The Fractured Soul

by Nicolette Andrews

  “What are you doing in my room?” she countered and held her staff tighter.

  “I saw something creeping around outside and came to investigate,” he said as naturally as if he had never betrayed her.

  Unfortunately for him, her memory wasn’t as short as his apparently was. She pointed her staff at him. “Do you really think I’m going to believe that excuse? What are you doing skulking around my room, really?”

  Tsuki held up his hand to silence her. “Hear that?”

  Was she a joke to him. “Like I’m falling—” Tsuki covered her mouth.

  She struggled against him for a moment, until she heard it, footsteps above her. He hadn’t been lying, someone was on her roof.

  Tsuki removed his hand and then pressed a finger to his lips. He crept onto the balcony with Suzume right behind him, holding her staff tight. Tsuki jumped up, catching the edge of the roof and climbing up and over. She craned her neck to try and see but couldn’t see anything beyond the eaves.

  “You’re not getting away,” Tsuki shouted.

  There was a brief scuffle and what sounded like a hissing cat. A few seconds later, Tsuki jumped down from the roof with a squirming cat in his arms.

  “Here’s your culprit.” He dropped it onto the ground.

  As it hit the ground, it transformed from cat to humanoid with cat-like ears and a scar across his face. She’d met this particular neko before. It was Ryuu’s familiar.

  “He’s no threat.” She sheathed her staff on her back.

  “Then what was he doing creeping around?” Tsuki asked with a frown.

  She was about to remind him that not long ago, Tsuki was the one who had attacked her and tried to break into her room. But held her tongue instead. She’d had enough arguments today, and besides, he had a point.

  “He’s right, why not come through the front door?”

  “You never know who’s watching,” the neko said, brushing invisible dust off his haori.

  Those words sent a cold chill down her spine. Did the neko know something she didn’t? She glanced at Tsuki and Akira.

  “I’m in no danger from the neko. You can leave now,” Suzume said to Tsuki.

  Tsuki looked disappointed, but she still couldn’t trust them. If Ryuu had sent the neko, he must have a message to tell her, and she wouldn’t risk whatever it was getting back to Hisato. That is if Akira and Tsuki were still working for him.

  Once Tsuki left, Suzume turned to the neko. “What did you have to tell me?”

  “My master sent me to tell you that the emperor is sending a hybrid army to attack the palace.”

  “What! We need to prepare, send a message to Kaito,” Suzume said and raced to the door.

  “It’s too late for that. He won’t get here in time. The only choice left is to get you out of here.”

  He grabbed her by the wrist as if he would drag her out. She shook free. Why was he trying so hard to get her out of the palace?

  “Hold on. Kaito already defeated the hybrid camp.”

  “I don’t know what Kaito has done, but it didn’t stop them. Come look.” He gestured to the balcony.

  Suzume followed him out there. And if she squinted into the distance, she saw hundreds of black dots closing in.

  “Do you not value your own life? I’ve seen these hybrids, they don’t discern who or what they’re attacking. The Dragon’s force doesn’t stand a chance.”

  An army of hybrids. That was where Hisato had been all this time, creating an army. Even if she could resonate with Kazue and Souta, they wouldn’t be enough. They all would be destroyed.

  “Now, let’s go before they get any closer,” the neko said, heading for the door.

  Since she’d discovered her power, she had fought in countless battles, and before this moment, she had never genuinely feared for her own life. Kaito wasn’t here, she couldn’t count on anyone to have her back. She could either run and save her own life or face the coming attack and possibly die...

  27

  The blizzard had blown large drifts that reached the tops of the ramparts. The ground was slick with ice, and Rin had to be mindful of each step she took as she paced back and forth. Had the tengu prince arrived safely, was Kaito on his way to help them? She couldn’t see much other than the flurry of snow and the sleet-gray sky overhead. Standing vigil here wouldn’t make Kaito come any faster, but she hated sitting still and just waiting.

  “Rin come inside,” Hikaru shouted from the entrance to the guard’s room.

  “Just a few more minutes,” she called back.

  Hikaru would have stood by her side if the cold hadn’t driven him inside. Even the tengu who lived their entire lives on this mountain top, had been driven inside by it. Rin had kept herself warm by cloaking herself in fox fire, but even that couldn’t keep out the biting wind. She would need to go inside soon or risk losing a few digits or her nose, which had started to ache from the plummeting temperatures.

  The tengu were starting to lose hope, she could feel it. As each day passed and the storm was stronger without any sign of stopping, their chances of rescue grew slimmer, as did the reality that the tengu prince might never have made it off the mountain. Rin sighed. Maybe she should head inside, start thinking of a new plan to get them off the mountain.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw something moving in the snow. She might have imagined it. Rin squinted into the storm. A white wolf trudged through the snow, their head down. Was that, Shin? Then the tengu prince had been successful after all.

  Rin bolted for the guard room. She threw the door open, and a flurry of snow entered with her. “Open the gate, The Dragon has sent a messenger.”

  The tengu huddled in the room looked to Mori, who was leaning against the far wall.

  “Are you certain it’s an ally? It could be a trick,” Mori said, frowning toward the door.

  She’d been so excited, she hadn’t even considered the possibility. But if it was Shin and they kept the gate closed to him, he would freeze to death.

  “I’m sure,” Rin said.

  Mori nodded. “Open the gates.”

  The tengu hopped to do as Mori had commanded, and Rin followed them out into the courtyard, preparing to greet Shin. Banks of snow had built up around the entrance, and it took four tengu to pry the doors open enough for the wolf to come bounding in. Their fur was covered in ice crystals.

  “Are you alright, not hurt?” Rin asked, looking him up and down.

  Akane transformed into her humanoid form and grasped her arms around her body, shivering. “Fine, but a bit cold. Is there somewhere we can go in and talk?”

  If Akane were here, did that mean Shin was injured? What about Kaito? Her mind was racing as she led Akane into the guard room. A blanket was found, and they wrapped her up and offered her a steaming cup, which she drank from.

  Rin paced behind her. “Is everyone alright, The Dragon, Shin, the tengu prince?” Rin asked.

  Akane blew on the steam of her mug, her teeth were still chattering, but the blue was beginning to fade from her lips. “All fine. They would have come themselves, but the pull of the yuki onna was too strong for them.”

  Rin’s tense shoulders relaxed. So she had worried for nothing. “Why did you come here in the blizzard if everyone is safe?” Rin asked.

  “We’re outnumbered. Kaito and Shin tried sneaking in to take out their leader, but were unsuccessful. Kaito says the yuki onna are weak to fire, and so I came to get you.”

  Rin’s chest suddenly felt tight. But she could see the logic behind it, the yuki onna were weak against fire. She could disguise herself to get close, and she wasn’t as susceptible to their allure. With the queen destroyed, the yuki onna would no longer have anything to rally behind. It was the perfect plan.

  And yet she hesitated. She’d just barely made it out alive the last time she’d run into the yuki onna. Could she escape a second attempt unscathed, this time without Hikaru to back her up and to destroy their queen? She was more powerful th
an any other yuki onna Rin had ever seen. Hikaru reached for her hand and squeezed it. He would support her no matter what the choice.

  For the future they dreamed up, for the peace of Akatsuki, she would have to try.

  “I’ll start preparing, we should not delay to attack,” Rin said.

  “Are you sure about this?” Mori asked.

  Rin swallowed past a lump in her throat. No second-guessing.

  “Yes. But if I don’t return in a couple hours, I want you to promise me you’ll protect Hikaru.”

  “Rin—”

  “You have to stay alive, for the sake of Akatsuki, the piece of Kazue’s soul inside you must stay safe.” She cupped his cheek.

  Hikaru pulled her into his embrace. She never wanted to let him go. But time was running out.

  “Be careful,” he said before they stepped apart.

  “I’ll be back soon,” she said with more confidence than she felt as she stepped out into the storm.

  Suzume was paralyzed by indecision. Run and save herself or stay and risk her own life for yokai that hurt her. It should have been an obvious choice. But what if this were exactly what Hisato wanted. He expected her to run at the first sign of danger. And she was tired of running, tired of looking over her shoulder for that blade to fall on her neck. He had sent Kazue here for a reason, she might have deceived the rest of the palace, but she could see it clearly now. The kiss, all of it had been meant to distract her, to drive a wedge between her and Kaito. All leading to this moment, where she would be on her own, and easy prey for Hisato to capture her at last.

  “Did you not see that army? We have to get out of here while we still can.” The neko gestured to the balcony.

  “I’m not going,” Suzume said. “I’m going to stay here and defend the palace.”

  “You’re a damn fool if you think I’m going to sacrifice my hide for your foolishness.” The neko rushed toward her, and she swung her staff to block him. He grabbed onto the staff and tried to wrest it from her hands.

  “I’m not going anywhere, and you can tell Ryuu that from me,” Suzume said.

  “And do you think he’s just going to accept that? You don’t know my master.” He shoved, and she lost her footing on the tatami.

  The neko was stronger than her; in a show of brute force, he would win. He would carry her far from the battle. All because Ryuu wanted to keep her safe. But she wasn’t the princess in need of being protected anymore. She was her own person, and she had her own power. Suzume summoned the flames, which flickered over her staff. The neko yowled and let go of the staff stumbling backward as he stared at his burned hands.

  “Fine. I’m not going to force you to come—enjoy fighting those monsters,” the neko said.

  Then with a puff of smoke, he was gone. There wasn’t a moment to lose, she rushed for the door just as Noaki and Tsuki came through.

  “We heard a struggle,” Tsuki said.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got it handled,” Suzume said. “We have bigger problems, the hybrids are coming, and they’re planning on attacking the palace. We have to warn the yokai and prepare for the attack.”

  Noaki turned and ran off to go and do as she told him, only Tsuki lingered behind.

  “What can we do?” She wanted to cling to her anger at their betrayal, but there was no time for hurt feelings. “Help me gather up the yokai,” she said.

  He nodded his head and hurried off to do as he was told. As for her, she had to find Souta and warn him about Kazue. Suzume flew through the halls of the yokai palace, her heart thundering in her ears. Any yokai she passed, she shouted to tell them to gather in the audience hall, she didn’t wait to see if they listened or looked at her like a crazy woman.

  When she got to the training yard, it was empty. Kazue and Souta weren’t there. Could they have returned to their rooms in the inner halls of the palace? She turned to go back and look for them, Noaki caught up with her.

  “The yokai are gathering and asking questions,” Noaki said.

  She wished Kaito was here. He would know what to do, she was no general. She’d never led anyone in her life. But then she remembered what Kaito had said, he had chosen her as his empress for a reason. These yokai might hate her now, but if she married Kaito, one day, she would rule over them. Instead of cowering before them, she had to learn how to lead.

  “Find Souta and tell him that Kazue cannot be trusted,” Suzume told Noaki.

  She rushed to the audience hall. The yokai had all gathered and were muttering among themselves. She pushed her way through the crowd, making her way to the front. The concerned murmur grew to a fever pitch, and sparks danced along her palms. Suzume took a few calming breaths. She could do this.

  “Hybrids are on their way to attack the palace,” Suzume shouted.

  The yokai fell silent; at least she had her attention now.

  “We need to prepare for the attack.”

  The shouting started up again.

  “We won’t listen to a human.”

  “Where is the dragon?”

  They were closing in around her, forcing their way toward her.

  “Listen, we need to stay united. The hybrids don’t care—”

  Someone grabbed her ankle and dragged her toward the edge of the dais. Suzume shot a ball of fire just over his head. He let go, but it was like lighting a tinder, the yokai who were holding back before, were swarming her. Suzume grabbed her staff and swung it around her trying to keep them back. But it was no use. She was arrogant to think they’d listen to a mere human woman’s orders.

  The circle around her was closing in when a sword slashed through the yokai in front of her. They started to scatter as Tsuki pushed his way to the front of the crowd, blocking Suzume from harm.

  “You alright?” Tsuki asked.

  Suzume nodded at him. He had come to her rescue, when he could have easily run away in the chaos.

  Akira took control of the body her and Tsuki shared.

  “The hybrids are already on the beach. It is a matter of minutes before they will be storming our doors. You will either fight with us, or take your chances with escape. But no one will harm the priestess without going through us first.”

  The body of the dead yokai laid at her feet, it wasn’t exactly enough to inspire trust. But at least they weren’t trying to tear her apart.

  A howl echoed through the palace. The hybrids were upon them. The yokai looked around, realizing the danger they were in, and then they scattered.

  “We need to get you out of here,” Akira said.

  “Are you suggesting we just abandon the palace?” Suzume asked.

  “It’s already lost, we cannot hope to defend it against an army just ourselves,” Akira said.

  She didn’t like the idea of running away, it felt like cowardice, but Akira was right, staying at this point was suicide. She’d tried to convince the yokai to fight, and now she’d made her choice.

  “We have to find Noaki and Souta,” Suzume told them.

  “Noaki and Souta have already left, he told us to come to find you,” Akira said.

  A boom echoed through the building as it shook. The hybrids were getting closer. They would have to reconvene once they were outside the palace. She just hoped they all survived until then.

  28

  The wind howled in her ears and pushed against Rin, making her progress slow. It was as if the storm were telling her to turn around. The landscape was nothing but a sheet of white, even if she were to turn back she wasn’t she could find her way. As she stumbled blindly forward, trees appeared in the gloom. Ice clung to her lashes as if she might freeze to death before she ever reached the yuki onna.

  Using the tree to block the unrelenting wind, she huddled behind it and lit her fox fire, trying to warm her frozen digits and face. She spread out her senses and searched out the yuki onna. They weren’t much further; she was going to make it. Getting into the yuki onna camp was only half the battle; at least when she’d snuck into the yuki onna
palace, she had Hikaru for back up. This time it was just her.

  Rin rubbed her frigid hands together, no use delaying further. She pulled out a leaf from her sleeve. This disguise would need to be perfect. Last time the yuki onna had discovered her by her breath. To prevent that, she would need a second layer of disguise apart from her appearance that on casual examination would make her appear to have all the energy and characteristics of a yuki onna. But the cost of such a powerful disguise was her energy. Once she got close to the yuki onna queen, she would only have enough energy for one shot at killing her. Rin inhaled and then exhaled. She could do this. She focused her fox fire onto the leaf, pouring as much as she dared into it and then affixed it to her forehead. A warm tingle spread across her body, the disguise was complete.

  Just maintaining it cost her, and she would have to be quick. With a renewed sense of purpose, she headed for the yuki onna camp. The storm began to dissipate as she passed through the borders of their camp. The surrounding snowdrifts made for the perfect cover, and Rin darted from one to another, creeping closer. Even in disguise, she imagined there would be questions as to why she was stepping out of the forest.

  She was nearly to the heart of the camp. After checking to make sure there were no yuki onna nearby, she stood up from behind the snowdrift and strode through the camp purposefully. The yuki onna who she passed paid her no mind. And Rin let go of a breath she’d been holding. At least her disguise was working. The yuki onna queen’s location was obvious, a snowy structure had been built for her. And it was larger than all the others, as if declaring someone important dwelled within. Rin appreciated her arrogance because it made her task that much easier.

  A pair of guards chatted as they framed the door. Neither of them was paying attention to their surroundings. Getting past them shouldn’t be too hard, she hoped. Rin’s hands trembled, and she balled them into fists. Rin strode up confidently. Maybe she would get lucky, and they’d let her walk right past them without question.

  They threw out their arms to stop her.