Kevin grabbed the towel from the bowl and wrung it out until it was just damp. He sat next to Lilian and wiped the sweat from Iris’s face and forehead, eliciting a sigh of relief from the bedridden kitsune. After wiping the sweat away, Kevin grabbed and wrung out another towel before folding it and placing it on her forehead.
“That feels so nice,” Iris murmured.
“I imagine so. Anyway, since you have a fever, the best thing to do is to get as much rest as possible and try to keep sweat off. You’re also going to want to eat light meals like chicken noodle soup. Speaking of which.” Kevin stood up. “I know for a fact that we don’t have any ingredients for soup, so I’m going to head over to the grocery store. Lilian, you’ll be in charge of taking care of Iris.”
“Don’t worry, Beloved.” Lilian gave him a cheesy thumbs-up. “I’ll be sure to look after my sister.”
“Right. I shouldn’t be gone for long.”
Iris and Lilian followed Kevin with their eyes as he left the room.
“You know something,” Iris started, her voice weak and exhausted. “Even though I was really upset after finding out that you had a mate, I can see why you like him.”
“Um, Kevin’s the best!” Lilian’s enthusiastic agreement, complete with a brilliant smile and head bobbing, earned a chuckle from Iris.
“And you’re sure you’re not willing to share—gya!” Iris glared at her sister. “You just pinched my boob!”
“Ufufufu, I have no clue what you’re talking about.” Iris grumbled a bit as Lilian flashed her an innocent smile. “Now, then, please be quiet and let me take care of you like a good sister, okay?”
“Tch, you’ve been spending way too much time with Kotohime.”
“Now that isn’t a very nice thing to say.”
***
Kotohime stood in front of a plain square building with gray walls and a flat roof.
The newspaper distribution center that was Davin Monstrang’s base of operations held an underwhelming appearance that made her frown. A man of his stature should have a more ostentatious place to receive guests, but she also knew that these were her thoughts as a kitsune. Despite being a rather unorthodox member of her race, there were some habits that even she couldn’t break. Her desire to impress others was one of them.
Steadying herself, Kotohime entered the distribution center, walked up to Davin’s office, knocked on the door, and waited for a response.
“Come in,” a voice grunted.
The office looked just as it had the last time she’d been there, a spartan room bereft of everything but the bare essentials. The white walls lacked any sort of decoration, not even a picture so much as hung from them. It also lacked furniture, with only a desk, a chair, and a filing cabinet situated against a wall. This place felt lifeless.
Sitting behind his desk was Davin Monstrang, a large, beefy man with dark eyes and little hair. Thick brow ridges that lacked eyebrows hid rhomboidal eyes like a visor. He wore a Hawaiian collared shirt that day while his expansive gut and large chest strained against the buttons, which seemed ready to snap.
“Davin-dono,” Kotohime greeted courteously, clasping her hands in front of her and bowing. “I am pleased to see that you are doing well.”
Davin shifted, his chair creaking as though it was ready to snap. “Kotohime, I haven’t seen you for a while, not since you requested my permission to live here with your charge and her family.”
Due to Davin’s position, she had only met with him on a few occasions. The first time was when she had first arrived in Arizona, and the second was when she’d asked for his permission to allow Camellia and the others to live in this state. It was only appropriate, after all. Davin Monstrang was one of the Four Saints, and Arizona was his territory.
“Indeed it has.”
“How is the brat doing?” Davin asked. Kotohime almost smiled. Davin tried to act uncaring and aloof, but she could tell that he had a soft spot for Kevin.
“Kevin-sama has been well. He is growing stronger by the day, though he will eventually reach the peak of human limitations. Still, Kiara has a plan to help Kevin overcome such physical boundaries. I doubt it will allow him to fight on par with stronger yōkai, but against lesser yōkai and maybe even those whose powers are slightly above average, he should be able to defeat them in time.”
They both knew what Kotohime was speaking of when she mentioned Kiara’s plan. Guns. Human weapons. They were the single biggest reason that yōkai had, for the first time in centuries, come together in order to create a code of laws that all yōkai must obey regardless of race.
With the knowledge and ability to use a variety of weaponry, Kevin would be able to match the powers of certain yōkai races. He would never become strong enough to fight on par with someone like Davin or even Kotohime, and he would certainly never wield the ability to slay a nine-tails or one of the other great entities whose powers were on par with a god’s. Then again, he also didn’t need that much power.
After all, the chances of a Kyūbi coming personally to kill him were so slim as to be nonexistent.
Davin-dono grunted. “That’s good to hear, but you didn’t come here to tell me about the brat, did you? You wish to know about the yōkai who attacked your charge, right?”
Kotohime smiled politely. “Indeed.”
“In that case, take a seat. This explanation will be a bit long.”
While Kotohime normally preferred standing or sitting seiza, one did not decline the suggestion of a saint. She sat down and placed the sheathed katana in her lap, back straight and posture proper.
“You are aware that there are many yōkai within the United States,” Davin said, speaking in his low, grunting tone. “To be precise, we have calculated that there are somewhere over five hundred and fifty-two thousand yōkai living here.”
“That… is a lot of yōkai, yes.”
There weren’t that many yōkai in the world. Compared to humanity, who made up 6.5 billion people, yōkai only made up, at most, 1.5 million, maybe a little more. Even as far back as the first century, humans had outnumbered yōkai one thousand to one. These days, those numbers had skyrocketed. That so many yōkai had gathered in one country astonished her. If Davin wanted to, he could have probably waged war against the humans with that many yōkai.
Before the production of guns and weapons of mass destruction, it was the population difference and wars between races that kept yōkai from outright subjugating humans. Now yōkai had been forced to integrate themselves into the human’s society, lest they be discovered and destroyed.
She didn’t consider this a bad thing, and many yōkai agreed with her, though the great yōkai clans, such as the Tengu Clan who lived in Russia and the Oni Clan of Shuten Doji, likely did not.
“It is. This is just a rough estimate, but it’s accurate enough. We have a means of ensuring that we know when a yōkai enters and leaves this country, though the system itself is still full of glitches and ineffective when it comes to unprecedented variables, such as entering the country through illegal means.”
Kotohime would have normally said “I see” or something to that effect, but she knew what was required of her and remained silent, allowing the man to continue.
“The four that you and the others fought are part of a rogue faction of yōkai who have entered the country illegally.” Davin Monstrang placed his monstrous hands on the desk, palms flat. “We have reason to believe they are part of a larger group, though we have no way of knowing for sure. If they are part of a greater organization, then they were merely low-level grunts.”
“What makes you believe that they were part of a larger group?”
“Because for a yōkai to enter the United States through illegal means requires them to have a yōkai on the inside who is willing to help them. While our screening process can’t account for all variables, when a yōkai enters legally, there is no way we wouldn’t know about it.”
Yōkai entering the country had to register themse
lves so they could be entered into a database. This was done to help the people charged with maintaining yōkai secrecy do their job.
The system had been set up by the Four Saints, and it was being maintained by Kuroneko. Even Kotohime, Lilian, and the other members of her family were registered.
“Does that mean there are criminal yōkai elements within the United States?”
Davin tapped a meaty finger on his desk. The sound, a staccato and off-time rhythm, made Kotohime twitch.
She didn’t want to admit it, but being in Davin’s presence was always a nerve-wracking experience. His power was understated. He kept it carefully concealed. However, it still leaked out. While most people would never feel it, she could sense his overwhelming aura, and it made her nervous.
“There are criminal elements within every country. It is impossible to rid a place of crime unless someone abolished the laws that made crime illegal, and then we’d just have a bunch of criminals running around, doing whatever they wanted without fear of justice. Already we know of at least two large criminal syndicates within the country. The Morello Crime Family and the Cardinelli Gang. However, while they both have power enough that they can exist without us being able to do anything, we do not believe they are the ones who helped the four you killed.”
“And why is that?”
“Because of their differences in philosophy. Morello and Cardinelli believe in using humans to further their own goals. The yōkai you killed were all believers of yōkai supremacy and the complete subjugation of humanity to yōkai rule. Neither of those groups would have allowed yōkai like that into the United States.”
“That makes sense.” Kotohime felt depressed by this knowledge. “I don’t suppose you would know why those yōkai attacked Lilian and Iris, then, would you? If they do indeed espouse of the concepts of human subjugation, then why go after two yōkai?”
“Because you live alongside a human.” Davin shrugged. “That’s certainly one reason they might have gone after your charges, though I suspect they were also paid.”
Kotohime blinked. “Paid?”
“Yes, paid.”
“By who?”
Davin’s smile caused Kotohime’s insides to feel squeamish. It wasn’t malicious, but his larger than average canines, which reminded her of dragon fangs, gleamed with an unnerving light. She never wanted to see that smile directed at her again.
“By someone who hates your charge and the brat, of course.”
***
Kevin Swift walked through the produce department. Fresh vegetables sat on racks. Overhead misters kept the produce fresh, or as fresh as could be. He scanned the items with a keen eye, checking the freshness of the produce, comparing prices between organic and nonorganic, and just making sure that he was getting the most out of his ingredients.
Iris had a preference for tomatoes, so he planned on making a cream of tomato soup for her. Tomato soup was chock-full of vitamin C, which he believed would help her recover, even if she wasn’t actually sick. He gave a brief thought to making a grilled cheese sandwich as well, but shoved the notion aside. Grilled cheese might be too heavy for her, and he didn’t want to exacerbate the problem.
He already had several tomatoes, so after grabbing some extra seasonings for the soup, Kevin was about to head over to the cash register.
Before he could leave, he caught sight of a familiar raven-haired figure. Curly locks of hair fell about her face. Yellow eyes peered out from between her bangs. She had a small nose and full lips, reminding Kevin of a cover model. She was standing near the meat section, her gaze longing. Also…
Why the heck is she wearing so much leather?
Leather pants, leather shirt, everything that she wore was leather. It was also really skimpy.
“Hey!” Kevin called out as he walked up to the woman, who turned upon hearing him, revealing her startled yellow eyes. “You’re the one who rescued me from Ms. Vis the other day. Cassy, right?”
“N-Nya, Master Kevin?!” The woman squeaked.
Kevin looked at her oddly. “This is the second time you’ve called me ‘Master…’”
“Nya!” Cassy covered her mouth with her hands. “I-I mean, Kevin, nya! Kevin! What are you doing here?”
Kevin decided right then and there to ignore the woman’s odd manner of speech. It was actually very easy. He’d ignored stranger things for the sake of keeping his sanity intact.
“I’m just doing a bit of shopping.” He held up his basket filled with tomatoes and seasonings. “Iris has come down with the, uh, flu, so I plan on making something that won’t upset her stomach.”
“Oh, hahaha, nya, I see.”
“Right. So, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, me? I’m just trying to find something to eat,” Cassy admitted sheepishly. She glanced longingly at the fresh fish sitting in the display case. If he didn’t know any better, he would have said that she was drooling.
Her stomach rumbled.
“Um, do you not have enough money to buy food?”
At the mention of money, Cassy slumped to the ground, a black cloud of depression hovering over as she drew circles on the checkered tile. “I-it’s not that I don’t have any money, per say… I just…”
Kevin sighed as the woman trailed off. “Would you like me to buy some fish for you?”
Cassy looked up, her eyes large and teary, her head tilting with the inquisitiveness of a cat. “Nya? You would do that for me?”
Under the force of her gaze, Kevin’s will, which had already been pretty weak to begin with, crumbled.
“Sure.” He smiled in resignation. “Grab whatever you want and follow me.”
His wallet was already crying, but seeing the jubilant look on Cassy’s face made it hard to complain.
***
Lilian watched as the bowl filled with cold water, shutting off the tap once it was full. She placed the rags in the bowl and then picked it up. The soft thudding of her feet as she carried it to her bedroom echoed along the silent hallway.
Iris was still in bed. Her cheeks were still flushed, and her body still dripped with sweat. She was breathing heavily as well, the kind of harsh breathing that reminded Lilian of Kevin immediately after he finished a 100-meter dash at full speed.
“Lilian…” Iris mumbled.
“Are you feeling any better?” Lilian asked as she sat down and set the bowl on the nightstand. She did exactly as Kevin had done, wringing out a towel and using it to wipe the sweat off Iris’s forehead, face, and neck, and then taking another one, folding it, and placing it on Iris’s head.
“I’ve been better,” Iris said, sighing as the cold towel touched her forehead, which was still burning like a furnace on full-blast. “Thanks for doing this. I really do have the best sister ever.”
Lilian felt her cheeks warm just a bit at the praise. It was such a rare thing to hear from her sister. Iris wasn’t one for giving praise.
“You’re welcome.”
Lilian set the towel she’d used to wipe the sweat back into the bowl. She was about to get up and see if maybe adding some ice cubes would help keep the water cool, but then Iris suddenly shot up and vomited all over her own lap.
“Kya!”
With a girlish shriek, Lilian leapt into the air, landing on the floor several feet away. Iris continued to cough and hack as bile spewed from her mouth like a broken faucet shooting water. Getting over her shock, Lilian sat near the head of the bed and moved Iris’s hair away from her face. She kept this up until her sister stopped regurgitating.
“Inari’s left testicle, I hate this,” the raven-haired vixen mumbled disgustedly. “I feel so weak.”
Lilian felt sympathy for her sister. It couldn’t have been pleasant, getting sick and bedridden like a human with the flu. She wished she could do more for Iris.
Lilian helped her sister lay back down, noticing the grimace that was plastered on Iris’s face, no doubt from the aftertaste. Lilian had never vomited before. Judging from the
nose-curdling smell, however, she knew that it couldn’t have tasted pleasant.
“Here, let me clean these sheets and get some new ones for you.”
“Thanks, Lily.”
“Anytime.”
Lilian pulled the comforter off the bed and bundled it into a ball, which she tossed into the washing machine before turning it on. She also remembered to use the pods that Kevin had spoken of before they’d started dating. After that, she found another comforter and re-entered the room to find Iris trying to reach for the bowl with little success.
“Iris, you shouldn’t strain yourself so much.” Lilian set the comforter on the floor and walked up to her sister. “If you need something, all you have to do is ask me.”
“Really?” Iris turned hopeful eyes on her sister.
“Of course.”
“Anything?”
Completely missing the emphasis her sister put on the word “anything,” Lilian nodded as she smiled compassionately at her sister. “Of course. You’re my sister, and you’re bedridden. If there is anything I can do to help, just ask.”
“Will you give me a sponge bath?”
… Silence. Several crickets began chirping in a most annoying manner.
“W-what?” Lilian asked, trying not to blush. “I-I’m sorry, but I don’t think I heard you right. Could you repeat that, please?”
“I know you heard what I said.” Iris gave her sister a pleading look complete with large, carmine eyes. She looked like a cute, fluffy animal, or one of those chibi anime characters. “Please? I feel disgusting, and I have sweat and vomit all over me, but I don’t have the strength to clean myself.”
Lilian tried to resist her sister’s expression, but found her will crumbling faster than Kevin when she used to use that look on him. Was this what her mate felt every time she used this technique? If so, then she really needed to apologize when he returned.
“Ha… all right, all right, fine, just… stop looking at me like that.”
Lilian turned her head so that she wouldn’t have to see Iris’s expression, thereby missing the grin and victory sign that her sister held up.
A Fox's Mate (American Kitsune Book 6) Page 26