She dared to peek up at him through her lashes and saw that he was smiling, but the empress looked furious. Her dark eyes were narrowed, glaring at Suzume behind the emperor's back.
The piece of metal felt cold in her hands. The emperor did not give out his favor lightly. She could not help but give a smug smile to the empress.
The emperor turned to his wife whose face transformed in an instant from anger to serenity. The emperor nodded his head at her before gliding on past, his counselors scurrying behind him to keep up.
Suzume could not fight the smile that stretched her features. If only her mother could see her now. This would have pleased her to no end. Her entire life she'd listened to her mother rant about how she'd love to see the empress shamed. It seemed she'd done what her mother had never been able to.
The empress rose from her bow and held out her hand. One of her ladies placed a fan in it. She flicked the fan open and waved it in front of her face.
"You're just like your mother," she said, not hiding her contempt this time. She'd been hearing that a lot lately.
"Thank you, your majesty."
"It was not a compliment. We all know what your mother did. It is surprising that the emperor continues this charade."
She flicked her fan closed and then turned her head away as if Suzume was not even worth gazing upon. She glided down the hall away from Suzume. The crowd of her hangers-on chattered behind her. They were looking back at Suzume, whispering, the beginnings of rumors already in motion. She couldn't have planned it better herself. Soon the entire palace would know Suzume was in the emperor's favor. Suzume's grin only grew bigger. If only I had known about these powers sooner, how different would my life have been?
Suzume sauntered back to her rooms, unable to keep the enormous smile from her face. When she had imagined coming back to the palace she had always envisioned returning to the life she had once had. She'd never thought she could come back to something even better than before. The servant slid open the door to her room and stepped inside.
It was rather dark, but she wasn't paying much attention, still replaying the expression on The Empress’s face in her mind. Suzume chuckled to herself. Today was going really well.
Just then someone grabbed her from behind, pressing a blade to her lower back.
"Keep quiet and there won't be any trouble," said a raspy voice.
15
"Why is it always me whose getting kidnapped?" Suzume said with an exasperated sigh.
The creature tugged harder on her arm and started pulling her toward the door. He must not have appreciated her commentary because he twisted her arm harder.
"Do you have to be so rough?" she whined, pretending to be a weakling while planning her own counter-attack. The one good thing about frequent kidnap attempts was she knew what to expect.
"Quiet, before I silence you myself."
Suzume rolled her eyes. Every kidnapping was the same. It was starting to get terribly boring. While her kidnapper was focused on dragging her out the door, Suzume was channeling her fire into a single point in her body, onto the arm where her kidnapper grasped her. As the flames grew along her skin, the creature yowled and dropped her. Suzume used the momentary distraction to lunge for her staff which was leaning against the far wall. She had foolishly thought the palace was safe enough where she wouldn't need to walk around armed. Apparently, she'd been wrong.
She snatched the staff up and as soon as it was in her hands she felt the flames coursing through her body. As if being close to the weapon had made her stronger and more confident. Distracted by the sensation, Suzume did not realize the creature had lunged for her until the last second when she rolled out of the way.
Spinning to face her attacker, she swung her staff at the yokai. But it caught the edge of her staff, pulled it from her hand, and flung it across the room. Suzume stared into the eyes of her attacker. A neko with a scar over his eye. It was the same neko who had tried to kidnap her at the inn.
"You again!"
"So you remember me," he said in a purring growl.
His golden eyes narrowed as they faced one another, circling each other. Suzume's best defense was across the room from her. Despite not having a weapon, her hands sparked with flames, and Kazue's fire burned hot in her gut. She didn't need the staff to fight this yokai. She had everything she needed right here in her hands. As they continued their slow dance, Suzume prepared to defend herself in the way Tsuki had taught her.
The neko moved smoothly, his twin fiery tails flicked behind him. If he wasn't going to give her an opening, she was going to have to make one. Suzume feigned to the right and the yokai followed her, attempting an interception and as he did, she grabbed onto any flesh she could, scorching it with burning hands. It lacked sophistication but it got the job done. The yokai screeched in pain as her holy fire ran up his arms. Because it was fueled by her spiritual energy, it would continue to burn him without ceasing. While the yokai tried to put out the flames, Suzume ran across the room for her staff once more.
The yokai was not as distracted as she had hoped and as she ran, he threw something which tangled up her feet. Thrown off balance, Suzume pitched forward. She pivoted in the air as she fell and landed on her shoulder to soften the blow. But that had been a mistake. Landing on hard tatami was not as forgiving as she would have hoped and pain rippled up and down her arm. She ignored the pain and reached for the bindings around her ankles. When she tried to touch it sparks erupted and she jerked her hand backward.
"What is this?"
"I've got tricks of my own, girly," the neko said as he stalked over to her.
Suzume flipped onto her stomach and attempted to crawl away, but she was much too slow. She was a few inches away from her staff. She reached for it, her fingertips nearly brushing against it before the neko grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her backward. She wriggled around and slapped his face with burning hands. She choked on the smell of burning hair as the neko put his hands over his smoking face. Suzume flipped back over and hopped toward her staff. With the staff in her hands she was better able to focus her energy on her ankles, where the fire burned through the bindings and she was able to get to her feet once more.
The neko had put out the fire on his face but the flames had burned away the hair and the top layer of skin, which healed as she watched. Bright, shiny pink flesh covered most of his face, leaving him with a grotesque mask and golden eyes bulging in their sockets.
"You're gonna pay for damaging my face." He growled and lunged toward her.
Suzume struck with the staff, but he blocked her attack and grabbed onto it. The pair of them wrestled over the weapon for a few minutes.
"You look better this way," Suzume mocked.
"I'll tear your guts out and make you watch," he hissed.
His rage burned in his eyes, but it also distracted him and Suzume used it to kick his feet out from beneath him. Since he was still holding onto the staff, and so was she, it brought her tumbling to the ground with him. The staff was tossed aside as the pair of them rolled around, clawing and punching at each other each, each fighting to get the upper hand.
Fire encircled the two of them as Suzume's flames rose up to protect her. As she burned him, however, the wounds healed. Her power was not limitless, and already she could see her flames losing effectiveness. By sheer force of will, Suzume ended up on top of her attacker. She pressed both sparking thumbs to the cat’s eyes.
The yokai screamed in agony, a gut-wrenching sound high enough to pierce her eardrums. Suzume leaped off him and ran for the door. Just as she was about to reach the door however, it slid open and guards came pouring into her room. All of them were wearing the uniform of the warrior priests.
At their head was Ryuu, his weapon drawn and his eyes glowing blue. The guards fanned out, filling the space. But when they saw the yokai lying on the ground, burning and in pain, Ryuu held up his hand to halt the advance. He had a curious expression on his face.
"I was coming to your rescue, but it looks like you've got a handle on things."
Suzume panted for breath but she couldn't keep the smile from her face. She wouldn't admit out loud but the compliment pleased her greatly. It was the first time anyone had recognized her ability. "I told you I don't need saving."
"I can see that now." Ryuu gestured to the men to capture the yokai, who had not gotten up again, and appeared to be no longer suffering.
The priests surrounded the yokai, encasing him in a shimmering barrier. The yokai did not fight against them but instead lowered his head as he was led out of Suzume's room.
It dawned on her belatedly that he had shown up just in time.
"How did you know I needed help?" Suzume said, unable to keep the accusatory tone out of her words.
"I sensed a yokai in the palace. I've been tracking him and it led me here."
She narrowed her eyes as she watched him. It seemed like a convenient story. But she wouldn't push him, not yet.
"Aren't you going to seal him like you did my friends?" She gestured toward the open door where the yokai had been taken.
"We need a sealing circle for that. I'm taking him back to the temple," he said distractedly as he paced around Suzume's room, lifting up a destroyed screen with scorch marks on it. The floors were singed as well. And there was a shattered tea set just a few feet away, its broken ceramics scattered across the floor.
"Is that where you took my friends?" she asked, though she didn't expect him to answer.
"The palace is no place to keep yokai," he said as he kicked over the serving tray on which the tea had been brought in.
Suzume frowned as she studied him. His back was to her as if he had not realized she was still there at all. Had he meant to give her that piece of information or was he really that clueless?
"How did a yokai get in here?" Suzume asked.
He turned to her again, his gaze sliding over her face as if she were a puzzle he was trying to solve. "Are you saying you've never seen yokai here before?"
"No," she said, drawing out the o.
He shook his head. "Yokai are more clever than you think. This neko was posing as your maid. I should have realized that was the case when you had a lingering yokai aura about you when we met earlier.”
Her clothes were tattered and burned, but she didn't see any aura about her.
"You seem to have a knack for arriving just when I need you."
"And you seem to have a talent for getting into trouble."
Though he surely couldn't have known hearing those words from him soured her mood more. Kaito loved to tease her by saying she drew trouble to herself.
"I know," she said, turning away from him. Now that she was thinking about Kaito she couldn't stop. If only he had seen her fight the yokai, maybe he would have thought she was capable of taking care of herself at last. Stop. Stop right there. He's gone and it's over. In fact, nothing started. Better to forget about him altogether.
"You act as if you're kidnapped often," Ryuu probed gently, perhaps sensing her frustration.
"You have no idea." She sighed heavily.
He chuckled. It was deep and attractive. But she didn't want to think of him that way. He might not be Hisato, but that didn't mean he wasn't working with him.
"My lady, we need to get you out of here," a servant said, guiding her out of the room before she could question Ryuu further.
She was removed to a new chamber where a servant fussed over her comfort, bringing her tea.
"This isn't time to be drinking tea. A yokai attacked me in the palace. Can't you see how serious this is?" she asked the servant.
They only kept their heads bowed and scurried out of the room. Suzume tried to sit down but she found her feet restless. What was going on here that she'd been attacked on her second night, by the same yokai who had attacked at the inn, and Ryuu had been involved both times. Outside a voice announced, "The emperor approaches."
Suzume froze and stared at the door, she could already see the silhouette of the emperor approaching. What was he doing here, now of all times? She lunged for the tea setting thinking it would be appropriate to seem relaxed. She didn't want him to know about the attack. But as soon as she sat, she realized that she should stand to greet him. She stood up quickly and knocked over her teacup, spilling the contents over her serving tray. Her maid rushed to clean it up as the emperor strode into the room. A stain splattered across her front and the maid bent over trying to conceal the mess.
Suzume bowed to her father, dipping her head low as was deemed appropriate. She'd at least been able to disguise the flustered expression on her face. The emperor moved across the room in a blink and grabbed her hands into his. Suzume's head shot up, causing her to forget all protocol as the emperor met her gaze.
"I heard about the attack, were you injured?" he asked. There seemed to be genuine concern on his face.
Suzume stared back at him, mouth hanging open. It took her a moment to compose herself and when she did, she shook her head and said, "I'm fine. It wasn't anything too serious." She shrugged off the injuries and turned her head away to conceal a cut on her cheek.
The emperor grabbed her by the chin and turned her to face him. "You are injured." Then to the servant he said, "Call the healer, bring them here."
"That's not necessary. It's just a scratch."
The maid ignored Suzume's protest and hurried out of the room, leaving the two of them alone together. "I came as soon as I heard. If I had known you were in danger I would have protected you better. I've ordered guards to watch you day and night. I will not let this happen again. If this had turned out differently..." he trailed off as he searched her face.
Did he send the yokai to attack me, just so he can put me under guard? But that didn't make any sense. If that's what he wanted he could have done that from the start.
"I can take care of myself," Suzume said, yanking her hands away. Her words were harsher than she intended. After everything that had happened today she forgot who she was speaking to. She bowed her head in apology. "I'm sorry, your majesty. I spoke without thinking."
The emperor placed his hand on her shoulder. "There is no need to apologize. Perhaps I am getting carried away. Ryuu told me you fought the yokai on your own. He seemed impressed." He smiled. "Ryuu is never impressed."
Suzume fought the smile that threatened to spread across her face. This was all part of his manipulation. He didn't really think she was impressive. He was trying to keep her compliant. They were both playing this game, but she intended to win.
"Nonetheless, I would feel better if there was someone on hand to protect you. I have asked Ryuu to be your personal guard."
"What?" She turned to face him. "How can you trust him? Don't you know—"
"Ryuu is loyal to me and he will keep you safe. That is all that matters."
She felt like a petulant child, arguing with him. She'd spoken without thinking. She had not come here to please her father. She had to free her friends first. But this would only make matters more complicated.
16
Flying through the sky and feeling the wind ripple around his body was a feeling Kaito could lose himself to. Everything fell away up above the clouds. There was no marital alliance, there were no personal betrayals, there wasn't even a kingdom for him to rule. There were him and the endless horizon. It had always brought him comfort—it helped everything fall into place. He didn't have to worry about his brother's ambitions or the fractured state of his kingdom.
A large cloud loomed in front of him and he sped up, spearing through it. Mist clung to him as he passed through and the cloud broke apart, scattering on the wind. He weaved and dived, playing along the breeze and the clouds. The landscape zoomed along beneath him, and his serpentine shadow snaked over the trees, hills, and lakes. Occasionally he'd pass over a rice patty, and farmers would stop their work to tilt their heads back and watch him pass overhead. They'd convince themselves it was a trick of their eye or th
ey'd think it was the wind or the clouds.
Humans were so slow to believe even when the truth was in front of their faces. But there are still those who are hunting us. For as long as he could remember, he had thought of humans as nothing more than harmless insects, far below his notice. But as he passed through lands he had once known, domains which had once teamed with yokai a few centuries before, he found human farms and human towns. And no matter how much he searched, he could not find his kind. Not anywhere.
As Kaito continued his lazy journey across the countryside, he felt a flicker of power close by. It was enough that he slowed his progress to better pinpoint it. But as quickly as he had sensed it, it disappeared. Could there still be powerful yokai left in Akatsuki? There were those who had the ability to cloak their power. Kaito doubled back, trying to find the source of the power, even the smallest hint would have been a comfort. But after several fruitless minutes of searching, he found nothing.
Hana had said many of the big and powerful yokai had gone into hiding in recent centuries. Whoever it was, they didn't want to be found. The brush against that power reminded him of the purpose for his journey. All the dragons had set out to contact his former allies, and he was on his way to meet with one of the descendants of his old general. He only hoped the son maintained the same loyalty as his old friend. Ai's offer of marriage had to be a last resort. Everything he had, he'd gotten on his own. And he wasn't ready to shackle his life to another’s to get what was lost.
The landscape grew more rugged as he approached his destination, and as he was preparing to glide over a mountain peak, he felt a brush of that same power again. Just a glimpse, enough to let him know it was there.
Kaito reached the peak of the mountain and wrapped his serpentine body around it so he could survey the landscape. The clouds hung around the top of the mountain concealing him from view. The feeling was gone. But he was certain he had been followed. Perhaps they were not as benign as he had thought. Kaito spread out his senses, searching for a hint of them, but found nothing. They had to be powerful indeed to disguise themselves this well. He waited a few more moments for them to attack, but when they didn't he continued onward.
The Dragon Saga Box Set Page 84