“I really don’t care what you think. I know who I am.” The Tristan from just a month ago would have engaged in a pissing battle with the jerk just to prove to himself he knew who he was. Maybe he was growing tired of defending his actions or maybe he was finally growing up. As if losing his parents hadn’t already done that, never mind everything that came after.
“Right,” Desmond said in a tone that said the opposite. “and say I were to have a go at my scion, yew think yur lot could stop us?”
“Yes,” Tristan answered plainly.
There was no laughter this time as Desmond pulled up in front of the shrine and parked. “Let me tell yew something, Uruwashi, and don’t bloody forget it because I won’t say it again. Yew may know who yew are, but I know who Wren is. He’s my scion and if I want tae bloody end him, I will and no one, not even me own Master, will stop it from being so.”
Tristan wanted to ask just who Wren was. Was he a bad person? Was he the complete opposite? Why did he deserve to find a violent end at Desmond’s hand? But he didn’t. He was too angry to put his thoughts into lucid words. All he could do was glare and hope his feelings got through to the vampire. Then again, with his mental block up, there was only good ole body language to rely on. After a moment of glaring, Tristan got out of the car in a fury of pent up rage.
“Let’s do this real quick, we’re wasting night.”
“Aye, and what? What if they really are here? The girls are still an hour away, how do you propose a Master, a vanilla and a wee Jessie bas killing an ancient with two seikonō? Didn’t think it through, did yew then?”
Tristan shrugged. What could he say, Desmond was pretty much right. “I guess… hope we can run faster.”
Desmond grunted. “I’ll search around the shrine, yew check inside.”
“Fine.”
Tristan crunched his way through the snow and up the stairs. Desmond had disappeared in an instant, taking his heavy Master vampire presence with him. It was a relief actually, the cessation of energy that welled in Tristan. He hated that someone he loathed that thoroughly could make him feel that way. Sure, it was all metaphysical and he had no control over it, but it still bothered him.
The moment he got to the top step, Tristan stopped and looked back to see where Desmond had gone, realizing why the man had sent him into the temple instead of out into the woods as a new presence became known him.
“And I’m a hypocrite?” he muttered under his breath and then louder said, “You can come out.”
Wren emerged from within the shrine, expression as grim as death and looking a little shell shocked if the glassiness of his one visible eye was any indication. “She isn’t here.”
“What happened? Where did she go?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. We were in Akita. It thought we were going to the airport, but then—”
“What happened, Wren?”
The other man shook his head, looking down at his feet. That’s when Tristan noticed the man wasn’t wearing any shoes. “She said she was to feed, but wanted to do it alone. When I grew tired of waiting on her and went to retrieve her from the home she’d gone in I, I found her drowning her victim.”
Tristan frowned.
“But it was more than just drowning. She’d drained him just enough that he hadn’t the strength to fight, but still had will enough to want to struggle to free himself of the water and just when the man would get a gulp of fresh air, maybe even the hope that he’d get out, she’s crush that hope and dunk him again. Over and over. It was… horrifying. I’m ashamed to admit I watched for too long in my frozen horror.”
He hated being right sometimes. “Dammit. I guess I really am going to have to kill her to stop her.”
“We vampire are compulsive creatures, ruled by our lust. Habits are hard to break for us as we have longer to be consumed by them. We are the worst of addicts.”
Yeah, he knew that and yet, he wanted to believe in Xuejiao. Maybe it was naiveté or pure hopefulness. Whatever it was, it was stupid. He knew better and wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
“So then, why’d she let you go?”
His one eye widened. “A man came. I feel—no, I know I’ve seen him before, but I can’t place when or where. He was a pythia.”
Tristan balked. “Did he go by Professor?”
“Ah… No. Jason, I think. He barely acknowledged me. Strangely calm young man, tall, blond hair, blue eyes—he had an ancient Greek sort of mien to him, actually but no accent. He told her it was time and then they just… left. I didn’t know where they went and I didn’t want to remain with her, so I fled. I didn’t know where else to go, so I returned here. To be honest, I’m glad I didn’t have go to Yukihime’s to find you.”
“Damn,” Tristan hissed. At least he knew this “Jason” wasn’t the same man in Greece that he’d run into. Maybe Jason was the powerful pythia mastermind behind the tragedy that played out in Greece—Or, Jesus, maybe he’s even Lilith’s father… One thing at a time.
“Ano… sumimasen.”
Tristan drew his gun and aimed it at the kitsune who’d snuck up behind him.
“I think I can help.” She eyed the gun. “If you trust me.”
Tristan took a few steps to the side, getting Wren out from between him and the kitsune. “I don’t. Pretty sure you tried to kill me yesterday in a genkaku.”
The kitsune put on a little pout. “That was Kyō. I am Kohaku. Kyō was angry. You reset her in France. She was almost two hundred, now she start over again.”
Oh, the one he sliced in half. Yeah, guess she would be pretty pissed with him.
“We mean you no harm, truly.”
Wren caught Tristan’s eye. The vampire looked apathetic and shrugged as if to say, “your call”.
“Sorry sister, but you and your skulk spent your last get out of jail card on that genkaku stunt.”
“We understand,” the new voice said behind Tristan and he spun again.
“Akane,” he said by way of greeting. He knew it was her only by the scar. Right, that and the opulent attire, that helped. The skulk leader was standing at the bottom of the temple steps, fully dressed in a stunning gold gown. Golden highlights shimmered in her hair and in her hand she held a heavy gold chain that lead down to the fox at her side.
When she saw Tristan looking at the harnessed animal, Akane smiled and tugged on the leash, making the fox hiss. “Kyō is paying for her indiscretion.”
Tristan harrumphed. “Even still, you can’t blame me if I don’t believe you, trickster.”
Smiling slyly, Akane tilted her head in acknowledgement.
“You going to tell me where Xuejiao went?”
“Edogawa.”
Wren made a little noise, pulling Tristan’s gaze to him. “Where?”
The vampire bowed his head, hiding all of his face behind his hair. “It’s a ward in Edo—uh, Tokyo. The place where I died.”
With an understanding frown, Tristan nodded. Then frowned harder when he realized he had a long ass trip ahead of him and hoped that the tiny tot of terror stayed put long enough for him to catch up.
“I,” Wren said in a shaky voice, “I can’t go there. I wouldn’t be of any use to you anyway, being a vanilla.”
Tristan wasn’t so sure, since the man did know Xuejiao the best, but he nodded. Most vampires feared the place they died, even the ones who claimed to love what they were. Even Malik had been afraid of something—many things, actually.
“Fine,” he answered. “Besides, I think it best you stay away from your Master. I get the idea that he might try to hurt you.”
Wren straightened, his attention going past Tristan. “Yes,” he said softly. “I imagine he might.”
Tristan turned to see Desmond storming towards them, his expression the perfect image of fury.
17: Come With Me Now
THERE was an explosion of snow where Wren had been standing as Desmond sprung onto his scion.
Tristan jumped back, put
ting his gun away with a huff. “Come on,” he grumbled. “Hey! We don’t have time for this bullshit. Knock it off already. God.”
He opened his mouth to say something more but he was suddenly distracted by the hand on his arm. He spun, reaching for his gun but stopped when he faced Akane. He glanced down at Kyō on her leash and flinched back when she chattered at him, baring teeth.
“Damare,” Akane said with a tug on the gold chain and the fox cowered. “Gomen ni. She means no real harm, she is just strong-willed.”
Tristan understood that. What he didn’t understand was what the fox wanted from him. It was obvious by the look on her face that she had something important to say. He glanced over at the vampires. They were fighting, but it didn’t look too serious. Tristan could let them release a bit of pent up rage for a bit. It was probably safer for everyone for those two to get the fury out now anyway.
“You want something?”
Akane looked down to her feet. That’s when Tristan noticed her delicate gold sandals. Guess she didn’t feel the cold any more than Wren. Too bad Tristan did.
“I wonder if you would be gracious enough to accept a gift from us. A token of peace and friendship. Of my admiration.”
Tristan started. She wanted to be friends? It wasn’t that he hated the kitsune, per say, but they’d been pretty off-putting since he met them. But time and time again, Akane, their leader, would come to the forefront and apologize. Tristan really wanted to believe in those reparations.
“What kind of gift?”
Akane looked up, almond eyes full of hope and an uneasy smile on her face. “A calling pearl.”
“What—a what?”
Akane dipped a hand down into her cleavage and came back with a pearl the size of a grape. It was a stunning iridescent turquoise with a hint of gold swirls.
“If you’re ever in need of assistance, use this to call upon my clan. We promise to come, no matter where you are in the world. I want to make up for the rouse we forced you into.”
“No one forced me to do shit, lady.”
She smiled coyly. “No, but we deceived you and we needed our shrine vacated by both parties… You do understand.”
Tristan only scowled.
“We have come to an understanding with the troll and she will not return.” She looked to the fighting vampires and frowned. “I do hope that Wren will be leaving too. He’s kindly enough for a vampire and I do consider him a friend but we do not like outsiders in our home, our place of power.”
“No, I’m pretty sure he’s leaving now.” Maybe even the country, the way things seemed to be going for the vampire.
“So then everything has worked itself out. Here, my gift to you.”
Tristan took the pearl from her, examining it up close. It seemed really familiar. “You give out a lot of these?”
She shook her head making her gold hoop earrings click together. Tristan wondered if those earrings stayed there when she shifted into fox form. “Only Uruwashi we have known through the years. That Fire vampire had one he’d stolen and had I known, we would not have answered the call. Anō… please do not go showing it around. We make it practice to not tell the other races since we give these to Uruwashi alone. Most do not know of its existence. Even Yukihime doesn’t know.”
That was a full answer and Tristan felt a surge of anxiety. He palmed the pearl, holding it tightly. “You know a lot of Uruwashi?”
She shook her head again and a cry behind Tristan made him turn around. The two vampires were still at it, screaming at each other in their own languages as they traded half-hearted swings and Tristan rolled his eyes at them.
“Sadly, most are dead now.”
Tristan frowned. “Mamoru…”
Akane perked up. “You know Takeuchi-san?”
He cast his eyes down in mourning. “Did, briefly.”
“You mean…?”
He sighed and looked up, feeling his eyes burn from the memory of the man’s violent death. “He died in battle.”
“How?” Akane demanded, her eyes wide in horror.
“It was an accident.”
“Who did it?”
“It doesn’t matter now; it really was an accident.”
“Who?” the unassuming fox-woman asked again in a way that left no room for dismissal again.
Tristan huffed, ran a hand over his hair. “An elf named Silas.”
“The Duane Prince? But he—”
Jesus, why did everyone call him that? Was he really that important of a prince?
“Like I said, it was an accident. It took two vampires, two Uruwashi, a pythia and an elf to take down Genoveva of Earth, and barely at that. Our victory wasn’t without its casualties.” He rubbed his chest where Genoveva had nearly finished him for good. And if it took that much to kill an insane ancient, how much more would it take to stop a kodaijin like Xuejiao? Mother?
“Sō ka,” she whispered looking lost.
Tristan held out his hand and she mindlessly reached out to take the pearl from him. “I still have his pearl, found it in his things.”
She nodded, tucking the pearl away.
He took a steadying breath and turned to the fighting vampires. They were quieter and that bothered him, but when he looked, Desmond had Wren pinned, not harming him and they were talking in low, fast voices to one another. Maybe they would work their shit out.
“His daughter—”
Tristan turned back to Akane. She looked troubled, running the gold chain through her fingers over and over again.
“He spoke of her often. Has anyone told Seth of her father yet?”
His daughter’s name was Seth? That poor girl. “Uh, not that I know. Silas might have since they were friends. I don’t even know where she lives.” Mamoru did talk about living in Maryland. If he made it back home alive, he’d remember to try and find the girl. How many Seth Takeuchi’s could there be living in America?
Akane frowned a little, looking positively adorable. “You didn’t know Mamoru well?”
“We uh, we didn’t have much time together before he died.”
“Sō ka. I don’t suppose then, he ever had a chance to tell you our theory?”
“On…?”
She smiled sadly. “We argued philosophies often, even came to terms on more than one, but there was one in particular we couldn’t see eye to eye on. I just wonder if he ever talked to you about it. It was a big topic of controversy for him.”
Tristan shook his head, turning to keep the others in his peripheral. He didn’t have time for this, but if those two could work something out then he’d be okay with it. He couldn’t say why, but he really hoped they reconciled. That, and Akane seemed like she really wanted to talk to him, that there was something she wanted him to know.
“It’s common knowledge,” Akane was saying, eyes fixed on the vampires but not really seeing them. “Amongst the shinwa and heikō that the Uruwashi originated from humans, that humans cultivated what they needed from vampires to make the Uruwashi. Human enough to walk in the sun and retain their sense of morals, but vampire enough to garner the strength they needed to kill the vampire.”
Tristan nodded. That’s the gist of how he understood it. Not only from Yukihime and Ash but Mamoru too.
Akane glanced at him before looking back to the others. “But we think the existence of the Uruwashi is just the opposite.”
“Meaning?”
Across the way Desmond let out a growl that would make any wolf jealous and all the hair on Tristan’s body stood on end. Shit, things looked like they were going south again and Tristan shifted on his feet, ready to intervene but torn, wanting to hear Akane out.
“We believe the Uruwashi started off as vampire. Vampires so old that they could not die by any conventional means. And while even the sun couldn’t kill them, they were unable to lay eyes upon it, which they so desperately wished for. They wished it so much that they sought out the consul of a pythia.”
Tristan’s breath caught. Sh
e had his full attention now and by the look in her eyes as she glanced at him sidelong, she knew it. “You think a pythia spelled a vampire to be day walking and that’s where the Uruwashi came from?” If that were true, then the Uruwashi really weren’t part human, mortal—whatever, at all.
She shrugged, attention going back to the vampires. They were on their feet again and looking tense, but Tristan was too distracted to notice the palatable anger. “I think it makes more sense than starting with a human. Even the cleverest of humans cannot think to capture a vampire and hold them. Not even with an army of men, not the sort of old vampire they’d need to harvest from.”
Tristan was still trying to process it because, fuck him, but it made way more sense to him than the “popular knowledge”, which was turning out to be simple theory. It explained why Innokentiy freaked out on him when he found out that Tristan had been working with a pythia, thinking they wanted to “experiment” on the ancient vampire. What if all the Uruwashi were was an experiment by some overzealous, cocky pythia?
Holy shit, this was huge.
“What was Mamoru’s reason for refuting your argument?”
“That a vampire given the gift of sun wouldn’t be interested in killing others of their kind, rather they would give them the same gifts.”
Tristan harrumphed. “Maybe, but the vampires can be pretty self-centered.”
“Hai, this is true, but something like the gift of light… No other creature can understand the vampire’s desire for such a simple thing as the sun. It’s the one thing that binds them together, that desire. Personally, I think it’s all a part of their vampiric genetic code, their lust.” Akane threw her hands on the air in an exasperated gesture. “Who knows, maybe dissent was born of jealousy. Whatever the reason, there are now two factions of vampire, those who can walk in light and those who cannot and the latter killed the former out when the former tried to kill the latter.”
Tristan scowled. He wasn’t so sure as the thoughts swirled. Things made more sense and yet, there was so much more to know. “Uh… Can I, can I ask you something that might sound outrageous without the predictable questions it’ll make you have?”
White Lies: (The Uruwashi Series #4) Page 18