One of our enemies had ambushed us in the dark, and the battle had spilled between the gravestones. By the time we'd finished, bodies were scattered across the sacred ground, and blood had soaked into the earth.
That's when I'd seen it.
Chimamire.
The sword had been sticking straight up out of a man's head. The blade had gone clean through his skull and embedded itself in the ground beneath him. The handle gleamed in the moonlight, and something about it had called to me.
I went for it.
Reo had told me not to take it. "We shouldn't touch anything from a cemetery, Kenji. Especially not a weapon that's been used to kill on holy ground."
But I'd taken it anyway.
And from that night on, the sword had been strange.
Any time blood touched the blade, it never washed off. The stains would darken and spread, seeping into the metal like it was drinking the blood.
People who held it claimed they could hear it talking to them in voices that came from somewhere else.
I'd never heard it myself, but I also didn't use swords.
In the end, I kept Chimamire locked in the armory because Reo wasn't comfortable with me taking it out. He said it carried too many restless spirits.
Meanwhile, I found it funny that Hiro was about to just hand it over to whoever won their little contest.
Hiro turned back to the Claws. "First place gets Chimamire. Second place gets bragging rights and a special meal from the Tiger."
I sighed.
Daisuke actually smiled. It was rare to see any expression on his face, but the idea of a haunted blade or my Tiger’s meal clearly appealed to him.
One of the twins spoke, “And if we win together?”
Hiro shrugged. “You both get first and second place.”
“Bullshit.” Daisuke pointed his knife at them. “We don’t get team points. You two are getting judged separately.”
One twin sneered, “That’s not fair.”
“We’re a team.” The other nodded.
Daisuke was about to argue, but Toma laughed. "It doesn’t matter. I'm taking that sword home tonight and enjoying a nice meal with the Dragon’s Heart later this week."
I sneered.
No one noticed.
"Like hell you are," Daisuke muttered.
The twins exchanged another glance and nodded in unison. Then, one twin cracked his knuckles. The other flinched at the sound. It was the only difference I'd ever consistently noticed between them, and I still didn't know which one cracked and which one flinched.
Hiro put the lollipop back in his mouth and leaned back in his seat. "Regardless, our biggest prize is going to be the cocktail party this evening hosted by our Tiger."
I rolled my eyes.
Our Tiger. I can’t wait until this goddamn party is done.
Hiro caught my expression and grinned around the lollipop. "What? She said she's cooking for all of us. That makes herourstoo."
