Emperor of the Fireflies Read online

  “Then I need that sword. It must be close by. Close to the river. I must go –”

  “You’re emperor, or have you forgotten? You cannot go yourself.”

  He sank back, still dazed and nauseous from the violence of the sundered link.

  “It’s my only hope of binding and summoning Ebb. I need it now before the Autumn Moon Festival.”

  Once I have that sword, I’ll be able to summon Masao – Ebb – and bind him. And then no one, not even Lord Kiyomori, will be able to question my claim to the throne again.

  Chapter 48

  “Yū, Yū, what have you done?” Masao pulled him close, crushing him against him,

  “Go.” He heard Yūgiri grit the word out into his shoulder. “Take the sword and go.”

  “And leave you like this?” His own voice shook and he couldn’t control it; he was in shock, not knowing what to do, aware only that Yūgiri was in intense pain and that he needed to get help for him and fast. “Why?” He stroked the snowy hair, wishing he could will the pain away and repair the self-inflicted damage.

  “I – betrayed you.”

  “No, no, you didn’t. Hotaru is the only one to blame here.”

  “I. . .just wanted to see you. . . so badly.” Yūgiri murmured and then his head slumped against Masao’s shoulder.

  He gently laid the insensible Yūgiri down, shuddering as he saw the bloody mess oozing from his left socket. Then he picked up one of Kinkiyo’s hammers and began to strike the smith’s anvil as loudly as he could to summon help.

  “Intruders!” Shouts came from the smith’s house and lantern flames lit the dark bank as Kinkiyo, followed by Naoki and Raiko came running toward the forge.

  Masao went to the doorway. It was a calculated risk to reveal his presence to Naoki but his only certainty was that – even if Hotaru’s men arrived to arrest him – Shiohiru would call him back. His body would liquefy and they’d find themselves fruitlessly clutching at a stream of running water. But what would become of the sacred sword? Above all, it mustn’t fall into Hotaru’s hands. Shaken by Yūgiri’s desperate act, he was already blaming himself for not moving swiftly enough to stop him.

  “What are you doing in my forge?” The smith’s challenge, delivered as loud as a bellowing bull, would have terrified any opportunistic thief foolish enough to break in. He charged at Masao, brandishing a naginata.

  “It’s me, Kinkiyo.” Masao stepped into the light, hands raised.

  “Lord Masao?” Kinkiyo lowered the naginata. “What are you doing here?”

  “Yūgiri’s badly injured. He needs a surgeon. Fast.”

  Kinkiyo hurried inside and knelt down beside Yūgiri.

  “Masao?” Naoki, accompanied by Raiko carrying the lantern, stopped on the threshold, staring at him in disbelief. “What are you – how can you – ?”

  “Just see to Yū,” Masao said. He put one hand on Naoki’s shoulder as he passed him. “Take good care of him. And keep a watch over him at all times in case he tries to do it again.”

  “Wait.” Naoki grabbed him by the arm, holding him back. “You can’t suddenly show up out of nowhere and then just leave again. How did Yūgiri get in this state? You’re covered in blood. Are you hurt too?”

  “His blood.” Masao drew away from Naoki. And if you had never made that reckless pact with Hotaru, we’d none of us be in this bind, Nao. But there was no time for recriminations. “He tried to undo Hotaru’s enchantment. In the most brutal way possible. I was too slow to stop him.”

  Kinkiyo came toward the doorway, carrying Yūgiri in his arms.

  Naoki took one look and shuddered. “He did that to himself?”

  “I’ll send one of the apprentices for a surgeon.” Kinkiyo set out toward the house. “Light the way, Lord Raiko.”

  Masao heard Raiko’s choked reaction as the young retainer turned aside and retched.

  A sudden violent wind gusted overhead, hot and dry. Naoki gazed into the sky and then at Masao.

  “Kurika,” he said. The dark air trembled as if a storm was brewing.

  “Hotaru must have sent him.” Masao hurried back into the forge and took up the sacred sword, weighing it carefully. One moment ago he had been filled with anger at what Yūgiri had been driven to do to himself. As the air grew searingly hot, he felt that anger transmute into one single desire: to destroy Hotaru’s shikigami.

  “You’re going to take on Kurika?” Naoki followed him into the forge. “With just a katana? Have you lost your mind?”

  “This is no ordinary katana.” Masao pushed past him, scanning the night sky, bracing himself as he gripped the hilt. The tingle of energy flowing into his hand filled him with a wild sense of exhilaration.

  Foxfire-Fang. He raised his head as the black cloud came hurtling toward them out of the darkness, blotting out the stars. A gust of scorching breath singed the air.

  “Throw down your weapon, Ebb.” Eyes of flame challenged him from above; the beating of Kurika’s wings almost knocked him over but he stood his ground. “Or I’ll set everything alight.”

  “And burn down your master’s city? I think not.” Masao, feeling the creature’s hot breath on his skin, slashed the sword in a great arc toward Kurika. Little sparks of blue foxfire spun off the blade, forcing Kurika to swoop sideways to avoid it.

  He knows what this blade is. And he doesn’t like it. Emboldened, Masao lunged again, putting all his strength into the thrust. If only I could destroy him once and for all. . .

  “Die, Ebb.” Kurika spat out a gout of flame. Masao dodged to one side, recovering only to see that one of the shingles on the forge roof had caught alight.

  “Naoki!” he yelled. “Get out of there!” At the same moment, he felt the Sacrifice seal begin to throb. Ebb was calling him back.

  Can’t you wait for me just once, Shiohiru? Caught off-guard, he sensed the fire-dragon drop to hover right above him. Black-taloned claws made a vicious swipe, as if to sever the arm that held the sword clean from his body.

  In desperation he lunged with all his strength at Kurika. The sword tip sliced into scaled flesh and Masao felt a judder of energy shoot up his arm from the blade. A spurt of foxfire spattered the air.

  Kurika let out a hoarse, ear-searing scream. Masao fell back, dropping to one knee, sword still raised defensively, across his body, waiting for the next attack.

  But a strange, rasping sound had begun to issue from Kurika’s throat. “D-damn you, Ebb,” he whispered.

  It was only a glancing blow. Could it have. . . ?

  The black dragon suddenly swirled around in the air and sped away in the direction of the palace.

  “Fire!” Masao shouted, raising the alarm.

  Kinkiyo’s apprentices came out of the house, hurrying to fill buckets from the well to try to put out the burning shingles.

  Naoki ran over to Masao and held out his hand to pull him to his feet.

  “You drove him off.” Was that a hint of admiration in his voice? Was Naoki actually impressed?

  “But for how long? We can’t afford to relax our guard.” Masao staggered and then righted himself. The fight had taken the last of his energy and he felt suddenly spent. “Hide Yūgiri from Hotaru’s men.” He had never felt so torn as now. How could he leave Yūgiri to face the consequences of his desperate act of self-mutilation alone? “I have a feeling they’ll arrive soon. Don’t let them take him.” The seal throbbed more violently with every word he spoke. “There’s no point in lying to them about my being here. But just tell them that Ebb called me back. Nothing else.” He turned to show Naoki his shoulder where the Ebb seal was pulsing with green light.

  “The seal. Why is it on your shoulder?”

  Masao gave Naoki a grim smile as he felt the tug of the outgoing tide dragging him inexorably back toward the river. He dropped the sacred sword.

  “The more life energy we use, the closer it moves toward our hearts.”

  “And when it reaches the heart?” A girl’s voice, quiet, shocked, made
them look around to see Sakami gazing at them.

  Masao’s time on land had run out. He gave a curt, regretful shake of his head and dashed toward the bank, plunging into the fast-flowing water.

  ***

  Naoki could sense Sakami staring at him with a look that was both cool and reproachful.

  How much does she know about my part in this? It’s almost as if she –

  “Lord Masao said that Hotaru’s men are coming here,” she said, accusingly.

  “I won’t let them arrest Yūgiri, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Irritated that a mere shrine maiden should take such a haughty tone with him, he turned from her to go after Kinkiyo. “I’ll get the best surgeon in the city to stitch up his injury. And I’ll send to Akatobi for his father to come; he’s a master healer.” Although, even as he said the words, he realized that there was little that Yosanosuke Hisui would be able to do other than relieve the pain.

  Inside Kinkiyo’s house he found Beniko trying to staunch the bleeding from Yūgiri’s ruined eye socket, a bowl of clean well water already vividly reddened.

  Naoki looked down at Yūgiri. The healer’s right eye was also closed, tears still streaming from beneath the white-lashed lids in sympathy with the damaged left. His breathing was shallow, his fingers clenching and unclenching, driving his nails into his palms to stop himself from crying out.

  His face was so beautiful. Now it will always be marred by this terrible injury. Guilt overwhelmed him as he stood helplessly watching. He’s been carrying this burden alone since the festival. What finally made him break and take such drastic action?

  ***

  The instant Lord Naoki had gone, Honou came sauntering around the side of the forge.

  “You heard all that?” Sakami felt as if her fur was bristling with alarm.

  He nodded.

  “We have to hide the sacred sword and fast. We can’t leave it here if the emperor’s men are on their way. We have to take it to the Celestial Foxes at the shrine.”

  They retrieved the sword from where Masao had let it drop. Honou wrinkled his nose in disgust as Sakami wrapped it in its silk brocade covering, followed by a length of sacking to protect the blade.

  “Now what’s wrong?”

  “It stinks of the sea. Of Ebb.”

  Sakami aimed a slap at him which he dodged deftly. “And you should be grateful that it does. Lord Masao just saved our lives. Kurika was about to set the forge alight and us with it.”

  “But he’s no use to us now if Kurika comes back.” Honou gave another disdainful sniff. “Not until the tide turns again.”

  “Ah.” Sakami had forgotten this in her panic to protect the sword. “All the more reason to get going, then.”

  “And it’s not as if Lord Kaito would be much use with a sword either,” Honou added.

  Sakami clicked her tongue in disapproval at the jibe, even though she knew it was true. “Just go and see if the coast is clear.”

  “Lanterns,” Honou called softly.

  Men’s voices broke the silence of the night.

  “It must be the surgeon for Yūgiri-sensei.” Sakami gave a little shudder, the vivid memory of Yūgiri’s bloodied face making her feel queasy all over again. “If only I could call on Kai to heal him. . .”

  “They’ve gone into the house.” Honou beckoned to her and she lifted the sword, carrying it carefully with the wrapped blade resting flat on her outstretched forearms out into the darkness. Honou took one look at her and shook his head.

  “You’ll take all night to get there carrying it like that.”

  “It is a little unwieldy,” she admitted, although it hurt her pride that in her current weakened state, she was not strong enough to manage its weight.

  “Here.” He took it from her, casually slinging it over one shoulder like a wandering masterless samurai for hire. Clouds had covered the moon; with a careless flick, he flourished his spirit-tails, casting a pale glow of foxfire to light their way. A fitful wind had arisen, rustling the willow leaves. Sakami followed, constantly glancing around, possessed by the unsettling intimation that they were being watched.

  ***

  The current dragged Masao into the River Uji, propelling him onward through the muddy water toward the estuary as the tide receded. He braced himself for the inevitable sickening judder as the Sacrifice curse took over, sucking body and consciousness into Ebb’s powerful body and sending him far out to sea.

  He opened his eyes.

  He was lying, naked, on the estuary shore, staring up at the stars.

  “What’s happened?” He sat up, feeling his arms, his torso, his legs to check that he was whole and unharmed.

  But then he noticed a pale-haired figure, walking toward him across the wet sand from the receding glimmer of seawater, long locks floating around him as white as sea-bleached bone.

  “Prince Shiohiru?” Masao staggered to his feet. “But why – ?”

  The Tide Dragon raised one dripping hand and pointed at Masao’s left shoulder. Masao looked – and even in the uncertain starlight, he could see that the Sacrifice seal’s green gleam had disappeared. My heart. Fearing the worst, his hand moved automatically to his left breast.

  “Did I use up too much life energy?” He gazed down at himself, and a cold feeling of dread washed through him. “The seal’s vanished. Is this the end? Is it all over for me?”

  Emperor of the Fireflies

  Part III

  Chapter 49

  “Damn Ebb’s Sacrifice.” Kurika dropped to one knee before the emperor, clutching his arm. Black gouts of sizzling ichor dripped on to the tatami mats. His face was contorted, though whether with pain or fury, Hotaru could not be sure.

  “You attacked. Of course he retaliated.” Hotaru was almost beside himself with fury. “Now we’ve lost the chance to capture him. And he was so close. . .”

  “What makes you think you could hold him?” The shikigami’s words came out through gritted fangs. Whatever Masao had used to wound Kurika was powerful enough to have weakened him and reduced him to his mortal form. How had the Sacrifice acquired a weapon of such lethal magical potency? “Binding spells won’t work on Ebb. When the tide turns, the Tide Dragon Sacrifices have to go back to the sea. They melt into a puddle and flow away.”

  “What possessed you to take off like that? And to fire the forge? You could have set the whole city ablaze.” Hotaru was so furious that he had to stop to draw in a breath. “Had you forgotten that Kinkiyo has enough fire drug stored there to destroy a fortress?”

  “Don’t you understand, little emperor?” Kurika turned his head to snarl at him, a wounded beast lashing out at anyone rash enough to venture near. “That sword has been forged to defeat me. And if I’m defeated, who will there be to protect and defend you?”

  The wound, running from shoulder to elbow, was ink-black against the sheen of the shikigami’s dark skin, where Masao’s blade had slashed through dragon scales, infecting Kurika with its kitsune magic.

  The ancient power of earth to extinguish fire. . .

  Hotaru considered this for a moment and then strode into the antechamber, calling out to his servants.

  “I want to see General Nakakuni. Now!”

  ***

  If this is the end, then it’s too soon. Fury gripped Masao as he gazed up into Prince Shiohiru’s impassive face. How can I leave my life on land forever without knowing if Yū is going to be all right? Without holding him one more time and telling him how sorry I am for everything that’s happened?

  “No!” The cry tore from his throat, an anguished roar of defiance. “I’m not ready. I can’t come with you, Shiohiru. I refuse.”

  “Look again.” Ebb’s calm, deep voice penetrated his churning thoughts. Filmy clouds, which had been covering the moon, drifted away and in the wavering light, Masao saw that the Sacrifice seal had disappeared. Disbelieving, he began to check every part of his body for a trace of the sacred binding tattoo; there was none to be found.

&nb
sp; “Our contract is at an end.”

  The words that Masao had been dreaming of hearing for so long. And yet now that they had been spoken, he couldn’t quite believe they were true.

  “But how? Why?”

  “Sea and land can never be one. You bear the taint of a powerful fox spirit.”

  “A fox spirit?” And then Masao understood. “You mean Inari’s sacred sword? But all I did was to use it to drive off Kurika. . .”

  “And as you fought, the sword’s spirit melded itself with your mortal body. And as it’s a kitsune especially created by Inari herself, it’s a uniquely powerful force.”

  “Is it still possessing me?” The thought that he was still in the grip of that devilishly malicious and crafty warrior fox was not at all to Masao’s liking. I want to be rid of all these kami once and for all and just be myself again.

  “No, but it’s left traces of its earth magic throughout your body. To put it frankly: ‘You stink of fox.’”

  Masao laughed out loud. “So that’s what it took to set me free? A strong, rank odor of fox?” The laughter hurt his throat. And then the laughter would not stop, making his whole body convulse until he no longer knew if he was laughing or crying. He made an effort to control his emotions, sobered by a sudden realization. “But what about Kai? If he takes up Inari’s sacred sword against Kurika, will he be set free too?”

  “I can’t answer for my brother, Shiomitsu. But since the Tide Jewels were destroyed, there will be no more Sacrifices. The bond between the imperial house and the Lords of the Sea is coming to an end.” Shiohiru leaned forward, placing his hands on Masao’s shoulders, and briefly pressed his chill lips to his forehead. “This is our final farewell, Akatobi no Masao.”

  Masao gazed into the cloudy green of Ebb’s eyes, seeing there a glimpse of the eternal rise and fall of the tides that the kami protected and controlled.

  “Thank you,” he heard himself saying, his voice unsteady as he realized how much he owed Shiohiru. “You’ve protected me all this time. You could have ignored me. . .but you’ve done so much to help. I’m in your debt.”