Chapter 1
Kuzunoha struggled to smile. The lights were dimmed except for the ones near a temporary stage that had been set-up beside the bar specifically for tonight’s event. The tables had been shoved against the walls. Aside from a few benches, one of which Kuzunoha shared with her sister, the guest of honor, there was standing room only in the bar. A bead of sweat settled against her skin and she rubbed it away, harder than she needed to.
A few feet in front of their bench, standing at the podium, Tim Mason, their regent for the next five minutes, continued his speech. “Our little Himiko is all grown up. Her father worked hard to groom her for this role, knowing one day, she would have control of the family businesses again.”
Kuzunoha stretched her tense neck to the left and took a sip of the white grape juice in her cup, grimacing. She’d been drinking wine for years, but tonight she wasn’t allowed. She was the younger daughter, after all. If her elder sister was just attaining her majority, then she couldn’t be old enough, even though their birthdays were only a month apart. As if they wouldn’t notice that she’d been drinking for the last few years. But everything was tied to perception here.
For instance, Himiko hadn’t been the only one their father had groomed to take over. Most didn’t know that he had also trained his bastard daughter, Kuzunoha as well, knowing full well he’d never give her any say in the company. She’d been used her to whip Himiko into shape and then he’d left her with nothing. No job, no life outside her home.
What sort of monster wouldn’t be happy that her sister had come into her majority?
Tim looked at her sister fondly, not even glancing at Kuzunoha. “He’d always hoped to sit at your side and help you through your first few years.”
Tim bowed his head in deferential memory of his friend and everyone else followed suit. Kuzunoha refused to bow for him. For any other ancestor, yes, but he deserved nothing from her. Himiko hesitated and lowered her head, pinching Kuzunoha’s leg. She gasped but kept her head up. Himiko glared out of the corner of her eye but stayed silent.
Kuzunoha would hear about it later. Her sister would be embarrassed by her lack of respect and what it meant about their family. But Himiko wouldn’t do it in the open where anyone could listen. That would have been worse for their image.
“Still, I’ll be here to help you hold the reins... not that you aren’t already.” A ripple of laughter followed.
From anyone else, that comment may have come with a sarcastic edge. Kuzunoha knew it was genuine. Tim had enjoyed working for her father and he’d been the perfect choice for the position. He was a good joint partner, but he didn’t want to be the boss.
Compared to his easy smiles, Himiko’s looked forced. She’d been ready to take over as soon as their father had died. Instead, she’d patiently worked alongside Tim for the past four years. The silk industry and glass works kept Hidan growing, even during recessions. It was the town’s livelihood; everyone was waiting for the day the businesses fell back under Tanaka control.
But not hers. Her father had promised her that she wouldn’t be left out, forgotten.
He’d lied.
Tim smiled widely at Himiko, his warm brown eyes wet with tears. When she stood up, Tim made a show of handing her the ledgers, the imprinted leather gleaming warmly, first from the silk mill and then from the glass factory.
There wasn’t enough air in the room and what there was smelled of humidity, sweat, and oil. There were too many people; more than even a crowded morning in market. She needed air to clear her head but knew she couldn’t leave. It would have been rude… too rude for even a bastard to get away with unpunished.
At the podium, Himiko, raised the ledgers over her head. Everyone applauded and a few whooped. Her short hair, a dark chocolate shade under the lamp lights, was black like Kuzunoha’s own, and it hung around her face perfectly, just touching the bottom of her ears, a single tiny braid in the front offset the simple hairstyle. One length of the braid was bright red, dyed professionally a few days before, calling attention to her aristocratic cheekbones. Her clothes, a set of black pants and vest in the Sian Ku style, fitted her in such a way that suggested it had been designed with her sister’s slim silhouette in mind. Simple, but powerful, like ink flowing across a page. Her black silk slippers, adorned with a few tastefully placed rubies, held authority without overwhelming opulence.
“Thank you, Tim.” Her sister’s clear voice rang over the room, quieting everyone in an instant. “I promise that I will do my best to lead our family business, this town, and the Tanaka family to even greater heights.
“Now, let’s not waste any of this good food. With respect for both my father, may his rest continue unabated, and the family businesses returning to his heir, everyone’s food and drinks will be covered for the evening!”
There was a brief silence, and then the applause deafened those within the Lucky Koi.
Himiko lowered the books, smiling winningly at the crowd. Kuzunoha downed her juice, wishing again that it had been alcoholic.
Some time later, after food had been eaten and a few toasts had been made, it was time for the next thing Kuzunoha dreaded; the social part of the evening. She hadn’t been on her own for a full five minutes before the two fishermen had backed her into a corner. She’d met them once before, but she didn’t know where. They apparently thought that this gave them special privileges to talk at her, rather than with her.
“Well, she’ll be a fine woman to take over your daddy’s businesses and I know that she’ll watch over your family good,” the brown-haired one said.
The man’s lighter-haired brother nodded vigorously.
“Not only that, but it will be good to have her over again. It’s been a long time since your pappy died, leaving the company floundering.”
The smiles they kept sending her way seemed fake and greasy, especially since they refused to meet her gaze. They kept looking to their plates, filled with grilled fish on toast, or at the people around them. Anywhere but at her. She’d come to accept it. No one had ever much liked challenging her, meeting her eyes or talking with her, if they could avoid it. Even now, when they had come up to her, they stood as far from her as they politely could. That insult she could tolerate since, despite having washed recently and wearing their finest, they still smelled like old fish.
“I couldn’t be happier for my sister, really.” Kuzunoha just wanted the conversation to stop, but she couldn’t yet. Protocol demanded that she keep them company for just a bit longer before she could make her escape. It had been grueling so far. One minute of useless niceties and then two of listening to them praise her sister and her father. She would have rather discussed how they went about catching fish each day. At least that topic, would have only bored her to tears.
“There was one thing we wanted to know though, miss. Is your sister planning on marrying soon?”
Her smile froze as the other brother continued.
“Because, miss, we wouldn’t want this sort of situation to happen again.”
“I really don’t keep track of my sister’s plans, but no, I don’t think there are any wedding plans.”
“Well, me or my brother here would be more than willing to marry her,” the elder one said.
“I’ll let her know,” Kuzunoha said, turning slightly. Rudeness be damned, she could not handle this conversation anymore.
“I could provide you with an hei…” the younger one began, hesitantly.
Before Kuzunoha could react, the man’s brother dragged him away.
“He didn’t mean nothing, miss. You tell your sister now, please.”
“That was brazen,” a voice said from behind her.
Kuzunoha turned, seeing Himko’s best friend, Isashi. She was sitting alone at one of the small tables, the private ones used for couples or those that preferred dark corners. Kuzunoha didn’t know her well, but she knew the choice of table was a preference and not from a lack of options.
“All of them are like that,” Kuzunoha said. “When did you get back, Isashi? I heard you were out of town earlier this week.”
Isashi may have been the town’s only eledar, but she was also one of only five hunters, people that protected them from the dangers of the outside world. Still, Kuzunoha wasn’t as afraid of the outside world as many people were. The monsters were just that, monsters. Even though her father had been killed in a raid of the horrid little birdos, a goblin-type creature living nearby that wove bird skulls and feathers into their dress, she didn’t fear them.
“Just arrived this morning,” Isashi said, her green eyes flitting away from Kuzunoha’s, looking behind her rather than at her. Common behavior for a hunter. You had to be good at taking in information quickly to survive. You weren’t supposed to follow their gaze when they did that.
Isashi had been young when she had become an eledar. Because of it, she wasn’t really human anymore. Her skin had a rough paper-like texture and its shade now mimicked the cool silver of birch bark, rather than the yellow or white skin tones that were more common in Hidan. Her hair hadn’t changed when the rest of her had, but tonight she sat directly under one of the candelabras, and its natural red glowed crimson. It was tied in a simple ponytail. She was wearing a similar outfit to Himiko’s, except that her vest was an evergreen shade and her pants were a dark brown.
Her appearance was striking, even if she would never be considered pretty.
Kuzunoha opened her mouth and slammed it shut again when Himiko appeared from the crowd behind her and sat down at the table. Her sister slid an orange-tinted ale in front of Isashi and placed a paler one in front of herself.
“I feel like I’ve been smiling forever. How was your trip?” Himiko asked.
“Short and bittersweet, as usual.” Isashi smiled in appreciation as she sipped the ale. “The birdos managed to get their hands on a few of those giant bird eggs. They were trying to breed the ill-tempered creatures. We put a crimp in their plans.”
Kuzunoha didn’t want to have to deal with her sister until she got home. She tried to make a break for it, ducking her head and stepping backwards. If she’d been anyone else, people may have let her in and she would have faded into the background. Instead they fanned around her, fish suddenly aware of a predator in their midst.
“Glad to hear, Isashi. I am just glad that your job left you unhurt. As for you, Kuzunoha, your lack of attention at the speech was noticed. The least you could have done was bow your head in public for Father. You haven’t been drinking, have you? I told the staff not to give you any, but you never know when someone will take pity on you.”
Kuzunoha gritted her teeth at the barrage of questions. “Not yet.”
“Well, make sure you don’t. We need to keep up appearances and both of us drinking will make the wrong one.”
At this point, Kuzunoha could have repeated her words by route. She turned away and pushed through the crowd.
Her sister wouldn’t have lied about telling the staff not to serve her alcohol, and she only had one friend who would be willing to get her a drink if she asked. Jack was the illegitimate son of the other noble family in town. Though not as well off as her own family, the Kerlow family was old money. They’d helped to found the town and the abbey, while her own family had given many of the townsfolk honest work and decent pay.
The Kerlow’s main source of revenue now was the docks. They controlled the ships, the docks, and all travel in and out of Hidan by water. It gave his family a lot of power in the village, even if their fortune had declined over the last few years. Their noble cousins lived closer to the capital but had found themselves spending their wealth faster than they could make it through just their vassals. Jack’s father and brother were helping them regain their old power. Jack had avoided losing anything in the situation by taking over the illegal market in Hidan. His father didn’t approve, but that had never bothered Jack. If anyone would help her get drunk, it would be him.
She let out a breath in annoyance. Of course, when she wanted him, he was nowhere to be found.
Then she smiled. If he’d left already, perhaps that meant she wouldn’t be noticed if she slipped out. She wound her way through the crowd, reaching for the door, relieved that soon she’d be able to breathe again.
The door opened, catching her face-first. Kuzunoha tried to step back, but the crowd was unyielding. Someone jostled her. She fell, blinking back stars. Deckard didn’t seem to notice as he finished pushing the door the rest of the way open. His eyes were only for his companion behind him.
“—worry. It will be busy, but we should be in time for the dinner. Oh! I’m sorry…”
His weight came down on her foot. Kuzunoha yanked it out from under him. Deckard nearly fell, but grabbed the door handle in time to steady himself. Once he had his balance again, he looked down at her in confusion and apology, and then annoyance.
“Kuzunoha, what are you doing on the floor?” He extended a hand to her.
“Getting stepped on by a brutish oaf,” she said, slapping his away, though it was her face that was still smarting. Her gaze caught on a tear in the lace shawl that had been her joy and as she stood, she saw a dirt streak on the back of her dress. She put a finger on the hole and batted at the grime. Her dress had been the one good thing about this miserable evening. Now it was ruined.
Her ankle hurt as she put weight on it. She must have slipped on it wrong. She refused to show any weakness. Not in her sister’s presence, and gods damn it, not in Deckard’s.
“Who is this, Deckard dear?”
The woman behind Deckard touched his shoulder as she spoke. Her skin was just a few shades lighter than her caramel-toned hair, which had been bound into innumerable tiny braids. Hundreds of colored beads clicked together as she moved. Her clothing was so garish and bright that it looked like she’d bought it from a Corvidae, if she wasn’t one of the travelling folk already. While the woman wasn’t beautiful, she did have a presence that drew the eye.
Deckard introduced her reluctantly. “Tieni, this is Kuzunoha. She’s the youngest daughter of the Tanaka family.” Nobody important, his description said. Just an arrogant bastard daughter of an arrogant noble.
She put weight on her injured foot and hissed. Deckard reached out a hand. She warmed at the contact and knocked his hand away, hating the way the heat stayed with her.
“I was just leaving,” Kuzunoha said.
She stumbled past him, nursing her embarrassment instead of the twinge in her ankle.
* * * *
I can't wait for all you to get the book and its less than a week away at this point! Remember to pick yours up if you haven't already!
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