“Step away, Seichi,” Yora commanded.
Seichi spat onto the dirt. His horse snorted, huge wreaths of breath in the frosty dawn. “I’d hoped it wasn’t true. But now we see your loyalties at last, Yora Shijin. Soon they’ll be in the ground, with the rest of you. Bring him here!”
The Keishi moved forward, but three arrows whistled through thetrees, cutting down the nearest Keishi footmen before they could take another step. Kaji Getoh and Hayo had come from the side of the long house, several of Prince Nioh’s retainers only moments behind them. Hayo loosed another shaft, shouting, “Ride! Now!”
Then everything was happening at once. Yora shouted, drawing his sword. The Keishi charged. Two sets of hands were suddenly grabbing for her, pulling the boy away. Noyori screaming enough to tear his throat. Nioh shrieking: “Spare my son!” Kai – panic welling – clawed herself up, only to be shoved hard in the back by gauntleted arms, and the path exploded at her, and two Keishi men burst from the trees. She fought back, or tried to, but they were twice her weight and had no hesitation: a jab, a blow to her head, a fist in her stomach. Ears ringing, she stood, pulled away, and fell again. Blows began to fall.This is it. I’m going to die.
She heard them come before she saw.
Hayo and her uncle’s guard, Kaji Getoh, his bulldog face now clenched in fury, moving faster than she expected for a man of his size; too close now for the bow, he dropped it, drew his sword. Blue steel cut air. A wet, blooming burst of blood. Behind him, Hayo fought near Yora and the rest. Arrows screeching. Dying men screeched, too.
The two men cursed as Getoh jabbed the bigger one in the knee, and then the others came and grabbed her, lifting her with ease, and shoving her forward along the trail. “The horses!”
Kai ran down the darkened trail, but in an instant, all thoughts were wiped from her mind as two more footmen tackled her and she pounded into the ground, breath taken, blood on her tongue where she hit, and they grasped at her and she kicked them away, and tumbled again onto the muddy path. The two men were scrambling after her. She lashed out with the sword Yora had given her like a crazed dog, striking at the Keishi, but it did no good. The closest one pulled his dagger, about to cut her throat—
An arrow sprouted from his neck. He toppled.
“Hurry!”
It was Kaji Getoh. He’d regained his bow. “This way, hurry!”
Somewhere, Seichi was cursing Yora for the betrayal: “Your family should have been wiped out years ago!” he screamed. “I will cut you down! Yora!”
Hayo attacked him. His horse reared backwards, and she pulled her husband to safety, crying, “Run!”
“Kai!” Yora came to her, bloodied sword in hand. “Kai, the horses.” Nioh’s guardsmen were already fighting their way free.
“There’s too many…” Kai stumbled.
Hayo helped her up, then stiffened with a grunt of pain, and Kai saw the arrow sticking from her thigh. But Hayo pushed her on before any of the soldiers could get closer.
“Hurry!” She held Kai close. “Make it out. Make it safe. Everyone is counting on you.”
The world swam. A surreal, soupy haze, dizzying. Kai’s mouth tasted of blood. Prince Nioh flew from the house, his son gripping his hand, terrified.
“Now! Kai!” Hayo shouted. “Run! Now!” Kaji Getoh shouted too, bellowing in pain as he fought off the attackers and was struck, a glancing blow on the arm.
No, she thought.No. Everything moving too fast.Where is Yora?There. At the little fence, hewing someone down.There is blood in the grass. Blood on my hands and knees, and on my clothes. Blood on Hayo’s cheek where she touched me. Blood on the side of my neck. Blood, blood…
“Now, Kai, now!” Kai couldn’t move.
“Go!” Hayo called again. “I’ll be all right.”
Kai turned, grabbing for Nioh and the boy, raced into the low bushes and the unmarked trails. Behind them, Hayo tripped, weakened by her wound, and fell to wet earth. Seichi, no longer on his horse, tackled her. Trying to pin her down. She ripped away, almost falling again as she tried to stand. Tried to run. Tried to make it to them.
The dark air rang with clashing blades. Kai wanted to turn back.No, Ican’t. Noyori’s hand was shaking in hers and Kaji Getoh stumbled into her with such haste they all went sprawling on the dirt, yelling incoherently as he tried to get them up again, get them to the horses. Yora barreled over. “Where’s Hayo?”
And as he turned back for his wife, Kai saw.
Favoring one leg, Hayo slammed the bamboo gate behind her, blocking their pursuit. Yora was calling out, stepping toward her, when an arrow burst through her neck by the shoulder.
Kai screamed.
Hayo fell. Three more needled into her: leg, shoulder, rib. Keishi soldiers dashed across the bamboo gate and grabbed her by the arms. Even then, she tried to fight them. Even as she was swarmed, lost in the mass of them. Dragged back to their horses, out of sight.
“Hayo!” Yora cut down two more before the arrows resumed, a spattering of shafts upon the ground, missing him by a hand’s-breadth.
Nioh’s horsemen pushed them back. She couldn’t see. The wild sound of Seichi, screaming, “Retreat! Retreat!” Getoh, now on his horse,bloodied lip and a gash above his eye. Rearing around, shouting. “Lord, you have to get up now! Dying here will make this all for nothing!”
