Calming the Storm (Crimson Storm Chronicles Book 2)

by Yumoyori Wilson

  I didn't know how long it took me to finally reach the ornament. I smiled when I felt the cool metal in my hand, pulling it up to my chest right next to my pocket watch.

  "Itsuki...Akihiro...Quillian...Haru...Yoshimitsu...Malachi..." I whispered, repeating their names over and over again. I didn't know why I did, but saying their names out loud was comforting in that moment. It reminded me I was alive and still knew who they were, but as time continued to pass, I struggled to stay conscious.

  I continued speaking to myself, saying each name repeatedly, anything to avoid lingering on what I'd just endured. Or envisioning what would come about when she returned.

  At one point, I lifted the sharp end of the ornament, knowing if I did it right, I could easily end my own life. I gulped, weighing my options.

  If I remained here, I'd be Erica's prisoner. If I let today pass, Erica would move us from our current location and it would be impossible for the guys to find me. Either way, if the guys didn't find me within a few hours, I'd be a goner.

  I was already physically, emotionally, and now mentally ruined as well. I didn't even know if I could heal from this. My physical wounds, yes, but from what my brain was doing to me…? I considered whether ending it all would be the best solution to this problem.

  As Erica said, I was now damaged goods. No one wanted something that was so broken. The possibility of the guys discarding me hurt just as badly as my physical wounds, the thought making me begin to sob once more.

  After five minutes, I finally just curled up in a ball, holding the pin to my chest. Two hours...if they didn't come in two hours...I'd end it all.

  "WOOF!"

  "CRIMSON!"

  "Move, I can open it!"

  "Hotaka!"

  "Crimson, fuck. Haru!"

  "Crim..."

  "CRIMSON, Hang on!"

  * * *

  It felt like I was floating on a cloud. It was so soft and soothing. It sheltered me from the pain and the heartache I was feeling. It made me feel strong, even though I was still fragile and helpless.

  I wondered if souls felt like this? Floating aimlessly wherever they were, wanting to enjoy the afterlife of peace. It left me curious about the idea of death, and how I so easily wanted to accept my own. I was dead, right? Why else would I be floating like this? Drifting left, and then right. Anything to avoid reality.

  Reality was painful, a world that never cared about little old me.

  Yet, those voices continued to call my name. Why would they call my name if they didn't care? No, it was just a trap. But...what if...they did care?

  "Crimson, please hold on a bit longer."

  Aki? Why does he sound so sad?

  "She's lost too much blood. I can't heal her until we get back and can give her an infusion," Haru announced in a worried voice.

  "She won't make it that long," Itsuki revealed.

  I won't make it? Why not? I'm right here. What am I missing?

  "Itsuki, make the equipment," Quillian’s hard voice ordered.

  "We can't give her blood here. She'll need Kitsune blood and lots of it," Haru explained.

  "I'm a Kitsune. Hotaka's a Kitsune. We can alternate," Aki snapped.

  "Aki, it's dangerous."

  "I WON'T LET HER DIE! This is our fault. We brought her into this, we sure aren't going to allow her to die because of it."

  "Haru...please. I can't lose my only child. I beg you."

  Father? Why does he sound like he's about to cry? Dying...am I dying? I must be. That's why I'm floating.

  "We can't delay any longer, guys. Her pulse is thready, and her hands are cold and clammy," Yoshi voiced.

  "Fine...but the best candidate is Aki. We're already risking it with you giving her blood."

  "Risking what?" Itsuki asked.

  "Giving blood to Kitsunes without it first being filtered can bond the person to the other," Father revealed.

  "Meaning…?" Malachi entered the conversation. His voice sounded weak, which instantly made me worried. Is Malachi okay? What's wrong with him? What's a bond?

  "Akihiro, if you do this and both yours and my daughter’s blood are compatible...you won’t be able to get out of this relationship. That's why when two Kitsune shifters marry, they exchange blood to seal the deal," Father revealed.

  "Hotaka Jiyuna, I love Crimson. My Kitsune loves her. That’s not going to change in a month, or a year, or 100 years from now. I know what will happen and would rather pledge my life to her than watch her die. Please, let's not delay this any longer," Aki begged.

  I was drifting, struggling so hard to fight the pull of darkness, but I was losing the battle.

  "When we head back and Crimson is stable, we all need to talk," Father declared.

  "But-"

  "No. This is an unavoidable conversation. I know what happened in that dungeon just from one look at my daughter. With that in mind, I need to know if you'll stay by my daughter’s side or not."

  "Why wouldn't we?" Quil asked, sounding offended.

  "Crimson won't be the same. She's not going to be all happy and bounce back to how she was. She isn't going to recover in a few days, or a few weeks for that matter. I can't tell whether Erica made it easy for us to find her on purpose, or if she was just really stupid and didn’t sense the magic tracker on Crimson's hair ornament. Either way, Crimson won't be the same woman you guys loved. So I'll need all of you to decide whether you want to stay or go. I won't let you change your mind once you've made your decision."

  It took everything in my being to force myself to stay awake just a bit longer, longing to hear what the guys would say. Of course they would leave. I'm damaged. Broken toys are always discarded.

  "We don't need a lecture. I'm in," Aki declared.

  "I'm not going anywhere," Yoshi agreed.

  "Hottie just needs some TLC. We can give her that and then she'll become more sizzling hot than before. I won't leave her," Malachi vowed.

  "People can chop down a tree, but as long as the roots are in the ground, it can grow once again. All it needs is water and proper care. I won't be leaving her side," Haru announced.

  "Crimson accepted us. Even with our flaws and broken hearts. It's about time we returned the favor. I won't be leaving," Quil said seriously.

  "We love Crimson. She's dealt with so much, yet she still opened her home to us when no one else would. She loved us when everyone wanted to discard us. We were broken, damaged people, yet she took us in and fixed us. I don't care if Crimson isn't the same. We'll take her in and love her, just like she did with us weeks ago. I'm in," Itsuki promised.

  Father was silent for a long moment, and I lost the battle I was fighting, my mind beginning to be consumed by the darkness that desperately wanted to claim me.

  I heard Father's last words just before the dark abyss swallowed me whole.

  "Then be ready to calm the storm that will brew within her...and be prepared to face it."

  ~JAMES~

  "I wonder why I even decided to meet you here? Rather insulting that the man who killed my love is now standing at her grave as if he's paying his respects."

  I looked over my shoulder at Erica whose face was filled with anger. Turning back to face the tombstone, I stared at the multiple flowers and notes of love from the villagers far and wide. People who knew the fake Storm.

  "If you want to kill me, go ahead. My life is pretty shitty to begin with," I replied coldly, not caring about her pettiness.

  "You brought the new contract."

  "Yes. The one where it states that all the assets go to you. Once you sign on the dotted line, your office will be ready by tomorrow morning," I explained.

  "The one thing you're useful for," Erica huffed. I turned to face her, not bothering to hide my distaste for her.

  "I don't serve you."

  "You will soon. Your 'Master' has a soft spot for me, and if I want to have you wrapped around my finger, I can," she threatened. I looked at the marks on her neck and rolled my eyes.


  "Can't keep that fetish on lockdown, huh. What have you done since Storm's death? Rape innocent people on the streets to satisfy that sick problem you have?"

  "Watch your tongue little puppy. Tomorrow, maybe you'll be chained in my office naked, and I'll make sure you can't walk for a week," Erica snarled.

  "Go ahead. I've survived dealing with your ass. I've been through worse. Nothing will bother me."

  "Nothing, huh? What if I told you I had some fun with that ex-lover of yours?"

  I didn't think I could move fast enough, my hand on her throat and my sword just at the tip of her chest. My movement caught her off-guard and her eyes were wide.

  "What?" I snarled.

  "You heard me. Do I look like I'm joking?" She sneered, her once shocked expression morphing into happy one which made my stomach drop. Crimson...shit!

  "Don't tell me you..."

  "She was rather boring," Erica replied, and I pushed her to the ground on Storm's grave, releasing her throat but keeping the sword to her chest. She just laughed, looking so amused by my rage and lack of control.

  "She took my lashes rather well. I started at 100, then added another 100. Kitsune shifters sure can take a beating. She didn't even cry. Well, until I decided to have a little fun with her. Ah, I've missed the touch of the female body. I can see why you're so obs-"

  "Do not tell me you touched Crimson that way!" I snapped. She grinned with pride.

  "I wonder how she's gonna cope. People complain about men raping woman all the time, but I wonder how she's going to explain that a female took advantage of her? You don't see that in Japan, now do you?" she teased.

  It was taking everything in me not to shift. I wanted to rip her heart out and watch as her eyes glazed over as death took her. No...she'd get a more pathetic death. I'd make her suffer, relentlessly. Chain her like the fucking cunt tiger she was. Once she was weak and helpless, that's when the torture would begin. Then she'll understand that her pleasure was nothing but a sickening fantasy.

  "I'll kill you."

  "Go ahead and try. You know you can't. Not when I'm getting a promotion. I sacrificed my cover for revenge and yet, I'm gifted with a promotion by YOUR Master. So feel free to rid me of my life. At least I'll go join Storm so she's not lonely up there," Erica laughed.

  I bit my lip hard, realizing I couldn't waste any more time. I had to text someone...and then I'd make an excuse to get the night off. At least tonight.

  My eyes lingered on the bite mark on her right side. "Who bit you?"

  "Crimson of course. Who would have thought a Kitsune's bite could be so pleasurable? The first one was a pain, but that only turned me on for the real thing. It gave me an orgasm right away. Ah, I'm gonna have fun with her after you give me the contract. Don't try to stop me. White Eyes doesn't need to go out tonight, so you're on a leash and can't rescue your precious princess who hates you. Such a pathetic love story," she huffed.

  "You're a fool," I whispered, lowering my sword.

  "Excuse me?"

  "How long ago was that?" I asked.

  "After you called, puppet. Now, are you done insulting me? Where's the contract?" she snapped. I used my free hand to pull the curled roll of paper from the interior pocket of my long leather coat.

  "This?" I taunted.

  Erica glared at me and reached out for thin piece of paper, but I closed my eyes. I heard her screech, prompting me to see what I'd just done; the contract was engulfed in flames.

  "No...no, no, no! What are you doing James? You stupid piece of shit! I'm calling White Eyes right now, and I'll make sure he hangs your ass naked for the world to see!" Erica snapped, pulling out her phone.

  "Go ahead. It won't be long now," I declared.

  "Long for-" Erica snapped but choked, her eyes growing wide as she placed her hand on her chest. She began to cough, falling to her knees and started coughing more and more until blood poured out of her mouth and onto Storm's grave.

  "What...what?! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" She glared up at me and I shook my head.

  "You mean what did Crimson do?" I whispered, crouching down to be at her level. She looked at me in confusion, and I grinned in satisfaction, proud of the woman I loved.

  "Kitsune's bites have two different effects. One will make their lover orgasm with just the right stimuli, while the other injects a slow poison that runs throughout the body. It's just as deadly as that cherry blossom skill of Crimson’s, not leaving a trace of what kills its victim. No one will know who killed you, Erica. Guess you could say, Karma's a bitch." I winked at her wide expression as I rose back up.

  She began to laugh, looking like she didn't care about the fact she was dying. "Fine. You think your broken bitch has won? It's fine! I'll be with Storm. She loves me, not like you who will stay as a puppet for the rest of your life while the woman you love remains a broken mess. Even those men can't fix her. You stole what was precious from me, James. So I broke your little doll. She'll be nothing but a weak mess, until one day, she'll kill herself, just like all my other victims," Erica declared and continued laughing.

  I took a deep breath, needing to be completely calm to do the spell I wanted to achieve. In a swift movement, my sword was in her chest, stabbing her right in the center.

  Her eyes were wide as she choked, more blood pouring from her mouth. "What did you-" she began, but I cut her off.

  "Dark power grant me the strength to do what reapers do. As a Dark Angel, descendant of death himself, I bind this soul to the ground below. No being, human or shifter, can give her peace. Only the one who judges us all shall grant her salvation, but only when she can confess the deeds she's done and the regret she harbors. She will never be able to move on until such requirements are met. I decree thy power at this hour of the night with the full moon as my witness," I proclaimed.

  Her eyes grew wide as the spell completed itself, a red magic circle sealing the deal on her chest and the same circle formed beneath her on the soil just at the edge of Storm's grave.

  Before she could speak, I pulled the sword out and called for a wave of water to clean off her blood that dripped from the silver metal.

  I grinned in satisfaction and chuckled. "Would you look at that? Guess I can do certain things without my master’s permission and he'll never know exactly what I am because you'll never be able to tell. That's your punishment for what you did to Crimson," I sneered, leaning to whisper in her ear.

  "You thought you won but look who's walking away." I hummed.

  I turned around before she could react, starting my journey down the hill.

  "No! NO!!! JAMES, YOU FUCKING BASTAR-” She cut off when a cough wracked her body. “FUCK YOU!" she screamed, calling my name over and over with a bunch of coughs and curses following. I knew the stab wound to her chest would heal before she died, leaving no evidence of my involvement, but it brought me great satisfaction to know she'd never get her happy ending.

  She thought she could escape the deeds she had done and enjoy paradise with Storm? Hah. How priceless.

  I slid my sword back into its cover and quickly fumbled for my own phone. I need them to know where Crimson is.

  My fingers tapped quickly against the screen, tracing the last phone call I had. I bit my lip hard when I hacked into Erica’s phone, noticing the last text she sent.

  * * *

  Erica:

  I won't be back tonight. I have a play toy in my possession. Make sure her dogs are running around clueless. I'll be back in an hour. Don't wait up.

  * * *

  Fucking cunt. I took a deep breath, closing the app when I got the exact coordinates and texted someone I thought I would never dare talk to. Please get to her in time. Crimson...I'm so sorry.

  ~AKIHIRO~

  "She's stable and is fast asleep. I'll make sure to call you if anything happens. Ya...I know. She'll get through this, Yoshimitsu. Crimson's strong. Ya. Alright. Give me the report later. Make sure everyone rests, especially Malachi. He didn't look good when he shifted back. Got
it. I'm fine...I really am...if I think I can't handle it, you'll be the first to know. Stop crying, it doesn't suit you...I'm not crying, idiot. Get some rest."

  I hung up the phone, taking a few shaky breathes as I allowed the tears to fall. I looked to Crimson's sleeping figure that was wrapped in thick blankets to keep her warm.

  Her left arm was above the blanket to give the nurses easy access to her IV site, just in case there was an emergency, but so far, she'd been stable.

  The transfusion had given her enough boost to survive until we reached the palace’s private medical ward, but I realized right away that our blood was compatible. I could feel a bit of her within me, but it was rather difficult to put in words.

  All I knew was I felt her pain, the fear inside her, even though she was unconscious. I wiped away my tears, standing up to walk to the balcony. I opened the door, allowing the soft breeze to hit me as I took a deep breath before I closed the door behind me. I didn't want Crim to get cold, and I wanted to confront the person on the other half of the platform.

  "You're either purposely making it easy for me to know when you’re stalking Crimson, or your ass needs to train more," I commented.

  "People don't say hi anymore," James remarked. I lifted my gaze to study him as he leaned on the rail of the balcony. He appeared disturbed, and from his tear-stained face and red eyes that showed he'd been crying, I was curious to know how much he knew.

  "Hi, James. Why the fuck you here," I mumbled.

  "How's Crim?" he asked.

  "You should know. You knew where she was," I countered.

  "I...was too slow. I...fuck, I didn't know...I didn't know Erica was after Crimson," he confessed. I looked away, not needing his added sadness, but it was hard to ignore his sobs.

  "You still love her," I whispered, realizing it like a flick of the light switch.

  "...Yes."