Dash rolled his eyes. “I should have known she wouldn’t...” He let his voice trail off before he spoke louder. “Koji say hello.”
“Shh,” a disembodied voice said. “Naomi-Joou told me not to say a word as it might scare her.”
Tanis gasped. “Who is that?”
“Your armor is tsukumogami.”
While it was sexy the way that rolled off his tongue, she was confused. “Sue... what?”
“Sue-koo-moe-gah-me. Easiest way to explain it is that your armor has a mind of its own. That’s how it’s able to protect you. Koji will fight with you and help you in battle.”
“I can possess you, too, if you like.”
“Don’t.” Dash’s tone was filled with warning. “I seriously doubt Tanis would appreciate the experience.”
“No, Tanis would not,” she quickly agreed. The thought of her armor taking control of her was a bit more than she could handle at present. “But he can talk to me?”
Dash nodded. “And he hears everything you say.”
Tanis wasn’t sure what to think about that. Happy? Or creeped out?
She was definitely leaning more toward creeped out.
“Don’t worry,” Koji said. “You’ll get used to me. And I won’t let any harm come to you, princess. You’re safer with me than anywhere else.” It felt as if he literally gave her a hug over her entire body.
This was definitely going to take some getting used to.
Along with the fact that Dash was part oni. Granted, dragons didn’t know much about them other than to avoid them. She’d never fought against one personally, but from the stories she’d heard, no one wanted to. During the worst of the Warlord Age, the Tenmaru had been on the verge of taking over every kingdom.
Only three had remained independent. Licordia. Indara. Pagos.
All the others had fallen to the Tenmaru armies. No one had ever understood how it was that Cratus had been able to negotiate with Naomi to keep her from invading Licordia. Or more than that, to allow him to be crowned High King of all Thirteen Kingdoms when she’d been the one who’d conquered most of them.
Now Tanis understood. His mother had never ceded her power to Cratus. She’d stepped down knowing that one day her son would be High King in Cratus’s place.
Tanis also knew why Dash had kept it secret. The Licordians would never trust a king with demonic blood in him. They’d be terrified that he’d allow his mother to occupy their lands.
As for the other kingdoms, they were liable to unite against him to defeat him for fear of Licordia uniting with Naomi and invading them all again.
Everyone was suspicious and hate-filled when it came to the Tenmaru.
Although, given the size of the army his mother had brought to Alarium to fight with the unicorn king, attacking Dash seemed like the worst idea ever imagined.
Indeed, Tanis would say that his mother had very strong feelings for her son, and intended to protect him no matter what.
Keegan came out of the barn to join them. “Morning, Majesty...” She tilted her head to Tanis. “Princess.”
Tanis smiled at her. “Good morning. I see you’ve regained your size.”
“And if feels wonderful.” Keegan stretched out her wings and flapped them.
Which knocked down three passersby.
Keegan blushed and quickly tucked them in. “Sorry! So sorry.”
Tanis laughed until a loud scream rent the sky above them.
Eyes wide, she looked up to see a milkywhite, iridescent, giant bird flying over their heads. One that had the body of a man.
