She put her hand on his shoulder. For a moment he indulged in her touch, but it held none of the comfort it had before. Perhaps he’d grown jaded, dead on the inside. Maybe he would have continued down that path had it not been for Akane. She awoke compassion in him again, she made him believe he wasn’t entirely wicked.
He stepped out of Rin’s embrace. Spinning around, he leaned against the table’s edge, arms crossed over his chest. He kept his gaze stubbornly off of Rin, and instead his eyes tracked over the tendrils of black mold creeping over the far wall.
“I want to help you break free.” She tilted her head, trying to catch his eye. But he only twisted his neck further to avoid her gaze.
“No thanks.”
“Damn it, Shin. Don’t keep blocking me out.” She stamped her foot on the floor. She so rarely lost her temper, he’d never pushed her this far before.
“I think we’re done here.” He couldn’t stand it. He had to run before he made an even bigger fool of himself. He brushed past her and headed for the door.
Before he could get very far, she grabbed onto his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.
“Please. Stop running away from me.” Emotion made her voice thick.
He never wanted to make Rin cry. She knew he was a sucker for her tears.
Shin let go a ragged breath. “We can’t go back to who we were.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
He pulled away and made for the door.
“I’ve been looking into the missing girls. I know where Akio has taken them.”
He stopped. The seconds ticked by as he debated.
“You were confident last time as well.”
“I didn’t know it would be a trap. Hikaru has scouted the location himself. This time it’s for real.”
“Tell me where it is,” he said, keeping his back to her. If he faced her he was afraid his last shred of pride would crumble.
“Not unless you promise to rejoin the dragon.”
Shin spun in anger, raising his hand as if he would strike her. Not that he ever would, but he wanted her to think that. For her to see what a monster he’d become and forget about him. Rin’s gaze was steady. She didn’t even flinch as his hand came inches from her face.
“You act like I don’t know you, Shin,” she said, the ghost of a smile on her lips.
“I’m not who I was.”
“That’s what you say.”
He growled and paced away from her. He stalked around the table, putting it between them. As if distance would make any difference.
“It was always easier for you. To smile and pretend everything was alright.” He tightened his hand into a fist.
“We can’t go back to who we were, but we can move forward as who we are now.” Her eyes were beseeching.
“You don’t know what I’ve done. The atrocities I’ve committed.”
“That wasn’t your choice. How could I condemn you when you’re there because of me?”
Shin raised his head, meeting her gaze. And it was then he realized. It had never been about what he’d done. Rin forgave him, even as he hurt her over and over again. It was because he wanted her to suffer as he had. Because somewhere along the way, his love for her had transformed into hatred.
He leaned forward onto the table. He felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. “What have I done?”
Rin came around the table and pressed her hand onto his shoulder. She said nothing but the weight of her hand was a comfort. He sighed. Once upon a time being close to her had filled him with a desperate longing. Perhaps he’d placed her just out of reach because he knew he could never have her. Because even before Hikaru, he had liked things as they were and didn’t want to complicate it with romance. Though he wanted to go back to that, he didn’t think it was possible. Once more he thought of Akane, as she laid beside him while the poison ravaged his body. Even Rin hadn’t seen him at his most vulnerable.
He didn’t love Rin anymore, not like he had. But he didn’t hate her either. He just felt numb.
Rin took a step back and with a bright smile she bowed and said, “My name is Rin, nice to meet you.”
He shook his head. “What are you doing?”
“And your name?” she gestured with her hand for him to introduce himself.
He smirked before bowing in return. “Shin.”
When he stood up again, Rin was watching him with that mischievous look in her eyes. “We’re starting over you and me. The past is behind us, and this is a new day.”
“Were you always this insufferably positive?”
“How would you know? We just met.”
Shin laughed long and hard. Rin joined him, laughing along with him until their sides hurt. Once they’d composed themselves they headed for the door. As they exited, his eyes searched out Akane. She and the dragon hadn’t gone far. The dragon was in a heated debate with the flame priestess. Akane stood a few feet from them and had her hand within reach of her bow and her eyes scanning the hallway. Their eyes met, and he felt a flutter in his chest when she smiled at him.
It would seem he hadn’t learned his lesson when it came to falling for women who he couldn’t have.
The flame priestess and the dragon were arguing again. Her hands sparked and she gestured with her hands. The dragon had a smirk on his lips, like he found her frustration amusing. It was never clear what their disputes were about. Akane had been at the dragon’s palace for less than a day and she’d seen them squabble at least a half dozen times since she’d arrived.
Shin was busy making plans for their rescue of Tomoe. Akane had needed some air. Being around this many yokai made her inner wolf rise closer to the surface. Her senses were heightened and the smell of all the yokai was overwhelming. She’d snuck off to this far-flung, abandoned courtyard hoping to get some peace and quiet. And instead stumbled upon this pair.
Well, rather, they’d come to where she was hiding behind a half-crumbled wall, her face toward the ocean. She thought about interrupting, but by the time she’d gotten up the courage, they were well into their argument, and she figured it better to just wait them out.
“You think I can’t do it?” the flame priestess argued.
“You’d be walking right into danger. I think it’s a stupid plan.”
“So, I’m stupid?”
Akane sighed. Why didn’t they just kiss and get it over with already? They clearly were attracted to one another. She’d spotted both of them watching each other, always when the other was looking away. She thought it strange to find a priestess in their midst. But she wasn’t the only one. Akane had met several other priests here in the palace. She hadn’t thought humans and yokai could co-exist. What would Mei have thought if she’d lived to see it?
“You’re wanted in the map room,” Shin said, interrupting their argument.
Akane peaked around the crumbled wall and saw the flame priestess with her arms crossed over her chest.
“We’ll finish this discussion later,” the dragon said before storming away.
To his retreating back she said, “There’s nothing left to say!”
Akane listened to their retreating footsteps before removing herself from her hiding spot. She’d have to remember to avoid this place in the future. Not that there was a future for her here. Once she had Tomoe, she’d go back to the palace. And that would mean saying goodbye to Shin as well. The thought caught like a lump in her throat.
“Do you think they’re lovers?” Shin asked from behind her. His breath tickled the back of her neck, making the hairs stand on end. She hadn’t noticed him hiding in the shadows waiting for her to emerge.
She jumped and spun around to chastise him, only to realize he was dangerously close. Akane stared at his throat, the musky scent of wolf was wafting off him like a forbidden temptation. Reluctantly, she lifted her gaze to meet his golden eyes, which were crinkled in amusement.
She cleared her throat and stepped away from him. “How did you know I was here?
”
He chuckled under his breath. It felt intimate and dangerous. The wolf within her wanted him, that was the only way to explain these feelings. And with it so close to the surface it was overriding her more rational feelings. Akane pressed her hand against her beating heart, willing her nerves to calm.
“I came looking for you. The dragon wasn’t really needed in the map room,” he said.
“Ah.” She cleared her throat. She felt suddenly awkward as if he could read her attraction on her face.
“I thought you might be a little overwhelmed by all the yokai. You can stay here if you need more time, I’ll keep guard.”
She stared at him wide-eyed. How had he known what she needed without her telling him? She swallowed past a lump in her throat.
“Thank you.” She turned and considered going back to her hiding spot, but at the last second changed her mind.
“Actually, I’m feeling a lot better. If you wanted to stay here with me?”
He smiled. “I’d like that.”
19
They arrived at their destination on a moonless night, perfect for a sneak attack. Shin, Akane, Rin and Hikaru would all be going into the temple from different directions.
Akane gripped her bow tight in her hand, counting down the seconds in her mind. From her vantage point she couldn’t see much of the temple, but the stench of the acidic tang of corruption hung on the air. It commingled with the spicy scent of fear. Unlike the first temple, this one was clearly filled with priestesses. Apart from the scents, there were yokai guarding on all corners. She should have known the first temple was a trap. But tonight, she would save Tomoe.
A bird called out in the night. It was Hikaru’s signal. Using the darkness to cloak her, Akane snuck up to the walls which surrounded the temple. Her heart slammed against her rib cage, threatening to burst from her chest. Her inner wolf paced restlessly within her. The sensation of danger on the air had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Akane’s overlong claws scraped the plaster wall as she sailed over it.
A howl pierced the night, echoed by the roar of yokai. Shin. Akane froze, listening as the clash of weapons faded into the night. She cocked her head toward the sound, straining to hear. The wind whistled between the buildings and sent a cold chill down her back. Her inner wolf growled, pulling taut at her leash. She wanted to protect Shin. But Tomoe needed her. They’d made a plan. Akane was to find Tomoe and get her out. The others would distract Akio’s guards.
A small gap between buildings made for convenient cover. Akane squeezed between buildings, her quiver scraping against the wall. Temples were meant to be holy places, home of the kami. They were supposed to be pure. This place was the reverse. It felt slimy, corrupt, and being inside it felt like walking through mud. The sooner she got out of here, the better.
Across a moonlight courtyard was another dormitory building. It was shrouded in darkness, not even a single candle was lit within. The wind turned in her direction and carried the scent of human with it. Tomoe had to be there. Akane looked both ways before darting out from cover. She was cut short when a yokai stepped out of the shadows and blocked her way.
She drew her bow. But this thing - it wasn’t a yokai. But it wasn’t human either. The monster had horns curling and bursting from its skull, where the skin still bled as if it was from a fresh wound. The legs were uneven and it moved with a waddling gait. The body was massive, with one arm too small. In the human-sized hand it carried an ofuda, a blessed piece of paper, a tool of those that served the kami.
But a monster like this should not be able to wield it. Akane’s hands were on the bow, pulling back and prepared to loose her arrow and impale it. But then she saw the monster look at her and it was the face of a human woman. Tomoe.
Akane froze as the monster lumbered closer. It sang an incantation and threw the ofuda toward her. It couldn’t be Tomoe. Her eyes were closer together and her nose was too big. But what had created such an abomination?
Blue flames engulfed the ofuda seconds before it collided with Akane.
“You keep going,” Rin roared as she placed herself between Akane and the monster.
Akane shook her head. Whatever those monsters were, she didn’t want to know. She blundered forward toward the dormitory building. A blood-curdling scream came from within it. Akane tried the door, but it was locked. Without time to waste, she kicked it in. Shards of wood went flying as she rushed inside.
Half a dozen girls were bent over, screaming as they clasped their heads. A woman in all black, her face obscured by a hood, sang a strange song full of notes of discord mixed with high lilting tunes. The sound rang inside Akane’s skull, bringing her to her knees as well. The priestesses clawed at their skulls, their faces contorted in pain. And then one girl stood up, her back arched. Her skin burst apart with a wet, ripping sound. Scales emerged from beneath the torn flesh, and spikes jutted out of her back. Then a second and third girl suffered the same fate, transforming them all into monstrosities like what she’d seen in the courtyard.
The song dug into Akane’s ears. She slammed her hands over her them, trying to block it out. But it was no use, Akane fell to her knees as a burning pain raced across her body. Her blood thrummed in her ears, and the scent of fire and blood were thick on the air. All around her were sights and sounds almost too overwhelming to process. But then from the corner of her eye, she saw one of the monsters created by the song stumble toward her.
Her transformation was quick and hard. As a wolf she attacked, going for its throat, tearing it out and filling her mouth with a vile, bitter taste. She leaped back, watching a mixture of black and red blood swirl together and pool on the ground, thick as oil. She got closer and sniffed before blowing out the repugnant scent.
The remaining monsters closed in around her, dripping blood from where their flesh had been ripped open. The hairs on her back bristled as she growled at them in warning. They sang in reply, the notes tainted with dissonance and it made her skin crawl as the power attempted to subdue her. It froze her in place. The monster’s song was too powerful. They closed in around her, close enough that she could see the whites of their bloodshot eyes.
One of them reached for her, but as they did she put all her energy into breaking their spell. With powerful front paws, she knocked the nearest creature to the ground and tore into its tainted flesh. Another came up behind her, trying to sing her into submission, but Akane turned and clawed at their abdomen. Black and red blood poured from the wound. The murderous rampage went on in a blur, until she was left panting and splattered with ichor and blood.
The battle for the temple raged around her. The stench of those monsters was everywhere. Akane scented the air and there were more of the abominations nearby. She took a step in their direction but as she did, she caught Tomoe’s scent. She followed it to the main shrine building where the kami should be housed.
In wolf form she couldn’t open the door but with a few kicks of powerful paws, she knocked it down. Once she was inside the room, tainted energy hit her like a slap to the face. The holy place had been defiled. The sacred icons were missing, and resting on a pedestal were small round stones. A priest with black tattoos on his face held one of the black orbs over a trembling girl, who was being held in place by two other priests.
It was all a perverse version of the kamigakari ceremony. The ghosts of old memories came up from the deepest recesses of her mind. A woman screamed her name, begging her to stop. There were fire and blood. The wolf pushed these sympathetic thoughts away. She had one job, save Tomoe. The priests turned as she entered, but their song rolled off her ineffectually. She tore them down with claws and teeth, leaving their broken bodies behind, their crimson blood staining the tatami. Tomoe had her back pressed against the wall, and grasped a candle stand, swinging it in front of her.
“Don’t come any closer,” she said, her voice shaking.
Very slowly Akane approached her. She’d never shown this form to Tomoe. She hadn�
�t dared since she’d killed Mei. But it felt like she was waking up from a long dream. She hadn’t realized it while she was fighting those horrid creatures, but she hadn’t lost control of her sense of self. Or her duty to save Tomoe. How could that be possible? She could smell the stench of corruption on Tomoe, but it was just a thin veneer, like a scum on the surface of a pond.
She pressed her nose against Tomoe’s elbow, nudging her gently. The scent of taint made her nose flutter. She stepped back just in case she lost control and tried to hurt Tomoe. But the kami’s justice did not overtake her. Akane was still sane. She was herself.
“Tomoe, it’s me, Akane,” Akane said.
Very slowly, Tomoe reached out to place her hand against Akane’s cheek. Her fingers tangled in her white fur.
“Akane, is that really you?” Her voice was hoarse and cracked.
Akane nodded.
Tomoe rushed forward, wrapping her arms around the scruff of Akane’s neck. She’d done it. She’d controlled her wolf. And more importantly, she’d saved Tomoe.
20
The audience hall was bursting with yokai. Shin weaved his way through the crowd. Music and laughter, lubricated by too much sake, drifted toward the ceiling. Kegs of the liquor had been brought out from the old stores and everyone was happy and full of life. It felt like the old days again.
Every few feet, someone would stop and slap him on the back. They all recognized him now. The dragon’s oldest friend and his former general. That felt like the old days too. Everyone that wanted to get closer to the dragon tried to use Shin to do so. Women who hoped to draw the dragon’s attention would flirt with Shin first, knowing of their rivalry. Men who wanted a favor plied Shin with gifts, hoping he’d get the dragon’s ear. Back then he hadn’t minded. The dragon and he had laughed about it often. Right now, all he wanted to do was talk to Akane. She hated crowds, he knew. Since they’d rescued Tomoe, everything had been a blur. They’d escaped with Tomoe, but he’d delayed returning her to her temple by saying he needed time to recover from his injuries.
Okami: A Little Red Riding Hood Retelling Page 14