The Flood Dragon's Sacrifice Read online

  Return the Tide Jewels to the sea.

  He saw Kai glance up. A look passed between them, an unspoken understanding. Hotaru must have sensed his approach for he suddenly turned, and in that moment Masao saw the Tide Jewels tightly clutched, one in each hand. The very sight of that handsome, bespectacled, impassive face ignited all his pent-up fury.

  You’re the one who did all this. The one who set clan against clan. The one who caused this flood.

  Hotaru had no time to pull out one of his paper charms to defend himself. Head raised, all his attention was focused on Masao. And in that moment, Kai launched himself forward, hurling himself against the prince with all his strength.

  Hotaru swayed on the edge, then lost his balance, and fell into the sea.

  ***

  “What have you done?” Ayaka cried, as she saw Kai push Hotaru into the water. Had Lord Kaito lost his mind? To try to assassinate one of the imperial family was punishable by death. “Reika – help the prince!”

  “No.” Kai held her back. “Wait.”

  The sea had begun to fizz and bubble. One hand appeared above the waves. It was empty. Hotaru was struggling to keep his head above water when suddenly two dazzling fountains of light burst from the grey waves, one silvered white, the other glittering sapphire-blue. Ayaka covered her eyes, almost blinded by the radiance. The twin columns climbed higher still, giving off a spray of crystalline drops, light and water mingling together, cascading down over sea and shore.

  “Reika, look – it’s so pretty,” she said wonderingly, staring out between her fingers.

  But where is Hotaru?

  ***

  “Are you all right, Lord Kaito?”

  Kai looked up and saw Masao beside him, the feathered mottling of the Kite Shadow fading from his skin as the shimmering waterfall of blue and silver rained down on them.

  “Did we do it?” he asked shakily. He felt Masao’s hand on his shoulder, steadying him.

  “You did it, my lord.”

  “But has it worked?” Kai raised his left wrist; the Flood Dragon emblem was still visible.

  Masao held out his left wrist too. Kai stared at him, shocked. “You, Lord Masao? But I thought that Naoki…”

  “Naoki passed his burden on to me last night,” Masao said. Kai heard the uncomprehending hurt of betrayal in his voice.

  “Hotaru!” Ayaka began to crawl across the strip of beach. Hotaru’s head broke the surface; coughing and spluttering, he slowly began to pull himself onto the sand. Reika hurried over to help him; together, the two girls labored to drag him out of the water.

  “He’s still alive,” said Masao with undisguised regret.

  “But where are Flood and Ebb?” Kai tried to look beyond the glittering veil of still-falling drops. “Is the bond broken? Have they been set free?”

  “No; I can still see them.” Masao pointed out to sea. The Tide Dragons were no longer confronting each other but swimming slowly back toward them, side by side.

  ***

  Flood raised his head, shaking the water from his long whiskers. He looked directly at Kai. Pierced to the core by the dragon’s stare, Kai began to realize that Flood’s eyes might be the last thing he ever saw.

  My life can’t end here. There’s Sakami…I have to see Sakami again. I can’t die without seeing her…

  “Why isn’t the Sacrifice seal broken, Flood?” Kai cried. “The Tide Jewels have been returned to the sea. Have I failed? What’s gone wrong?”

  Ebb approached the strip of shore, a little behind Flood, and gazed intently at Masao; the two girls clutched each other as the two dragons lowered their horned heads. Were they bowing in obeisance to Prince Hotaru? Or were they about to attack? Masao gripped Kai’s shoulder tighter but stood his ground. And still the silvered rain fell over the shore and sea, shot through with shimmers of blue and green, like iridescent scales.

  “What…” Hotaru tried to get to his knees but fell back. “What have you done?”

  Yet the radiance seemed to be growing in intensity, not fading away.

  “My lady?” Kai heard Reika call out and, turning around, saw that Ayaka’s body had begun to glimmer, as if light were emanating from deep within her. She rose, as if some force other than her own were animating her, and began to glide toward the Tide Dragons.

  “Lord Kurozuro,” she said, “Lord Akatobi, you have been set free.”

  Time slowed to a standstill. Flood’s mortal form rose up out of the Tide Dragon’s body, moving straight toward Kai, his sea-blue hair streaming about him like a waterfall. And on Flood’s naked breast, over his heart, Kai saw a Flood Dragon tattoo glowing, the exact mirror image of his own. At the same moment, Kai saw a tall, white-haired man leave Ebb’s body, and make straight for Masao.

  Ayaka turned around. He recognized Inari’s radiance shining through the young woman’s features, as she bowed her head to him. “Look, Kaito. The rain is extinguishing the fire.”

  Kai looked. It was true. The orange glare that had colored the sky had gone and the air smelt clean and rain-washed as the drops continued to pour down. He felt the welcome torrent streaming down his face as he lifted his head to confront Lord Kurozuro. The seal on his wrist throbbed so violently that it felt as if the coiled, inked dragon was trying to burst out through his skin.

  Lord Kurozuro caught hold of his left wrist, pressing the Sacrifice seal against his breast so that the two emblems began to fuse together, giving off a dazzling flare of blue light. Kai cried out to Masao, but his voice was suddenly silenced. The coiled dragon emblems spun like stars before his eyes. He felt as though his whole being was being drawn into the spinning circle of blue flame. He tried to fight it but the pull was too powerful and he felt himself suddenly sucked into the whirlpool of light.

  “Himiko,” he heard Lord Kurozuro say – but the voice was his own, even though the will behind it was not.

  “What will become of us, Himiko,” Lord Akatobi was speaking through Masao; Kai saw that the Kite’s eyes were lit with a sea-green glimmer, “now that we’re no longer bound to the Tide Jewels?”

  “You must call me Inari now,” she said. And, to Kai’s surprise, she went up to Masao and kissed him. “Can you forgive me, Shiohiru?” she asked. “I treated you so badly.”

  “So many years have passed,” Lord Akatobi replied, although his words were deep-tinged with regret, “that I’ve come to understand that your heart was never truly mine. Even when we were together, you were always thinking of him.” He took her hand in his and placed it in Kai’s.

  “Shiomitsu,” she said and she raised her other hand to stroke his cheek, “it’s time to begin anew. To put what’s happened behind us. Can you forgive me too?” And she leaned in to kiss him, her lips so warm and soft that he felt as if he were melting into the spinning circle of flame that surrounded them.

  “Kaito…”

  The last thing he heard was a girl’s voice calling out his name as the blue dazzle faded to grey and then to an infinity of white, as if his consciousness was gradually disintegrating and dispersing like flecks of sea foam.

  Chapter 46

  “What’s happening?” Ayaka, dazzled by the coruscating spiral of blue light, could just make out Kaito’s figure silhouetted against the brightness. As the brightness began to fade, she realized that she was holding his hand. “Why am I – are you – ” She let go and took a step backward. Her mind was filled with confusing, conflicting emotions. But Lord Kaito was standing very still, his head lowered, and did not respond; the Kite shinobi who had appeared so suddenly was also standing motionless. As for the Tide Dragons, they were nowhere to be seen.

  “They’ve gone,” Ayaka said. Suddenly she felt cold and empty and she sank to her knees on the wet sand. Reika put her arms around her.

  “Lord Kaito, Lord Masao,” said a voice she knew well, “you have committed a very grave crime against the imperial house.” Prince Hotaru, soaked to the skin, his spectacles gone and his hair hanging wet and lank about his
shoulders like strands of seaweed, was staring accusingly at the two motionless figures.

  At last Lord Kaito raised his head to stare back at the prince. Ayaka, astonished, saw a glimmer of blue in his dark eyes. Something is very different about him. Not just his eyes. Something feels very…familiar. And yet I’ve only just met him. How can that be? And then she remembered that Lord Kaito and the one Hotaru had called Lord Masao had attacked the prince, trying to drown him.

  “The Tide Jewels are gone,” Hotaru said. “You betrayed the Black Cranes’ vow to the emperor. You’ve brought dishonor on your clan.”

  “Oh, I don’t think the Tide Jewels are gone. See – the seal hasn’t disappeared.” Lord Kaito slowly lifted his wrist to show the prince; Masao did the same. “But they’re no longer here in the form that we knew them.”

  “What do you mean?” Hotaru’s words were so quiet that Ayaka could hardly hear him.

  “Your highness! Are you all right?” Voices rang out, hailing the prince; looking around, Ayaka saw that Hotaru’s bodyguards were wading out toward them through the ebbing tide.

  “Kaito,” said Hotaru under his breath, “this matter isn’t over. You will give me an answer – or I’ll force it out of you.”

  Ayaka saw Lord Kaito glance at Lord Masao; only then did she notice that the Kite shinobi’s eyes had also changed, giving off the faintest glimmer of green. But at that moment the first of the guards reached them, hurrying to surround the prince. Others in the Imperial Guard went splashing past them, making for the rocky spar which had begun to protrude through the ebbing tide.

  “You saved us from the flood, your highness,” said one of the guards, wrapping his own jacket around the prince. “You must be cold. Let’s get you safely to dry land.”

  Ayaka’s teeth had begun to chatter uncontrollably.

  “Please take care of Lady Ayaka first,” said Hotaru. “She’s been through a terrible ordeal.”

  He’s thought of my needs before his own. Ayaka looked at the prince gratefully as another of his guards put his jacket about her shoulders.

  “And arrest these two men.” Hotaru’s voice hardened as he pointed at Lord Kaito and Lord Masao. “I want them charged with treason.”

  ***

  “Wake up, Yūgiri.” Naoki slapped the shaman’s face. “We can’t stay here. We’re Kites. If I’m recognized…”

  Yūgiri let out a faint sigh but did not open his eyes.

  “Am I going to have to carry you?” Yet before Naoki could hoist Yūgiri’s arm over his shoulder, a commotion broke out nearby. Turning, he saw Emperor Suzaku tottering back beneath the sea gate, assisted by two of his retainers; the emperor had lost his ceremonial hat and his fine robes were stained with seawater and mud. But most astonishing was the chorus of hostile shouts that greeted him; worshippers clustered around, shaking their fists and hurling insults.

  The raised voices must have penetrated Yūgiri’s trance for he stirred and half opened his eyes, gazing dazedly up at Naoki.

  “At last,” Naoki said, unsure whether he felt more irritated or relieved. “Can you walk?”

  ***

  Masao’s mind was filled with the echoes of another life; he could still sense traces of Lord Akatobi’s presence, like a ghost haunting the innermost recesses of his consciousness. Disorientated, unsure even of his own identity, he was slow to react to the changing events around him, so that when Hotaru’s guards began to wade out toward them, he didn’t immediately react to the danger.

  “You will give me an answer – or I’ll force it out of you.” It wasn’t until he heard Prince Hotaru threatening Lord Kaito that he fully awoke.

  We have to get out of here.

  Lord Kaito was looking at him. At first all he saw was the sea-blue shimmer of his eyes. And then he understood that he was expecting him to use his Shadow skill to carry them to shore. More guards were following. No time to think. Just do it.

  He pressed his hands together, murmuring the words of summoning beneath his breath. “Wind of the Seven Stars…”

  But nothing happened.

  He felt no rush of shadow energy coursing through his body. Have I exhausted my strength? He tried again. Again, nothing. He began to panic. Hotaru’s bodyguard had already reached their master. He cast a desperate look toward Lord Kaito.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “My Kite Shadow. It’s…it’s gone. I can’t summon it.” The more he tried, the more he sensed its absence.

  “And arrest these two men.” Prince Hotaru’s command cut across his desperate attempts. “I want them charged with treason.”

  He glanced up to see that the bodyguards had surrounded them. There was nowhere to run to. Two seized Lord Kaito; the other two caught him by the arms, forcing him to his knees.

  “Where shall we take them, your highness?”

  “To the imperial capital, under armed guard.” Hotaru gazed steadily at them. “And make sure you shackle them securely, especially Lord Masao; he’ll use all his shinobi skills to try to get away.”

  ***

  “Ayaka!” Princess Omiya’s wail pierced Ayaka’s ears. Her mother came running up to her and hugged her tight. “I thought you’d drowned! I’ve been absolutely distraught with worry.”

  “I’m all right, Mother.” Ayaka could feel her mother’s sobs as she hugged her back; it felt strange to be the one doing the comforting.

  “You’re soaked to the skin. You must get out of these wet clothes straight away – or you’ll fall sick.”

  “Don’t forget Reika.” Ayaka smiled gratefully at her maid over her mother’s shoulder. And Lord Kaito…

  “You both need tea. Hot tea. Or soup. Broth might be best…” The princess had begun to babble when a sudden burst of cheering arose from the people gathered around the sea gate. Ayaka looked around to see Prince Hotaru waving to acknowledge their fervent welcome as he re-entered the monastery grounds, escorted by his bodyguards.

  “Bring dry clothes for the prince!”

  Hotaru, surrounded by his enthusiastic supporters, reached the smoldering ruins of the Tide Dragon temple and stopped to gaze at the devastation. “This is a tragedy,” he said, shaking his head. “I pray that no one lost their life trying to extinguish the flames. We must rebuild the temple as soon as possible – and I will give money from my own purse to fund the work.”

  “Such a generous offer,” Princess Omiya murmured.

  “It seems there was one casualty.” Abbot Genko approached the prince. “We found the body of Captain Kakumyo close by. It’s not yet clear how he died…but there are scorch marks on his robes, so we can only conclude that he was fatally injured trying to extinguish the fire.”

  “Captain Kakumyo is dead?” Ayaka heard the emperor’s shocked tones and, turning, saw his imperial majesty approaching. But to her astonishment, instead of bowing low before him, the crowd began to boo loudly as he passed among them.

  “This is unforgivable,” said Princess Omiya.

  “How dare you greet your emperor so rudely?” Lord Kiyomori hurried to Suzaku’s side. “Imperial guards: punish these insolent dogs.”

  “Our emperor?” Another minister pushed his way through the crowd; Ayaka recognized her father’s voice. “This man has shown that he is no longer worthy to call himself emperor of Cipangu. He failed to summon the Tide Dragons.”

  “But to openly insult the head of the imperial family –”

  “No, Lord Kiyomori.” Emperor Suzaku held up one hand. “I know what I must do. It’s obvious that the gods have withdrawn their favor from me today.” Everyone fell silent, even Princess Omiya. “I cannot continue to serve Cipangu as emperor; I must relinquish that role to the one who can still command the gods of the sea.” He turned his head slowly to look at his brother. “Hotaru, you must succeed me as emperor.”

  Prince Hotaru bowed his head. “That is too great an honor for me,” he said quietly.

  Ayaka held her breath. He’s not going to refuse, is he? She was so concerned
for Hotaru that she had forgotten how cold and wet she was.

  Captain Nakakuni took a step forward and knelt before the prince. “On behalf of the imperial guard, your highness, we beg you to accept.”

  “But what will become of you, brother?” Hotaru raised his head and gazed at Suzaku.

  “I believe it is customary in these circumstances to go into exile,” said Suzaku with a slight, resigned smile. “Is that not so, Lord Nagamoto?”

  Ayaka’s father nodded. “Or to retire to a monastery, like your great-grandfather, imperial majesty.”

  “We feel it is not yet time to embark on a life of contemplation,” Suzaku said, and Ayaka heard a wistful note in his words. “Though as we grow older, that may well be a suitable way to end our days.”

  “If I am to succeed my brother on the Phoenix Throne, then let me give these to you for safekeeping, Abbot, as my first act as emperor-elect.” And Ayaka saw Hotaru reach inside the wet sleeves of his ceremonial robes and draw out – to her astonishment – the Tide Jewels.

  But I thought he lost hold of them when Lord Kaito pushed him into the sea.

  The abbot bowed reverently as he took the two jewels from the prince’s hands.

  And then Captain Nakakuni cried out, “Hail to our new emperor: Emperor Hotaru!” All around, everyone in the crowd knelt down; Ayaka felt her mother tugging her onto her knees and she found herself on the muddy ground, paying her respects to Hotaru.

  Chapter 47

  “Hail to our new emperor: Emperor Hotaru!” Naoki heard the cheers rising from the crowd and felt a deep sigh of satisfaction, mingled with relief, escape. At last. The tension of the past days had been weighing heavily on him, but he felt it all melt away.

  “You hear that, Yūgiri?” he said to the shaman who sat beside him, barely conscious. “We’ve won. Our days in exile are numbered. Soon Hotaru will revoke the order and restore our lands – and our clan honor.”

  “But what’s become of Masao?” Yūgiri muttered, not raising his pale head. “And Lord Kaito?”