Katana (24 page)

“Kim!” I jerked my hands from his grip. “You’re not listening to me. You’re getting distracted.” And he wasn’t the only one.

He didn’t move. The heat between our bodies was inviting, like sitting next to a campfire on a cold night. But if I moved any closer, I knew I’d get burned.

“Someone is trying to kidnap me.” My voice was barely a whisper. “And the katana is gone.”

“One thing at a time.” He looked around the room and raised a curious eyebrow. “How did you get in here, anyway?”

“Do you have ADD?” I asked, stamping my foot. “With everything that’s happened, you’re worried about how I got in here?”

He folded his arms across his chest and waited.

I let out a cry of frustration. “Fine. If you must know, you forgot to lock the door.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Try again.”

Crap. Why did I have to be such a terrible liar? I sighed. “I don’t really know. Besides, it’s not important.”

“Actually, it’s
very
important.
You
opened the door.”

I laughed nervously. “Kim, how could I have done that? I don’t have a key.”

He stared without blinking. “You didn’t need a key, did you?”

I fought the urge to flinch under the weight of his gaze. Instead, I threw my shoulders back and lifted my chin. Locking my eyes with his, I said, “Nobody can open a door without a key.”

Kim smiled and straightened his stance, apparently not one to lose a staring contest.
“You
can.”

“No, I can’t.” I never considered brown eyes to be anything special, but then, I’d never before seen eyes the color of melted milk chocolate.

“Yes, you can. Senshi could manipulate ki.” Kim nodded his head once, as if that settled it.

I grunted and folded my arms. “Why can’t you ever explain things in a way that makes sense?”

The corner of his mouth twitched, but he managed to suppress the smile. “Ki manipulation is the ability to control the energy around you. You were quite good at it in the past, and now it appears you are awakening to it again. How long have you known you could do it?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. What was the point of arguing further? “A couple of days.” I eyed the ground as I spoke. “Totally by accident.”

He laughed. “I bet that was a surprise.”

I thought it over. “It was … painful.”

I looked up to see him staring at me with soft eyes. He nodded. “I remember, from the old life, when Senshi began training in ki manipulation. It was painful at first, when she was learning control.”

“How did she make the pain go away?”

“Our daimyo, Lord Toyotomi, was a great master in the art of manipulating ki. He taught you how to push and move it, without it pushing and moving you.” He didn’t seem to notice when he stopped using the name ‘Senshi,’ and I shifted uncomfortably.

“Right,” Kim said, waving his hand. as if pushing the past memory to the side. “If you would allow it, I’d like to get your hands taken care of.”

I shrugged. It wasn’t like I had anywhere better to be, or even a place to stay.

“Not to mention you’re bleeding all over my mats.”

I pulled my hands against my chest before the realization dawned on me. “Wait. Did you just make a joke?”

He shook his head, his face as straight as the lines on notebook paper. “No, these are really expensive mats.” Slowly, a wicked grin tugged his lips into an upside-down smile.

“No-nonsense Kim cracks jokes?” I threw my hands in the air. “It’s the end of the world!” There might just be hope for him after all, I thought.

He appeared pleased. “We can leave after I lock up.”

I froze. “Wait a minute—we’re going somewhere?”

“My apartment. It’s just around the corner. You can see the dojo from the kitchen window.”

I frowned and folded my arms. Alone in his apartment? I knew that wasn’t a good idea, but as I stood close to him, his warm scent and golden skin clouded my judgment and I struggled to think of the reasons why. I felt a danger around Kim that I didn’t feel around any other guy I’d ever dated, including Whitley. With my past relationships, I learned that most guys weren’t interested in anything deeper than finding out the color of my underwear. So I’d built a wall around myself and projected only the snarky, tough skater chick that everyone expected me to be. Unfortunately, when I was around Kim, I got the feeling he saw right through my crispy, flaky crust. I wondered if my dislike of Kim wasn’t because he was so arrogant and pushy, but because I knew he could hurt me.

Yes, alone with Kim was a dangerous place to be. Maybe I could find Devil-boy and challenge him to another street fight instead.

He sighed. “Rileigh, you have my word—I mean you no harm. I have bandages here, but your wounds require antiseptic. Allow me to treat them, and then I will find you safe lodging for the night.”

I stopped short. I knew I couldn’t possibly stay in my room until I’d put it back in order, but another thought occurred to me. “My mom’s at my house. What if the person coming after me tries again? I don’t want to put her in danger.”

Kim frowned. “Then you see why you can’t go home. She’s safer with you gone.”

Crap. He had a point. “I guess … ”

“Good.” He cut me off. “Then let’s get going.”

I followed him, but stopped short before walking into the lobby. “Wait!”

His shoulders slumped, as if bracing for another argument.

I crossed my arms. “How did you know I was here?”

“Truthfully … ” He appeared to search for the words as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “I’m not sure. I was sound asleep when a feeling of alarm woke me up. I don’t know how—but I knew something was happening at the dojo. When I looked out my window I saw a car in the parking lot. I walked over to find out what was going on, and I got attacked by some crazy person.”

I cocked my head. “So now you think I’m crazy?”

He laughed, and my body warmed like bathing in sunlight. “No more than I am, Rileigh. But how about a deal? Next time you want in, come get me. I’ve got a key.”

I turned away from him so he wouldn’t be able to see my cheeks burn.

He laughed again. “Let’s go.”

I followed him outside and around the building into the big grassy lot between his dojo and a small apartment complex. As we crossed the field, I admired the night. It amazed me how Kim and I were only separated by twenty miles, and yet his night sky was completely different than mine. My sky always looked like an out-of-focus photograph; the stars dull, like diamonds caked in grease. This sky was open, endless, the stars pulsing with life like lightning bugs lit on fire.

It wasn’t until Kim put his key into the door lock that I noticed we’d arrived at his apartment. That’s when my stomach sank to my knees. Just the other night I’d stood on my porch waiting for Whitley to kiss me. And now I was on a different doorstep, with a different guy and entirely different feelings.

Kim caught my hesitation. “What’s the matter?”

How could I begin to explain? Things were changing between us faster than I could figure them out. I felt overwhelmed, almost to the point of suffocation. I knew if I just moved closer to Kim, if I touched him, I would be able to breathe and the heaviness would subside. But that was wrong. That wasn’t me. I was independent. I didn’t need anyone, let alone ache to stand in their presence.

There had to be an explanation. Maybe the voice in my head was gaining more control over me, and like the overwhelming desire I had to fight Devil-boy, it was influencing my feelings toward Kim. But what if the longing to press myself against Kim’s chest and let his arms envelop me was my own? I couldn’t decide which scared me more.

Kim’s forehead knit into worried lines.

My pulse quickened. “You know, it’s late.” I held up my shredded hands. “This is no big deal, really. I’m sorry I woke you up and then attacked you. Really sorry. You don’t need to worry, though; I bet I can bunk with Q.” I turned from him before he had a chance to argue, but wound up almost bumping my forehead against his chest from the other side. Startled, I took several steps backward, which put me inside his living room. “How do you
do
that?” I demanded.

He frowned, ignoring my question. “Rileigh, you can go if you like, but I would feel much better if you’d let me dress your hands first. I have no other motive.” He held three fingers up and marked an invisible cross over his chest with the other. “Samurai honor.”

I tried to suppress a laugh, but failed. “Fine, but I’m just staying long enough for you to fix up my hands.”

“Deal.”

He moved past me and I followed him the rest of the way into his apartment, which, though small, made me feel like I was walking through an art gallery. The first thing I noticed was a colorful kimono, folded in half with the arms wide, laid out under glass and mounted against the wall over a plain brown sofa. Without invitation, I walked over to the kimono and placed my hand against the glass. I closed my eyes and could almost feel the lines of embroidery slide against my skin. I shivered.

Turning from the display, I examined the various Japanese prints that surrounded it. Large black brushstrokes portrayed majestic mountains overlooking a crystal lake. I could feel the crunch of rocks under my feet and hear the chiming melody of exotic birds. The next picture showed a peaceful creek twisting through a valley; the crash of rushing water sounded close enough to dive into.

The different noises collided inside my head, leaving me dizzy. The room swam in a mix of mountain breeze, rushing water, and chirping birds. My world tilted to one side and then the other. I reached out blindly for something to grasp, and Kim was suddenly there, cradling me in his arms.

“Rileigh?” His worried face loomed over me.

“Did you plan this?” I accused, at the same time willing myself not to throw up.

“I swear to you I did not.” His expression left no doubt.

I nodded and pushed myself out of his arms. “It’s a little intense here. Can we go somewhere … calmer?”

He led me by the hand toward the back of the small kitchen. As we drew closer to a rice paper screen, I could hear the screaming horses and samurai battle cries emanating from the war scene painted on it. The thundering of hooves grew so loud, I thought my head might burst. I squeezed my eyes shut and didn’t open them again until I felt the linoleum under my feet give way to carpet. The sounds of battle disappeared. I opened my eyes and a king-size bed lay before me. I turned to Kim, who had the decency to look embarrassed.

He gave my hand a tug. “It’s a small apartment,” he explained. “There’s only one bathroom and it’s in the bedroom.”

I started to follow him the rest of the way to the bathroom, but I caught sight of something that made me stop dead in my tracks. “What are those?” I gently pulled my hand out of his and walked to the foot of the bed. Mounted on the wall over the headboard, and crossed so they formed an “X,” were two of the most magnificent weapons I had ever seen. The first blade was a katana, but unlike any I had seen before. I clenched my hands into tight fists at my side, fighting the urge to touch it. The handle had been wrapped in gold thread, embedding a nickel-sized blue sapphire at the base. The second blade was identical, only larger. It appeared to be as long as I was tall, and then some.

Kim appeared at my side. “The larger blade is a nodachi.” He smiled, admiring the weapon along with me.

“Nodachi,” I whispered. The light filtering in through the thin screen reflected off of the blade, making it look like it was made from blue flames instead of steel. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yes.” He smiled. “It is.” He moved to the side of the bed and stared down the length of the sword. “It’s my favorite weapon. It was designed to kill the horses the enemies rode, but I found it more useful for beheading the riders when I fought from the ground.” His eyes were lost and I realized he was speaking to me from another place, if not another time.

I shivered, hoping that this artifact wouldn’t talk to me as the others had.

After a moment, Kim chuckled and shook his head. “Sorry. It looks like you’re not the only one getting swept away by the past.” He rubbed his hands together. “Let’s get you taken care of.”

I followed him into the small bathroom, which was as neat and tidy as the rest of the house. He closed the toilet lid and motioned for me to sit down.

While Kim rummaged through the small linen closet, I waited, sitting on the cool porcelain, staring at the crusty flakes of blood that had dried around my knuckles. Finally he emerged with peroxide, gauze, and medical tape in hand.

“I meant to ask you,” he said, kneeling in front of me and moistening a cotton ball with peroxide. “Before you tried to pummel me, why were you beating the snot out of my training bag?”

I smiled at his phrasing. “I’m not exactly sure. I was so worked up over everything that happened tonight. I thought I’d try to follow the guy who stole the katana, but he slipped away before I could get outside. I didn’t know what to do, so I started driving. I didn’t set out to go to the dojo.” I shrugged. “I just ended up there.”