The Dragon Saga Box Set

by Nicolette Andrews

  A blast of red light slammed into the oni, burning a hole through his chest. He fell over with a wet thump, dead before he even landed. His club clattered on the ground beside him.

  There was a deadly hush throughout the room as everyone stared at the fallen oni, and then the monster who had killed him.

  "I have hundreds more at my disposal. Give me the girl and you will have what you wanted, destruction of the dragon."

  "And it is her who has the power to make these?" The boar's eyes gleamed. "Why would I give you her for a mere copy when I can use her and make my own army?"

  Hisato had another trick up his sleeve. Her eyes darted around the room. If only she could break free.

  "We made a deal," Hisato said, and as he spoke the yokai around the room started to close in around Suzume and him.

  "Oh, we did, but I've decided the deal is off." And then to the okami, who had transformed into a massive white wolf, he said, "Take her."

  Kill them all, Hisato said, giving a silent command inside her head that could not be disobeyed.

  34

  The yokai crowded around her. Fire was already rising to the surface, surrounding her in flames. As soon as the yokai saw the holy fire which haloed her, they took a step back. Only the white wolf seemed unafraid of her flames and he lunged toward her. Suzume swung swiping at his body, but he rolled out of the way. The flames brushed against him, hardly singeing his fur.

  A boar wielding a long spear jabbed it toward Suzume. She dodged the blow by spinning out of the way. And came up behind the creature and sliced him across the back. It fell to the ground. As she did this another yokai came up behind her, attempting to catch her unaware, swinging with his sword. She turned one hand, sending a fiery blast toward him, that burned hot and fast. It would reduce him to ashes in a matter of moments.

  The monstrosity she had helped Hisato create was also beating back the yokai, using the power of his spiritual energy to blow through the crowd. All the while Hisato's manic laughter floated on the air. Suzume watched it all, trapped within her own mind as the drama unfolded.

  The wolf continued to hound her, attempting to scratch and claw at her. They were equally matched it seemed because neither of them could successfully land a debilitating blow.

  That's enough for now. I think he's learned his lesson, Hisato said.

  The creature made an opening for them to escape and Hisato took a hold of Suzume, pulling her along as if tethered to him by an invisible string. They made their way down the twisting corridors of the boar's palace with Hisato leading the way, the monster covering the rear, and the boar's guards chasing after them. The creature stopped to hold them off as they turned the corner. The shouts and clash of weapons competed with the song the monster tried to use against them. But the sheer numbers of yokai overwhelmed the monster and his pained screams drowned out all other sound as he was killed.

  She could not even turn her head to see what had happened.

  "Don't worry, we can make more."

  It wasn’t a comforting thought. They found an empty room and Hisato pulled her inside. They listened as the boar's men ran past. Once he was confident they were safe, he turned to her.

  "I appreciate your role in this charade, Suzume. It won't be long before everyone learns of your power to corrupt humans—to make them more powerful than yokai."

  I will destroy you, she thought. He stepped closer to her, so her entire vision was taken up by him.

  "I gave you the choice to come to me, Suzume. But now you've forced my hand. I will not take you with me, not yet. I have one more job left for you. You must kill the dragon."

  As if I would do that.

  "You can try to fight it, but just as you control the dragon, so I control you. We are connected because I am a part of you and you will do as I say."

  Pain rippled through her as if she were being stabbed by thousands of white-hot needles. Her legs buckled and she fell to the ground. Though she wanted to curl in a ball, she was not even afforded that luxury.

  "You are forbidden from telling anyone what you must do. If you try to interfere in any way, I will know and I will punish you for it."

  He grabbed her by the chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. Staring up at him, she knew there was no hope of fighting. It was her selfishness that had gotten her here, and now she would pay the price.

  "Now go, return to your friends."

  She stood up and started walking, her steps automatic. Hisato had opened a portal in the nearby wall. Try as she might to fight against his command, she marched through the portal anyway. Walking through it felt like stepping through an icy waterfall. She felt all the hairs on her arms and neck stand on end. There was a strange disorienting sensation, as if she couldn't figure out what way was up and what was down. After a few seconds it was over and she was standing in the middle of the forest, not far from where she had disappeared.

  A quick test revealed she had control of her limbs once more. It wasn't until then that she realized the arm she had thought broken had healed. How is that possible?

  There wasn't much time to consider it because Tsuki and Noaki came bursting from the nearby brush. When they saw Suzume standing in the middle of the forest staring at her hand, they both came up short.

  "Well this might be the easiest rescue we've ever done," Tsuki said, sheathing his weapon.

  Noaki handed Suzume her staff which she’d dropped when she fell and broken her arm.

  "His-" she started to say, but the words dried up in her throat. So, it was true, she couldn't tell them anything. "Do-" she tried again. No matter how she tried to form the sentence it was impossible.

  "As much as I'd love to chat, we need to get you out of here," Tsuki said. "Ryuu has called a retreat. The guardian isn't going to let us get anywhere near his palace today."

  They don't know where I've been. Perhaps a few hours had elapsed, long enough for them to believe she had merely been lost in the woods. And it wasn't as if she could tell them different. Noaki was watching her, his expression impossible to read. Suzume hesitated, thinking about how Hisato had used his form to deceive her. Would she ever be able to trust anyone again? She couldn't even trust herself anymore.

  They rejoined Ryuu and the other priests where they were congregated in the forest. As she approached with Tsuki and Noaki, Ryuu met her gaze. Her guilt made her turn away from him. There was something about the way he looked at her, it felt as if he could see right through her.

  "Are we missing anyone else?" Ryuu asked the group.

  "Just Touma."

  Suzume cringed. That had to be the name of the priest Hisato had forced her into transforming. And how was it possible she could do such a thing? If only she could speak up and say something, but as it was, her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth. None of them would ever know the fate of this man. His death would forever be her secret shame.

  "Let's get the princess out of here. The rest of you keep searching for Touma." Ryuu, seeing Suzume's pained expression, misread it and said, "We'll find another way to get the information about your mother," Ryuu said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

  She had almost forgotten that was the reason she'd gone into this forest. Once again her impulsive nature had put everyone around her in danger. Don't worry about finding her. I need to figure out how to stop Hisato from using me to kill Kaito.

  But she couldn't say that. All she could manage was a nod.

  They returned to her grandfather's palace and she and Ryuu were shown to his personal chambers once more. Tea was served. Suzume would have rather been anywhere but there. She needed to figure out how to break from Hisato's control over her, not wasting time on politics. Even if her mother knew how she had gotten this way, it wouldn't change anything. She could see that now. She'd been so obsessed with the past that she couldn't see what was right in front of her.

  "You've done it. I'm impressed," her grandfather said.

  Suzume's head shot up. What is he talking about? All
I did was turn a man into a monster before getting him killed.

  "But, my lord, we never made it to the guardian's palace," Ryuu said, clearly just as confused as Suzume.

  Lord Kaedemori shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever you did it made an impression. I received a visitor." He said the word with hardly veiled disgust. "Who informed me Izume's debt has been paid."

  Suzume stared at her grandfather. Was this Hisato's trick? Had he taken her grandfather's form to deceive her? But why would he do that? Her head hurt just going through the possibilities.

  "As for my end of the bargain." He slid a map across a table toward them. "I've marked the location where she is hidden."

  Ryuu took the paper and bowed his head.

  Suzume thought of all she had seen—the man who had died, Hisato's spell over her. None of it was fair. Not to her and not to the innocent who had died. And then a thought occurred to her, what if this had been her grandfather's plot all along? According to Souta she had been born with the power. Her grandfather controlled every aspect of the family. It would not surprise her if he knew exactly how she'd gotten this way.

  "You knew," Suzume said to her grandfather.

  "I knew your mother made a deal with that creature to become empress. But the fool didn't realize there are still many who oppose us. And she still ended up as second wife."

  Suzume gripped the table hard. "Don't pretend it wasn't your idea from the start. That's why that monster was after you. But when she didn't become empress you had to make a different plan."

  All the pieces were starting to fall into place. He had to be the one. There was no other explanation.

  "I do not know what you're talking about."

  "You did this to me." Suzume slammed her hands onto the table in front of her, singeing the wood. Her grandfather stared at the burn marks then to her.

  "Pity you weren't born a boy, then you might have been useful to us."

  In a flash she lost her temper and a ball of fire came to her hand. She flung it toward his head, missing just by a few inches. The flames caught on the wall behind him. Her grandfather leaped up, shouting to put out the fire as Suzume turned and stormed out of the room. Servants rushed in to put out the fire she had started.

  She stormed away and started heading to her room. But she couldn’t look into their eyes knowing that she was going to kill Kaito and didn’t know how to stop it. Besides, her grandfather was going to have her kicked out soon anyway. She headed for the door outside instead, storming through the courtyard past the confused guards. She'd almost made it to the gate when someone grabbed a hold of her arm.

  She spun around to face Ryuu, whose eyes were glowing blue. It reminded her too much of Kaito.

  "Go away." She gnashed her teeth, like the monster she was.

  "We need to talk," Ryuu said.

  "I have nothing to say to you." She flung a fiery ball at him, but he knocked it aside as if it was nothing. The fire dispersed into sparks that faded into the night.

  "Well, that's good, because I just need you to listen."

  "You're right to be mad at your grandfather. He's a grasping, power-hungry man. And you are correct, he did make a deal with the forest guardian to make Izume empress."

  Suzume scoffed.

  "But she didn't become empress because I convinced the emperor not to choose her."

  Suzume's eyes widened.

  "Why?"

  "Because I loved your mother."

  Suzume threw her head back and laughed. "Well thank you for being honest about how you've ruined my life." She turned to walk away but he stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

  "I'm not telling you this to make you angry. I'm telling you because it wasn't your grandfather who put Kazue's soul inside you. It was me."

  35

  There were a hundred different questions she could have asked. A thousand different feelings burning up inside her. But none of them were good enough. There weren't words that could express what she felt.

  "Why?" she croaked.

  He took a step toward her as if he would reach out to her, try and comfort her. She stepped away from him.

  "Don't touch me." Her emotions were unchecked and flames erupted along her body.

  He didn't seem to be bothered by this fact and continued to stare at her, pleading with her eyes for her to understand.

  "I thought my seal would hold. I never knew the powers would manifest," he said.

  Suzume let go a bitter laugh. "Is that your excuse? You really expect me to believe it? You sent me to that shrine and I awakened the dragon. Was that your plan all along? Were you and my grandfather plotting to bring the dragon to your side? To help you take over the throne?"

  "Just let me explain."

  She shook her head. It all made sense now. He had brought her to Souta. He was second-in-command of the temple where Hikaru had served, and he had been her mother's lover. She laughed again. It was a mad disjointed sound, and for a moment she felt as if she were floating outside her body. As if Hisato had taken her over once more. But it wasn't that. She was just numb to it all now. Ryuu watched her as she slowly unraveled, not saying a word.

  When Suzume's laughter faded away she shook her head and said, "On second thought, don't tell me why. Whatever your motivation was I don't really care. But the least you can do is take this from me." She slammed her hand against her chest.

  Ryuu glanced over his shoulder, as if making sure there was no one who could overhear them. The only people around were the guards, but they were too far away to hear anything they said.

  "I'm sorry-" Ryuu started to say. Suzume shook her head. She should have known.

  "Don't lie to me!" she shouted, her voice echoing back at her bouncing off the walls. The guards turned in her direction now, and Ryuu stood up straighter, scanning the horizon.

  "Please, if you'd just let me." He tried to grab her again, but she shot a flaming ball at him. He dodged it, but it caught onto the nearby building.

  "Fire!" the guards shouted as they rushed to put it out. The flames caught quickly, spreading up the side of the building but neither Suzume or Ryuu moved. They were locked in place. Orange light and long shadows blanketed them both. Dark and light played against one another as Suzume's anger manifested in the flames she had created.

  "I can't take her away. It would kill you."

  She scoffed softly. "I should have known. If it doesn't help your purposes, then you won't do it. Well I'll find my own way to be free of your curse."

  She turned and ran out the gates before her grandfather's men could stop her. She was never going to be free of this curse, it was obvious now. Kazue would eventually consume her or Hisato would use her. There was no escaping it, no matter how far she ran—through the fields of rice, toward the forest, or along the road. Distance and movement used to give her some sense of peace. She could fool herself into believing it made a difference.

  Maybe if she kept on running, she could run all the way back to the palace. But even that didn't feel like home anymore. She was trapped between worlds now. She belonged nowhere. Still she kept on running, though she had no real direction in mind. She just wanted to be away. Running was what she was best at and maybe if she ran for long enough she wouldn't be under Hisato's control, maybe she could fight his command to kill Kaito. Suzume tripped and stumbled onto the ground. She caught herself from face-planting with her hands, but scraped her palms. She didn't even care.

  She stayed like that for a moment, beating her hands on the ground until they were bloody.

  She felt Noaki approach from behind without having to lift her head. Her spiritual perception was getting stronger. Just as the cuts on her hands were already scabbing over and in a few minutes would be gone as if they never existed. She was getting stronger, but she was also losing her humanity.

  "Do you enjoy seeing me this way?" she asked the ground.

  Noaki didn't answer. Suzume stood up and flung a flame in his direction. He dodged it with ease, an
d the fire burst apart in sparks on the night air. The light it created dispersed into darkness in an instant.

  Out of desperation she asked, "How can a bond be broken?" She wasn't even sure what bond she meant anymore. The one that forced Kaito to do her bidding? The one that Hisato was using to make her his puppet? Or the one she despised most—her connection to Kazue, which was slowly eating away at her, turning her into something else entirely.

  He didn't answer straight away as usual. The wind rustled through the trees and night animals called out to one another.

  "Tell me!" she said.

  "I assume this has something to do with Kaito?"

  She clawed her nails into the earth. She couldn't even say it. It was as if Hisato's command forbade her from even speaking his name. She tried to nod her head but her neck remained stubbornly stiff.

  "A bond is formed when a yokai's true name is invoked. And then it can only be broken if the holder of the name returns it to the yokai. Or if the other dies."

  She gave a bitter laugh. Of course. I cannot be free unless I'm dead.

  "How do you return a name?" It hurt to force the words out, as if Hisato was there choking her, trying to still her tongue.

  "In the same way it was taken—the holder speaks the name and orders them to be free."

  "Is that how Kazue captured you, by learning your name?"

  "I was given to Kazue," Noaki replied. He so rarely showed any emotion, but she could see his discomfort. It was subtle, a small tightness around his lips.

  Then Hisato had told the truth, Kazue really had traded Kaito for Noaki. But what was so special about the swordsman that she'd trade love for him?

  "Why did Kazue need you?"

  "I served the gods and she hoped to make herself into one."

  "Could I free you?" She did not want to keep him bound to her anymore. What if Hisato forced her to use him against Kaito?