Shinobi (A Katana Novel) (2 page)

2

W
hitley’s lips twisted into a smirk as he approached. “A little primitive, don’t you think? One of the world’s most fearsome samurai has been reduced to throwing rocks?”

“I make do with what I have.” I glanced behind me to make sure the other samurai hadn’t followed. Recently, Whitley and I had been forced to work together to take down a common enemy. But after we’d defeated Sumi, he’d disappeared and I’d thought that was the last I’d see of him. Clearly, I’d been mistaken because here he was, walking toward me. Each step closer made my stomach roll with dread.

The last thing I needed was for my friends to find Whitley here, considering he’d killed them all in a past life. A bloody parking lot murder was not the way I wanted to conclude my graduation. I couldn’t spot them through the throngs of people, but I had to get rid of Whitley before they came looking for me.

He smiled. “That’s what I like about you, you’re resourceful.”

“Want to know what I like about you?”

“Hmm?” He tilted his head to the side, shifting the hair draped over half his face so I could see the shiny, pink scars underneath.

“Your absence. The only reason I haven’t killed you is because you helped me get rid of Sumi. So you should probably leave before I change my mind.”

“So cocky.” He folded his arms across his chest. “How do you know I’m not letting you live for the very same reason?” He took a step closer.

My muscles reflexively tightened, readying for a fight. I shifted my weight to the balls of my feet.

Whitley must have caught the movement because he rolled his eyes. “Please. You think I’m here to kill you in front of all these people?”

“
Try
to kill me,” I corrected.

He made a face. “Whatever. Look, I didn’t come here to start a fight. Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, you and I make a pretty good team. I thought you might be interested in backing me up on my latest mission.”

Yeah.
This from a guy who’d tried to ritually sacrifice me before burning my house down a year ago. “What mission are you talking about?”

He grinned, obviously pleased by my interest. “Sumi.
Or as I knew her in the past, Chiyo Sasaki.”

I clenched my jaw at her name. Sumi, as it turned out,
had been the money and brains behind the attack on our village a lifetime ago—the attack that led to my death as well as the deaths of the rest of the samurai. In this life, she’d used her mind-control powers to manipulate the minds of Kim, Q, and the rest of the samurai. She’d also tried to block my ki powers. When Q tried to erase her memory so she’d no longer be a threat, she pushed Kim in front of her so his memory would be erased as well. Needless to say, I wasn’t her biggest fan. “Sumi doesn’t remember who she was. She’s harmless.”

“Is she?” Whitley raised an eyebrow. “Think about it, Rileigh. How much does anyone really know about the effects of Quentin’s mind-altering abilities?”

“Well … ” But my words trailed off. The truth was nobody truly knew for sure how Q’s abilities worked—including Q himself. I shrugged.

“Exactly.” The smile melted from his face. “Which is why I’m here. I don’t know about you, but I’d sleep a lot better knowing the one girl who wants us both dead, and actually has the power to do it, is out of the picture.”

“Out of the picture?” I folded my arms across my chest. “How much more out of the picture can she get?”

He leaned in. “How does six feet under the ground sound?”

I dropped my arms to my side. “You want to kill her.”

“I guess you really did earn that diploma.” The grin re-turned to his face. “I don’t care what everyone else says about you, I think there’s a brain inside that little blond head of yours. But right now, I’m more interested in the warrior than the brain.”

I regretted not throwing a bigger rock. “Are you out of your mind?”

“We worked so well together last time, and you have those nifty ki powers that make everything so much easier.”

I frowned. As a samurai, killing came second nature. But when we killed, it was justified. Going after a girl who could barely remember her name wasn’t honorable. It was like hunt
ing an animal with broken legs. Not to mention the fact that she claimed to be Kim’s soul mate. The world ran on balance. For every light, there was a dark. Sumi was Kim’s inyodo. In other words, his opposite. And if she died, the world would correct for the tip in balance. If we killed her, then Kim would die as well. And that was a risk I would never take. “I can’t help you.”

Whitley jerked back like I’d slapped him. “Are you kidding me? You’re pulling the samurai high-and-mighty card? Please. You know if she had her memories, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill you in your sleep.”

“I know.” I glanced behind my shoulder for any sign of my friends. It wouldn’t be long before they came looking for me, and I had to make sure Whitley was gone before they did. “But I’m not her.” And thank God for that. “I’m not going after someone who isn’t a threat—especially if it puts Kim’s life in danger.”

He stepped so close to me the spiciness of his cologne stung my nostrils. “You don’t know for sure she’s really Kim’s soul mate. Besides, if you believe that Sumi, even without her memories, isn’t a threat, you’re a bigger idiot than I thought.”

“Now hold on—”

He cut me off. “In case you’ve forgotten, she’s transcended. If she regains her memory, she’s going to have full use of her powers. Not only will she be able to manipulate minds again, but she’ll be able to do so much worse. Remember your Kentucky fried boyfriend?”

Bile burned the back of my throat as the memory of Yoshido resurfaced, his sightless eyes staring at me from where he lay sprawled on the ground. The smell of his burnt flesh was so vivid my stomach lurched. “I’d rather not. Thinking about that makes me regret not killing you when I had the chance.” I reflexively cracked my knuckles.

Whitley held his hands up. “Hey, I was only following orders, not to mention operating with
borrowed
power. And that’s Sumi’s thing. She likes to get other people to do her dirty work. If she gets her memories back, you won’t know who she’ll send after you or what kind of power they’ll be packing. I don’t know about you, but I kind of like to sleep at night.”

I relaxed my fingers. He had a point. But still, I couldn’t justify going after someone who was no longer a threat. “I sleep just fine at night. The Network has her under surveillance. If she awakens, trust me, I’ll be the first to know.”

He snorted. “Forgive me if I’m less than confident in the Network’s abilities. After all, they were all but useless in helping you when Sumi had her ninjas ambushing you at every turn.”

Another good point. Man, it was annoying how much sense he made today. A tingling sensation crawled along the back of my neck, alerting me that someone was headed our way. I glanced behind me and saw the bleached-blond tips of Q’s head as he wove through the crowd.
Son of hibachi.

I grabbed Whitley’s arm and yanked him behind a
nearby SUV. “You’ve got to go. If the other samurai see me talking to you, well, they’re going to be a lot less forgiving.”

“Rileigh?” Q yelled from the edge of the parking lot.

I motioned for Whitley to stand still and moved from behind the SUV. “Oh, hey, Q,” I called. “I just ran out here to grab my lip gloss.”

He frowned. “But you’re parked over there.” He pointed in the opposite direction.

“Huh. No wonder it’s taking me so long to find my car.”

He stared at me a long moment without saying anything. Finally, he nodded. “Okay. But hurry up. Your mom’s looking for you. She wants more pictures before we leave.”

Sure she did. Because the nine hundred she took during the ceremony weren’t enough. “All right. You go on ahead and tell her I’m coming. I’ll just be a minute.”

He hesitated, frowning, before finally turning around and making his way back into the crowd. Once he was out of sight, I released a long breath and ducked back behind the SUV. Whitley leaned against the hatch with an obnoxious smirk on his lips. I shoved him, more out of fun than necessity. “Okay. You have to go.
Now.
”

He stumbled and jerked out of reach before I could shove him again. “Fine. But I want you to consider something. For all we know, Sumi could be faking the amnesia—biding her time until she catches us off guard. Do you really want to give her the opportunity? I just thought if we worked together we’d have the upper hand.”

Faking her amnesia? A shudder rippled through me. It was a thought I hadn’t even considered. But even so, how would we know for sure? “Whitley, I—”

“No,” he interrupted. “Don’t answer me right now. Just …think about it.”

I bit my lip. What if Whitley was right and Sumi was biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment to attack? It was certainly a theory worth investigating.

Finally, I nodded. “Okay. I’ll think about it. But if it turns out she has her memories, we can’t kill her. I won’t risk Kim’s life. But maybe we could get the Network involved. Maybe we could lock her up for good.”

He grinned. “It’s a start.” He spun on his heels and walked away.

“Wait!”

He glanced at me over his shoulder.

“How will I get in contact with you?”

His grin widened. “Don’t you worry. I’ll be close by.” Without waiting for me to respond, he disappeared behind a row of cars. Even though he was out of sight, the sound of his chuckling lingered, giving me the impression I might have agreed to more than I’d bargained for.

3

Japan, 1491

C
hiyo sat silently as her friend Miku worked the bronze kanzashi into her hair.

“Tell me again, Chiyo,” Miku said excitedly as she arranged Chiyo’s hair. “How handsome is he?”

Chiyo grinned broadly and swiveled on her knees so she could face her friend. “Oh, Miku.” She grabbed Miku’s hands to stop her own from trembling. “He is surely the most hand
some of all samurai.” She giggled. “I was so scared when I
heard my father arranged my marriage to a warrior. I was certain I would be the wife of war-ravaged old man. But when I spied on him as he spoke to my father … ” She sighed happily. “I am sure he is descended from the Sun God himself.”

Miku quirked an eyebrow. “My, that is handsome! I cannot wait to see him.”

“You will not have to wait long.” Chiyo let go of Miku’s hands and tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear. “I overheard Father talking, and the wedding will be soon.” A rush of excitement rolled over her as she considered all the details to be planned. First, her wedding robe, then—

Miku’s squeal of delight interrupted her thoughts. “What is his name?”

“Yoshido,” Chiyo answered, relishing the taste of it on her tongue.

“What a strong name.” Miku sighed.

“It suits him well,” Chiyo agreed. “You should have seen his muscles.” Chiyo flexed her own small arms in imitation. “I bet he has the strength of six men—no! Ten!”

Miku laughed, and Chiyo grabbed her hands, pulling her forward until both girls collapsed onto the floor in a giggling heap. When their fit ceased, Miku rolled her head against the floor and looked at Chiyo. “How did you manage to spy on him?”

Chiyo idly flicked the dangling coral beads of the kanzashi. “I waited until the servant brought them their tea, and I snuck a glance.”

Miku gasped. “Did your father see?”

Chiyo made a face. “Of course not! He would be furious. But I think Yoshido saw me. I mean, he looked
directly
at me.”

“He saw you!” Miku squeaked. “What was his expression? Did he look madly in love?”

Chiyo swatted her friend. “Miku, honestly! How does one
look
in love? He looked like a warrior is supposed to look, I guess—very serious.”

“Maybe he did not want to alert your father you were there,” Miku offered, “so he could not stare at you longer.”

Chiyo laughed. “Yes, I suppose that must be it.” But she knew that wasn’t exactly true. Yoshido’s reaction at seeing her had been more than disappointing. Chiyo had smiled at him—but he’d only given her a polite nod in return before turning his attention back to her father. The memory burned through her and killed her laughter. No matter. Even if he hadn’t fallen in love with her at first sight, once they were married, Chiyo was sure she could make him love her. She’d stop at nothing until he did.

Miku shook her head. “I think you are the luckiest girl alive, Chiyo.” She sighed wistfully.

Chiyo nodded in agreement. She was to be the wife of a samurai. She’d never want for anything. And she’d have the respect of all. But there was one tiny downside. “Father said I must learn to defend myself.”

Miku rolled over and blinked at her. “What? Why?”

Chiyo shrugged. “Father said it is the duty of a samurai wife to defend their household. I’ll also be expected to kill myself should I be taken captive.” She shuddered at the
thought of plunging a dagger into her own stomach. “Can
you imagine anything so vile?”

“No,” Miku answered, her eyes wide. “Let us pray that never happens.”

“It will not. I am sure the training is more ceremonial than reality. I cannot imagine anything so horrible happening with such a strong warrior to protect me.”

The girls erupted into another fit of laughter.

From outside Chiyo’s window, a horse cried out, fol
lowed by the sound of shouting. The girls stopped giggling and quickly sat up. From the garden, more voices cried out.

“What do you suppose is going on?” Miku asked.

Before Chiyo could answer, her door slid open and one of her father’s servants rushed in the room. He closed the door, pressed a hand against his chest, and gulped for breath. “Bandits have breached our walls,” he said between gasps. “We must get you hidden. Immediately.”

Terror gripped Chiyo’s heart with icy fingers. “What do they want?”

“You. They must have heard of your arranged marriage and assumed they can get a ransom from your future husband.” The servant ran to the window and surveyed the gardens. He glanced at the girls a moment later. “We are going to have to leave through the window.”

Miku grabbed Chiyo and tried to pull her forward, but Chiyo dug her heels against the floor. “What about my father?”

The servant’s face crumpled, and Chiyo had her answer.

“No.” Chiyo placed her hands over her mouth. He
had
to have been mistaken. She’d find her father, and he’d be
okay—everything was going to be okay.

Outside the clashing sounds of metal mingled with battle cries.

“Chiyo, hurry!” Miku’s voice was tight with panic. She waved Chiyo over to the window. “We need to hide!”

Chiyo glanced at the door. Could she really leave her
father? What if he wasn’t dead—only hurt? What if he needed her to take care of him? How could she abandon him?

“Quickly!” the servant hissed.

Before Chiyo could move, the door to her room was
thrown open and two men entered. The men wore tattered clothing, their skin speckled with blood Chiyo was quite sure was not their own.

The shorter of the two men stepped forward with a katana drawn. He smiled, revealing a mouth of crooked, yellow teeth. “Which one of you is Chiyo?” he asked.

A scream bubbled up Chiyo’s throat. But before it could escape, Miku’s hand tightened around Chiyo’s wrist in a vise-like grip, a warning to remain silent.

“No!” The servant ran in front of the girls and drew a small blade from his obi. “You cannot have her. I will die first.”

The bandit shrugged. “I am happy to fulfill your request.” Before the servant could move, the bandit lunged forward and drove his blade through the man’s chest.

Chiyo and Miku both screamed as the servant fell to the floor. He blinked lazily at the ceiling and drew in one long, ragged gasp before growing still. Blood pooled beneath him like a rising tide.

The bandit shook his blood-stained sword, spotting the floor in dots of crimson. He raised an eyebrow at the girls. “Let us try this again. Which one of you is Chiyo Sasaki?”

The second bandit pulled an arrow from his quiver and drew it in his bow. He aimed the gleaming tip at the girls. “Answer carefully.”

Chiyo’s heart thundered inside her head. Beside her,
Miku whimpered. This couldn’t be happening. She was only weeks away from having the life she’d always dreamed about. But now, all around her the pieces of her perfect life shattered like porcelain.

Chiyo glanced at her best friend. Miku stood beside her, pale and trembling in terror. Chiyo knew there was no escape for herself. And since she was sure to lose everything anyway, maybe she could at least save her friend. She gently pried Miku’s clamped fingers off her wrist, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. “I am Chiyo Sasaki.”

The archer released his arrow. Chiyo gasped and clenched her eyes shut as it flew toward her.

A second later, instead of feeling the bite of a metal tip into her chest, she heard the thump of something hitting the floor.

She opened her eyes and found Miku on the ground, staring up at her with sightless eyes. An arrow protruded from her chest.

“No!” Chiyo shrieked. She fell to the floor and reached
for her friend. But before her fingers could graze Miku’s
robe,
two rough hands grabbed her arms and jerked her to her feet. The world spun around Chiyo as she was dragged
through the door and pulled from her house.

In the span of a couple heartbeats, she’d lost almost everything: her father, her home, and her best friend. Still, she held on to hope as best she could. She still had one thing.

Yoshido. He was a samurai.
Her
samurai.

Chiyo swallowed the sobs clawing up her throat as she was thrown on top of a horse.

Yoshido would come for her. He would avenge her father’s death and make these men pay. Chiyo was sure of it. Samurai, after all, were men of honor. There was no way he’d let her down.