“That does seem to be the tricky part,” Nāa said with a chuckle. “And I am sorry that it makes you uncomfortable. However, it could work to our advantage.”
“How so?”
“Through you, I might see an opportunity or a weakness in the Blood King that we can exploit.”
“You think Turesobei might have missed something?”
Nāa shrugged. “I know things your brother does not, so it stands to reason that I might be able to spot a weakness that is invisible to him. I also know some things even the Blood King is unaware of.”
“Like how Chonda Lu created Motekeru?” she asked. “Or how Lu Bei came to be?”
“Those are good examples.”
“But the only reason he doesn’t know how they were created is because their histories are spell-locked, right?”
“Chonda Lu may have cast spells to mask their origins,” Nāa said. “That would not surprise me, and it would prevent them from telling others how they came to be. But even without those spells, the Blood King would not be able to understand their creation. My brush keeps its own secrets."
"What does that mean?"
"Think about this: part of my soul is stored within the brush. The rest resides in the kavaru on your forehead. Anyone with kenja sight—the Blood King, Turesobei, you—can see my energy signature in the stone. But no one has noticed it in my brush. Why?"
Enashoma frowned, thinking. Then her face lit up. "Because the Maker's Brush is hiding it! That's why I've been able to keep the brush a secret from the Blood King."
"Exactly. It projects a very powerful illusion of itself as an ordinary brush. At best, a Kaiaru might detect a minor energy disturbance around it, but nothing more. Even if the Blood King traveled back in time and observed Motekeru or one of the others being made, he would not be able to recreate the process because he would miss the key ingredient."
"He wouldn't be able to tell it was your brush working the magic?"
"No, he would not. But the illusion is not perfect nor unbreakable. If he were to hold it in his hand and study it, even for a few moments, he would see its power and understand how it had been used to create the things it has. In his hands, it could do unspeakable things.”
“When I first met him, he stared at me with interest, because of the brush, I’m sure. And that wasn’t the only time. But he could never quite figure me out. Now, he probably thinks it’s because of my connection to you.”
“A definite point to our advantage.”
“Is there anything else you know that the Blood King doesn't?”
Nāa nodded. “Perhaps. I do have several ideas that may help. Unfortunately, a way to remove that device from your spine is not one of them. I do not even know where to begin with that.”
“Great,” Enashoma said despondently.
“For our most crucial plan, we need a way to access the vault where the Blood King keeps all the kavaru. And you must learn how to animate much more powerful forms using the Maker’s Brush.”
Enashoma tried to unpack everything he’d said. “That’s a lot to do.”
“And we do not have much time, either. Your brother will soon acquire all the heart stones the Blood King needs. At that point…who knows what will happen to you and me…to your friends…to the world….”
“Why do we need access to the kavaru vault?”
“We need to steal the other version of Chonda Lu’s kavaru,” Nāa said.
“You know a way to use it against the Blood King?”
“Sadly, no. However, it may be key to how the future plays out, if we can escape the Nexus.”
“Ah, so you know a way to keep my brother from becoming Chonda Lu?”
“I have a solid theory,” he replied. “But for it to work, I must have that kavaru.”
She chewed at her lip. “Why do you care?”
He took her hands. “Why would I not?”
His hands were as soft as his dark eyes, and she didn’t want to let go. “I want to believe you, but I have learned not to trust Kaiaru. And Chonda Lu was a friend of yours.”
A hurt look crossed his face. “I do not like Kaiaru schemes. I never have. And Chonda Lu betrayed the trust I placed in him when I passed the Maker’s Brush down to him.” His eyes flared and his hands trembled. “We are talking about the man who made Motekeru, after all.”
“You’re mad at him?”
“Yes.”
“And you want revenge?”
“I want justice. And I do care about your brother…about you.”
Enashoma squeezed his hands. “Thank you for helping us.”
“I would do anything to aid you.”
She blushed, pulled her hands away from his, and stepped back. “Are you going to tell me what you’re planning to do with Chonda Lu’s kavaru?”
He shook his head. “I am still working on my plan. Besides, it is moot if we cannot escape this place.”
“Any ideas on that?”
“Alas, no. But like I said earlier, seeing through you is an advantage. Unfortunately, I can only observe what you look at. So I need you to pay close attention to everything and everyone, including your companions.”
“Why my friends?”
“Because we cannot trust anyone except you and your brother. And we can only trust your brother so far. His mind may already be poisoned by Chonda Lu’s magic.”
“I trust Turesobei and all my friends.”
“You shouldn’t. The Blood King says he does not control minds, but why believe him?”
“I will watch them for you,” Enashoma hissed, “but I will not doubt them.”
“Fair enough,” Nāa replied. “Fair enough.”
A few awkward moments passed between them.
“Anything else?” she asked.
“Pay close attention to Hannya, even at the expense of focusing on the Blood King.”
“I know where her allegiances lie,” Enashoma said.
“Do you?” Nāa asked. “I am not certain. From what I have seen, she may have another agenda, altogether different from yours or the Blood King’s. She is obviously a damaged individual, and her sanity cannot be trusted.”
“I will do my best to watch her, but she is very guarded with her opinions and emotions.”
“That is why I do not trust her,” he replied. “Now, let us begin your instruction. Imagine you are holding the Maker’s Brush.”
She did as asked and a replica of the brush appeared in her right hand. Nāa conjured a bottle of ink and a small desk stacked with thin stone tablets.
“Today, you are going to start learning more advanced animation techniques. And eventually, you will be able to use the brush to reshape these tablets however you wish. But that will take some time. So for now, I am going to teach you how to reshape the stone into a powerful serpent.”
“A snake? Ugh. Gross. How about cats?”
“Serpents are a better choice.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Have you ever had a nightmare about a snake?”
“Of course. Doesn’t everyone? Oh. That’s why, isn’t it?”
Nāa nodded. “You are going to tap into that primal fear of serpents and use its power to your advantage.”
“And I’m using stone because it’s hard to break?”
“That, and because it is commonly available and familiar to you.”
They knelt in front of the desk. Enashoma watched closely as Nāa drew marks onto a tablet using a light ink. Enashoma traced over them, then drew the activating mark he had left off. She thought she had done a good job, but even in this spirit world where she could conjure a brush out of nowhere, she failed to reshape the stone.
“How did I screw up?”
“You did not channel enough energy into the pictographs. Also, your strokes were not as confident nor as expressive as they should be. The pictograms I use are different from the precise runes wizards use for spells. They are primal and imbued with a sense of artistry. More than accuracy, you
need confidence and a powerful intent. Copying me is obviously where you must start, but to achieve the mastery you need, you must develop your own style.”
She nodded. “I think I understand.”
He touched her shoulder. “You will get this, Enashoma.”
“Shoma,” she said. “You should call me Shoma.”
Nāa beamed his broad smile at her. “Shoma it is.”
She was suddenly self-conscious about how familiar she was with this Kaiaru who inhabited her. She blushed. What she was feeling toward him…it was weird and very unlike her. She knew she shouldn’t embrace it, but it was hard not to, being so intimately connected to him.
She glanced at him, then turned slightly away. With their connection, he had to know how he was making her feel.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Tsuroko's words hung in the air. Turesobei could tell he meant them, too. He actually intended to see them get married—tomorrow!
Floored, Turesobei looked to Kurine.
Tears welled in the corners of her eyes. Brow furrowed, her lips moved, but nothing came out.
Oh crap. How in Torment was he supposed to handle this? It was up to him to convince her father. He couldn't leave it up to Kurine. That wouldn’t be fair to her. But what could he say?
Her parents were not going to be persuaded that he wasn’t an adult at sixteen. He had tried that argument, and he had failed. His mind raced through excuses….
Perhaps if he told them his people required a license first…but they weren’t going to buy that. Perhaps he could say yes, and then he and Kurine could run away in the night. But that would be cruel. Kurine needed to give them a proper goodbye, and she would never do something like that anyway. Perhaps…perhaps….
A dozen increasingly ridiculous ideas raced through his mind. None of them sounded right. None of them seemed fair and believable.
The only good one he could come up with was that his family would never approve of or even acknowledge his marriage to someone who wasn’t baojendari. That was true, of course, but he couldn’t tell her parents he wouldn’t marry their daughter because his people were racists. And he wasn’t certain that would persuade them anyway.
Her parents were looking at him expectantly. How long had he been silently thinking? His heart raced. His stomach churned so much he thought he might throw up. He really only had one option.
He swallowed then stammered, “I–I cannot think of…of any reason for us to wait any longer.”
Tsuroko cheered. “Tonight’s feast is canceled, for tomorrow afternoon, my daughter shall wed a mighty foreign prince!”
All the goronku who still remained in the common room applauded.
Ukiri kissed Turesobei on the cheek. “Thank you. It really is best to wed before temptation leads you astray.” She grabbed Kurine's hand and dragged her away. “Come! We have your dress to prepare.”
Kurine shot him a look that practically shouted, “I'm sorry!” But what she actually said was: “I'll see you at dinner.”
Turesobei trudged down the hallway, went into the bedroom they had given him before, and fell onto the bed of furs. He stared blankly at the wall. What was he going to do?
Lu Bei sat down and leaned back beside him. “Oh boy, master.”
“I’m so screwed.”
“It does seem so, master.”
“What was I supposed to say? They are briefly reunited with their daughter who almost died and who they will never see again. They want to send her off and see her happy. I just didn’t know how to counter that.”
“I would've helped you, master, if I could have.”
“And now I can’t think of a single way to back out of this that won’t offend them.”
“I would not want to offend Tsuroko, master, that is for sure.”
“I stumbled right into this. If I'd said my engagement with Awasa was still binding, until it was settled back home and properly canceled, maybe that would’ve worked.”
“Look on the bright side, master, marrying Kurine would not be the worst thing to ever happen to you.”
He sighed. “Could I see myself marrying Kurine? Sure. After we're back in Okoro, and I have settled my future, and I am maybe twenty years old, at least, and only if I was also marrying Iniru.” He slapped his forehead with his palm. “Iniru!”
What was he going to do about her? He couldn’t marry Kurine and not marry Iniru, too! What would she say when she found out about this? What would she do? After, she kicked his ass, of course, she would break up with him, for sure. And that would probably be it. There would be no going back. One of those special k’chasan marriages to both Kurine and Iniru might work eventually, if things were allowed to develop slowly. But not if he married Kurine first. That would ruin everything.
“You could have tried the you are not an adult among your people argument again. That stalled them before.”
“The Council didn't like that argument the first time I used it, and her parents are not going to buy it again. I almost said it. Maybe I should have, but….” He shrugged.
“No, you’re right, master. It would not have worked. Honestly, I don’t think Tsuroko was going to take no for an answer, no matter the reason.”
After several thoughtful minutes, Turesobei said, “So here’s an idea. We get married to make her parents happy, but then we pretend it wasn't real, as if it never happened. It will be real to her parents, but not to us.”
There was a long, unexpected silence from Lu Bei. Turesobei turned and saw the fetch staring at him with a dumbfounded expression. “What?”
“Master, the Blood King is right. You really can be an idiot sometimes.”
“How am I being an idiot? It’s a good plan. It makes sense.”
“To you, sure. But come on, master. You're going to go through a proper wedding ceremony with a girl you claim to be in love with, who has always wanted to marry you, and you’re going to do it in front of her family and her whole village, having made proper vows before the gods, and then say that it wasn’t real? You really think Kurine, of all people, is going to be okay with that?”
“Er…maybe. She knows I'm not an adult on my world.”
“I don’t think she cares about that either. And you do spend every other night together….”
“Still, she knows it's too soon. She knows it’s not the right move, not yet anyway.”
“Are we still talking about Kurine? The girl who fought through the Shadowland for you? She's not going to fake get married to you.”
Turesobei groaned. “So I really am screwed then?”
Lu Bei nodded. “Master, you really have stepped in a bigger pile of demon poo than usual.”
* * *
On his way to dinner, Turesobei met Kurine in the hallway. “We need to talk,” he said lamely.
“I agree. That's why I'm here.” She looked both ways, then grabbed his hand and pulled him back into his room. She hugged him so tight he couldn't breathe. “Sobei….” Warm tears touched his cheek as she whispered in his ear. “Thank you. I'm so happy. This is the best thing ever!”
“It is?”
She ignored his response. “I was so sure you’d say no.”
“Well….”
“That you'd have some sort of excuse. I mean, I thought of several good ones instantly.”
“You did?”
“But you didn't use any of them! You agreed to marry me! Here and now, so my family can see the ceremony.”
“So you…you think it's a good idea for us to actually get married?”
Kurine shoved him playfully. “Don't be silly, you doof.”
Hope welled in his heart.
“Of course, I do,” she said. “We’re in love.”
Hope was lost to him. “And you think now is a good time?”
“Oh, it’s perfect. There could never be a better time than now. Never.”
Damn. “Er…I'm glad I can….” He didn’t know what else to say. Oh, Iniru. “What about Niru?”
/> She frowned. “I know…I know.” She chewed at her lip. “Do you really love her more than me?”
“More?” Probably. “I don’t think so. I try not to think about things like that. I’m trying hard not to show favoritism, so we can keep everything in balance. Only this, of course—”
“Is going to throw everything off.”
“Big time,” he said.
“I understand that,” Kurine said. “And—” a pained expression twisted her face “—I don’t want you to break up with Iniru.”
“You don’t?” he asked incredulously.
“Honestly, I don’t.”
“You’re okay being married to me and me having a girlfriend?!”
She nodded. “You two are good together. Not as great as you and me, of course. But I don’t want to ruin that for you. I want to try to make it work for all of us.”
“But what about us getting married?”
“We can’t let this opportunity slip past us,” Kurine said. “Getting married to you, here at home in front of my family…it’s a dream come true. And the best thing you could ever do for me.”
“So, how do we get married and not ruin things with Iniru?”
She wrapped him in her arms. “We’ll figure something out.”
They kissed for a while, then he pulled away and traced a finger along her cheek. “Listen, if we do get married…then when we return…the others…Iniru especially….”
“You want to keep it a secret?” Kurine asked.
“It would make life easier, but…you know…only if you're okay with that approach.”
“Keeping it quiet makes sense. Everyone’s getting along right now, and we don’t want to complicate things. Not with us going into danger all the time.” She smiled. “I think we can make it work.”
He sighed. Maybe somehow this would turn out to be only a normal-sized disaster and not another one of epic proportions. “Thanks. I really don't need Enashoma mad at me—again. And Iniru….” He frowned. “When we’re married, are you going to be okay with me spending every other night with her?”
Despite what she’d said earlier, he couldn’t imagine Kurine being okay with that. He wasn’t sure if he would be. It just didn’t seem right.
The First Kaiaru Page 18