Suzume pointed the staff at her. "Who are you?"
A strange energy radiated from the woman and Suzume had a sinking suspicion she was no woman at all.
"My, my, your manners are terrible." The woman strolled closer to Suzume. She had her lips painted a bright red, which flashed against her white teeth and dark black eyes.
Suzume took an unconscious step back and bumped into the pedestal. She steadied herself on the pedestal to keep from falling over. The woman came within an inch of Suzume and tilted her head from side to side as she examined Suzume's face. A faintly sweet smell clung to the woman. She brushed a long-fingered hand against Suzume's face. The touch crackled with energy but did not burn, more like tickled.
"You are her, I thought Tsuki was lying."
"Who's Tsuki?" Suzume asked. She was not sure if she was afraid or intrigued.
The woman's smile was a predatory flash of teeth. "My brother."
Suzume slid away from the woman's grasp and ran around to the other side of the pedestal. She tried desperately to remember the melody that had unleashed the power before, but it escaped her at the moment. This is a great time to choke. What does this woman want with me? And her brother, for that matter.
"What do you want? To drain me of all my spiritual power? Well, I'm not going down without a fight!" Suzume snarled. She tried to swing the staff to make a point, but it collided with an incense-filled lantern. Her staff tangled in the chain, suspending the staff from the ceiling. She jerked forward and stumbled, hitting the floor at the woman's feet. She yanked the staff free and it slammed into the ground with a thunk.
"I see you have the staff—you're making good progress, then. We've been waiting a long time for you to realize yourself." The woman's expression gave nothing away.
Suzume scowled up at her. Was the woman making fun of her? Suzume couldn't tell. "What are you talking about?"
The woman's perfect painted lips hung open for a second before she smiled again. "You've realized that you are Kazue. That's why you woke the Dragon. You should know…" The woman shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, I don't. Do you care to enlighten me?"
The woman laughed her throaty laugh.
"What is so funny?" demanded Suzume.
"It's just you look nothing like Kazue and sound nothing like her. Kazue always led. We never had to give her instructions."
Suzume's face flushed. She wasn't sure why it upset her so, but it did. "Well, I am not Kazue, and it would do you well to explain what you're doing here."
She stopped laughing, but the mirth continued to light up her eyes. "Well, seeing as I am your servant, I am here to help you finish Kazue's task."
"Her task?" Suzume prompted.
"You don't know?"
"No. That's what I am hoping you'll elaborate on."
The woman frowned. "What? I don't know either! Kazue said when she returned, she would break the curse and finish the task." The woman's eyes had turned red, a scorching red that looked like they would burn through Suzume. "Damn you, Kazue, you tricked me!" She snarled as she tugged at her coiffed hair. The pins came loose and clattered on the ground. Her black hair tumbled to her shoulders and she turned away from Suzume.
"Now, sister, calm down," a man's voice said.
He sounded like he was nearby, but as far as Suzume could tell, she and the woman were alone.
"Tsuki," the woman whined, all traces of her sultry voice gone, "I am tired of these tricks. Maybe we should kill the incarnation and be done with it."
"No." The man's tone was firm. "We have waited much too long for this. The priestess can be taught. Perhaps she has not regained her past memories yet."
"Ah, Tsuki, I think you are right." The woman turned back towards Suzume.
Suzume gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. The staff fell to the ground with a clatter. The woman strolled over to Suzume and picked up the staff off the ground. Suzume stared at the woman, she could not take her eyes off of her.
The woman's face had changed. One half, the right, remained the same—all sultry eyes and soft lips, but the other side was angular with a slight bristling of a beard.
Suzume screeched. "What is wrong with your face?"
The man's voice responded. "Sorry to frighten you, let us introduce ourselves. My name is Tsuki, and this is my sister, Akira."
Suzume's chin had hit the floor. I must be exhausted from the fight, I could not have heard him—er—her correctly. Words escaped her, she did not know how to process the sight before her. Even the left half of her body was different. The left shoulder was broad and instead of the elaborate robe, the left half wore a blue haori, the sleeves trimmed in silver thread over black hakama.
"Let me explain, brother, you're scaring the girl," Akira, or was it Tsuki, said in a feminine voice.
"Very well," the male voice said before it disappeared, leaving behind the seductive-looking woman, once more whole, in a single red and gold kimono.
Akira explained, "Kazue trapped us inside one body and bid us guard her staff until she came for it. She promised to return us to our separate bodies once the task was complete. When she died, we assumed her reincarnation would return to complete what she had started, so we have waited and guarded this place for many years."
Suzume shook her head. She had seen a lot of strange things, but this had to be the topper. A brother and sister sharing a body? Two people in one.
"Well, I don't know what you expect me to do," she said, staring at the woman in front of her, wondering at what point her other half would pop out.
"We can help you learn about your powers and teach you about your past life. We were… close… with Kazue."
Akira smiled, but something about it made Suzume's stomach turn. Despite her uncertainty, it was a tempting offer.
"What can you teach me?" she asked. This very well could be a trap.
The body transformed without warning from soft to hard. The robe receded and became pants and a long shirt. Suzume saw Tsuki's form in full. He was a young man with angular features and a wide sensual mouth that mimicked his sister's. His looks were almost androgynous, with long dark hair framing his face.
"Do you always do that without warning?" Suzume snapped.
"Forgive me, Priestess, my sister and I have not had company in a long time."
"What have you been doing all this time, then?"
"Waiting." His expression dropped. "Guarding the staff. We have not let anyone touch it until you retrieved it this afternoon. I saw you fight, you need a lot of work."
"What would you know about fighting?" Suzume snapped back at him. Did he see me get knocked onto my back by that strange man?
He grinned and his face lit up like a child's. "I know everything about fighting. I can teach you how to fight, and my sister, how to master your powers, and together we can help you finish the task, once we figure out what it is…"
He held his hand out to her, imploring. Could she trust him—them? She wasn't sure, but the alternative was being killed, and she liked her life, thank you very much.
"What's in it for you?" she asked.
"We want you to set us free from this prison, separate us," he said, his tone serious, his gaze wary.
No big deal… She had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. I'll agree and then if anything goes wrong, I'll… well, I'll figure that part out later. What harm could they do? They can't be worse than Kaito. Can they?
"All right, you've got a deal."
36
"Where do we begin?" Suzume placed her free hand on her hip and stared at the androgynous man.
"Well, your first move should be to seal the Dragon, am I right?" Tsuki said. He smiled and Suzume narrowed her eyes at him.
He makes it sound like it's easy. She shivered to think about the unleashed power of the Dragon.
"Unless you don't want to?" Tsuki drawled. He strolled past her and looked down at the shrine where the staff had been kept before. He bent over and picked up a s
tick of incense. He rolled it between thumb and forefinger as he regarded Suzume. He leaned against the shrine with his head tilted to the side.
"Why wouldn't I want to seal him? If I don't, he'll kill me," she snapped.
"Will he now?" Tsuki smiled and it was the same predatory smile his sister had given Suzume. It's like they're the same person in more than one way. Like they've shared a body so long even their mannerisms are the same. As creepy as they are…
Suzume frowned at him. "Do you really know how to help me, or are you just playing with me?"
"Perhaps a bit of both."
I have a bad feeling about these two. I have yet to meet an immortal who did not like to play games, and it seems they are no exception.
"On second thought, I think I'd rather go alone." Suzume hefted the staff onto her shoulder. There was no way she was leaving it with him. She hoped to sneak it into her room; perhaps the priests wouldn't come looking for it. She managed a few steps towards the door of the shrine before they shifted back to Akira. It was she who joined Suzume. She did not try to stop Suzume but walked beside her. Suzume glared at her from the corner of her eye. Akira's movements were fluid and her ruby lips were pulled back, revealing her white teeth.
"Ignore my brother, he likes to play games. I can show you how to seal the Dragon," she purred.
Suzume stopped. Akira turned to face Suzume. Akira folded her arms in front of her and tilted her head to one side as her brother had.
"I get the feeling you're both tricking me. Why would you know anything about spiritual power?" She pointed at Akira with the end of her staff. It brushed against the sleeve of Akira's crimson robe.
Akira pushed the staff away with her finger and sneered at Suzume. "Because before I was forced to share a body with my brother, I was something like you."
Suzume frowned. "You mean a human?"
"Not exactly." She looked away from Suzume.
"Then you're not human?" Suzume raised her eyebrows. This has to be a trick.
"We are something in between—not quite Yokai or Kami, but not mortal like a human. We have spiritual power, or something similar to it." She shrugged. "It's difficult to explain. Just trust me, I can help you."
"That's just it, I don't trust you," she shouted. Her voice echoed off the courtyard before fading away.
Akira regarded Suzume, her expression guarded, not giving anything away. She did not say anything for a few moments and Suzume thought she had offended her. I can't believe I would care that I offended these tricksters.
Akira whistled. It was a low mournful sound. The sound tickled the short hairs at the back of Suzume's neck. The sound grew louder and Suzume felt a tingling sensation spread over her arms to her fingertips; she felt as if every inch of her was alive with sensation. Akira raised her arms and then began to sing, her voice husky and low. The notes reverberated, combining and threading their song around the pair of them. Akira glowed, orange and bright as the sun. She turned into a burning ball of light so bright Suzume had to shield her eyes.
Then the song ended and the light faded. Suzume was left blinking and staring in Akira's direction.
"Now do you believe?" Akira asked.
Suzume shook off her shock and said, "How do you do that?"
"It's the song, it harnesses the spiritual energy. It gives it voice and purpose," Akira replied smugly. Suzume was impressed, though unwilling to admit it.
"Teach me how to do that!" Suzume commanded. She waved her hand as if Akira could plant the knowledge into her mind.
Akira laughed low and throaty. "Perhaps you're more like Kazue than I thought."
Suzume frowned. She did not like being compared to Kazue, she may have been her past life, but she was her own person—wasn't she? Akira strode across the garden path and towards the dormitories. Suzume had to jog to keep up. What is she doing? I thought she was going to teach me the song to seal the Dragon. When they reached the edge of the courtyard, Akira twirled unexpectedly in place to face Suzume. Suzume almost tripped over her own hakama trying to keep from colliding with her.
"I will need to disguise myself. The priests here have enough spiritual power that they will be able to see us and that will ruin the fun. You'll be able to hear us, but no one else will. Just keep that in mind."
Before Suzume could ask her to explain, Akira disappeared. Suzume blinked and looked around. The wind rustled through the trees nearby, but other than that, she was alone.
"Where did you go?" she hissed.
"We're here." Akira's sultry voice filled Suzume's ear.
Suzume jumped in place, startled by her close proximity. She scowled at thin air and tried to figure out where she was, but no matter how she tried, she could not locate them.
"Don't worry, little Priestess, we will not leave you," Tsuki crooned.
She felt a hand brush against her shoulder and it raised the gooseflesh along her arm. What a strange feeling.
"Don't do that." She swatted at the air.
Tsuki only laughed in reply. His laughter seemed to surround her, coming from all directions.
"I thought you were going to teach me how to seal the Dragon." She stared at the trunk of a nearby oak tree to have something to focus on while she talked. The entire thing made her feel insane. I hope no one sees me talking to myself and swatting at imaginary foes. She glanced around just in case, but the courtyard was deserted.
"The best way to learn is by doing," Akira said. "I want you to go to the Dragon's room and there I will instruct you on how to seal him."
She rolled her eyes. "You could have said so earlier before your little disappearing act."
They laughed—their combined laughter was both musical and husky. It was a strange combination and Suzume wondered how they could laugh together.
"Do you do this often?" Suzume asked as they strolled along the path back to Kaito's room.
"We have to find some way to pass the time. Five centuries is a long time to wait idle, Priestess," Akira said, her tone wistful.
Suzume nodded. I can imagine. I wonder why Kazue did this to them. Am I right to team up with them, what if they're Kazue's enemies? Out loud she asked, "Why didn't you leave the temple?"
"We couldn't," Tsuki said, his tone melancholy.
A heavy silence followed this statement. In the absence of conversation, Suzume heard the distant humming of activity around the shrine. The priests were repairing the destruction Kaito had wrought. The silence went on long enough that Suzume feared they had abandoned her. So she decided to fill in the silence with another question.
"If you're supposed to help me, then why didn't you help me when I was fighting Kaito earlier?"
"We did," Tsuki replied. "We gave you the staff."
Suzume stopped and scowled at the brush nearby. They gave me the staff? That explains why the priests were never able to handle it before. Maybe they're not so bad after all. "Thanks for that."
"You're very welcome, Priestess, it is what we are here for," Akira intoned in her husky voice.
Another thought occurred to her. "There was a man outside the shrine who attacked me. Is he a friend of yours?"
They hesitated before replying. "I did not see anyone other than you," Tsuki said. "But I was so excited you had returned, it's possible I overlooked another human in the courtyard."
They know something they're not telling me. I know that man was no human. What is he, and why won't they tell me?
"Suzume, I thought you were going to put that back."
Suzume twirled around to see the head priest regarding her with a confused expression. She paused. How do I explain I am trying to use it to seal Kaito?
"I was, but I sensed an evil presence in the shrine. I was looking for you. I think someone needs to exorcise the space before the staff is put back."
Tsuki snickered. Suzume flinched, afraid the head priest would hear, but he did not seem to notice.
His eyebrows rose to his hairline as he studied Suzume. "You felt an evil pres
ence?"
"Yes." She held his gaze. Don't back down. She felt like a fool. There's no way he's going to believe this story.
"I see." His gaze slid over her and she felt that same possessive longing in his eyes.
"He's not what he seems," Akira hissed in Suzume's ear and she jerked backwards.
The head priest's gaze flickered over Suzume's shoulder in the direction of Akira's voice. Had he heard them after all?
"I'll take it back now. I am sure it was nothing. I was probably just paranoid after my fight." She forced a laugh. Invisible hands pulled and turned her around. She was forced to walk away from the priest. He knows; somehow he can see them.
"Come this way," Tsuki murmured near her ear.
Tsuki had released Suzume's shoulders. He took her hand instead and pulled her between buildings. Once they were out of sight, he dropped her hand. Suzume glanced around to regain her bearings. They were two buildings away from the dormitory where Kaito was being kept, just behind the bath house.
"What was that about?" She looked around, hoping they would reveal themselves so she could stop talking to thin air.
"That priest is not a priest," Tsuki explained.
"What?" Suzume gasped.
"Follow me." Tsuki tugged on Suzume's hand once more, ignoring her indignant questions and grumblings. They tiptoed behind a covered walkway and through a decorative garden alongside it. Suzume heard footsteps echoing down the hall. She hunched down to avoid being seen. "Wait here," Tsuki whispered and Suzume listened as light footsteps pattered on the walkway above her. She felt a light touch on her shoulder a few moments later. "The coast is clear. His room is this way."
Suzume climbed over the railing of the walkway and headed for Kaito's room. She gripped the staff hard, but her hands shook nonetheless. What if something goes wrong and he wakes up? She stopped outside the door to Kaito's room. The last time she had been here, she had discovered him and Rin in a compromising situation. That feels like it was decades ago.
She slid open the door. Kaito lay alone on a sleeping roll at the far end of the room. Rin glanced up as Suzume entered. Her brows furrowed.
The Dragon Saga Box Set Page 26