Tengoku

by Rae D. Magdon

  She wasn't sure how long it lasted. By the time the string of orgasms ended, Imari felt like the edges of a guttering candle, wavering in and out of existence. Her body floated on a cloud of bliss and the only solid, real thing she could feel were Kaede's comforting arms around her waist. Some point during her last peak, Kaede's fingers had slipped out of her.

  "Was that okay?" Kaede asked, resting her sticky cheek against Imari's abdomen and gazing up at her. "I mean, I hope you—"

  Summoning what was left of her strength, Imari flipped them over, claiming Kaede's former position on top. She covered Kaede's cheeks with kisses, laughing with relief in between. "You're wonderful," she whispered, pressing her lips to every inch of Kaede's face, not caring when she tasted herself. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm glad to have you."

  "You have me," Kaede said with a soft laugh. "You'll always have me, no matter what."

  That was something Imari could definitely believe. If Kaede hadn't left her by now, she couldn't imagine anything that would drive her away. "What about you?" she asked, letting her nose brush against Kaede's. "Is there something you need?"

  A soft stirring against her hip answered that question. After a brief glance into Kaede's eyes to make sure it was all right, Imari took Kaede in her hand, gasping a little at the pounding she could feel in her palm.

  "You don't have to," Kaede said. "This was supposed to be about making you feel loved." But her eyes said something different, her tone uncertain.

  "I know I don't have to," Imari breathed, placing another soft kiss against Kaede's lips. Her taste was even stronger there, and she let her tongue swipe along them to gather more salt. "I want to." She began stroking her fist up and down, coaxing a well of warmth from Kaede's tip.

  Kaede's body tensed and she let out a sharp groan of surprise. "Imari."

  Imari began kissing her way down Kaede's neck, relishing in the taste of sweat clinging to her skin. She wanted more—wanted to discover how Kaede tasted all over. The thought had entered her mind before, but there simply hadn't been time back at Hongshan. Now, she didn't want to wait any longer.

  "Let me return the favor," she muttered into Kaede's collarbone. "Please?"

  A flash of worry passed across Kaede's face, but it didn't last long before settling into loving trust. She gave Imari a soft smile. "I'd do anything for you, Imari. I trust you."

  The words hit home harder than Imari expected. The fact that Kaede trusted her with this, even after everything she had done. It was a gift she couldn't refuse. Slowly, she kissed her way down Kaede's body, making sure to linger in all the sweet spots. She played with the points of Kaede's nipples, taking them in her mouth and holding them there until Kaede's hips started to quiver. Only then did she use her tongue and the edges of her teeth, and it wasn't until Kaede threaded a hand through her hair and pushed her down that she moved on.

  Imari spent ages kissing along Kaede's stomach, an eternity trailing ticklish patterns between Kaede's hips. Meanwhile, she kept her hand moving, keeping Kaede close to the edge without pushing her over.

  Kaede finally let out a rasping, "Please." Imari's resolve broke. She wanted more of those sounds. She wanted every scrap of pleasure she could draw from Kaede's body. She closed the final gap, placing her open lips against Kaede at last.

  Even that small gesture was enough to make Kaede cry out. The fingers in Imari's hair tightened, and a wave of salt washed over her open mouth, spreading along her tongue. Kaede tasted heavy and dark, but not overpowering, and Imari found herself craving more. She stroked her tongue along Kaede’s tip, gathering up the next several pulses before they could escape.

  Kaede let out a choked sound, and her abdominal muscles flexed. Her lips moved in soundless shapes. She was close already, and Imari couldn't quite comprehend that she was the cause. Kaede was looking upon her as a lover, not a monster. For the first time since the cave, Imari felt close to human again. Imari took Kaede's head into her mouth, wrapping her lips around it and squeezing beneath with her hand.

  It was enough. Kaede cried out Imari’s name, pouring warmth into the back of her mouth. Kaede's release came in rhythmic pulses, and Imari opened her throat without pulling back. When she swallowed, Kaede let out a little wail. Her hands remained buried in Imari’s hair until she emptied herself with a few more weak pulses, twitching against Imari’s’ tongue.

  By the time Kaede finished, her hair clung to her damp face and her eyes were glazed over with a film of happy exhaustion. "Wow," she said, laughing. "Imari."

  Imari released Kaede from her mouth with one last kiss, slowly licking up a stream of wetness that had escaped. "Was it what you expected?" she asked, stroking one of Kaede's thighs with her palm.

  "Better," Kaede admitted. "I wasn't sure I'd like it…someone's mouth on me, I mean. It's complicated. But not when it's you." She broke out into a grin. "I was thinking about how beautiful you are. How good you made me feel."

  Imari smiled. "Are you saying I filled you with so much happiness that you forgot about everything else for a little while? Because that's what you did for me. Thank you, Kaede. I don't know what I would do without you."

  "You don't have to find out," Kaede said, taking Imari into her arms. "You're stuck with me. We'll get through this together."

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  "NO, NO." SETSUNA'S VOICE was a low, murmuring moan, so soft Hayate might have missed it if he hadn't been listening. He dipped the cloth into the bowl of cool water beside Setsuna's bed, wetting it and draping it across her forehead.

  For the past week, it had been the same. Sometimes Setsuna slept peacefully, but never for long. Fearful fits interrupted her nights, and when she did wake, she remained unresponsive, lost somewhere in her own head. It was all Hayate could do to get her to eat and drink.

  He blamed himself each time her nightmares came, and he sat with her through most of them, with Kaze hovering nearby to protect them both. Kyuubi had cursed Setsuna, but he had destroyed the kanzashi she wore in her hair. Perhaps if he hadn't been so quick to get rid of it, she might not be in such an awful state.

  "No!" Setsuna shouted, louder this time, and Hayate moved the bowl aside. He knew what was coming next.

  "It's me, Mother," he whispered, stroking her damp hair back from her face. His touch didn't soothe the lines of pain around her eyes. "It's Hayate. You're safe here. I promise."

  "No, don't—there are others. Friend? Why would you do this? Why?"

  Hayate removed the cloth and waited, nothing to do but ride through it. As soon as he pulled his hand back, Setsuna began to thrash. She tossed and turned on the futon, clawing at the covers and flinging her head from side to side. It was such a violent motion it had shocked Hayate the first time he'd seen it, but he knew better than to interfere. Holding Setsuna down would only make it worse.

  "No! I'm not the only one! The others. Warn the others. She's whispering." Tears leaked from Setsuna's closed eyes and she screamed.

  Then, as suddenly as it started, her fit stopped. She relaxed back onto the bed, her eyes still closed, her neck and chest covered in fresh sweat. Hayate hurried to wipe it away, whispering the whole time. "It's okay now, Mother. It's over. It won't be like this forever. It's going to get better."

  But some part of him doubted that. He suspected the worst—that Kyuubi still had some hold over Setsuna. She had owned that pearl for several years, plenty of time for Kyuubi to take root inside her head.

  A soft knock at the door startled Hayate. He nearly upset the bowl as he hurried to stand, unwilling to leave Setsuna behind but equally unwilling to have someone intrude. He glanced over to the corner of the room, where Kaze was curled up on a sleeping mat, but the wolf gave a silent nod. Whoever had arrived was a friend.

  "Wait a moment," he called out, lighting one of the lanterns on the table. He had kept the room dim for Setsuna’s sake. "I'm coming."

  Hayate opened the door to see a familiar face. Kenta stood out in the shadowy hallwa
y, holding a lantern of his own in one hand and a bowl of food in the other. He bowed his head before speaking. "Good evening, Yukimura-dono. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I thought I'd bring you some food. I didn't see you at dinner."

  After a moment's hesitation, Hayate stood aside, allowing Kenta into the room. "Thanks, Hibana-san," he said, shutting the screen door.

  Kenta set the bowl on the table along with his lantern. He caught sight of Kaze in the corner of the room and hurried over, reaching out to scratch his ears. “You might not want to. . .” Hayate began, but to his surprise, Kaze didn’t protest. His tail thumped happily on the ground instead.

  “Guess a friend of Rin’s is a friend of yours too, huh?” Kenta asked.

  “A friend of Hayate’s is a friend of mine too,” Kaze said. “Thank you for looking after him. He doesn’t take the time to eat like he should.”

  “We’ll just have to remind him.”

  With a huff of approval, Kaze settled his chin back on his paws and closed his eyes. Once more, Hayate was surprised. Apparently, Kaze was entrusting his care to Kenta, at least for a couple of minutes.

  Kenta turned, aiming a nervous glance toward the bed, and his smile vanished. "So, Yukimura-dono, how is Set…your mother?"

  Hayate sighed. "The same, I'm afraid. The healers say it’s all in her head."

  "You mean Kyuubi's in her head," Kenta muttered. However, he brightened a moment later. "I have good news for you, though. Imari's finally letting people into her room or, well, she let Kaede in. I went to see if Kaede wanted some food too, but she wasn't there."

  "But how do you know she was in Imari's room?"

  A flush crept across Kenta's face. "Um…I heard them talking, I guess. Yes. Talking." He paused awkwardly. "Anyway, things seem to be better. Maybe that means Setsuna will get better too?"

  "Do you want to sit down?" Hayate asked, gesturing at one of the mats on the other side of the table. "I mean, I know you don't have any food."

  "It's okay." Kenta took one of the mats while Hayate took the other, making sure to stay as near the bed as possible.

  "I don't know if Kaede told you much about my mother," Hayate said after a while, ignoring the bowl of rice in front of him. "She was—she is a good woman. She adopted me as her heir after someone found me in the forest. She didn't need to. I could have been a peasant's child for all she knew, but she never married, and I just turned up."

  "She could’ve named someone else as her heir,” Kenta pointed out. "She didn't have to have a child. I guess that means you were really wanted, huh?"

  Hayate smiled. "I suppose so, although then one of the distant relatives would have taken over. But my childhood with her was a happy one. It's only in the past few years that things have been…strained."

  "Are you talking about you and Yukimura-sama, or you and Kaede?"

  "Both," Hayate confessed. "They bonded after Kaede came to Yukimura for training, and I felt left out, I suppose. Looking back, it seems foolish, especially now that I know her actions weren't all her own."

  "I'm sure your mother wouldn't have wanted you to feel left out," Kenta said softly. "She loves you. She must have, since you're taking such good care of her now."

  "I'm not, really," Hayate said, staring down at his untouched food. Even the warm smell wasn’t enough to stir his appetite. "I try, but I wish I could do more. I don't think she'll get better until Kyuubi is dealt with." He looked back over to the bed, where Setsuna was lying peacefully for the time being. "She keeps calling out in her sleep. Something about 'others.’ She claims she's 'not the only one.’"

  Kenta's brows rose. "What do you think she means?"

  "I'm not sure, but I'm afraid. What if the 'others' she speaks of are the other shogun? If Kyuubi could do this to someone as good and strong-willed as Setsuna, there’s no telling who else she could influence."

  "I see what you mean," Kenta said. He leaned forward, his brow furrowed with concern. "What are you going to do?"

  "Tell the Empress when she arrives," Hayate said. "If I'm being crazy, I'm sure she'll tell me."

  Kenta’s eyes lit up with interest. "You speak as if you've met her before."

  "Once, long ago. Kaede and I both did. Setsuna took us to pay our respects on one of her journeys to Asahina. The Empress happened to be there at the time, attending the end of a session. She was only a child then…more of a child than she is now, I mean. I suppose they wanted her to observe before she officially took her father’s place on the Kikyo throne. Empress Tomoyo hasn’t left the imperial capital since that visit." Hayate closed his eyes again. "I never should have been jealous of Kaede, and I should have realized something was wrong with Setsuna sooner. Her behavior was so out of character."

  "It's not your fault," Kenta said. "Sometimes we get a blind spot when it comes to people we love that much."

  Hayate took a deep breath. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Thank you, Hibana-san. I feel a little better. You didn't have to come here."

  "It's no trouble at all," Kenta said. "But you still have to eat, Yukimura-dono. I insist! How about while you do, I tell you about what Kaede's been up to since she left Yukimura? It's quite an adventure, even the parts where you weren't chasing after us."

  ***

  Another week passed, during which Kaede noticed steady improvements in Imari's behavior. Since the night they had spent in bed together, Imari seemed more willing to accept comfort. She still woke in the middle of the night screaming, and she still stared pensively out through the windows of her room, but there was no more talk of killing herself.

  She didn't laugh or joke, but she did give occasional smiles—when Kaede kissed her, when Takeshi brought her a book from Yukimura's expansive library, when Kenta told her a story to occupy her mind. And she was willing to accept touch, too. When Kaede placed a hand on Imari's shoulder, she rarely flinched away.

  That was why, when there was a knock on the screen door of Imari's room early one morning, Kaede was pleased to see that her lover didn't start. They had been cuddled up on the futon reading a book together—or rather, Kaede had been reading and Imari had been lost in a light doze. Instead of tensing or shouting, Imari simply opened her eyes, blinking to clear them.

  "Who is it?" she asked in a voice thick with sleep.

  Near their feet, Rin stirred. She sniffed the air, but the fur on her back didn’t bristle with alarm. “Just Takeshi. You’d best go and see what he wants. His breathing is unsettled.”

  Gently, Kaede disentangled herself from Imari's arms. She tucked Imari in, setting the book within reach in case she wanted it. "Wait here."

  Imari looked disappointed at the prospect of her getting up, but she didn't say anything. While she rubbed at her eyes and tried to get her bearings, Kaede slipped on the bath slippers she had abandoned at the side of the bed and straightened the edges of her yukata, heading toward the door. Behind her, she could hear the rustling of sheets. To her surprise, Rin had chosen to remain on the bed beside Imari.

  When Kaede pulled back the screen, she did indeed find Takeshi waiting outside, but he wasn't carrying a plate of breakfast as usual. "What is it?" Kaede asked, noting the worried look on his face. His usual frown had returned, one she had not seen in a while. "Imari's just waking up. Last night was a rough one. I decided to let her sleep in a bit."

  "I'm afraid she can't," Takeshi said. "The Empress has arrived with her courtiers and a full regiment of imperial guards. After speaking to Hayate about the situation, she's asking to see both of you."

  Kaede’s stomach clenched. She knew that a conversation with the Empress was inevitable—Imari needed a chance to explain her actions, and they needed to offer a warning about Kyuubi. Still, she didn't want to make Imari feel as though she were on trial. No one else blamed her, but that didn't matter. Imari already blamed herself more than enough.

  "I’m not sure she’s ready," she whispered, glancing back over her shoulder. Instead of reading the book or falling back asleep, Imari was sitting up b
eside Rin, clearly waiting to see what was going on in the hallway.

  Takeshi sighed. "No one can refuse the Empress. Better to get it over with, don't you think? That's one less worry she has to carry."

  "You said both of us," Kaede murmured. "Does that mean I can go with her? She won't interview us separately?"

  "I see no reason why not," Takeshi said. "You have Hayate and Suanni on your side, too. Trust me, this won't be so bad."

  "Suanni?" Imari asked. "Are they back?"

  "Yes," Takeshi said. He turned to Imari and offered a bow. "They're with members of the court. I caught a glimpse of them with Bo in a fine kimono instead of that ratty brown hood they always wear. I don't know if the Empress knows they're a dragon, though."

  "Just follow their lead," Rin said. “Don’t bring it up unless they do.”

  "Good idea, but we should hurry," Takeshi explained. "Hayate’s already waiting for us. He's acting in place of Setsuna, since she's still out of it."

  Kaede hung her head. She felt guilty for not paying more attention to her beloved aunt, especially since she knew Setsuna wasn't responsible for her actions. But keeping Imari stable had required almost all her attention, even with Rin’s help. She had trusted Hayate to keep an eye out for Setsuna in her stead, since he was her adopted son.

  "I'll make sure the two of us get ready as fast as possible. Thank you, Takeshi." With a bow of farewell, she closed the screen again.

  "How long do we have?" Imari asked, rising from the bed. She seemed stiff, resigned, with most of the warmth gone from her eyes.

  Kaede reached out to comfort her. She took Imari in her arms, cradling her as she answered. "Not long. The Empress wants to see us as soon as possible."

  "To deal with me, of course," Imari said, her voice tinged with bitterness.