Senshi (A Katana Novel) (11 page)

21

K
im’s words hit me like a shuriken to the chest. If it wasn’t for Q’s arms around my shoulders, I would have staggered to the floor.

The others remained motionless. Dr. Wendell only shook his head.

Chiyo Sasaki. Yoshido’s betrothed killed by bandits. The girl he mourned until the day I met him in Lord Toyotomi’s gardens. “She has to be lying,” I said.

“But I’m not.” Sumi entered the dojo from the adjoining lobby. She walked straight to Kim and looped her arm through his. He stiffened but said nothing.

Bile burned the back of my tongue. What the hell was going on? “Kim?” I needed to hear him say it again. To prove I wasn’t trapped inside another nightmare. The buzzing within me grew stronger until goose bumps appeared on my flesh.

Quentin must have sensed the change. He released my shoulders and slowly sidestepped away from me.

“Please, Rileigh.” Kim looked at me, his eyes pained. “So much has happened. I can’t—it’s just—”

“He’s pledged to me,” Sumi answered, smiling.

My hands reflexively curled into fists. Pledged to Sumi? “What are you talking about?”

Kim opened his mouth, but Sumi answered for him. “Because of the pledge he made to me in our past life—the pledge he left unfulfilled—Kim is honor bound to me.”

Michelle’s eyes narrowed. “What pledge?”

Sumi tossed her head, rippling her glossy black hair down her back. “He was my betrothed and failed to protect me. I died and he moved on to love another. Because he is a samurai, he is honor bound to keep the promise that was broken.”

Kim’s brow furrowed and he looked like he might say something. But Sumi pressed herself against his side, a sight that rolled waves of nausea through my stomach, and he remained silent.

The energy humming along my skin began to scratch and push for a way out.
Focus, Rileigh. Relax.
I inhaled deeply through my nose and exhaled through my mouth. I repeated this several times until I felt able to speak without screaming. “This is ridiculous.” I glared at Kim, who immediately averted his eyes. “You don’t seriously think you have to honor a 500-year-old betrothal, do you? That’s insane.”

But he wouldn’t look at me, let alone answer me. Why wouldn’t he answer me?

Sumi’s eyes narrowed into slits. “You think promises and honor are something that can be disregarded? What kind of samurai are you?”

“The kind that’s about to kick your ass.” I stepped forward, but a hand gripped my shoulder and pulled me back.

“Rileigh,” Dr. Wendell whispered in my ear, “I need to you to be calm. This is a delicate situation.”

Calm? How could he expect me to be calm when my entire world had turned upside down? I jerked out of Dr. Wendell’s grasp. My ki pushed against my barriers with enough force that I had to clench my teeth together to keep from crying out in pain. Yoshido once told me Chiyo had been a gentle soul. Well, there was nothing gentle about Sumi. Somehow she’d managed to find out information about Kim’s past and was using it against us. That was the only explanation that made sense. “Kim, come on. How can you let this psycho manipulate you? Can’t you see she’s lying?”

“No.” He shook his head, which elicited a smug look from Sumi. “She’s not lying. She knows things that only Chiyo would know.”

“So what?” The power inside me surged forward, but I managed to rein it in before it escaped. “Who cares if she is Chiyo? How does that change anything?”

“It changes everything,” he answered.

I could feel the power jumping from my fingertips like a Taser on charge. “It doesn’t have to.”

“You’re wrong.” Sumi slid in front of Kim, all the while keeping her hold on his arm. “He was my betrothed. A lifetime doesn’t change that.”

“Of course it does!” I stepped forward and Quentin made a warning sound in his throat. I knew only seconds remained before I lost control—but I couldn’t seem to work up the ability to care. The only thing that mattered to me was yanking Sumi’s hand off of Kim’s arm.

Kim opened his mouth, but the words wouldn’t come. Lines of confusion pinched his brow and he appeared lost inside his own thoughts.

It terrified me. Gone was my confident warrior. In both of my lifetimes I couldn’t remember a time when Kim looked so lost—so unsure of himself.

After a few seconds, Sumi gave an impatient sigh. “What Kim’s
trying
to say is he can no longer be with you.”

Her words slammed against me like a fist to the spine. “What?” My hold slipped and a burst of ki pushed through my skin. The weapons rattled against the wall.

Sumi’s eyes widened. “What was that?” Her head whipped around as she studied each sword shaking on its mounts.

Q, Dr. Wendell, and the other samurai eyed the walls nervously. Kim, however, seemed oblivious to the trembling weapons. “I’m so sorry, Rileigh. I never wanted to hurt you.”

Isn’t that what everyone said after the fact? But I knew it was a load of crap. If he hadn’t wanted to hurt me, then he wouldn’t have hurt me. I flexed my fingers out to expel the power prickling my fingertips. Several swords shook so violently they fell off the wall and bounced against the rubber floor. I couldn’t hold on much longer.

Dr. Wendell reached for me, but I shot him a look so venomous he dropped his hand back to his side. “Listen to me, Rileigh. I need you to calm down.” His voice was tight with fear. “Take a few deep breaths and count to ten.”

Through the open windows of the dojo came the sound of tires crunching over gravel.

Dr. Wendell’s eye followed the sound to the front entrance. “Of all the times … Who could that be?”

Drew shrugged. “Probably just a parent wanting to sign their kid up for karate.”

“I’ll get rid of them.” Dr. Wendell marched to the door. Before he stepped into the lobby, he gave me a long look. “Stay calm, Rileigh.”

I ignored him. It was easy to deal out advice if you weren’t the one having your heart filleted. As my emotions ricocheted inside of me, my ki did the same thing outside of me. The glass observation window separating the lobby from the dojo crunched as a spiderweb of cracks zigzagged across it. A second later, it shattered to the floor.

Sumi screamed. Her honey-hued skin had paled to the color of cream. “What the hell was that?”

Kim ignored her. “I have a debt to pay, Rileigh. I failed Chiyo and now I owe her my life for the loss of hers. You know that a man—let alone a samurai—is only as good as his honor.”

I shook my head as the wooden shelf on the back wall splintered, which sent the trophies on top of it hurtling to the ground. The door separating the lobby from the dojo flew open and banged shut on its own. Sumi screamed again. I could feel the energy pulling at me, begging to be released, but by some miracle I was able to hold on. “I have no idea what that means, Kim. How do you owe her your life?”

His shoulders slumped. “Sumi and I are getting married.”

His words cut me deeper than any blade could have. I staggered from the pain left in their wake.

At that moment Dr. Wendell walked back into the dojo, his eyes lingering on the broken glass littering the mats as he made his way toward us. “It was just a meter reader.”

The tiniest shiver of a warning broke through my pain and tickled the back of my neck. I pulled my eyes off of Kim and looked at Dr. Wendell. “Why would you say that?”

He shrugged. “A couple of power company workers—young guys.” He nodded to a window. “They walked around back to check the meter. They said they’d only be here for a second or two.”

Oh no. Not here. Not now.
My blood went cold as an icy wind fluttered through me. “Were they driving a power- company truck?”

“No. But that doesn’t mean anything. They’re probably contractors.”

I glanced at the window and saw two figures sprint by, which could only mean one of two things. One: they were engaging in a friendly game of
Who can read the meter the fastest?
(Which I’d totally play if I was a meter reader.) Or, two: they were ninja.
And I knew from experience that when ninja ran, it was because they’d left something unpleasant behind. I looked at Kim and, even though he’d broken my heart, given his grim expression, it appeared he could still read my mind.

He whirled toward the front doors. “Everyone, out of the building!”

“Why?” Sumi glanced between Kim and the doors. “What’s going on?”

I couldn’t help but smile a little. If she wanted to be with Kim so bad, here was her chance to see what she was getting into. “We’re under a ninja attack.”

Q looked at me and after I nodded, he jogged toward the front entrance.

But Dr. Wendell and the other samurai didn’t move. They glanced around the room as if they expected the ninja to jump out of the shadows. I knew we wouldn’t be that lucky. Ninja were cowards and preferred to avoid hand-to-hand combat.

“Are you sure we’re in danger?” Drew asked.

“Has she ever been wrong?” Kim motioned to the doors. “Let’s move. NOW!”

Whether it was his words, or the tone of his voice, something snapped the other samurai into movement. As a group, we ran for the front door. I hung back, letting the others get in front of me—something I remember doing even in the past. But we’d only reached the door dividing the dojo from the lobby when the warning bell in my head turned into a scream. That noise meant only one thing—time had just run out.

22

G
et down!” I screamed.

Kim had managed to reach the door in time to push Sumi outside along with Q. I heard her scream of protest even as the explosion ripped through the back of the building.

But the others hadn’t reached the door yet and it was only a matter of seconds before we were engulfed by the wall of flames at my back.

I dropped to my knees and flung my arms behind me, releasing the ki already pulsating at my fingers. I hoped it wasn’t too late.

The power inside me ripped from my body—like a scab pulled too soon—and left me hurt and raw. Sparing a glance over my shoulder, I could see it spread behind me in a shimmering blue wall. The flames and debris beat against the wall, each strike I felt as a push against my own skin, but I gritted my teeth and held on.

Someone yelled as a beam fell from the ceiling and landed a couple feet away from where I crouched. Sunlight filtered in through the hole in the roof left in its wake.

“Rileigh!”

The urgency in Kim’s voice let me know it wasn’t the first time he’d called my name. He held the door open as Michelle and Braden ducked under his arm to safety. Dr. Wendell stood behind him looking helpless.

Kim held the door back with his foot and reached a hand out to me. “Get up! Get out of there!”

The explosion continued to rock the shield at my back. I wavered, trying to keep it from falling. If I dropped the wall now, the others could still get hurt. I couldn’t risk it. I shook my head. “I’m not leaving. Not yet.” A chunk of flaming wood fell from the ceiling and landed by my feet. A spark bounced off and singed through my jeans into my flesh. My shield flickered.

Something large and silver—possibly one of Kim’s swords—flew past me. Kim ducked out of the way before it shattered through the glass door.

Concentrate, Rileigh!

With a scream, I focused all my ki into the shield. It glowed a more solid shade of blue in response. I couldn’t let go until the explosion was over and my friends were safe.

Chunks of ceiling and bits of flaming rubber rained down around me. Through it all, I held on. My muscles burned and my arms trembled from exhaustion. I closed my eyes. The ceiling groaned and bits of drywall pelted my body. An electric charge—a warning—coursed down the length of my spine, alerting me I had only seconds before the ceiling gave in.

Arms slipped around me and hoisted me up. With my concentration broken, the shield evaporated. I opened my eyes to find myself in Kim’s arms, being carried through the lobby as it collapsed around us. Too weak to fight, I held onto his neck to keep from being jostled as he ducked and dodged over burning debris.

How could he do it? How could he tell me he was marrying another girl one minute, and run into a flaming building to save me the next? Did he actually love her? Had he really ever loved me? Was I nothing more than a rebound girl for his murdered betrothed?

Something whined and I looked up in time to watch another beam fall—seemingly in slow motion—directly above us.

“Kim!” I shouted.

He ran faster.

But I knew it wouldn’t be fast enough. Gathering the last of my strength, I held up a hand and released what little ki I had remaining and prayed it would be enough.

The beam shuddered in the air, as if caught by an invisible net. The force of holding back so much weight cut into my body like razor blades. I screamed.

“We’re almost there,” Kim shouted back.

The beam dropped a few feet and stopped. I couldn’t hold it much longer. Darkness seeped into the edges of my vision. I’d lost too much ki and was going to pass out.
Son of hibachi.
I could feel the cottony thickness of unconsciousness press inside my head, making my thoughts thick and slow. When I spoke my voice sounded far away. “Kim … I can’t … ”

But I didn’t get to finish. Even in my semiconscious state, I could hear the crash of the beam and feel myself being thrown from Kim’s arms.

But instead of hitting the ground, I fell into darkness.

23

Japan, 1492

S
enshi looked at the dead man on the floor and pressed her palm to her nose. The smell of decay made her stomach clench and she struggled not to vomit. How long had he been dead? From the smell of him, she guessed at least a week.

“Are you all right?” Yoshido’s lips twitched as he fought to keep from laughing.

Senshi drew her shoulders back and dropped her hand from her nose. She could do this. She had to do this. Tilting her chin up, she stared Yoshido in the eyes. “I can do this. The corpse smells no worse than Zeami.”

Yoshido chuckled. “Right.” He turned to leave but hesitated in the doorway. His eyes darted between her and the corpse. “I could stay if you like. I would not tell the others.”

Senshi knew he’d only said it to be kind, but his words cut into her skin like needles. “How many of the other samurai have you offered to stay with when it was their turn to sleep with the dead?”

His eyes dropped to the floor. “None.”

“So why offer to stay with me? Do you think I will not be able to handle it? That I will be reduced to tears moments after you leave me?

“No!” His eyes widened. “It is just—”

“That I am a girl?” Senshi offered. “That I am smaller and weaker than the rest of my samurai brethren and therefore need to be coddled?”

Yoshido opened his mouth, closed it, and then laughed. “Of course I don’t think that. You are one of the fiercest fighters I know. Have you considered that maybe it was I who longed for company?”

She made a face. He could say whatever he wanted to spare her feelings, but she knew better. As the only girl in a clan full of boys and men, she had to fight double to earn their respect—which wasn’t much. Tonight she faced another test in her path to become a samurai. Tonight she would prove she did not fear death or the dead by spending the night with a corpse. She didn’t need Yoshido messing it up by treating her like a baby. She would prove to them she was worthy of becoming a samurai. “If you are so lonely, go to the pleasure district. I am sure you would find suitable company there.”

Yoshido blinked before a smile crept onto his face. “Perhaps I will.”

“Good.” But as soon as she said it, Senshi had the awful mental image of Yoshido in the arms of a courtesan, which caused something to shift uncomfortably in her chest. When she spoke, her words caught in her throat. “Now go.”

Yoshido raised his hands in surrender. “As you please.” He bowed, his long black hair sliding across his shoulders like the folds of a silk kimono. When he straightened, he smiled at her, sending an odd mixture of sparks and chills down her spine. Strange.

Senshi watched him back out of the room. After he slid the rice paper door shut, she released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Ancestors help her, he was infuriating.

She sank to the floor and crossed her legs. The sooner she fell asleep, the sooner she’d wake up and this night would be over. She cast a look over at her companion, a lifeless middle-aged man with a long black beard that reached the middle of his bare chest. Death had turned his skin the same gray color as the skin of an onion. Aside from his smell, Senshi was pleased the corpse didn’t bother her. This was going to be an easy test. She eased herself to the ground, closed her eyes, and waited for sleep.

“
Senshi
.”

Senshi pushed off the floor and glanced around the room, searching for the source of the whisper. Her heart beat the pounding rhythm of a taiko war drum.

“
Seeeeeeenshi
.”

There it was again—her name—uttered in the faintest of whispers. Was the corpse speaking to her? She shook her head as if to dislodge the idea from her brain. That was impossible. But still, she eyed the dead body in front of her and took a cautious step back. “Who is there?” She was proud of herself for sounding more fearless than she felt.

“It is I,” the voice whispered back. “The ghost of the dead farmer Hotaka.”

She continued to stare at the unmoving corpse. Something strange was going on. The voice that spoke to her sounded muffled and far away, almost as if it came from outside the room. Senshi pivoted on her heel and that’s when she saw the shadow of a figure crouched outside of the door. The silhouette of a curtain of long hair gave away his identity.

Senshi pressed her hand to her lips to smother the laugh. She knew she should be furious with him for not leaving when she’d told him to. But as much as she tried to muster any anger, it simply wouldn’t come. “Why have you come for me, oh spirit of the farmer Hotaka?”

“To warn you,” the voice whispered through the walls.

“Why?” She grinned and settled back onto the ground. “Am I in danger?”

“No.” There was a pause. “You are the danger.”

Her? Dangerous? Senshi didn’t know what game Yoshido was playing, but she decided to play along to prolong his presence. “That does not sound good. Who am I a danger to?”

“There is a samurai. His name is Yoshido.”

“Ah yes.” Senshi inched closer to the silhouette on the other side of the wall. “The irksome one. I have heard of him.”

The voice sputtered a couple of times before continuing, making her laugh. “Yes, well, be cautious with him.”

“I thought you said I was the dangerous one?”

“You are,” he answered. “Be cautious of his heart. You hold it.”

Senshi’s breath quickened and, for reasons she didn’t understand, she trembled. Suddenly, this wasn’t the game she’d thought it was. “I-I-do not understand.”

The black outline of a hand appeared on the wall next to her face. When Yoshido spoke, he spoke clearly, no longer hiding his identity. “I love you, Senshi.”

The room tilted on its side. “Is this part of the test?” It had to be. There was no way someone as handsome, as kind, and as good as Yoshido could love a girl from the pleasure district.

He laughed. “That was not the reaction I was hoping for.”

She shook her head. “You know where I come from, Yoshido. You know what I was.”

“No.” Even from the other side of the rice paper wall, Senshi could see his muscles tense. “I know only what you are—a samurai.”

Her breath hitched in her throat as she slowly raised her hand. Yoshido truly loved her? How had she not noticed? It was true that during the last year she’d been consumed by her samurai training, desperate to prove herself as a capable warrior, lest Lord Toyotomi change his mind about her. And if she’d been naive enough to ignore Yoshido’s feelings, had she also been burying her own? “Why are you telling me this now?”

He shrugged. “I leave for a battle tomorrow. I might die. I thought you should know how I felt about you.”

She placed her hand on top of his. The heat from his skin seemed to melt through the paper into hers. So this was what love felt like? She smiled. Yoshido would go off to battle, but he would return. She had no doubt. He was the greatest warrior she’d ever met. But he also carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

She traced the outline of his shoulders with her free hand. “Lord Toyotomi told me I have great ki power.”

“I know,” Yoshido said.

“I am going to be a great samurai.”

“I know.”

She stopped tracing his shadow and placed her hand flat on the wall. Yoshido copied her movement so that his heat melted into both of her hands. She shivered. “Soon, I am going to fight in great battles.”

“I know.”

Senshi thought back to the first time she’d seen Yoshido, the grief-stricken warrior under the cherry trees. She knew Yoshido had been betrothed to another woman. And that his guilt over her death nearly killed him. She wouldn’t give her heart to a man haunted by another woman’s ghost. She lifted her chin and steeled herself for the words she was about to say.

“So if I am going to love you, Yoshido, I am going to love you greater than any woman has ever loved a man. And you, in turn, will love me just as much.”

There was nothing but silence from the other side of the wall. Senshi had a brief paralyzing moment where she wondered if she’d demanded too much of him. But even as the thought crossed her mind, the silhouette of Yoshido’s face darkened as he brought it so close to the wall Senshi wondered if she might feel his breath through the paper.

“I know.”