He laughed. "I never meant to hurt you. I wanted you to see the truth, to see what they really wanted from you. Get Kazue's heart and you'll see I am right."
She swallowed past a lump in her throat. She hated to go back and face the others after storming off, so she kept talking instead. "You told me when you attacked you only intended to maim me."
"It was a joke. You will find our kind have a dark sense of humor."
"What do you mean, our kind? I seriously doubt you're human."
He laughed. "Do you really think you're human? Don't be naive."
Before she could form another retort, the orb of light had blinked out and she was plunged into darkness. Along with it was the sound of Tsuki, Kaito and Rin calling her name. Kaito was closest and she could hear him the clearest.
"Come back here before you're eaten. I will not save you from another Oni today."
"Technically that was me," Tsuki replied.
Suzume stared into the dark where Hisato had disappeared. She did not know who to trust, but she knew one thing for certain--the only person she could rely on was herself.
Chapter Forty-five
They continued their climb the next day. Other than a few playful jibes, there was no talk of Suzume's disappearance. Suzume was withdrawn most of the day, but no one seemed to notice, or care, for that matter. Her sullen silences were nothing new.
The climb was difficult and even the immortals struggled over boulders and slippery slopes. They reached a steep portion of the mountain, the incline almost vertical. Suzume tilted her head up--nothing but the gray and bleak sky reeling overhead; it made her head spin. She knew the others were watching, waiting for her to give up. She gritted her teeth and committed to climbing. She found a foothold and tested her weight. The others were almost halfway up and she had not even started her climb.
How badly do I really want this heart? Hisato could be using me like all the rest.
Kaito looked down at her from above. "Need help?" he called.
"No," she snarled and proceeded to climb the rock face. The stones were jagged and they cut her palms. It did not take long until they were covered in blood and sweat. Tsuki and Kaito had reached the top and Tsuki gave Rin a hand over the last boulder that protruded from the edge.
Suzume's legs shook and her hands were cramping. I have to keep moving. I'm almost to the top. If she looked down, she would regret it. She was within arm's reach of the precipice. Just another couple inches forward. She placed her foot on a toehold, but the rock crumbled beneath it. She slipped down a few inches, her face racked against the sharp side of the mountain, and rocks went cascading down the side, tinkling on their way down. She was lucky she had not fallen with them. She looked down and saw the ground too far away and her stomach flopped. She was unable to move.
"Suzume, what happened?" Tsuki called.
Her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth. Her fingers trembled and her muscles would not obey her.
"I'm coming to get you," Kaito said. She could not even argue.
He climbed down the side of the rock face and stopped next to her. She was too busy hugging the rock.
"Give me your hand."
Heart hammering in her chest, she looked at him from the corner of her eye. There was not a hint of mocking in his expression. With shaking hands she reached out for him. He pulled her closer and wrapped her arm around his neck. Inch by inch, she slid onto his back and then, arms wrapped around his neck and legs dangling, they climbed the rest of the way.
When they reached the top, Suzume fell onto the ground in an exhausted heap. Rin came over and handed Suzume some water, which she gulped down greedily. She hated having to have Kaito save her, but she decided to keep the complaining to a minimum, because she could never really stop complaining altogether. They decided to stop there for a rest, mostly for Suzume's benefit. She sat on an oblong boulder, which made for a convenient seat, and took another swig of water.
Kaito paced back and forth restlessly. The muscles beneath his clothes rippled with tension. When Tsuki saw Suzume watching Kaito, he smirked at her. She looked away at the last moment, but the damage was done. She was going to hear about this later, she was sure of it. That is, if there is a later. If I get Kazue's heart and harness her power, then I'll be back at the White Palace this time tomorrow. Just the thought brought a smile to her face.
"If you have enough energy to smile, then I think we best head out again," Kaito announced. The tension in his body had transformed his normally smiling face. White lines circled his mouth from his clenched jaw.
Suzume scowled at him. She knew Kaito was on edge, but she could not help but argue. "What? Are you trying to kill me? How much further is this place? If we go any higher, we'll be in the kingdom of the Eight." It was an exaggeration, of course, the Eight's holy kingdom was only reachable in the afterlife.
Rin snickered at Suzume's joke, and when Kaito shot her a look, the smile wiped away from her face.
"I would not want Your Highness to grow tired. Should I carry you on my back?" Kaito turned his back to her as he squatted down, as if he were offering up a piggyback ride.
She scoffed. "I would rather not. I'd probably erupt into flames again."
"We wouldn't want that, now would we?" Tsuki said with a smirk.
She glared at him as well.
"It's just a bit further. Come, Suzume, I'll carry you if you like. And I promise you won't burst into flames if you touch me, at least not any visible part of you." He did not wait for her answer and instead swooped Suzume off her feet. She screeched as her feet left the ground and she kicked and swung at Tsuki, who laughed uproariously.
"Put me dow--" She could not even finish her sentence before Kaito grabbed her by the armpits and planted her back on her own two feet.
"You're capable of walking," he said, his tone tense. All trace of humor from before was wiped away.
Suzume opened her mouth to explain but clamped it down again. I don't owe him an apology just because he thinks I belong to him. I am no man's property. Suzume brushed off her robes and said to the ground, "I'm ready to go if everyone is done horsing around."
She looked up as Kaito walked away.
"He's a bit dense," Tsuki said.
Suzume looked at him from the corner of her eye. "What do you mean?"
Tsuki laughed. "Nothing, really." He swung his arms behind his head and clasped his fingers against his neck. He whistled as he followed after Kaito.
Rin had hung back, but when Suzume looked to her for an explanation, Rin only shrugged and joined the boys. Damn their secrets.
It turned out there was not much distance left to travel. They found a winding set of stairs carved into the stones themselves. The wind blew hard enough to pull the unwary off a cliff just feet away. Suzume's hair swirled around her. She pushed the strands away from her face and tilted her neck back to try to catch a glimpse of the top of the stairs. The steps disappeared into the clouds, obscuring their destination. Kazue really did not want her remains to be found.
"Do not tell me we have to climb that." Suzume said, pointing at the narrow stairs. On one side was the stone smooth and ancient. On the other side was a drop that led to the foot of the mountain.
Rin stood on the edge of the precipice. Her auburn hair flew around her head like a bright banner against the gray sky behind her. She did not seem afraid of the height, just curious. Kaito's gaze was fixed on the stairs. He cannot wait to get there. I wonder if he's hoping Kazue is waiting for him at the end of this quest. This thought filled her with bitterness. What do I care? All I want is my old life back. Once I get that, none of this matters.
"We're almost there, are you ready?" Tsuki said to Suzume. He grinned from ear to ear.
"You could at least try to hide your eagerness," she replied.
He tilted his head as he regarded her. "What would be the purpose of that? Now that we're all being honest with one another."
Suzume felt like there were cold fingers
grasping the back of her neck. She rubbed it but did not look away from Tsuki. There's no way he could know what Hisato told me. I am just being paranoid.
"Are you trying to say there's more you're not telling me? Like is there something up there waiting for us?"
He shook his head. "We've told you all we know. Most of our information has been gleaned from the priests of the temple. This is the first time since we were cursed that we've left the temple."
Suzume's skin tingled. Small sparks burst along her skin, creating a red glow. Something was waiting for them at the top of these stairs, she could feel it. Either Tsuki was lying or he really didn't know, she could not be sure. I cannot believe Kazue would go to all this trouble and not put extra protection around this place.
"Let's get going while it's still light," Kaito said. He looked ready to pop from the anticipation. He shuffled from one foot to the other, his gaze ever upward.
They headed up the stairs. It was even more perilous than Suzume imagined. The steps were cramped together and worn smooth by the elements. They walked single file, and in a few spots, they had crumbled away and they had to jump over massive gaps. It was at this point that Suzume took a grudging ride on Tsuki's back across the chasm.
Halfway up she made the mistake of looking over the edge. Thick white clouds obscured most of the forest floor but for patches of green that peaked through breaks in the clouds. She clutched at the rough wall, her fingers finding no purchase. She felt like she would tilt over the side and fall forever. Suzume closed her eyes and leaned against the stone wall for a moment. She felt a hand in the small of her back, and when she opened her eyes, Akira was standing beside her.
"Just take it one step at a time, and try not to look down," Akira said.
Suzume nodded mutely before they continued their climb. She managed to climb the rest of the stairs without looking over the edge. Once she slipped on some loose rocks and fell down a few steps. Rin came to her rescue and kept her from tumbling all the way back down to the bottom or, worse, going over the edge. Suzume gave Rin a begrudging thank you. They're all being so helpful today. Probably because they need me to retrieve Kazue's heart.
***
Kaito had thought it a trick when Tsuki and Akira had told them to climb to the top of Mount Iwaki. None had tread here but the Eight; the palace of the Eight could not be reached by any other than the first children. It had been a long time since Kaito had been here, and just that they had reached the top unchallenged meant things had really changed.
The stairs ended at a torii arch similar to the ones that led into a temple. This one was faded and the wood scored with horizontal marks, like giant claws had slashed at them. Charms dangled from the beam and twirled in the wind. A bell chimed somewhere nearby. Beyond the torii arch lay a courtyard area ringed in more arches. Polished onyx made up the floor. He hesitated outside the arch. Kazue was here; he could feel her energy mixed with another power, something ancient and powerful that he had only glimpsed once. The entire area hummed with Kazue's energy, hidden in every stone, arch and charm as if she had poured herself into it.
"Hello?" Suzume said, and her voice echoed back at her, amplified by the mountains, which bounced it back towards her.
Akira glided into the courtyard first. She moved slowly, her gaze moving across the empty space, searching for life. "He should be here," she said in a hushed voice.
Rin walked along the edge of the courtyard, examining the other arches. Unlike the main one at the steps, these led onto nothing but gray-blue sky. Clouds drifted lazily past and skimmed across the courtyard covering half the space. All my searching has led me here.
Kaito stood in the center of the courtyard, his shoulders taut and his hands balled into fists at his sides. He looked straight forward into the mist, still as a statue. Somewhere in the mist, he felt Kazue's energy centered. Unlike with Suzume, this felt familiar, the woman he had known. Why did you do it, Kazue?
Then from the mist, a silhouette appeared. They strolled out toward Kaito. The clouds rolled away and revealed a young man. He had long black hair tied into a topknot. At his hip he wore two swords, their hilts frayed. He had a square jaw and a severe mouth. And on his forehead was a painted marking in an ancient forgotten language. But Kaito knew it, this was the mark of one of eight legendary swords sworn to protect the Eight. Why are you here? I wonder.
"Who dares enter this holy place?" he said in a gravelly voice.
"I do, the Dragon, ruler of Akatsuki," Kaito said in a rumbling voice that echoed off the mountains and surrounded them.
The man looked Kaito up and down. "Have you come to challenge me?"
Kaito smiled, his teeth had already begun to elongate and his hands were half claws. "I have come for Kazue's remains."
"Wait!" Akira shouted and ran between Kaito and the man. "Don't hurt him. That's our father."
Kaito growled. The man had not moved. His hand rested on the hilt of one of his swords. He did not deny or refute Akira's statement.
"He looks like he's the same age as you," Suzume said in disbelief. "I was expecting an old man."
Akira looked at her father, her expression was a mix of emotions, fear and relief.
"We've all been cursed to stay the same. We do not age, which means he has stayed the same as well."
"Are you going to challenge me, then?" he said to Akira.
Akira's expression fell; she had expected him to recognize her, most like. Kazue's spell was strong if it broke the ties of family. What have you done, Kazue?
"Father, do you not recognize your daughter?"
He answered with the screech of metal against the scabbard. He pulled out one of the blades and pointed it at Akira. "Choose your weapon. If you wish to enter the inner sanctum, you must get past me."
Akira reached out to her father, but her hand jerked back at the last moment. "He is not himself, Akira," Tsuki said, using his sister's face. We have to get through to him, let me fight."
Akira looked to her father and then dropped her head. "You're right."
They switched in a seamless motion. Akira's soft mouth and rounded cheeks melted into Tsuki's high cheekbones.
"I'll need a weapon," Tsuki said. His voice had lost all of its usual humor.
His father removed the second blade and tossed it to Tsuki. He caught it in midair. He removed the blade from its sheath and then he tossed the scabbard aside. Tsuki's father, the guardian, took a defensive stance, his legs spread apart and the blade pointed at his son. Tsuki took on a similar pose, and they bowed to one another--a half smirk slipped across Tsuki's face.
They are the children of a legendary sword. No wonder he is a capable fighter. Kaito stepped back to let them fight, curious to see Tsuki in action. They moved around in circles before the first attack. Tsuki moved first. He rushed his father with a low swipe, which his father dodged and rolled away. The guardian's robes rippled like water. Kaito had encountered this particular legendary sword, though never had the pleasure of seeing him fight. He moved gracefully as if it were part of a dance.
Tsuki stumbled, having expected to land a blow, and the guardian swung back around with a thrust to Tsuki's shoulder, but Tsuki spun and blocked with his blade. Metal screeched against metal, echoing around the audience. They broke apart and Tsuki jumped backwards as his father rushed him once more, slashing and cutting into Tsuki's shoulder. Tsuki did not even acknowledge his wound. He thrust forward for another attack. Tsuki tried to parry only to have his blade torn from his hand. It landed a few feet away at Kaito's feet. Tsuki knelt on the ground, panting, his father's blade pointed at his throat.
"You are not worthy." The guardian pulled the sword back, ready to strike, when another sword blocked his swing.
The guardian looked up. "You challenge me?"
"I do," Kaito said with a grin. "I have been waiting five hundred years to see Kazue, and I will not let you stop me. I let the child play, now it is time I get some answers."
The guardian smiled
, a faint echo of his son's smile. Rin helped Tsuki to his feet and the two of them returned to the edge of the battlefield while Kaito's battle ensued. Though he preferred to use his claws and teeth, he was no stranger to a blade. Kaito blocked all of the guardian's thrusts and moved about in circles, matching the guardian blow for blow.
The guardian, meanwhile, gave no inch. He harried Kaito around the courtyard, metal clanked against metal, and the battle continued. The battle lasted much longer than Tsuki's. Time lost all meaning as he lunged and dodged, all the while at the back of his mind he knew he had to win, to get a chance to find Kazue. Then his energy flagged. He was not at full strength, and the guardian had lifetimes to wait. Kaito started to slip.
At first it was just a small mistake, the guardian got within his defense and slashed Kaito's thigh. Then Kaito stumbled, falling to his knees. The guardian lifted his blade high, ready for a final blow. Time slowed down. From the corner of his eye, he saw Suzume inching closer. He reached for his blade, ignoring the priestess, she would only distract him. But his moment's hesitation could have been his death; he moved too slowly to block the oncoming attack.
Suzume rushed forward and put herself between him and the coming blade.
"Stop!" she shouted.
And then the sword fell.
Chapter Forty-six
A rush of wind blew her hair away from her face. The blade grazed the side of her hand, but did not break the skin. The cold steel did not touch her aside from that but went past her and drove into the ground. Kaito knelt beside her, panting. She did not look at him, but she felt him staring at the back of her head, probably wondering why she had jumped to his rescue. The truth was she was wondering the same thing. The guardian had his hands held in front of him, palms up. He looked down at his large calloused hands and then slowly raised his wide dark eyes to Suzume's face.
"You are... Kazue?" His voice cracked as he fell into a deep bow.
Suzume looked around to Rin and Tsuki. Rin seemed to be just as baffled as Suzume. Tsuki was back on his feet and he looked prepared to leap forward and embrace his father, but something held him back.
The Priestess and the Dragon Page 33