Calming the Storm (Crimson Storm Chronicles Book 2)

by Yumoyori Wilson

  We'd spent two and half hours searching and scouting with nothing to show for it. The pocket watch was still burning hot as if the crystal was right at my fingertips, but we hadn't located it yet.

  I didn't want to summon Urufu, Mizuko, or Chiryoshi since I didn't want Erica knowing I had the watch on me. Even if she was on our side, that didn't mean I needed to show her all my cards.

  I made my way into the forest on my assigned side, glad to have a moment of peace and not having to listen to Erica moaning over her nails. Talk about obsessive much.

  "So you survived."

  I stopped in my tracks at the familiar voice and took a deep breath. "And you must be bored from stalking us the whole time," I replied, turning my head to see James.

  He wore a mostly black outfit. The black dress shirt had a weird red symbol on it and was paired with black jeans. He also had a red scabbard attached to his belt. His red hair was styled to one side, and his red eyes were locked on me and filled with longing, making a slow descent down my body. Something I would only see when he was drunk.

  "You've become more perceptive. How long have you know that I was following you two?" James asked.

  "I realized about an hour and a half ago, when Erica was complaining about her nails for the eighteenth time," I revealed.

  "Ya. She's a little addicted to her nails." James rolled his eyes, looking irritated at the sheer mention of nails.

  "How would you know?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

  "I've been following her and those useless guards all week. The Emperor calls those his best, but they don’t even notice when they're being tracked. Could have killed all of them and kidnapped Erica after the 30th time she mentioned her nails, but I felt nice that day,” he confessed, slowly walking towards me.

  I kept my posture relaxed even as he got closer. My Kitsune eyed him like a hawk, but I was hesitating because my instincts weren't going all crazy. They were just as calm as I was, and I didn’t understand why that was.

  "What do you want, James?" I whispered.

  "Just checking in. See, a little bird told me someone similar to Storm was around those guards of yours and had gone on their honeymoon with that anger management guy," he revealed.

  "Quillian doesn't have anger management issues." I rolled my eyes.

  "He calls me Bipolar. I call him an angry asshole," James countered.

  "You sound like a child, you know that?" I crossed my arms.

  "And I miss you scolding me,” he confessed, stopping right in front of me.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat as I tried to hold back my growing rage. The leaves on the trees fluttered and made a soft sound, but no wind passed.

  I didn't allow myself to get distracted, my eyes staying locked on James’ red ones. The eyes that I once loved, the same eyes that watched on in satisfaction when his men carried me to my impending doom.

  "You miss me? I almost...no, I did die, because of you," I whispered.

  "You don't understand why I'm doing this."

  "I don't understand? What is there to understand, James?" I questioned, my anger growing the longer I stared at him.

  My heart ached because I'd loved this man, and even after everything he'd done and the sins he continued to commit, a small part of me still loved him. That was the hardest part of all of this. To acknowledge I hadn't fully moved on from him, even though I thought I had.

  "You still love me,” he said quietly. I looked to the floor and laughed softly at the irony of the situation I was in.

  "Love. Such a troubling emotion," I mumbled.

  "You're angry...and hurt,” he added, and my Kitsune growled in rage.

  I didn't know what I was thinking, but my hand was on his throat in seconds. He looked shocked at first, and I didn't notice what I was doing until a cherry blossom fell onto my outstretched arm. I glanced around and saw a whirlpool of cherry blossoms surrounding us like a tornado, yet they were so silent, it was almost scary.

  "Cherry...blossom power." James struggled as I tightened my hold on him.

  "Am I angry? Fuck yes I am, James. Am I hurt? YES! My heart fucking hurts, because you've continuously tried to kill me, over and over again, yet now you say you miss me?!" I snarled, my breathing coming out in huffs as I tightened my hold around his neck.

  I noticed him struggle and felt the growing happiness and joy that was beginning to flood me. The satisfaction I'd feel when he died in my hands. The justice I'd be able to obtain from his death.

  Yet, as his eyes watered and his trembling lips began to discolor, I realized those feelings of happiness, joy, and pure satisfaction to finally be gaining revenge...weren't mine.

  I pushed him to the ground and he gasped for air, choking and coughing as he gripped his neck. Anger replaced all those other emotions, and I closed my eyes for a moment, needing to sort Storm's feelings out. This is not your decision. I will not kill him for your pleasure. Not for you, not for anyone but myself!

  Just like that, as if I had snapped my fingers, the immense anger disappeared, allowing me to feel my own lingering feelings again. Anger, hatred...sadness...regret...love.

  "Why can't I kill you?" I whispered, opening my eyes and blinking back my tears that were welling in them.

  "Because your instincts are smarter than that silly essence in your body," James said quietly as he rose to his feet. I looked at him again, lowering my gaze to his neck, which had lingering marks from my fingers.

  "You hate me."

  "I never said that."

  "You called me a fool. You knew what I was and said nothing! You knew I wasn't a human and yet you treated me like one! You cheated on me over and over again and couldn't even act like you loved me unless we were fucking! You carried me off to the outskirts and sent your lackeys to finish the job. You're telling me you did all of that, because of what? You wanted to protect me?! Because you LOVED ME?! HOW, JAMES?! Explain to my stupid self, because clearly, I'm missing something, seeing as my instincts aren't afraid that the man who killed Storm and has tried multiple times to kill me, is right in front of me!" I snapped.

  James gave me a pitying look. "You still don't know yet."

  "Know what?!" I snapped.

  He gave me a sad smile and shook his head. "You need to find out on your own, Crimson. I need you to figure this out. Or all this will have been in vain. Maybe to you all, I'm the jealous, bipolar boy- I mean EX-boyfriend who murdered Storm Yuna and is working with N.R.O. to retrieve the crystals from Storm's pocket watch. Oh, and cause war in Homatomashi."

  He ruffled his hair, looking around the little whirlwind fortress I'd made in my anger, the cherry blossoms continuing to circle us.

  "You know why this power is sought out and rare?" he questioned, indicating the blossoms around us.

  "I don't know. It's the first time it decided to show itself, even though I've tried plenty of times to use it." I huffed, already giving up on getting any useful information from James.

  "It's a silent killer,” he declared, turning his eyes to me. "As we stand here, we hear nothing. No breeze or ruffling of leaves. Just us talking. On the outside, it gives off the illusion that the area has bloomed, and though a person from the outside would love to walk over and view the cherry blossom trees, they won't. The power won't let them. Once the caster is done with their purpose, the blossoms fall to the floor, revealing the hidden illusion and ensuring the caster has enough time to escape the scene before anyone finds the evidence," James explained.

  He chuckled quietly and sighed again. "You could kill me right now, Crimson. You could do whatever you wanted. Stab me with your swords. Slice my head off. Choke me to death. Pierce me with those pretty, seemingly harmless cherry blossoms. This is the chance you've been waiting for. You could kill me right here, right now and escape afterward, and my body would remain. Once the host is in a safe spot, the lingering cherry blossoms will turn green like leaves, and poof! The killer of James Hamilton would never be found. Not like anyone would care abo
ut my death, though." He shrugged.

  "Why are you telling me this, James?"

  "Because it's now or never, Crimson. This is the only chance I'll give you to kill me. This is your chance to exact your revenge for the horrible ex-boyfriend I was. The cheating lover who only loved you when I was drunk...and in control of myself...not as the sober man who doesn't get to choose what I want,” he disclosed, tears forming in his eyes.

  He walked right up to me, our bodies only inches apart. "Here's your chance, Crimson...but I'll say this." He lifted his hand to brush against my cheek.

  "I did love you...maybe I still do, but there are people stronger than any of us, and they are the puppeteers, controlling the rest of us. I need you to think harder. To see everything from all angles, because as of now, you only have peripheral vision, my love, and that will lead you to your death if you don't see the truth behind all the lies and deceit." He ran his hand into the side of my hair, steadying my head.

  I knew what he was going to do, seeing his eyes lower to my lips. I needed to move...to avoid all of this, but my body stood its ground as if my thoughts meant nothing.

  "I need you to realize who really wants peace. Once you do, everything, and I mean everything, will make sense,” he assured me, his head inching closer and closer until his lips brushed mine.

  "James...you can't..."

  "Do you still love me, Crimson?" he asked, his half-opened red eyes meeting mine. I swallowed hard as a tear rolled down my cheek. He smiled. "I still love you." And with those four words, he kissed me.

  I was frozen in place, unable to think straight. I should have pushed him away, ignoring those familiar lips that knew exactly how to kiss me. Yet, I did nothing but stare into his red eyes, with tears rolling down my cheeks.

  My Kitsune sat down, still eyeing James carefully, but she didn't react, which left me even more confused.

  He was the enemy.

  He hated me.

  He cheated on me.

  He never really loved me...right?

  My eyes slowly closed, and I gave up fighting my instincts that were urging me to do something I didn't think I'd ever had the heart to accomplish again. I kissed him back.

  I felt his hand slip into mine, holding it up slightly as we kissed. He placed something warm into my palm and curled my fingers around it.

  With one last deep kiss, he pulled away, taking a step back to give us both space as we caught our breaths. I looked down to my hand, wondering what was inside.

  "Everything I do, Crimson, will make sense one day. Maybe not tomorrow...or the next. But it will. All I need you to do is survive. I need you to put the pieces together and see the true puppeteer in this game. Maybe it is me...or my Master. Maybe the Emperor, or maybe even one of your men. Who knows?" He shrugged, looking around. I followed his gaze and noticed the cherry blossom walls were slowly coming down since the anger I once had was beginning to dissipate.

  "You've always let your instincts guide you. Let them help you see the truth. Farewell, Crimson...and if we do see each other again...don't hesitate to kill me, because I won't be in the position to let you live anymore,” he confessed sadly, a tear rolling down his cheek.

  He turned around, putting his hands in his pocket before whispering, "I'll always love you."

  I watched him walk away, entering the woods as the final cherry blossoms fell to the ground. "Fuck..." I whispered, letting my tears of frustration roll down my cheeks as I took a shaky breath.

  I opened my hand and saw a tiny piece of paper. My eyes widened when I caught sight of the red crystal as well. What?! He...

  I lifted my head back in the direction he'd walked off in, but he was already gone. I picked up the tiny note and opened it up.

  Red has always been my favorite color. This is my apology for ruining the life you could have had. But, everything happens for a reason and maybe...this small action will make my end less dreadful. Love you - J.H., your SOB ex-boyfriend.

  "What am I going to do…?" I whispered, feeling utterly confused. I took a quick glance around, noticing the cherry blossoms hadn't changed color yet. Lifting the pocket watch from my chest, it became visible and a tear fell onto its surface.

  I used the back of my hand to wipe away my tears before lifting the crystal and placing it in the right socket. I closed my eyes at the sudden burst of power that escaped the crystal, ruffling the trees and the blossoms that lingered on the ground. I opened my eyes and gasped at the large Phoenix hovering above me.

  Its glowing gold eyes locked onto mine with a look of wisdom and understanding. "Welcome home..." I cried, my shoulders raising up and down as I sobbed. The Phoenix nodded its head, and I thought it would return to the crystal like the other had done, but instead, it lowered till its head was in front of mine.

  It leaned in and brushed my tears with its face, doing my left side first, followed by the right. Words flowed into my mind in a gentle, small voice.

  Stand tall, our Master, for all will be well. Trust in us and in your body to guide you to the path of righteousness and deliver justice to those who truly deserve it. Trust in us to see the evil in all things, including those that appear pure.

  I nodded my head in understanding at the passage of wisdom delivered to me. Just as I was about to thank the Phoenix familiar, I realized the perfect name that would suit her. "Arigato, Fushichou."

  She spread her wings out and gave a gentle cry, the sound making me realize she was happy I'd named her. She flew around me three times, the wind picking up the cherry blossoms that lingered nearby on the ground, sending them twirling around my body. She then flew up and dived into the watch, the other three crystals glowing vibrantly as she joined them.

  I smiled with pride at the four dazzling crystals, my eyes lingering on the last empty spot before I lifted my gaze to watch the blossoms rain down on me.

  One more to go. I'll find you and discover the truth.

  "There you are! Ugh! My ass looked everywhere for you, AND I BROKE A NAIL! Look at what searching for you made me do! If I can't get to my appointment in time, I'm gonna cry and make Yoshimitsu pay for it!" Erica whined.

  "Sorry, I wasn't feeling good, so I took a break. Any luck on your end?"

  "Nope. I thought I felt something following us earlier, but it's gone now. Must have been an animal or something." She sighed, ruffling her short locks.

  "Where's the guard?" I asked.

  "Who knows? His ass disappeared when we split to search the clearing. Probably went to take a piss." She shrugged.

  "Well, we should go back. The three hours are almost up," I pointed out, pulling out my phone. I noticed a text from Quil and opened it up to read it.

  * * *

  SEXY QUILLIAN:

  "Come back ASAP. Haru's getting weird vibes."

  * * *

  "What's wrong?" Erica asked.

  "Quil wants us to come back," I announced, not mentioning Haru's weird vibes.

  "Hmm." She pulled out her phone and frowned. "That's weird. My guard messaged me. He also said we need to return now...but, where'd the signal go?"

  "Huh?" I looked at the bar on my phone, realizing there was no signal available.

  "This isn't looking good," I mumbled.

  "Let's just go back. We remember the route. The guards can find where the other guy wen-"

  *BOOM*

  We dropped to the ground, which shook from the explosion. Our eyes darted to our left where we saw a plume of smoke rising into the air.

  "Bombs!" Erica screamed. She grabbed my hand, and we dashed the opposite way just as a second bomb went off that sounded much closer.

  "Bombs?! Why the fuck are there bombs here?!" I shouted. It was hard enough to get fireworks smuggled into Homatomashi, let alone any type of explosives.

  Explosion after explosion went off, and I let Erica guide me as my Kitsune burst to the surface. That helped me keep up with Erica, who I noticed had stripes on her arms, with some areas having orange fur that reminded me of a t
iger.

  We raced against the bombs that kept going off, sounding closer each time, until one went off right next to us, the impact sending both of us flying. We screamed, crashing into some trees before hitting the ground. Shit...ow!

  "Ugh, fucking shit! What idiot places bombs everywhere?" I groaned, rolling to my side before scrambling to my feet. I felt wobbly and noticed cuts and bruises on my legs, which made me roll my eyes.

  "Wear a kimono, he said. You'll have more agility, my ass," I complained. I looked around to see where Erica had landed. "Erica!"

  "I'm fine...but fucking broke another nail!" she shouted back, and I had to force myself not to roll my eyes yet again. I should have a damn counter for how many times she says ‘nail.’

  I walked towards the sound of her voice. "I'm coming, hang on," I reassured her, finding the clump of trees that had fallen as a result of us crashing into them. I knew she was under there because her kimono stuck out and I could see a shoe poking out from beneath the patch of broken branches.

  "I'll get you out," I announced, beginning to pull at the branches one by one. I reached the final branch and frowned, noticing Erica's kimono, but missing what would be a naked Erica.

  "Please don't tell me you shifted and ran away," I complained.

  "Nope, I'm right here,” her soft voice whispered in my ear. I moved my head slightly but wasn't fast enough. A damp cloth pressed against my nose and mouth, muffling my screams as an arm wrapped around my waist.

  I kicked and yelled, while at the same time trying my best not to breathe in the weird scent of chemicals, but the unexpected move left me no time to catch my breath. I continued to struggle and heard her sigh.

  "No wonder it says you’re SSS. Figured this dose wouldn't be enough,” she huffed before something stabbed into my right side. I whimpered, feeling a substance slowly enter my body.

  My mind turned foggy, and my body grew heavy. My kicks and attempts to get out of Erica's hold became hopeless as I began to struggle to even lift my limbs. I let out a weak moan when she removed the cloth and caught me in her arms, shushing me as she lowered me to the ground.