Chapter Twenty-Seven

Two weeks later…

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall…”

“Ha ha,” Brian said, crossing his arms as he watched Yumiko bow to a mirror in The Hall of Mirrors. “I didn’t realize you were such a comedian.”

Yumiko flashed him a wicked smile. “Then you don’t know everything about me, despite watching me all my life.”

Brian frowned and ran a hand back through his hair. “I could never know the contents of that pretty little head of yours. You were always a mystery to me, even when I was watching you.” He stopped as he noticed her amused smile. “What?”

“You need to relax.”

“Like you’re one to talk.”

Yumiko chuckled and pointed at the mirror she had previously addressed. Through the mirror, she could see the inside of Shuten-Doji’s throne room, where Enenra lounged on the throne lazily, issuing orders to the oni, as well as the kappa who’d joined them there. “It looks like things are going well back in the real world.”

“Enenra has things in control,” Brian acknowledged, eyes lingering on the mirror for a moment before returning to her. “Even if Oni-Baba disappeared shortly after our return, I don’t think she will return.”

“At least not so soon,” Yumiko agreed. She sighed. “I don’t think we’ve heard the last of her, though. But at least the oni are taking to Enenra, and seem to be mending their ways under his guidance. That’s something.”

Enenra can be a little much sometimes, but he has a good heart. He’ll do wonders for the place. It’ll be ready for our wedding in no time.”

“Our wedding?” Yumiko blinked. “We’re getting married there?”

“It’s beautiful there,” Brian said, shrugging. “And it’s secluded, so any yokai can come and not cause any issues…or raise eyebrows.”

“Why, Mr. Mathis, I haven’t even had a proper proposal yet. I don’t recall saying yes.”

“You said you’d marry me.”

“In theory. Maybe I was caught up in the moment.”

Brian snorted and shook his head as he led her up the hallway a little ways. “I think you’ve been spending too much time with Reina. She’s rubbing off on you.”

Yumiko might have agreed with him a little, but she felt so light for the first time in years. This nightmare was behind her. She was happy. And she felt like she could laugh and flirt, like any other girl. Even if she had to remind herself that she wasn’t a girl at all. She was a yokai.

“I can’t believe that I was afraid of you for so long,” she said. “To have it end like this…I never could have imagined. The man I feared makes me so happy.”

Brian looked away guiltily. “Yumiko, I-“

“Hush,” Yumiko put a hand to his mouth to silence him, then thought better of it, and brought her mouth to his. His soft lips melded with hers on contact, as if made for her, his tongue lightly exploring the inside of her mouth. She sighed as she pulled away.

“You deserve to be so happy,” Brian whispered, and she opened her eyes to find him watching her. He smoothed back her hair. “You are going to have an extravagant wedding, and then I’m going to make you the happiest girl in the world.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” she said, trying to make light of the serious expression on his face. She paused before the mirror that Brian suddenly indicated with a wave of his hand. It was one of the few in frames, and this one was framed with gold, with an elaborate floral pattern. She hesitated and reached out to touch the frame. “This is it?”

Brian nodded, watching her.

Yumiko swallowed hard as her eyes drank in the mirror, the frame. This was the mirror that she’d been born from. The mirror that had found her so captivating that it had created her from her counterpart. “I still can’t believe that this is how I…” She shook her head, suddenly full of emotions that she couldn’t give voice too, let alone name.

Through the mirror, she saw the courtyard of the castle.

“Is this the mirror world I’m looking at?” she asked.

“Yes. I didn’t want to risk leaving it in the real world, where it could possibly get damaged. It’s much too important for that.”

Yumiko nodded as she stared at the image, noting the statue of Ame-Onna that had been created in honor or her sacrifice, standing tall in the center of a fountain. Water rained down over her, much like when Yumiko had first seen the yokai all those years ago.

Since Ame-Onna had destroyed the mirror when they’d left Hell, there was no way to reach her, no way to save her from her fate. But she’d chosen her fate, in the end. And Yumiko had to trust that she’d known what she was doing, and that it was for the best.

She didn’t realize that Brian was standing so close until she felt his arms slip around her shoulders. She leaned back into him without hesitation and felt his lips on her ear. She sighed, content.

***

Shou scowled as Yumiko stepped into the library from out of the mirror in the corner. “Do you have to do that?”

Yumiko raised an eyebrow. “Do you find it unsettling?”

“Yes.”

She grinned. “Good. Then I definitely have to do it.”

Shou rolled his eyes, but she caught the flicker of a smile playing at the corner of his lips before he returned to practicing with his sword.

She turned to regard Reina at one of the desks, Tanuki hunched on the tabletop, enthralled by the book she had laid open.

“What’s that?” Yumiko asked, sauntering over to them. She leaned against the desk and peered down at the yellowed pages.

Reina pushed the book away from her, annoyance written across her face. “Mori’s got me researching more than ever now,” she complained. “Now that you aren’t around as often, it’s like she’s shoveling all of your work onto me.”

Yumiko smirked. “Don’t worry. I’m back now. I think they have things under control back at the castle. Or castles.”

Tanuki looked up at her and blinked. “You’re staying here?”

“Of course. I live here, don’t I?”

Reina smiled knowingly. “Brian’s bed not keeping you warm enough?”

Yumiko felt her cheeks heat up. “No. I mean, it’s nothing like that. When I was staying there, I was in a guest room the entire time. Nothing inappropriate happened.”

“Sure,” Reina winked at her. “Of course, Yumiko.”

Yumiko knew better than to attempt to argue with her and just tried to ignore the comments.

“Well, we’re glad to have you back, my lotus blossom,” Tanuki said, beaming at her. “Someone needs to put Shou in his place.”

“I heard that,” Shou announced as he swung his sword down quickly in a fierce strike.

“Good.”

Yumiko glanced back at Shou. “Well, it’s not like all of the yokai problems out there are going to just disappear overnight. There’s still work to be done here.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that,” Mori said, stepping out from the ante-chamber.

Yumiko bowed, smiling. “Sensei.”

Mori made her way over to the desk and scowled down at the book that Reina had open. “You’re not going to find anything on Onikuma in this volume. Get the book on forest-dwelling demons.”

Yumiko watched Reina mumble under her breath as she walked over to the shelf with the book. “Missing horses?”

“Missing horses,” Mori nodded, a smile lighting up her face.

“Alright,” Yumiko said, standing up straight. “What can I do?”

Mori watched her for a moment, then nodded toward Reina. “You can help whip that one into shape.”

“That will probably take some time.”

Mori sighed heavily. “You’re telling me.”