Shinobi (A Katana Novel) (19 page)

I stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “I won’t let you. We lost each other in the last life—I won’t lose you in this one.”

His eyes softened. “Rileigh, I—” But before he could fin
ish, Sumi kicked my hand holding the katana. The sword sailed from my grasp and tumbled to the floor. With a gasp, I dove for it—but Sumi was faster.

With my sword clutched in her hands, she scrambled backward toward the door.

I took one of Kim’s katanas from him and pointed it at Sumi’s chest. “Do you honestly think you’re going to defeat the two of us?”

She licked her lips. “I don’t need to defeat you.” She lifted the sword and dug the sharpened edge against her own neck. “I just need to escape. And if you don’t let me go, I’ll slice your pretty little throat. Not only will Kim die, but you’ll lose your precious body—forever.”

29

Japan, 1492

C
hiyo ran her hand along the edge of a trunk her men
had
deposited inside her tent earlier in the evening. She
undid the latch and pulled open the lid. Several daggers waited inside. She smiled and withdrew a blade with a delicate gold handle. Tonight’s robbery had gone well. A few more like it, and she’d be set for life. Not too bad for a girl on her own.

She put the blade back when the candlelit silhouette of a man holding a sword passed outside her tent. With a gasp, she whirled around with her hand extended. Her men knew better than to sneak up on her unannounced and not expect death. But before she could release the electricity pulsing from her fingers, the man pushed open her tent flap and revealed himself.

Impossible.
Chiyo’s stomach clenched and her hand dropped to her side. “Yoshido?” What on earth was he doing, not only in her camp, but inside her tent? Unless … she snapped her mouth shut and grinned. “You have finally come for me! I knew you would not give up!” She ran to him with her arms extended.
Finally
she’d have the embrace she’d always dreamed of.

Before she could fall against his chest, he jerked out of reach. “Chiyo?”

She stopped and frowned. “Of course it is me. Who else did you expect to find?”

The look of surprise on his face gave her the answer—anyone
but
her. He shook his head, his eyes wide. “What are you doing here?”

“Obviously not being rescued,” she replied bitterly. She silently cursed herself for thinking he might actually be here for her. Would she never learn? She pressed her lips together and balled her fingers into fists. She thought she’d long ago squashed the part of her that wistfully longed for married life. She was a powerful kunoichi now. She needed no man.

But if that were true, why did her heart ache in the presence of this one?

“I do not understand,” Yoshido said. His gaze swept across her tent, lingering on the overflowing trunks of silks and weapons. “I was told you were dead.”

She lifted her chin. “You were lied to.”

His eyes returned to hers and he readjusted his grip on his sword. “Then show me the leader. I will kill him for you.”

She almost laughed. “Where were you two years ago?”

His brow furrowed in lines of confusion. “What do you mean?”

She turned to the nearest chest and sat on it. “You never came. You were my betrothed and you left me to suffer.”

He jerked back like he’d been struck.

“And not only that,” she continued, “but when I finally managed to escape on my own, I went looking for you. And I found that you had … already moved on.” She turned away so he wouldn’t see the hurt on her face.

“Oh, Chiyo.” He moved toward her, but she halted him with a glance.

“No, Yoshido.” Anger burned through her. “I have only ever wanted your love,” she spit, “
not
your pity.” She gestured at the crates and chests stacked around her tent. “Does it
look
like I suffer? I bet I have more wealth now than you could ever have offered me. Perhaps I am better off.” Even as she said the words, she knew it was a lie. She did suffer, especially now with him in front of her, reminding her of everything she couldn’t have.

His eyes widened. “
You
are the kunoichi?”

She smirked. “Do not look so surprised. I did what I had to do to survive. Did you think I was going to wait for you forever?”

Just then, a woman pushed aside Chiyo’s silk-covered doorway and stepped inside her tent. She wore the armor of a samurai and her withdrawn sword dripped with blood. A quiver of fear rolled down Chiyo’s spine. This woman reminded Chiyo of a tiger, in that she was beauty and death intertwined.

“Senshi,” Yoshido said, his voice thick with sorrow.

Of course.
Chiyo pressed her jaw together so hard it ached. As if it wasn’t enough for him to come here and open old wounds, he had to bring his harlot with him as well. Did he think she was stupid? That she didn’t know he hadn’t been true to his word? She glared at him. She wanted to hear him say the words out loud, to admit his wrongdoing. He owed her that. “Who is that?”

His eyes narrowed in warning. “She is none of your concern.”

This time Chiyo did laugh. She should have known he was not man enough to admit it. “Some samurai you are—making promises you never intended to keep.”

“That is a lie!” His eyes blazed in anger. “Look at you! Look at what you have become. I only had one betrothed, and she was killed by bandits. You
are
a bandit.” He turned and looked at the woman beside him. “We are going.” He reached for her and the woman slipped her hand within his.

The second their fingers laced, Chiyo felt a rip through her heart. As much as she’d tried to convince herself she was better on her own, having Yoshido hold hands with another woman reminded her how much she’d been in love with him—and how much she still was.

He turned to leave and pain surged through her. Yoshido was a samurai—which meant he was bound by honor. Surely he would not forget his promise to her.

“Yoshido, no! You cannot leave me!” She tried so hard not to fall apart, but despite her best effort, tears streaked down her cheeks and she fell at his feet. She twisted her hands into his obi and tried to pull him away from the woman he held so tightly to. He had intended to marry her once. So how could he now dismiss her so casually? “You promised. You
owe
me.”

“My debt to you has been repaid tonight.” He tried to pull his obi out of her hands, but she only tightened her grip. His eyes narrowed. “Release me.”

Never.
As long as she had breath in her body, Chiyo would never let him go. He was her samurai.
Hers!
And he would be again. “How can you say that? You have repaid nothing!”

“You are wrong. On this night, I am walking away from you and allowing you to live. If you want to keep breathing, you will leave this area and never return.” He looked at the woman with him and gave a slight nod.

Before Chiyo could move, the woman sliced through Yoshio’s obi, barely missing Chiyo’s fingers. The two of them turned and walked from her tent, leaving her with only a fistful of silk.

No. She couldn’t lose him. Not again!
“This is not over!”
Chiyo shrieked after them. “Yoshido, you will be mine!” Sobs
ripped through her words. “You will be mine,” she moaned before collapsing onto the ground. She remained there, shaking and crying until the sound of someone clearing their throat made her jerk her head up.

The same samurai that Chiyo had shocked unconscious in Yoshido’s village stood before her. He smiled and extended his hand. “I believe I can help you with that.”

“What?” His words didn’t make sense. Why on earth
would he want to help her? Cautiously, she took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

“What if I told you I can solve both of your problems?” he asked. “I can get rid of the girl and deliver Yoshido to your door. All for a small payment, of course.”

Chiyo pulled her hand out of his grip and narrowed her eyes. She knew better than to trust someone so easily. “Who are you?”

The samurai laughed. “How rude of me!” He gave an exaggerated bow. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zeami.”

30

M
y breath caught inside my throat and I tightened my grip on the katana. “Sumi, if you don’t take that damned bracelet off, we’re going to be stuck like this.” My insides felt like they were being stretched like rubber bands. I knew we had minutes at most.

“Yeah?” She winced and dug the katana deeper into her neck with trembling hands. The trickle of blood widened to a stream. “Then you have to make a decision. What’s worse? Spending your life in my body with Kim or spending your life in my body without Kim?”

I licked my lips and tried to steady the blade in my trembling hands. Without any other options, what choice did I have?

Kim stepped forward.

Sumi raised her hand, halting him. “I wouldn’t.” Blood coated her fingers, shiny and slick. “I’ve got nothing to lose. So what do I care if your little girlfriend gets stuck in my body, huh? Kind of fitting.” She laughed. “You say you don’t want me. And yet, as long as you’re with her, you’ll be forced to look at my face for the rest of your life.”

Her words hit me like a shuriken to the chest. I knew Kim loathed Sumi as much as I did—if not more. Would he still be able to love me if every time he looked at me, he saw her face?

I looked to Kim for a plan, but the panic in his eyes showed me he didn’t have one. Dr. Wendell hadn’t moved in the last couple of minutes. And considering his eyeballs appeared to be on the verge of popping out, I sincerely doubted he was going to be any help.

“Do we have an understanding?” Sumi took another step back. “I’m going to leave, and I don’t want to be followed. If I am, I will end this body.”

A bitter taste burned my throat. If I was going to be stuck inside this body forever, I’d want Kim alive—even if he couldn’t stand to look at me.

Kim pressed his lips together. A hundred emotions passed through his eyes. Still, he said nothing.

The decision was mine.

I lowered the katana to my side. “Leave,” I growled.

“Rileigh—” Dr. Wendell began.

“No,” Kim interrupted. “She’s right. We have no choice.”

Sumi smiled. “We have an agreement then.”

I stared at her a moment, trying to commit my own face to memory, knowing it might be the last time I ever saw it. How do you say goodbye to yourself? Finally, I gave a curt nod. “Whatever. Just get the hell out of here. Nobody wants to see you again, anyway.”

Her eyes flicked to Kim’s, and when he made no move to argue, her lips twitched. “You won’t.” She spun around and pulled open the break room door.

Quentin waited on the other side.

“What the—” Sumi stumbled backward.

He caught the swinging door with his hand and stepped after her.

For one horrible second, I was sure Whitley still inhabited my best friend’s body. But then he smiled—a look that was all Q. “Hello again.” He rolled up his sleeves. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you.”

“No.” Sumi shook her head as she continued her backward retreat. “How did you regain consciousness so quickly?”

He shrugged, his grin widening. “I guess you can say it takes a lot to keep me down.”

She raised the katana in front of her, pointing the tip at Q. “I’m warning you. Stay away from me.”

“Oh, I will—right after I do this.” Before she could react, he spun around the extended blade and caught her wrist. A flash of light erupted beneath his fingers.

Sumi groaned, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She fell forward and Q caught her in his arms.

My own sword fell from my fingers as I struggled for breath. “Q! You’re really okay?”

“Yeah.” He grinned and lowered Sumi to the floor. “This is sure an improvement from the cell I’d been stuck in.” He laughed. “I guess Whitley’s in for a bad surprise, huh? Anyway, I’d hug you, but we don’t have time.” He lifted Sumi’s arm. “Who gets the honors?”

“Allow me.” Kim stepped forward and slid his sword beneath the bracelet. He jerked up and the bracelet fell to the ground in pieces.

The stretching feeling inside me ceased.

Kim, Q, and Dr. Wendell all turned to me at once.

“How do you feel?” Kim asked.

I shrugged. I sure didn’t feel any different. “Fine, I guess.” I looked at Quentin. “Am I supposed to feel fine?”

He frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t think we can compare our experiences. I’m a healer, after all. My transformation probably went a little easier because of it.”

“Right.” I fought off the wave of panic that rolled through me by concentrating on my fallen body. Q’s healing touch had done more than knock out Sumi. The cut on my body’s neck had already scabbed over, and the angry welt on my chin was nothing more than a blush of color. “So when is this going to happen? Shouldn’t I pass out or something? That’s what Whitley did after I cut his bracelet.”

Quentin nodded and chewed on his lip—a telltale sign he was hiding something from me.

Kim and Dr. Wendell exchanged uneasy glances.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Rileigh, I—” Q pressed a hand to his mouth as if unable to speak the words. But he didn’t have to. The expression on his face told me everything.

A ball of ice settled inside the pit of my stomach. “No,” I whispered. I reached for Kim, and he was instantly at my side. I wound my arm around his, hoping this touch would keep me from falling to pieces as the world crumbled around me.

“It’s not working, is it?” Dr. Wendell asked the question I knew was on all of our minds.

Quentin only shook his head.

A gasp ripped through my chest.

“Why isn’t it working?” Kim shouted, making me flinch. “Why isn’t she changing back?”

Q looked at me and sucked in a breath. “It’s not working,” he answered, “because we’re too late.”