Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 154368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 617(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 617(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
I continued on.
The Fangs didn't even acknowledge them and just kept moving.
We headed toward the stairs, and the formation shifted. Yoichi got on my right. Kaoru went to my left. Rin and Satoshi remained behind me.
The five additional men fanned out further back.
As we moved through the hallway, I caught Yoichi lifting the silver fang charm to his lips. He kissed it once, and then let it drop back against his chest.
I smiled. "Is the wolf fang a lucky charm?"
Yoichi glanced at me. "It is lucky, among other things, but more important. . .it isn't a wolf fang."
"Then what is it?"
"A fox fang."
I blinked. "A fox's fang can be that big?"
"Well. . ." He adjusted the rifle case on his shoulder. "This isn't an ordinary fox."
"What sort of fox is it?"
"A kitsune."
The word triggered fun memories, and suddenly I was twelve years old again, curled up on the couch with my laptop, falling down a rabbit hole of Japanese mythology after watching some anime I was way too young for.
Kitsune.
Fox spirits.
Shapeshifters that could take human form and lived for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years.
The older the kitsune, the more tails it grew, up to nine, and the more powerful it became.
Some were tricksters who loved chaos and mischief.
Others were guardians, protectors of families and sacred places.
They could create illusions so real you'd swear you were living in a different world, manipulate fire, bend perception, and make you see things that were never there.
The celestial ones, the zenko, served the god Inari and were divine.
The wild ones, the yako, were dangerous and unpredictable, the kind that showed up in your life, turned everything upside down, and left you wondering what was ever real in the first place.
And in every story, they were impossibly beautiful in human form. The kind of beauty that felt like a trap because it usually was.
I looked at Yoichi. Bald head. Sharp jaw. The calm, patient stillness of a man who never seemed rushed by anything.
Huh.
I smiled. "How were you able to get a kitsune fang?"
He winked. "It's a family heirloom."
Interesting.
We continued on and I couldn’t get the idea of kitsunes out of my head.
Meanwhile, I could hear Satoshi scratching as we moved down the hallway. The sound was constant. A soft scraping that made my skin crawl in sympathy.
I glanced back at Satoshi.
His hand was at his neck now, fingers dragging over the skin under his chin. His face was tight with discomfort, and I could see more angry red bumps breaking out across his throat.
Ugh.
The skin looked inflamed and furious, like it was fighting itself.
I shivered just looking at it.
Right now, that water allergy was clearly flaring up badly.
Naw. We have to figure something out. I can’t sit with him all day and watch him go through pain in silence.
I pulled out my phone and typed quickly as we walked.
Me: Grandma, do you know anything that's good for skin allergies? I have a friend that's allergic to water. He can’t stop scratching his neck.
I hit send and slipped it back into my pocket.
We reached the staircase and started descending. Three flights down to the theater level.
Yoichi spoke as we walked. "Your friends are in the movie theater. They're ready to go. The majority of the island is getting seated. The chef has provided snacks, popcorn, and drinks."
“Good.” I nodded. "What movie are we watching?"
"The Magic Garden," Yoichi said. "It's a new animated film."
I smiled despite everything. Zo loved animation. He was probably already geeking out over it.
"Since we're going for extra precaution," Kaoru said, "you're going to go in the box that looks over the theater room."
I looked at him. "The box?"
"Yeah. It's at the top where the projector and all that is."
"Oh." I frowned. "So I'm not going to be with Kenji’s people?"
"No."
"I think I should, maybe, so they can see that everything's okay."
Behind me, Satoshi's voice cut in. He was still scratching his neck, and his tone was firm. "No. We won't risk it. Let's keep you up in the box for safety reasons. Your friends are in the box with you. And they seem to be happy. They're playing music."
I sighed. "Alright. I’ll trust your guidance."
Kaoru chuckled. "By the way, the hairstylist. . .is she single?"
“You already have two girlfriends.”
“I’m always open for a third.”
“Deja as somebody’s third?” I blinked. Then I laughed.
Actually laughed.
For the first time since Kenji left, I felt something other than terror. The sound came out of me unexpectedly, and I realized how much I needed it.
Once I finished laughing, I grinned. "She’s single but listen. . .you don't want to mess with Deja. You're quite the playboy, but she is a playboy's kryptonite."
Kaoru raised an eyebrow. “Hmmm.”
"In fact," I continued, "that's Deja's pastime hobby—to break the hearts of players. Make them go crazy for her and want to settle down, then she just gets rid of them. She thinks it's much-needed karma for the world."