She didn't meet anyone on the stairs, and the first floor was similarly abandoned—not surprising, considering the time of night. One of the room's far windows caught her attention, and she looked past the partially open screen that led outside into a small interior garden.
Kaede smiled. Although this ryokan was humbler than some she had seen in larger cities, the owner had obviously tried to make it beautiful for guests. She headed through the door and out into the night, stopping to admire the artfully clipped shrubs on the way. They descended in a soft cloud pattern, leading down toward a small koi pond ringed with decorative stones. The moon's reflection danced on the dark, sleek surface of the water, and lilypads floated around its edges.
As she approached the pool, she caught a glimpse of her own face staring back at her. It wavered on top of the water, rippling and indistinct, but she could still make out the scars beneath her left eye. She forced herself to look, but to her surprise, the usual pain never came. Instead of thinking back to how she had received the scars in the first place, she remembered the way Imari had touched them with the wetted cloth before they'd gone to bed.
We're going to have to talk about it eventually, how she goes out of her way to make contact with me.
Kaede's thoughts were interrupted by a curious prickling sensation along the back of her neck. Though she couldn't hear any noise or sense movement nearby, some deep-rooted instinct told her that someone was watching—someone close. She started to tense her shoulders but resisted the impulse, remaining precisely where she was. Instead, she continued gazing into the pool, pretending she hadn't realized that she wasn't alone.
After a few heartbeats, she did pick up something: a slight rustling in the shrubs behind her. She reached for Mizu-no-Hamon, drawing it from its saya with less than a whisper. "Please, come out," she said in a calm voice. "I'm armed and I don't like being spied on."
Kaede turned to see two black shadows emerge, one on two legs and one on four. Some part of her had known who it was, so she wasn't surprised, merely wary as Hayate and Kaze stalked toward her. Hayate's blade gleamed, but Kaze seemed almost hesitant. He held his tail tucked low between his legs.
"I'd hoped you had given up trying to find me," Kaede said to Hayate, shaking her head in disappointment. "I made it clear I wasn't going to interfere in Setsuna's business anymore. She has nothing to fear from me."
Hayate took another step, bringing his sword into an offensive stance—both arms up, blade held diagonally across his chest. His expression darkened even further at the mention of Setsuna's name, and a muscle in his face twitched. "This isn't about her. This is about me and you, and the duty you refused."
"If this is about me and you, why did you bring Kaze?" Kaede asked, thinking quickly. She could read the wolf's reluctance in every movement, and she knew he didn't want to be involved in this fight.
"He's here for insurance," Hayate said. Loose strands of dark hair had fallen out of his topknot to frame his face, but the rest of his muscular body was sharp lines of tension. Besides, you have Rin."
"Not with me." Kaede took a defensive posture, knees bent, holding her body sideways to make a smaller target. She breathed slower, trying to calm her heartbeat.
"Don't be so sure," a low voice growled. There was more rustling, from the opposite side of the garden this time, and Kaede saw a flash of white out of the corner of her eye. She felt a flicker of annoyance, but a wave of relief drowned it.
"Rin, you're supposed to be asleep."
Rin loped toward her, coming to stand at her side. "How can I sleep when you're always getting into trouble?" She and Kaze met eyes, giving each other nods of greeting. Instead of growling or snarling, they stood off to the side, content to observe the proceedings rather than fight.
“Sister,” Kaze said, sniffing in Rin’s direction. “I see your human is causing you trouble.”
“Yes,” Rin said, “but much less trouble than yours is causing you.”
"This wasn't my fault," Kaede protested. "I'm trying to get as far from trouble as I can."
"Is that what you call your responsibilities? Trouble?" Hayate glared at her, his brown eyes every bit as sharp as his sword. "I don't understand why Setsuna always catered to you. It's clear you have no appreciation for what she gave you."
That touched a nerve. "What about all those soldiers?" Kaede's arms tensed and her fingers clenched tighter around the hilt of her katana. "What about what she gave them? They're dead, Hayate, and so are the yokai who killed them. I won't be part of that. I won't have that stain on my conscience."
"You think their deaths don't bother me? I feel them, Kaede. I fought alongside those soldiers. But Setsuna—"
"Forget Setsuna," Kaede snapped. "Whoever she was before, she's someone different now, and she's hurting people. If you really loved her, you'd go home and stop her from doing this."
For a moment, Hayate faltered. A look of uncertainty, perhaps regret, passed over his face.
***
Her hand burns. Pain sears along her arm, all the way from the middle of her wrist up into her throat, and she screams, her eyes blurring with tears. For a moment, the edge of agony fades, although she can still feel her blood seeping into the earth. "No, keep going," she sobs to the shimmering figure beside her. "Please. Please help me."
A long, coiling shadow passes above her, and a great roar shakes the heavens. Fire crawls up along her forearm, but this time, there is no pain. Instead, her flesh glows golden, wreathed in beautiful light.
She curls her fingers—I have fingers!—and the glow intensifies, swallowing her body. She is whole again. She shines like one of the brightest stars in the sky. She throws her arms open to the dragon sailing above her, tilting her head back and laughing with pure joy.
Imari jerked awake, sucking in a stabbing breath. Disoriented, it took her a moment to realize what was wrong. She couldn’t hear the sound of Kaede’s steady breathing any longer. She frowned and rubbed her right hand across her eyes, but froze in mid-motion. The futon beside hers was empty, and the screen door leading into the room had been left open a crack.
She stood, checking beside the door, but only one pair of sandals remained. Kaede’s sword was missing from the table. With a frown, Imari fastened her yukata tighter and took up her own blade, unsure whether to be comforted or worried by the fact that Kaede was armed. Either way, I can’t let her wander around at night alone, especially with her cousin following us.
Imari had only seen him once, but the memory of the hooded man who had followed them through Mirai still made her uneasy—uneasy enough to go in search of Kaede. She put on her sandals and crept out into the hallway, tiptoeing past Takeshi and Kenta’s partially closed door so she wouldn’t wake them.
There was no sign of Kaede on the second floor, so Imari made her way down the stairs, listening. If she strained, she could hear raised voices coming from somewhere. Could they be outside? More than one person was speaking, and their tones didn’t sound friendly.
As Imari reached the first floor, she saw a pair of shadows moving past one of the screen doors. She hurried over, pulling it open. Starlight illuminated a small walled garden and bounced off the edges of two naked blades. Kaede held one, and a dark, broad-shouldered figure held the other. The two of them had locked eyes and seemed prepared to lock swords as well. Rin and Kaze watched like silent statues.
Fingers of ice squeezed Imari’s stomach. "Kaede!"
Kaede whirled around. "Imari?”
"Do not interfere," the man said. As he turned, Imari recognized his face. This had to be Hayate, the same man who had been trailing them the past few weeks. She hadn't gotten a good look at him in Mirai, but some part of her knew. "This doesn't concern you."
"Please, Hayate, leave," Kaede said. "You don't have to do this."
Hayate didn't answer. He leapt for Kaede, his sword a flash of silver slicing through the air.
Kaede raised her own sword to meet it. Their blades clashed, ringing out thr
ough the courtyard. The deflection didn't slow Hayate down. He recovered and struck again. The two of them danced along the path, twin blurs dipping in and out of the column of light streaming from the open door.
"Aren't you going to do something?" Imari shouted to the wolves. Rin and Kaze watched the fight with unwavering concentration, but neither seemed inclined to interfere.
"No," Rin said.
Kaze nodded. "This is something the two of them need to work out for themselves. We can’t get involved."
"Well, you two might be able to watch Kaede fight alone, but I can't!"
Imari hurried to catch up to the two combatants, drawing her katana from its saya. As she rushed toward them, Hayate pivoted, taking notice of her. He struck, and she dropped to one knee, ducking out of the way. The air above her head whistled—she dodged the edge of his blade by no more than an inch.
"Hayate, stop this!"
Imari straightened and planted her feet to continue fighting in time to see Kaede shove her way between them.
"Your fight is with me, not her."
"Fight?" Hayate stepped back, warier now that he had two opponents to face. "This isn't a fight. This is a retrieval mission."
"She isn't going back," Imari said. Just the thought fed a hungry flame of anger deep inside her chest. "I won't let you abduct her."
"Abduct?" Hayate shook his head, laughing bitterly. "Is that what she told you? She ran away from home. I'm just bringing her back so she can fulfill her duties—the duties she abandoned because she was too much of a coward to accept them."
"Hayate,” Kaede said, sadness in her voice, "please, just go home. I can't be a part of Setsuna's plans anymore."
Hayate looked utterly disgusted. "You will do your duty, Kaede. You will make this world a better place, whether you want to or not."
Their blades hissed as they swept against each other, and the fighters’ bodies moved so quickly that Imari could barely see the forms they used. She waited, watching carefully, but she couldn't find an opening. If she struck at Hayate, she ran the risk of distracting Kaede as she had during the fight with Gin—or worse. But I can't just stand here! I can't let her fight him alone.
Her mind made up, Imari rushed around the two twisting bodies, positioning herself behind Hayate. She brought her sword down in a diagonal slash, but he spun to meet her. Their katana clashed, and the shock ran up her arm.
"Stay out of this," Hayate snarled, using their crossed blades to shove her back. "It doesn't concern you!"
"I've already involved myself," Imari panted, struggling to regain her footing. "You're going to have to deal with both of us."
Hayate lunged for her, but Kaede was there to block him like a gust of wind, whirling between them so fast Imari hardly had time to move out of the way. Their swords screamed against each other, and Imari flinched as the edges met near her shoulder. She wove out of the way, backing up to look for another opening.
Kaede engaged Hayate with a swift sideways strike toward his ribs, but he was ready. He met the blow instead of retreating, and sparks spat from the edges of their blades. Hayate recovered first, and he swept at Kaede’s legs, trying to throw her off-balance. Imari went for his arm while it was extended, but there was no need—before she could connect, Kaede sprang up and over Hayate's sword, moving backwards through the air. When she landed, it was on the rocky edge of the koi pond, both feet balanced on the decorative border.
"Come on, Hayate," Kaede called, holding her katana in front of her. "You're holding back."
The words were a hollow taunt at best and Hayate knew it, too. He turned on Imari, and she spun to the side just ahead of his sword. She tried to keep up with his strikes, but they came fast and constant, and she found herself stepping backwards. Panic surged through her, and the fluid motions of her training became hard and jolting. Compared to Hayate, she felt sluggish. His forms moved faster than her eyes, and when she looked for the perfect opening as her father had taught her, there wasn't a gap to be found. She was outmatched.
With little choice left, she gave into recklessness, throwing herself straight into Hayate's guard. He saw the desperate move coming from a mile away. He caught her elbow, jerking her sword-arm back and spinning her around instead. The next thing she knew, his sword dug into the front of her neck, pressing deeper with each hammering thud of her heart.
"Imari!"
Her name sounded distant with her blood pounding in her ears, but Imari could see the expression on Kaede's face all too clearly: complete and utter terror. As their eyes locked, Imari tried to send her a silent apology for losing, but something hot and bright blazed back at her. Anger. Kaede was angry, and when she moved, it was to spring from the edge of the pool like a wolf leaping onto the back of a deer. She spun through the air, higher than any human should have been able to jump, soaring up and over both of their heads until Imari lost sight of her.
A moment later, she felt Hayate stiffen and heard him suck in a sharp breath. Kaede had to be behind him, holding him at sword point.
"I still have my sword on your girlfriend's throat," Hayate said in a low voice, right beside Imari’s ear. "Are you willing to risk her life to kill me?"
"It's not a risk if I sever your spine first."
The three of them held still for what felt like an eternity, not moving, not even breathing. Then, the silence shattered. The screen door flew open. Takeshi and Kenta burst into the garden, still wearing their yukata, but with their blades drawn.
"Imari!"
"What’s going on?"
Their voices spurred Hayate into action. He removed his sword from Imari's throat and shoved her forward, ducking beneath Kaede's katana and sprinting toward the wall. He was up and over in an instant, scaling the flat stone surface with incredible agility and speed. If Imari hadn't just witnessed Kaede flying, she would have been even more astounded. Before she could even close her mouth, Hayate had vanished, disappearing into the darkness. Moments later, Kaze was gone too, melting back into the shadows. Rin still sat beside the path, her tail curling around her haunches as if nothing remarkable had happened at all.
Takeshi and Kenta rushed the rest of the way into the garden, wearing identical expressions of concern. "What happened?" Kenta asked, stopping short in front of them while Takeshi headed over to the wall.
"He's gone," Takeshi muttered, staring out into the darkness. "That was Hayate, wasn't it?"
Imari ignored him. She turned to look at Kaede, who stood silently where Hayate had left her. Mizu-no-Hamon hung limply in her grasp, and her face was more shadow than moonlight.
"Promise me, Imari. Promise me you'll never do that again."
Imari winced at the darkened tone. Kaede was upset, and not just because Hayate had tried to attack them. Once more, she had stepped in to do what she'd thought was right and defend someone she cared for, and just as before, her assistance hadn't been welcomed.
"You were handling him," she said. "But I wanted to help."
"It's my job to defend you," Kaede insisted again, stepping past Kenta until they were face-to-face. "I don't need someone to die for me, okay? Especially not you. And if you can't stand back and let me handle my own problems, this—" she gestured between them "—isn't going to work. So, you need to promise me, right now, that you'll let me handle Hayate next time. If there is a next time."
Imari began to protest, searching for the words to explain the conflicted feelings in her chest, the affection and the fear, but before she could, Takeshi returned. In a rare display of physical affection, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen to Kaede, Imari. She's right. If you got hurt while fighting one of her battles, she would have to carry that guilt. That isn't fair."
"You're assuming I'll lose," Imari muttered, but she saw the truth in what her friends said. Kaede already carried many heavy burdens from her past. If Hayate did return, and if she did step in to defend Kaede and end up getting injured or worse, Imari knew Kaede would blame herself. They had only known each oth
er for a little over a month, but Imari could see it all playing out in her mind's eye.
"All right," she said, giving Kaede a short bow. "I promise. Next time, I'll let you do your job and protect me."
"Thank you." Instead of bowing back, Kaede surprised her by seizing her in a tight hug. It was awkward, especially since they were both still holding their swords, but they managed somehow, and Imari melted into the embrace. She hugged Kaede back, cheek resting against her hair.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. You did help me. Just don't do it again."
"I won't," Imari murmured, but somewhere deep inside, she wondered if she could really keep that promise when the time came.
Chapter Thirteen
KAEDE WOVE THROUGH THE waves, making her way carefully across the uneven landscape. From a distance, the Jade Sea's surface had looked easy to cross, even with smooth waves rising and falling on the horizon. Up close, it was quite different. The polished green stone waves near the docks didn't reach that high, but her feet threatened to slip if she didn't watch where she placed them. Worse still, the sun’s glare fell straight into her eyes. The wide-brimmed straw hat she had brought along only offered so much protection.
Bo had spent the previous day helping them prepare for the treacherous journey. The only way to cross the Jade Sea was to travel at night and sleep the boiling days through in a special black tent. The Jade Sea reflected the sun’s light, heating the still air to dangerous temperatures. To avoid the worst of it, they had left at midnight under a cloudless night sky. Still, the flickering stars and the full moon provided enough light to make the landscape gleam as far as the eye could see.
"I see why Bo said this would take three days," Imari muttered. She had similar troubles, Kaede noticed, moving without her usual grace and struggling to find the best footing. "It's like walking on ice, and we can't ride."
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