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SHIN SNIFFED THE AIR. This was where Rin’s trail ran cold. He had chased her from the Dragon’s palace to this far corner of his kingdom only to find she had disappeared. The forest buzzed, the residents all talking about the guardian, who was in an uproar. And he suspected a certain Kitsune he knew had something to do with it. Disguised as a wolf, he could walk along the human roads. He did that now, his Yokai senses spread out to find her. He knew her signature like his own beating heart, but apart from the broken branches with tufts of coppery hair and fox prints on the ground, he did not notice anything that belonged to her.
He stopped when he felt a strange energy coming from nearby; it raised the hairs on his back. That is human energy but tainted somehow. He ran forward and came to a skidding halt when he found the markings on the ground. He brushed his nose against it. And recoiled. A human had trapped a Yokai here. He could taste the spell on the air, acrid and foul. Beneath it, he noticed it faintly but still her scent. Rin.
What have you done now? She would be the death of him, he was sure of it. He never should have chased after her. What would the Dragon do when he found out he had abandoned his post? The Dragon had left him in charge while he went on one of his infamous trips. But he had seen Rin’s face the day she disappeared. He thought she needed time to cool off, as usual, but when she had not returned, he realized he had underestimated her. And so here he was on a madcap search for her. He growled in his throat.
He ran along the path, smelling her faintly corrupted scent. He followed the trail along the human road, growing more confused all the while. Then her scent mixed with that of a human, at least he thought it was human. This scent also had a strange note to it. He looked through the dark, his advanced vision showing the road ahead of him, and in the distance he saw a human palace. He sighed. Something told him that was where he would find her.
***
THE SERVANT JUMPED as if he had been prodded with a knife, and scurried ahead of them down the hall. They followed after. Rin was curious as to what all the fuss was about. What was it about his father that caused this sudden change in the young man? She had only been in the palace for a few moments and she already had a billion questions buzzing around inside her skull. Was my meeting him in the forest earlier today by chance or by design? How does the witch expect me to stop anything without my powers? They stopped outside a set of double doors. The servant knelt down outside the doors and slid them open.
The young man turned to Rin. “I am going to speak with my father first, just wait here a moment.”
She tried to peer past him into the chamber beyond, but she could not see much beyond the bamboo flooring. He disappeared inside and the servant slammed the doors shut with a sideways glance at Rin. She smiled back at him. The servant did not lift his gaze to her. He kept his palms pressed flat against his thighs. They’re not very friendly. I guess I should have known that. Humans seem to be a prickly lot.
She had never realized how limited human vision was. It was difficult to see much beyond the darkness that cloaked the veranda on which she waited. She took a few steps towards the garden that ran parallel to the veranda. The servant cleared his throat. She looked at him and the servant straightened up. His eyes were wide and fixed on Rin. He reached to clutch his robe closed. What, does he expect me to sprout another head and devour him? She could not imagine she was very intimidating in this weak human form.
The young man opened the door. His frown carved deep creases into his handsome face.
“Come in.” He motioned.
She stepped inside the room; it was larger than she had thought. The room was square and mostly bare but for a couple of empty armor suits and a table. At the far end there was a platform on which an imposing middle-aged man sat. He watched her approach with a frown on his face. Her bare feet slapped against the bamboo flooring. The lord’s back was straight, his posture regal. His tousled white hair fell over his shoulders and he wore a loosely tied robe. The young lord took the lead and knelt down in front of his father. His every movement was precise down to the angle of his hands upon the bamboo mats. Rin followed his lead. She could not help but sneak a peek at the lord, however. She grinned up at him. He stared at her as if the force of his eyes could pierce her. Rin shivered. She had never had cause to consider a human intimidating, but this man exuded power and a faintly disguised fear just beneath the surface of his cold mask. The two mixed together were a deadly combination.
“How dare you bring her into this place,” the lord said.
“Father!” the young man interjected.
The lord glared at him and the young man clamped his mouth shut. Rin looked between him and the lord.
“Who are you, and what do you want from us?” the lord asked Rin in a firm voice.
She met his dark penetrating gaze.
“She is mute, Father,” the young man said in an apologetic tone.
“Don’t be so easily deceived. Her kind play tricks; it is their way.”
The lord stood and strode over to Rin. He stopped in front of her and she tilted her head back to maintain her eye contact. If she showed this man she feared him, he would push until she broke. She had no intention of failing even if the witch had stacked the odds against her. From the corner of her eye, she saw the young man half rise up to try to stop his father, but the lord held up a hand to halt him.
“I command you to speak,” the lord said.
She opened her mouth, displaying her tongue, and then with a shrug of her shoulders closed it again.
“She appears to be a woman of noble birth,” the young man said, though a bit hesitantly. “Were you separated from your clan?” This question he directed at Rin.
She did not want to take her eyes off the lord. He reminded her of a rabid beast. The moment you turned your back, he would strike for the kill. But just like taming a savage beast, she would stand her ground. Once she defeated him, nothing else would stand in her way of doing as the witch bid. She turned to the young man, keeping the lord in her peripheral vision, and nodded slowly.
The lord scrutinized her. His dark sharp eyes skimmed over her from top to bottom. There was challenge in his expression. If she had her fox fire, she would have used some of her magic to transform him into a salamander just to knock him down a size. As it was, she felt the loss of her connection with her powers as if she’d had a limb cut off.
“What clan do you hail from?” the lord asked again.
“Are you from the Torihara clan?” the young man asked.
She shook her head. If I answer too quickly, they will think I am lying.
“Perhaps the Akahana family?” Hikaru asked again eagerly.
She shook her head again.
“Fujikawa? Saruyama? The Nishimoris?”
The last name struck her; the meaning, though lost on the humans, was perfect. The west forest. She nodded her head and clapped.
“You’re a Nishimori?” Hikaru confirmed.
She nodded again, smiling.
The lord narrowed his eyes. “Lord Nishimori has three daughters, though I do not know their names. I never heard any of them were mute.”
Rin shrugged as if to say What can I tell you? She was fortunate the clan had any daughters at all. With her luck, he would only have sons and then she’d really be up a creek.
The lord turned and walked back to his seat on the platform. He planted himself on his cushion and folded his hands in front of him. “Lord Nishimori is a cousin of mine. I will send word to him that we have happened to discover you.” He had yet to take his eyes off of Rin. She felt as if they were locked in a battle of wills. The first one to look away would lose.
“I’ll show you to your room.” The young lord jumped up.
Rin rose as gracefully as possible. If she was to pretend at being a human, she would need to work harder to convince the lord. The lord’s gaze flickered to his son. A mild look of disgust crossed his features, but when he realized Rin had noticed, he wiped it away.
She bowed to him before following Hikaru out into the hall.
The servant was waiting for them in the hall. He had straightened his clothes and hair. The young man dismissed him, and the servant nodded stiffly before scurrying away. When they were alone once more, the tension from the audience chamber melted off of the young man. He smiled at her.
“I must apologize for my father’s behavior. He has been under a lot of pressure lately.”
Rin moved closer to him and touched him on the shoulder. Tell me more, she wanted to say. She had been given a gift when he found her in the forest. She knew he recognized her, but he had yet to mention it. He was the son of the lord, which meant getting closer to him would help her in her task. Who better to teach her human ways and with it how to exploit them to ruin their treaty. And if she was lucky, she might have a bit of fun along the way. Her sisters had told her stories about the humans they had seduced over the years. She had never done it before, but with someone as handsome as the young lord, it might not be so bad.
He tensed when she touched him, however, and sidestepped away. I get the impression the humans do not welcome casual touches. Every time I brush against him, he acts that way. That will make my job more difficult.
He led her down a series of hallways and the easy atmosphere they had shared before suddenly became charged. She suspected this was normally a servant’s duty, to show guests to their chambers. Is he expecting me to invite him into my bed? She looked him up and down. He was handsome, tall and well formed. She would not mind seeing what lay beneath those layers of silk. They stopped along a veranda; a few rolling doors had been pushed back. Beyond was a sitting area and, partitioned off in the back, a sleeping area obscured from view by a reed curtain. He stopped with his back to the sitting area and faced Rin.
“We’ve prepared this room for you. If you need anything, the servants are on hand.” He leaned against one of the sliding doors.
She smiled and arched a brow.
He waited a few more moments, not meeting her gaze but lightly gripping the door frame.
She tilted her head and nodded backwards, trying without words to invite him in.
“I failed to mention before, my name is Hikaru.”
She smiled.
He picked at the wood and did not meet her gaze. “I suppose you cannot tell me your name.”
That is what got me into this mess in the first place. But she supposed she could tell him; it would make things easier.
She waved her hand in front of him so he would look up. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled.
He frowned back at her. “Is anything the matter?”
She shook her head and tried something different. She wrapped her arms around herself and pretended to shiver.
“You’re trying to tell me your name?”
She nodded.
A smile transformed his face and lit up his eyes. “Let’s see, cold... and angry?”
She shook her head. Next she tilted her chin upwards in a snooty pose.
He tapped his chin in thought. “Cold, arrogant?”
She shrugged, close enough. She nodded and waved her hand for him to keep guessing.
He thought for a moment, staring past her down the hall. She wished she knew the human character so she could write it down for him. Then he gasped. “Is it Rin?”
She clapped her hands together, delighted he had got it in one guess.
“Rin.” He said it again, rolling the syllable around on his tongue. “It’s pretty.”
She touched his sleeve, tugging on it. Now that they had been introduced perhaps they could get to know one another better.
He opened his mouth as if he were going to speak before he snapped his mouth shut.
“I must be going, good night.” He pulled loose from her grasp, turned and left.
She crossed her arms over her chest. Perhaps she had been a little too forward. But the sooner she got him into her bed, the sooner she would be back to her old self. She shook her head. This may take all my charm and wits.
***
SHE MUST BE PLAYING a trick on the humans. That is the only explanation. He followed Rin’s muted scent all the way to the palace. When he reached the entryway, he considered turning back. But her scent went through the gates. He had come too far to let a few humans deter him. Waiting until the humans were on the opposite end of the wall with their backs turned, he leapt over the wall. He landed on the other side, in a dark courtyard. The stink of humans was overwhelming. The wolf in him rebelled, demanding he return to the forest. The energy here was foul and dragged against his other senses. He shook off his concerns and slunk through the shadows, searching out Rin’s scent. The competing scents mixed together, making it difficult to pick one out from the gloom. Then he heard someone approaching from the opposite direction. He crouched in the shadows, sitting on his haunches.
“The young lord asked a room be prepared for the lady,” said an older man.
“I’ll see it done, then,” replied a middle-aged woman.
He suspected Rin was said lady and followed the middle-aged woman to a chamber. She laid out bedding, lit the braziers and hung screens. He crept behind her while she worked and waited in the garden beyond. When she exited, he snuck in to investigate. The room was small but well furnished, the futon made of silk and the pillows filled with feathers. This is a fine place but nothing compared to the palace. He inspected the place but found nothing out of the ordinary. There were wooden drawers to keep possessions, a window at one end, and a garden facing the inner chamber. Reeds hung around the main sleeping area, blocking it from view.
She cannot avoid me forever. I’ll just wait. He plopped down and waited for her arrival. It was some minutes before he heard voices outside the door.
The door slid open and he saw her profile. Her hair was long and black, and tied hastily. She looked like herself, but there was something not right about her appearance. Her energy was diminished and her glow gone.
She turned into the room and her gaze swept over the furnishings with an indifferent expression. Nothing out of the ordinary, he imagined her thinking. Then she saw him laid out on the futon. He had opened the front of his kimono so his flat stomach and defined chest were exposed. Had he been trying to seduce any other woman, it would have worked.
“I have been waiting for you, Rin,” he said in a low rumbling voice.
She rolled her eyes and plopped down beside him.
He grinned, revealing pointed canines. That was his Rin, unimpressed. Maybe that was what had drawn him to her for so long. She did not fall prey to his charm like the other women. “What have you done?” He reached for her soft ebony hair and grabbed a few strands, tangling them around his long fingers.
She batted his hand away. She crossed her hands over her throat to indicate she could not speak.
He tutted. He should have known straight away. “You’ve been bewitched, I can see it now. What is the price to break the spell? Should I summon the Dragon?”
She shook her head furiously. Then things must have ended badly with the Dragon. Perhaps now was his chance. After waiting so long, he did not want to waste his opportunity to tell her how he felt. He should wait until he knew her heart was healed. Besides, she was under some spell. Now was not the right time.
Shin folded his arms over his chest. “You can’t keep avoiding him for eternity. In fact, I came here to bring you back. I thought you were playing a trick on the humans, and now I can see this is much more complicated than that.”
She sighed.
“You probably did it to yourself,” he mused aloud.
Rin scowled at him in return.
He laughed, a rich husky sound.
She spread out her hands in a gesture that said, Well, can you help me break this spell?
He lay back on the futon and cradled his head on his forearms. “I don’t know if I should help you this time. Maybe I’m done cleaning up your messes.” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He loved the way her face flushed when she did not know what to do with him. Teasing her was the best way to elicit that reaction, but he’d much rather have her cheeks flushed for a different reason. He squashed down the thought. Now was not the time. He needed to focus on fixing this problem first.
She placed a hand on his shoulder and he flickered dark brown eyes towards her. She gave him a quivering bottom lip. She knew he could not resist. She’s good, I’ll give her that.
He sighed. “Fine, I’ll look into it. For now you stay here. It’s safer if you are among humans while you are one.”
She clapped her hands. He grinned at her in return. It felt like old times before the Dragon. I never should have separated myself from her. This is my fault if it’s anyone’s. I have to protect her.
She threw her arms around Shin’s shoulders. He toppled backwards and she pinned him to the ground. She leaned over him. Her now dark hair fell between them and tickled his nose. Her lips were slightly parted. It took all his self-control to not lean forward and kiss her. Did she not know how she drove him mad? How every casual touch, every movement drew him to her? He had held back these feelings for so long, but damn it, he was tired of waiting. He needed her. No amount of liaisons was worth even a tenth of just seeing her smile. His breathing was deep and shallow. Their faces were close together. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. No matter how brave or how powerful he was, she always brought him to his knees. He couldn’t face the rejection if she still loved the Dragon. He sighed and then very gently pushed her off. She sat back and gave him a puzzled look.
“I’ll be back tomorrow. Stay out of trouble until then,” he said with his back to her.
She reached out for him, but before she could grab onto him, he transformed. He did not want her to convince him to stay and have him make a mistake he would later regret. A second later, the man disappeared and in his place was a wolf. The wolf bounded out of the room and down through the garden. I’ll be back with a way to break her spell, and maybe then I’ll have the courage to say what I really feel.