Wet: Undercurrent (10 page)

“Hotsuma?”

“Your blood.” He kissed her shoulder again before sitting back and meeting her gaze. “The priest performed the binding spell just as he was paid to, but so many things interfered and warped the spell that the outcome wasn’t what he expected. For one thing, you didn’t die. You forcefully breaking the last of the barrier sent power into your body that you passed to Masato when you resuscitated him. You also passed it to me when we kissed. Couple that with your blood mixing in the water and Masato holding the chalice that originally bound me and…” He trailed off with a shrug. “It’s confusing and convoluted as hell, but the end result is me in Masato’s body. It turns out my power can be passed to another, but I have to come with it.”

“So you still have control of water?”

“You saw that for yourself already.”

“And you’re still an
ageman
?”

He nodded. “That’s the only reason the family isn’t trying to exorcise me and get Masato back. They aren’t sure we can be separated without destroying my power. Your blood did bind us, after all.”

“So the family knows who you are? But you said they call you Masato.”

“Yes, the family knows, and they have to call me Masato. It would look weird if they didn’t. They can call me whatever they want. I’m only concerned with what you call me.”

“Hotsuma!” Lulu threw her arms around his neck and held him tight. Happy tears coursed down her cheeks. “I thought you were locked away, that we would never see each other again.”

“I thought the same.” He squeezed her tight. “I’m sorry it took so long. The family had to come to terms with me as the new head. That involved a lot of flying back and forth from here to Japan. Once things settled, I came to get you.”

She leaned back. “Get me for what?”

“That depends on how you answer a simple question.”

Lulu held her breath.

“Were you setting me free so I could use my powers at Voda?”

That wasn’t what she had expected him to ask. “Huh?”

“I saw the emails, Lulu.”

“What emails? What are you talking about?”

“The emails between you and your boss while you were at Onsen.”

Lulu started to shake her head and then stopped as she realized what he was talking about. “I sent those emails before I even knew about you. Yeah, I went to Onsen to gather information, but I didn’t find anything worthwhile. I was enjoying my vacation when I stumbled across you.”

“You told your boss you found something weird and would report back.”

“Yeah, and if you noticed while rifling through my mail, I never emailed him after that.” She pulled out of his arms and fixed her blouse. The warm and fuzzy feelings of a moment ago had turned cold. “I can’t believe you would ask me that.”

“I can’t believe you think I wouldn’t. You suggested I go to Voda, Lulu. Onsen’s top rival. What am I supposed to think?”

“Yes, I work for Voda. Yes, I went to Onsen with ulterior motives. But those have nothing to do with why I invited you to move to Voda. And, if you remember, in that same conversation, I also told you to negotiate with Masato so you could remain free and stay at Onsen.”

Silence fell between them.

Lulu rubbed her shoulder when it started to ache. A constant reminder of everything that had happened. The flesh had healed but it felt like the pain would never go away.

Hotsuma said, “People have only ever wanted me for my powers, Lulu. How did you think I would view your invitation to Voda?”

She stared at him. “You’re really asking that? Seriously?” A humorless laugh left her mouth. “Oh, my God, I am such an idiot. I should have never said anything. I should have kept my mouth shut and minded my own damn business. Here I was thinking you wanted to be someplace with a lot of water, and Voda was the first place that came to mind since I work there. Why in my craziest imaginings would I ever believe you would want to be near me? What would be the point once you were free?”

“Lulu --”

“Stop the fucking car!” She had to push the talk button and repeat her demand so the driver could hear her.

The driver pulled over and Lulu jumped out, headed back toward Voda and her car. She’d been stupid to go with him. So Hotsuma was alive and free. Who cared? That had nothing to do with her. She’d played her part.

“Lulu, wait.” Hotsuma jogged after her.

When he caught her arm, she yanked free of his hold. “Drop dead.”

“We’ve already had this conversation.”

“Fine. Go fuck yourself. You can control water, which means you shouldn’t have any issues doing it. Have fun.” She started walking again but stopped and returned to Hotsuma so she could stab her finger against his chest. “You have some fucking nerve pissing and moaning about people using you. The last time I checked, you were the one using me. You sought me out. You dragged me back. I didn’t know you from a leaky faucet, and suddenly I became your best fucking friend when you found out I could break that stupid barrier.”

She turned away and started walking again before Hotsuma could see her crying. Until she said it aloud, she had denied that their relationship had been about anything other than what she could do for him -- break him out of prison, get him laid after a few centuries without, even get him a shiny new body… well, shiny, slightly used body.

How had their happy reunion become this?

Tears blinded her, and she had to stop walking before she tripped over something. It would ruin the effect of her storming off in righteous indignation if she fell. Standing a few feet away with her hands over her face and crying also ruined the effect but she didn’t care.

Hotsuma’s strong arms circled her from behind and pulled her back against his chest. “I’m sorry.”

“Fuck you.”

“I deserve that.”

“You deserve a swift kick in the nuts, now that you have them.”

He cleared his throat. “Okay. I deserve the feeling behind that if not the action itself.”

Despite her upset, a small laugh escaped her lips. “I’m pissed at you. Stop making me laugh.”

He loosened his hold and walked around to her front. Taking her hands in his, he met her gaze and gave her a small smile. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I dragged you into all this. I’m sorry for accusing you of using me. I’m very sorry you got shot. Most of all, I’m sorry for asking the wrong question when I should have been asking you to marry me.”

“I can’t.”

“Can’t? Not won’t? Why can’t you?”

“Your family told me to stay away from you.”

He made a thinking noise while he nodded. “Yes, there is that. However, they didn’t say anything about me staying away from you.”

“They won’t like it.”

“Ask me if I care. I’m through living my life for them. They have use of my power. That’s all they get. I have a life again, and I plan to live it with the woman I love.” He kissed her knuckles. “I do love you, Lulu. Say yes.”

“I still can’t.”

“Why not?”

She tried to hold onto her upset expression but her lips curved into a grin anyway. “I refuse to accept a marriage proposal that doesn’t come with a ring.”

“Easily satisfied.” He released her hands so he could pat his coat pockets and then pull out a small velvet box. “This is the other reason it took me so long to come get you.”

“What?”

He opened the box, revealing a large, black pearl set in a gold band shaped like curving bamboo. “The ocean is a vast space and it took me a while, even with my control of water, to locate the perfect black pearl that would complement my black pearl.”

“You remembered.” She’d told him the meaning of her name in passing to lighten the mood. Things had been so tense at that time that she’d doubted he even registered her words. The ring in front of her said otherwise.

How much did she love this man in that moment when he remembered such a minute detail as the meaning of her name?

“Everything about you is important to me, Lulu. Not because you set me free. Not because your powers gave me this body. You, Lulu Swade, are important, and I love you. Please say yes.” His earnest gaze, which had reverted back to brown, showed his sincerity. “I’ll beg if you want.” He went to one knee with the box held up to her. “Please.”

Another small left laugh left her lips. This one was more from nervousness than amusement. He was actually proposing. She was going to say yes. The pain she always felt wasn’t from her healed wound but the ache of being away from Hotsuma, of knowing he was trapped and she would never see him again. Her shoulder had stopped throbbing the second he said he loved her.

She reached for the ring but hesitated before she touched it. “No more barriers.”

“None.”

“No more priests.”

“Only at the wedding.”

“No more guns.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“No more using each other or accusing of using each other.”

“I promise, except for in the case of sex.” The serious tone he used to deliver those words made her laugh.

“Yes.”

Hotsuma stood slowly, his gaze questioning. “Yes?”

“Yes, Hotsuma Mizuno, formerly eleventh and now thirty-eighth head of the Mizuno family, I will marry you.”

His sudden hard hug startled the breath out of her. Lulu gasped and giggled as she returned the strength of his embrace and breathed in his scent. Musk minus the incense. So long as Hotsuma inhabited Masato’s body, Lulu would never smell the incense again. Hotsuma was free and they were together.

Whether as D. Reneé Bagby or Zenobia Renquist, Reneé lives in her imagination. When not traveling through her fantasy worlds, she can be found in Hawaii living with her husband and two cats.

She is an Air Force brat turned Air Force wife, which means she’s accustomed to travel and does it whenever possible (so long as she doesn’t have to fly). Her favorite pastime is torturing her characters on their way to happily-ever-after for the enjoyment of her readers.

On the few occasions her muse flees the scene of the crime, Reneé likes to read (comics, manga, and romance), go to the movies, play a few levels of whichever puzzle game has hijacked her interest or experiment with a new chain mail weave.

Visit her websites at http://dreneebagby.com and http://zenobiarenquist.com.