Juan
said nothing to that. Not for lack of having something to say, which
he really didn’t, but because Kevin had stepped in front of
him.
“Ah.
Kevin Swift,” the horrible Spanish accent was back in place.
“It has been a while since I’ve seen you, no? I hope you
are doing well, though,” he chuckled, “considering the
circumstances, perhaps I am being optimistic.”
Kevin
didn’t speak for the longest time. He just stared at Juan,
Valsiener,
whatever his name was, with a blank expression.
“You…
you are the reason that Lilian was kidnapped by Jiāoào?”
he asked calmly.
“Well,
I am the one who supplied him with the information on Lilian’s
whereabouts, but that’s about it.” Juan shrugged. “I
am an information broker. It’s what I do. I’ve got to
earn a living somehow.”
Kevin’s
hands tightened into fists, the only sign of what was about to
happen.
A
loud crack echoed around the room as the blond’s right hand
crashed into Juan’s nose with a loud
crunch!
His
head rocked back as blood spurted from his nostrils. His
pompadour-style hair bounced and jiggled with the motion.
“Ow…”
Juan held a hand to his nose. It was definitely broken. He hadn’t
realized Kevin could punch so hard.
“You
have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” Kevin said
before he spun around and walked out of the apartment, leaving a
surprised Kotohime and a dazed Juan, holding his bleeding and broken
nose.
***
Kevin
hadn’t walked more than fifteen feet when Kotohime caught up to
him.
“Kevin-sama?”
she sounded almost tentative.
“So,
Juan is a yōkai?” he asked, not revealing his thoughts or
opinions. He seemed calm, calmer than she thought he should have
been.
“Yes,
the young man you know as Juan is indeed a yōkai. To be more
specific, he is a half-yōkai—a half-human, half-kitsune
hybrid.”
Kevin
nodded noncommittally. “I guess I should have realized that.
The strange quirks, the big hair, and that ridiculous
internet-translated Spanish. It only makes sense that he isn’t
human.”
“I
somehow feel really insulted by your comments.”
“Ah!
Sorry, sorry,” Kevin was quick to apologize. “I didn’t
mean that as an insult to you. You and Iris and Kirihime and Camellia
are really nice people. Truly. I… you’ve all become very
important to me.”
“Ufufufu.”
Kotohime, in a bout of unusual behavior, ruffled Kevin’s hair.
“That’s very kind of you to say. I think I am beginning
to see why Lilian-sama is so taken with you, just a little.”
He
and Kotohime shared a smile. Maybe it was just him, but he felt like
he and Kotohime had just bonded a little. It left him with a heady
feeling, a sense of accomplishment.
“I
didn’t know half-kitsune existed,” Kevin said after a
moment. “I always thought anyone born with a yōkai parent
would be pure yōkai.”
“I
suppose I can understand that logic, given that our genetics are
stronger than a human’s.” Kotohime paused. “There
are some yōkai who, when procreating with a human, will always
birth a pure yōkai child. Yuki-onna are the best example of
this. However, many yōkai will give birth to half-yōkai
when they have sex with a human.”
Kevin
nodded as he absorbed this small lesson. It was interesting, but…
“Procreation
is complicated with you yōkai. Not that I’m surprised.”
Kotohime’s
amused smile was preceded by a chortle. “If you think that is
complicated, wait until I teach you about how kitsune genetics affect
their elemental affinities.”
Kevin
wasn’t sure if he wanted to know right now, but Kotohime
apparently felt the need to explain.
“Kitsune
are an unusual breed. Unlike most yōkai, who can only ever be
born to a single element, kitsune are among the few that can use
every elemental type, depending on the pulse of their blood. A
Lightning Kitsune can use lightning; a Fire Kitsune could wield fire;
a Celestial Kitsune unleashing light/divine powers, etc.”
She
paused for a breath.
“When
a kitsune is born, the element they’re born with almost always
comes from the male. There are some who pick up the element of their
mother, but those are few and far between. Even rarer than those who
gain their mother’s element are those born with both. They’re
a rarity beyond compare, and are highly prized by the Thirteen Great
Clans.”
“Why
did you tell me all that?” Kevin asked. “It seems kind of
unnecessary.”
Kotohime
paused. “Because the author is really bad at foreshadowing?”
“Try
again,” he ground out.
“Because
I felt like you needed to know?”
Kevin
and Kotohime stared at each other. Kevin was the one who looked away
first.
“Let’s…
let’s just get going,” he sighed.
“Ufufufu,
of course, Kevin-sama.”
They
walked into the parking lot, where Kiara was waiting for them with
the car ready. She stood beside the driver’s door, leaning
against the metal chassis, her arms crossed over her chest.
“You
know where we’re going?” she asked as they walked up to
her.
“Yes,”
Kotohime answered. “Valsiener-san
was kind enough to give us Jiāoào’s
location. It is a little out of the way, but not too far from here.”
“Good.
Then let’s hurry up. I wanna be home in time for dinner.”
They
all got in the car, Kevin in the back and Kotohime taking the front
passenger's seat. Kiara started the engine and they soon took off.
Kevin
looked out the window, watching as they left the apartment complex.
He didn’t see any of the passing scenery, however. His
thoughts, his mind and his heart, were all focused on a single
thought.
Hang
on, Lilian. I’m coming.
Chapter
10
The
Difference Between Humans and Yōkai
Lilian’s
first thought upon waking up was: “
Uga
wufuguu muffu…”
Her
second thought was: “
What
the hell hit me?”
Wanting
to know where she was, Lilian opened her eyes… and was
immediately forced to shut them again as sunlight burned her retinas.
Groaning, she felt her head begin to throb, a slow pounding like
someone was using her brain as a bongo drum. She felt a strong
compunction to return to the blissful darkness she’d awakened
from.
“I
see you’re finally awake, my Lilian.”
Lilian’s
body seized.
No.
It can’t be. He can’t be here.
“How
long are you going to feign sleep?”
Ice
seeped into her veins. She recognized that voice.
No.
No, no, no, no, no!
Wanting
to stop herself but unable to, Lilian opened her eyes, ignoring the
way they burned. She turned to the source of the voice. What she saw,
who she saw, chilled her to her very core, as if someone had dumped
her in the middle of the Arctic Circle.
“You!”
Jiāoào
smiled at her, either not caring or willfully ignoring the disgust
and fear that had appeared on Lilian’s face. “Hello, my
Lilian. You haven’t changed at all since the last time I saw
you. You’re every bit as beautiful as I remember. I’ve
missed―”
“What
happened to me?” Jiāoào’s right eye twitched
as Lilian rudely interrupted him. “Where am I? And what are you
doing here?”
“You
were the unfortunate victim of a rather atrocious car accident,”
Jiāoào explained calmly. “My vassal, Ling, was
fortunately in the area and managed to pull you to safety. You really
should be more careful when getting into strange vehicles. You never
know what might happen,” he chided, wagging a finger at her.
“As for where you are, why, you are currently resting within my
temporary domicile.”
Lilian
looked around and finally noticed that she was in a room of extreme
opulence. Richly decorated walls painted with intricate designs
surrounded her. Tapestries hung from those walls, the symbol that she
recognized as the Shénshèng
Clan
crest imprinted firmly on their front. Dark red carpet lined the
floor, and the ceiling was painted to mimic the sky at sunset.
Decadence didn’t begin to describe the room.
She
also noticed that she’d been bound. Her arms, her legs, and
even her tails were wrapped in some kind of cloth. She tried breaking
it, even going so far as to use reinforcement to increase her
strength. But it didn’t work, which meant the cloth had been
made from the silk of a
Jorōgumo
,
a spider yōkai.
It
was the only known fabric durable enough to withstand youki-enhanced
strength. It also absorbed youki, which meant she wouldn’t be
able to use any techniques to break out.
A
sudden feeling welled up inside of her. A chill ran down her spine.
She
was being watched.
She
looked around and quickly spotted the woman behind Jiāoào.
Like
her, this woman had red hair and green eyes. She even appeared to be
around the same age. There were only a few general differences, those
being the shape of her face and eyes and her body proportions. Lilian
could proudly claim that she was bustier and had a slimmer waist than
this kitsune. Two tails hung limply behind the other kitsune’s
back.
It
wasn’t the other kitsune’s physical appearance that
Lilian noticed, however. Rather, she saw the glare being directed at
her, the insanity in the other vixen’s eyes, the way her lips
peeled back to reveal sharpened canines…
What…
what is this feeling?
Lilian
took several deep breaths. She couldn’t afford to panic in a
situation like this.
She
focused back on Jiāoào. “Your horrible taste in
decoration hasn’t changed, I see.”
“And
your blunt manner of speaking remains the same as always.” A
cold smile crawled onto Jiāoào’s face. “I
look forward to breaking you of that willful spirit of yours.”
Lilian
shuddered, not just in fear, but in revulsion as well. This boy, she
had always hated him, loathed him with her very existence. And now
she was caught, trapped within his paws.
“But
do not worry too much.” Jiāoào reached out with his
left hand and his fingers brushed against her cheek. “I’ll
make you sure enjoy every―”
Lilian
sank her teeth into Jiāoào’s finger. The boy
screamed and tried to pull his hand back, but her canines had pierced
the skin. She tasted the coppery tang of blood on her tongue, but
ignored it in favor of keeping her teeth clamped firmly on his flesh.
Jiāoào yanked his entire arm back, and while it wasn’t
enough to make her release him, it did make her fall to the floor.
She
groaned as her bones were jarred from her impact. Jiāoào
used that moment to pull his finger back—a finger that had been
peeled of its skin and muscle, revealing bits of the white bone
underneath thick layers of crimson fluids.
Lilian
felt a moment of vindication. She licked her lips to get the blood
off, then spat a glob of it onto the floor. Jiāoào stared
at her in shock, as if he couldn’t believe she had just done
that. She presented him with her most fierce grin, complete with
bloodstained teeth.
“You
bitch!”
The
grin was wiped off her face as a scream resounded throughout the
room. It did not come from Jiāoào, but from the woman
with him.
Like
a storm she surged forward, the intent to harm clear in her eyes.
Lilian tried to move away, but with her arms, legs and tails bound,
she could do nothing more than wiggle and squirm in place.
Fear
seized her.
An
icy fist clenched her heart.
How
could anyone have such insane eyes?
“Maddison!”
The girl froze. Lilian held her breath. “Do not go near her!”
“B-but
Master, I―GYA!”
Lilian
winced when Jiāoào brutally yanked on the chain tethered
to the girl’s neck. The redhead jerked, choking noises emerging
from her throat. The force he put behind his action was such that
Maddison fell backwards, hitting the floor with a solid
thump!
“Stupid
girl!”
“AAAHHHH!”
Lilian
watched in abject horror as Jiāoào kicked the girl in the
stomach, making her curl her legs into her chest. She was given no
reprieve, however, as the next kick was to her face. Blood flew from
her mouth as her head jerked backwards. Now lying on her back, the
poor girl could do nothing as Jiāoào mercilessly whaled
on her.
“I
thought I told you not to move!” Stomp. Maddison’s nose
broke. “You’re lucky I even allowed you to breathe the
same air as my Lilian!” Kick. All the air rushed from
Maddison’s lungs. “Fucking bitch!”
“Stop
it!” Lilian screamed with tears in her eyes. “I said
stop! Why are you hurting her?!”
Jiāoào
did stop, if for no other reason than to address Lilian’s
question. Lying at his feet, Maddison quietly sobbed. “I am
disappointed in you, my Lilian. Surely, you understand the need to
ensure that pets like her know their place.”
Lilian
was stunned. “Pet? Make sure she knows her place? She’s
not an animal! She’s a person! A kitsune, just like us!”
“Lilian.
my Lilian.” Lilian shuddered. Jiāoào’s smile
frightened her for reasons she couldn’t even begin to fathom.
“You are far too kind. Maddison is nothing more than a pet, an
object for me to pleasure myself with. This… thing may indeed
be a kitsune, but she’s a failure whose only purpose was to be
your replacement until I had you within my grasp.”
By
this point in time, Jiāoào had healed the bite wounds on
his finger. He opened his mouth to say something more, but a knock at
the door interrupted him. Jiāoào opened the door to
reveal a woman with long purple hair in a ponytail and short-skirted
kimono kneeling on the ground.
“My
Lord,” the woman said, “it seems we have several
unexpected guests.”
“Unexpected
guests?” Jiāoào hummed. “How many?”