplies. After spending so much time out in the hustle and bustle of Tokyo during daylight hours, I was eager for a few hours alone to regroup. My eyes hadn’t experienced so much brightness in years, and a headache gnawed behind them. I entered my windowless room and flung the satchel on the bed.
I was very, very thirsty. So thirsty that the diluted blood left in my washbowl from that morning smelled positively divine. I didn’t bother lighting a candle before grabbing the bowl and chugging it down like a frat boy from the olden days swilling beer. I knew about frat boys from the books I’d read. What utterly stupid beings. Then again, I wasn’t too keen on the creature I’d become. Who was I to throw stones at the past?
With no blood left to be had, I lit a few candles and started adding items to a pile on the bed. The first was the katana Juro had bequeathed to me. I had no intentions of meeting the Kami unarmed and pulled the blade from its sheath and admired its long, sharp lines. Most of the time, I took better care of the sword than I took of myself. The blade gleamed. “Hello, old girl. Ready for an adventure?” I set it on the bed with a smile. I hadn’t had anyone to spar with since Juro, but Kenshin was likely good with a sword. Perhaps, after Midori’s return, we might have a match. I could redeem myself after the mortifying finish to our poker game. I didn’t know quite what to think of Kenshin. He was annoying and arrogant but also strangely sweet. His interactions with Watanabe-san were adorable, and I appreciated that he’d tried to help his friend Miya at the flesh den.
Next, to the katana, I set a few changes of clothes and a pre-Rift down jacket scavenged from the radiation zone. Spring was coming but Hayakawa was on the other side of the Kaishi Mountains. The temperatures would be much colder at elevation, and I wanted to preempt any suggestions by Kenshin that we cuddle for warmth before he made them. From my limited experience with him, it was just the sort of thing he’d suggest trying to be playful. I didn’t do well with playful.
I studied my floor-to-ceiling shelves chocked full of neatly curated books and treasures looking for what else to add. I had two full bottles of sake and grabbed one to add to the pile. The trip would take a day to get to Hayakawa and another to return. If we spent twenty-four hours there investigating, that meant three-plus days without blood. Normally that would be fine, but I wasn’t sure anymore. I took the second bottle and opened it, thinking it best to start the journey as satiated as possible. Vampires couldn’t get drunk, so I didn’t have to worry about being sloppy when Kenshin arrived.
I perused the shelves further as I drank from the bottle. Noticing old Polaroids of me with my second family of Juro and Hana, I remembered the scavenging bag I’d dropped during Midori’s kidnapping…the one with albums and the camera. All the detectives in the books I’d read used photos to document clues and evidence. When I’d found the camera, it had two rolls of unopened film. Surely I could spare one for our investigation. I’d save the other for later when Midori returned. We’d take a proper family photo to celebrate. If Kenshin and I found something in Hayakawa, we might need proof to show his father in order to rally the community against the Kami. Those witches were up to something. I could feel it.
I tracked down my discarded bag and pulled out the camera and film, putting everything but the katana into a large hiking backpack. With half a bottle of sake safely stowed inside my stomach, I was starting to feel warm and relaxed. I settled on the bed with the old photo albums and began to peruse. Before the Rift, I’d wanted to be a National Geographic photographer and travel writer. I loved everything about traveling. Planes, luggage, different cultures, weird foods, unforeseen adventures. I was game for all of it. Flipping the pages from Johannesburg to Istanbul, I wondered if the damned invisible dome trapping us all on God’s Island would miraculously disappear one day. Poof. Gone. What a thrill that would be. Other Divisions might still have vampires, and even if they didn’t, somewhere there were most certainly people who looked like me. I couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to not be an outsider anymore and to not want to hide away from prying eyes. I flipped through each of the three books in turn, then set them aside. Between the daydreaming and the sake, I finally felt calm enough to attempt meditation.
I folded my legs Indian style, set my hands on my knees and focused on clearing my mind of all things. Even though some forms of meditation allowed thoughts to float freely through the mind, Zen was the opposite. The purpose was to empty the mind of all things and let there be nothing. To attain a pure Zen state was to achieve true peace. I slowly began to work through everything my mind held, letting it go, if only briefly.
I let go of Midori’s absence…
My worry about Kol…
My annoyance at Kenshin…
My pride at Watanabe-san’s words of praise…
My feelings of isolation…
My grief at so many lost…
My fear…
My fear…
My fear…
Time passed with ease as I achieved the emptiness I craved. It was Kol cannonballing onto my bed that finally pulled me from meditation. He tackled me with a hug.
“I thought it’d be good to let the kid see you before we left,” said Kenshin, perusing the books on my shelf. Yuki stood at the door, which was where Kenshin should have been, waiting for an invitation inside.
“How long have you been here?” I asked, cracking my neck side to side.
“You mean how long have we been watching you sit there like a stoned zombie?” Kenshin smirked. “Not long. I wanted to see how many minutes it would take for you to notice us, but Kol said you might kill us, so I agreed he could shock you out of your stupor.”
“It wasn’t a stupor,” I replied. “It was a state of Zen.”
“Call it what you want,” said Kenshin, eyes turning back to the books. He fingered them one by one and pulled out the old leather-bound book I’d kept for a diary but hadn’t used. And thank God I hadn’t, or he’d be reading my innermost thoughts. The man had no boundaries. He set the book with the empty pa
ges back on the shelf. “Which is your favorite?”
“Huh?”
“Which book is your favorite?” repeated Kenshin.
I narrowed my eyes, sensing a trap.
“No really. I’m looking for a recommendation.”
“Why?”
“Because I was going to ask if I could borrow one for the road. We’ll have to stop at nightfall as the roads won’t be safe. I could use some entertainment since you don’t seem the chatty sort.”
“You insulted me for being a reader earlier today, and now you want to borrow a book for the road?”
“That wasn’t an insult. That was merely a statement. If you took it as an insult, that’s on you. Now…can I borrow one or not? I’ve read everything in my dad’s collection.”
“You’re standing in a library,” I replied, still wary.
Kenshin flung up his hands. “Fine, then. I’ll go grab something off a shelf. I’ll meet you outside in five.”
Yuki followed Kenshin, leaving Kol and I alone. “You okay staying with Yuki?”
Kol nodded. “Yeah. I really like her, and you should see her with throwing stars. She’s deadly. Are you okay with Kenshin because—”
“Because what?”
“Because you act really strange around him. Like really, really strange.”
I felt myself shrink at his words. “You’re just not used to seeing me with other people. I’m…socially awkward.”
“You were never awkward with my mom and me.”
I mussed Kol’s hair. “Yeah, I was. You just have a short memory.”
“Not that short. You’ll be okay with him? I can go with you if you need me.”
“I’d prefer your company. Trust me. But the mountain roads are dangerous, and we have no idea what we’ll find in Hayakawa.”
Kol fumbled with his hands. “Do you…um…need some more blood for the road? I can tap a vein. Kenshin and Yuki wouldn’t have to know.”
I chugged down the last of my sake. “Thanks for the offer. But I’m feeling much better now.” And I was. Between the warmth of the alcohol and the meditation, I felt almost human.
Tokyo's Last Vampire: Division 12: The Berkhano Vampire Collection Page 5