“I see,”Raiden said. His hands were clenched into fists, and when he locked gazes with me, my breath caught at the pain in his eyes. What was goingon?
“This has been really interesting, Ryujin-sama,” Shota said, “but I’m afraid it doesn’t really explain why Kai wants Aika. If she’s not a descendent of Himiko, then she shares no relation with Fumiko, his long-deadlover.”
“That is what you would think,” Ryujin said, a twinkle in his eye, “but fate often surprises us. I cannot tell you more,” he said when Shota opened his mouth again. “You will have to find that out yourself when you confrontKai.”
“But that’s not fair!” I protested hotly, forgetting that I was talking to a massive dragon god. “You obviously know the answer—why don’t you tellus!”
“Because it is not the right time, child,” the dragon answered. He lowered his head to look me in the eye directly, and I swallowed as his dragon breath bubbles rushed over me again. Thankfully, he did not seem angry. “Right now, the three of you need to get to Kai’s tomb. The wards around it have been weakened over the centuries, but they are still strong enough. That is why he has been usingyokaito do his bidding. If you can get to him and bind him again before he frees himself, you can get your mother back and stop a great evil from being unleashed upon theworld.”
“That’s not going to be easy,” Shota said, sounding troubled. “If the tomb has been opened, Kai and Amatsu will be using their combined powers to keep everyone from getting in through the front entrance and sealing them away again. That’s probably why they’ve called every high-level shaman in the area over there—to try and break through so that Kai can be sealed awayagain.”
“There is another way to get into Kai’s tomb,” Ryujin said. “It is a secret entrance, accessible via an underground cavern. Usually it is impassible due to the high tide…but I can help with that, for aprice.”
“What’s the price?”I asked, latching onto the ray of hope Ryujin’s words offered. If we could get past the barrier and into Kai’s domain, we could find my mother and get herback.
“Aika,” Raiden interrupted, his voice strained. “Do you mind if I talk to you for a minute? Inprivate?”
I blinked, turning toward him. A muscle was ticking in his jaw, and he looked like a coiled spring, ready to explode at anymoment.
“Uhh, I guess. If that’s all right with you, Ryujin-sama?” I asked the greatdragon.
Ryujin inclined his enormous head, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. I frowned—did he know what was bothering Raiden? What was going onhere?
“There is a small room right outside the audience chamber you can use. But don’t keep me waiting,” he warned as we stood up. “I have a business to run, and time ismoney.”
Raiden and I bowed, mumbling our thanks, then backed out of the audience chamber. The moment the doors closed, Raiden grabbed my arm and yanked me into a room just off the side of the hallway—an oversized storage closet, Irealized.
“Aika,” he said, grabbing me by the shoulders. His face looked drawn, his skin pale. “We need to turn back now, before it’s toolate.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked. Goosebumps broke out across my skin at the urgency in his voice. “We’ve got a way into Kai’s tomb, a way that none of the other shamans know about! We have to take advantage of thisopportunity.”
“You need to stay as far away from Kai as possible,” Raiden said firmly. “It’s obvious this is a trap, and that he needs you for something important. Maybe you’re the final piece he needs to break out of hisprison.”
“I’ve already thought of that,” I said tightly, “but I can’t leave my mother to rot in his stupid cave. We need to get her out ofthere.”
“And how do you propose we do that?” Raiden crossed his arms over his chest. “You do realize that Kai is possessed by the god of chaos, right? He’s not just going to sit back and let you waltz out of there with yourmother.”
“I realize that, but we do have the attention of a powerful sea god right now,” I pointed out. “One who just said he’s willing to help us. That’s got to be a good thing,right?”
“Yeah, he said he’d help us in exchange for a price,” Raiden growled. “He’s not giving us a free pass,Aika.”
“And I’m not asking for one!” I shouted, smacking his hands away from me. “But unless he asks me to sacrifice babies for him, it’s a price I’m willing to pay! This is my mother we’re talking about, Raiden!” My eyes began to burn again with unshed tears, but I didn’t bother blinking them back this time. After all, it wasn’t like he’d be able to see themunderwater.
I’d thought the mention of my mother would make Raiden back off, but instead his eyes grew even darker. “Has it ever occurred to you,” he said, his voice low and angry, “that you might be Fumiko’s reincarnation? And that’s why Kai wants you sobadly?”
What?
“That’s impossible,” I sputtered, even as I felt that tug in my chest again. “I can’t be Fumiko’sreincarnation!”
“And why the hell not?” Raiden demanded. He took several steps toward me, backing me against the wall. My treacherous body reacted as he caged me there with his strong arms, pumping heat through my veins, and I had to make a conscious effort to even my breathing. “None of us have seen ayokaishaman for thousands of years, and then you happen to appear out of the blue, with no idea what family you’ve come from. At the same time, Kai awakens from his prison, which has been undisturbed this entire time. And you’re trying to tell me this is acoincidence?”
I swallowed hard at the blazing anger in his eyes and looked away. His words were like a knife to my heart, twisting deep, because I couldn’t deny there was a certain amount of logic to them. I didn’t believe in coincidences, not really. Andyet…
“Ryujin said that Himiko’s line died out when Kai was sealed away,” I said when I’d managed to find my voice. I met Raiden’s angry gaze squarely. “That means I’m not a descendent ofFumiko.”
“So? That doesn’t mean you’re not areincarnation.”
“And it doesn’t mean Iam, either!” I shoved at Raiden’s chest, tired of this argument. As usual, he didn’t move, which only made me angrier. “You have absolutely no proof that I’m Fumiko’s reincarnation. We don’t know why Kai wants me at all, beyond the fact that I’m ayokaishaman, and to be honest, I don’t really care. I’m going after my mom whether you like it or not, and if Ryujin is willing to offer me help, I’m going to take it. With or withoutyou.”
