"You still have the staff?" she asked.
Suzume put it behind her back. "The priest asked me to guard it. They felt a negative energy near the shrine. They asked me to come get you, they think you can help purge it."
Rin scrutinized Suzume while Suzume tried to keep her face free of expression, lest she give herself away. Rin sighed. "I should not have left you to deal with Kaito on your own. That wish did something to him. It's like he's not himself." Rin looked down at Kaito's sleeping form. "Promise me you won't hurt him, I know deep down he is trying to reconcile with his past. He cares for you, I know it."
A momentary pang of guilt struck Suzume in the chest. "What can I do to him? I think I proved today that I'm not strong enough to defeat him."
"You did a lot. If you hadn't gotten the staff, I think the damage would have been a lot worse." Rin stood up and came over, standing directly in front of Suzume. They were of a height and Suzume met Rin's gaze. "Thank you for sparing him, that blast could have been the end of him." She bowed to Suzume before exiting.
When she left, Suzume exhaled. That was close. Her chest felt tight, and it wasn't just nerves. What does Rin know? If he wakes up, I am a goner.
Once Rin departed, Akira reappeared. "That was close. We don't have long, she'll realize and come back soon."
Suzume looked down at Kaito's peaceful face as he slept. He's handsome when he's sleeping. It's a shame I have to do this.
"Are you ready?" Akira asked.
Suzume took a deep breath. She looked away from Kaito. It was hard to commit when she was looking at him. For all his annoying tendencies, and there were a lot, she had almost grown fond of him—almost. But after his attack, she could not risk her life. If he woke, he would kill her—there was no other choice. "Yes," she said.
"Take the staff and point it at him."
Suzume took the staff in two hands and pointed it at Kaito's chest. "Now what?"
"Concentrate. Think of the spiritual energy inside you as a river that is flowing through you."
"Alright." Suzume closed her eyes and imagined as Akira instructed. I don't know how this helps, but I guess I can try. She did not feel any different than before.
"Now imagine there are dams in the river with which you can redirect the flow of the river to different channels or different parts of your body."
"Okay." Suzume thought of small stone dams, like the ones she had seen in the fields while she and Kaito were travelling. Don't think of him now. She peeked at his sleeping face before closing her eyes shut again.
"Now close all the channels until they are focusing the force of the river into your hands and through the staff."
Suzume focused and used the visuals, the river of red energy burning through her, and then she channeled it. She focused it on the staff and her fingers. She felt a burning sensation, a rush of power flowing through her.
"Now to unlock it, follow my lead," Akira instructed. She hummed a tune; it was fast and powerful like the rivers she had made Suzume imagine.
Suzume breathed in and opened her mouth, preparing to mimic the song Akira sang. She opened her eyes one last time and found Kaito staring back up at her. He had awoken.
37
Suzume took a couple steps backwards in an attempt to get away from him. She stepped on the hem of her too-long hakama and lost her balance. In an attempt to regain her balance, she swung her arms out and lost her grip upon the staff in the process. It flew from her hand and across the room. At the same time she stumbled, Kaito's hand shot forward and grabbed her by the wrist. She was tugged in the opposite direction and down onto the sleeping mat with him. He rolled over and pinned her beneath him. Disoriented, he moved to defend himself without thinking. She swung her free hand to try to strike him. Kaito grabbed her by both hands and held her to the mat by her wrists, his thighs pinning her waist. Her hair fanned out around her. Mmm. This is one way to wake up.
"Let me go!" she snarled and wiggled beneath him. He tightened his grip in response.
He laughed. "Why would I do that when you're so adorable all trussed up?"
Suzume flushed. She was too easy to tease. Something about the flush of her skin and the way her brows pulled together in a scowl excited him. He laughed, and it rumbled in his chest. Where his hands touched her, sparks tingled along his flesh. Her latent protection system had always felt like a minor annoyance. How did we end up here? The last I remember I was in the courtyard. Then it hit him. Suzume threatened to seal him. She is Kazue's reincarnation. His fingers steamed, and the ice in his grip collided with her fire. He did not let go despite the burning flesh of his palms. He tightened his grip. She is Kazue.
"You were not supposed to wake up," she said, staring at him wide eyed.
His memories were foggy. He felt as if he had been drifting about in a dream, but he thought he had dreamed of Kazue singing again. "Then you should not have sung the song of awakening," he replied. A wicked grin turned up the corners of his mouth. Now I have Kazue's reincarnation in my grasp, what should I do? The endless possibilities stretched out before him.
Suzume's eyes grew large as saucers and she whipped her head to the side. He followed her gaze.
"You tricked me!" Suzume shouted.
Akira—he had not seen her in a long time. Then without warning, she shifted forms and became her brother, Tsuki. "I wouldn't call it a trick." He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "It was meant to help, honestly."
Kaito's grip tightened on Suzume's wrists, and she gasped in pain. He did not notice, but her wrists were freezing beneath his touch, burning from the cold. Her skin heated in response. The air sizzled as ice met fire where their skin touched and steam poured forth from their connection, haloing them in clouds.
"I should have known you two were behind this," Kaito growled. His eyes flashed blue for only a moment.
He let go of Suzume's wrists and eased off of her. If they are here, does that mean Satsuki is nearby?
Suzume jumped up and skittered across the room, towards her staff, gripping her wrist.
"Don't try pegging this on us, Dragon. We did as we were told. We helped the priestess get the staff and we woke you before the false priest put you in an endless slumber. Don't you think you should be thanking us? How could you not sense him the moment you got here?"
Kaito's gaze was dark and dangerous. Suzume glanced between Tsuki and Kaito. He felt the rise of the priestess' energy as she tried to harness her powers. He had let his guard down for only a moment; he spun around and knocked the staff from her hand once more. It clattered on the ground, sliding across the reed mats and colliding with the wall.
"Hey!" Suzume shouted.
"Don't even think about it." Kaito glared at her. He stood between her and the staff and left her with little choice. How can she be Kazue? She would never have been so careless. He found it difficult to believe, even with all the evidence to the contrary.
The priestess glared at him with hands on hips. Then she opened her mouth and started to sing. The notes had been forever etched into his memory, the song of binding. Kaito's eyes grew wide, and he took a menacing step towards her. She cannot, she does not have the power. She kept singing. The haunting melody wrapped around him, reminding him of painful memories. Kaito lunged for her and attempted to grab her by the waist. She dodged him by ducking beneath his outstretched arms. Her song faltered. His fingers snatched at the hem of her sleeves as she ran past him in Tsuki's direction.
Tsuki shifted into Akira, his masculine form melting into the feminine of his sister. Her lips were bright crimson against her pale skin. Akira stepped in front of Suzume, blocking Kaito.
Kaito roared. I do not need a long drawn-out revenge. Just killing her will be enough. The notes of the song died, and with it his temper cooled. If only slightly.
"Out of my way, Akira, this insolent priestess needs to learn a lesson." Kaito slashed the air with his hand.
His anger had unblocked his power and he had half transform
ed, his skin turning blue and scaly. His hair was long and spiny and pointed in a ridge. A pair of horns sprouted from his brow and his face had elongated and was near muzzle-like. The priestess was panting for breath, and not from running. He knew his untamed energy overwhelmed her. She leaned heavily against the wall, perspiration on her brow. I will squash her like a bug. The air temperature dropped as the priestess' labored breaths came out in vapor form. Suzume shivered as the gooseflesh rose on her arm.
"Enough," Akira's voice whipped across the pair of them. "You know who Suzume is, but you don't know the whole story."
She had no power to command him, but she had piqued his interest. He put a stopper on his powers, and the priestess gasped for air.
"Yes, I know," Kaito snarled, revealing pointed teeth in his near canine mouth. "You do not need to explain. I can see Kazue's spirit has returned to finish what she started—as I should have known." I never should have trusted humans. Even letting my guard down for a second was a mistake.
"Don't stand in my way, Akira," Suzume said. She jutted her chin, but he could see how her hands shook. "He's right, I need to kill him before he kills me." Suzume tried to push past Akira, but she threw her arms out to stop Suzume.
"No!" Akira's voice echoed off the walls and the two fell still.
"They're just as ignorant as they were five hundred years ago," Tsuki said, using Akira's mouth—or their mouth, more like.
Akira sighed. "Truer words have never been said, brother."
"Don't insult me, I am not in a good mood," Kaito warned. He pointed a clawed hand at her. His fingers had melded into three and they looked strange on his humanoid body.
"We say everything out of love, Dragon." Tsuki said—once again using his sister's form to speak.
Kaito snorted in disbelief, but a smile tugged at the corner of his canine mouth. The blue scales faded and his hair fell limp at his shoulders once more. His muzzle retreated and his teeth were white and straight again. When he had returned to normal, Akira motioned for them all to sit.
"We need to talk." She looked to Suzume with an expression that broached no argument.
Suzume grudgingly sat down, legs crossed. Kaito did the same, wondering what Akira hoped to gain by playing mediator.
"Good, I hope we can all act like adults," Akira said with a smile at each of them.
Suzume only glowered further at Kaito like a petulant child. Kaito kept his arms crossed, his anger rolling off him in waves. He had returned to human form, but he was nowhere near ready to make peace. Sparks of red energy pulsed around Suzume and his own energy danced along his skin in reply.
"So the priestess has realized herself and you ran back to your mistress?" Kaito said, eyes narrowed at Akira.
"Yes and no," Akira said without flinching beneath the open hostility he displayed. "Suzume knows who she is, but she has not realized her full potential. Kazue bid us guard her staff and so we did. We were not the ones who brought her back to this sacred place." She raised an eyebrow in Kaito's direction.
"Why did you bring me here?" Suzume demanded. "Did you know all along?"
He would not look at her and instead addressed Akira. "I brought her here because her power was raw and she needed to learn to control her powers before she unleashed some other horror." He smiled at Suzume then, revealing his pointed teeth. "If I had known she was Kazue, I would have killed her on the temple mount."
Suzume frowned and, like a fool, tried to hide her fear behind arrogance as she said, "Then why don't you now?"
"Don't tempt me," he snapped and pointed his finger at her. His temper had faded, leaving behind only confusion. She was Kazue's reincarnation, but he hesitated to kill her.
"Enough." Akira pinched her brow with thumb and forefinger. "I do not want to hear you argue any further. Suzume and Kazue do share a soul, but she is not the one who sealed you. Besides, I suspect Kazue did it with good reason."
"Are you saying I deserved to be locked in a damn prison for five centuries?" Kaito half stood, rising up on one knee. He bared his pointed teeth at Akira and the temperature of the room dropped by several degrees.
Akira held up her hand. "No, Dragon. I am saying Kazue did nothing without intent and purpose. There was a task that she meant to complete, though I do not know what."
Kaito scoffed. "Kazue was a fool. She feared my power would eclipse hers, so she sealed me."
"No," Suzume whispered.
Kaito swung his gaze towards Suzume, his eyes narrowed. "Do you remember something from your past life?'
"No. I don't know anything about Kazue. Not really." She paused and looked to Akira, who smiled encouragingly. She looked back to Kaito, who frowned at her. "I think she did it to protect her child," Suzume finished, looking Kaito in the eye. The fear was gone, but even though his head was telling him this was the woman he loved reborn, he could not believe it. They are not the same.
"That's ridiculous." Kaito stood up and paced to the other end of the room. He wanted space; he needed time to think. He did not want to think about their child or the woman who bore no resemblance to Kazue, but their fates were entwined nonetheless.
"What child?" Akira asked, her brows pulled together in thought.
"Kazue was pregnant with Kaito's child," Suzume explained.
Akira's eyes grew wide. Akira did not know? Akira looked to Kaito. "Is this true?"
He was facing away from them. "Yes," he whispered, his voice edged with danger. They danced along a topic that he would not explore. With any luck the child did not know their parentage, and he would rather keep it that way.
"Then where is the child?" Akira asked.
"How do you think I would know?" he snapped. "I was sealed before the child was ever born."
"Wouldn't it have died long ago?" Suzume interrupted.
Akira shook her head. "Not necessarily. It would have been a half dragon, it may not live forever, but it would have had a long life span. At five hundred years old, it would perhaps be middle-aged?"
"That means Kaito and Kazue's child is alive somewhere?" Suzume shook her head in wonder.
"Yes." Akira nodded. "Could this be Kazue's task, to reunite father and child?"
"Five hundred years later? Why seal him in the first place?" Suzume replied.
"It sounds like something she would do. If she feared for the child's well-being, she may have sealed the Dragon to keep him from harming the child until it was strong enough to fend for itself," Akira replied to Suzume's question. She cradled her chin in hand in thought.
"What say you, Dragon?" Tsuki asked. He had shifted to dominance while Kaito paced the room.
"I don't care about the child. They are no concern of mine." He looked at Suzume. I cannot kill her. I should stay away from humans, return to the palace, and fix what has been broken. Suzume squirmed uncomfortably, and he suddenly realized he had been staring at her.
"And what about me?" Suzume bristled. "Will you kill me now that you know the truth?"
He looked at her for a long moment, studying her. He did not want to admit to his own weakness, that the love he bore for Kazue kept him from following through on his threats. I may not kill her, but I cannot start over with her reincarnation either. That door closed when Kazue betrayed me.
"Should I?" he said, his tone was low. "Will you try to seal me as your predecessor did?"
She blushed but did not look away as she said, "I only said I would because I thought you were going to attack me."
"Hmm," he replied.
"Which you did! So I was in the right."
"What are you talking about?"
Tsuki interrupted, "You don't remember? You attacked the shrine?"
Kaito looked between Suzume and Tsuki, a wrinkle forming between his brows. "The last thing I remember was hearing you say you planned on sealing me and then…"
"Then what?" Suzume asked.
"Something came over me, a blind rage, I blacked out. So I attacked you?" His tone was light, as if he were asking
about the weather. Who is powerful enough to put me under a spell? He stretched out his senses, searching for a trace. He had an idea, but he feared the truth. If the shifter was here, then they might all be in danger.
"How could you forget that—you almost died, I almost killed you!"
He laughed to keep the others at ease, but his probes came up empty. "I doubt it."
Tsuki rocked back and forth on his heels. "Well, aren't you a merry pair. Perhaps you can pick up where Kazue and Kaito left off."
"No!" they said in a rounding unison.
She met his gaze and they both laughed. It was the only thing to ease the tension. Do not let her work her way into your heart.
Tsuki clapped his hands together. "Well, now that the boring parts are concluded—"
Tsuki was cut off as the sliding door slammed open and hit the end of the track with a thunk. Rin stood in the doorway, looking disheveled and heaving with each breath.
"The temple is under attack again!" Her eyes slid over to Kaito. Her brows pulled together in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
Kaito tilted his head, looking at her, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
"I just saw you outside attacking the shrine."
38
Suzume looked from Rin to Kaito and back again. "Can someone tell me what's going on here?"
It was Akira who stepped up to explain. "It would appear someone is impersonating Kaito."
"I wonder why," Akira murmured. She tapped her chin in thought.
"I don't know why, but I have a good idea of who it might be, and I'm going to teach that bastard a lesson," Kaito snarled. He brushed past Rin and out the door to the hallway beyond.
Following his exit, the shouts of the priests and the roar of the dragon could be heard from within the small room. Rin shrugged her shoulders and followed after Kaito.
Suzume shook her head. "Would it be too much to ask for a few moments' peace?"
Akira had shifted into Tsuki and he smirked at Suzume playfully. "What would be the fun in that?"
Suzume scowled at him.
The Dragon Saga Box Set Page 27