Cursed Hearts - Amy Blankenship 3 стр.

Hyakuhei’s heart had been shattered. He’d then turned from his brother in anger and claimed the demons as his new allies. Becoming their master, his war with the guardians had been for one reason… to find a way through the heart of time so he could reclaim his lost priestess. Because of the power he’d given her, the priestess was now immortal… being reincarnated over and over as the key to the portal between worlds. But with the passing of time, she had forgotten her true power and her love for Hyakuhei.

Tama’s eyes burned with hatred for Tadamichi and the guardians. ‘What will they do to her?’ he envisioned the portrait he’d seen within his family’s living room when he would slip in and out of the house without the guardians noticing. She was lovely and he wanted his sister back.

Hyakuhei silenced the demons that awaited his command knowing he would have to be careful for now. He looked down at the young man he’d raised to be the dark prince of the demons… Kyoko’s little brother. When he had first broken through the time portal, he had come for Kyoko, had wanted to raise her by his side until she came of age for him to claim her. But the old man had hidden her away from the demons that had attacked the family.

His most lethal demons had already killed the boy and his parents before he could tighten his hold on them. It was those same demons that he now held imprisoned within his body so he could have power over them. Without his ironclad control, the demons would have killed every human they’d come across… spreading death like a plague.

Knowing Kyoko was still alive and would one day return, he’d wanted a gift for her… her little brother. He gave Tama some of his life force along with the power to help him rule over the demons. From the first moment Tama had drawn breath, they had a telepathic link. And though the boy had never spoken a word to this day… they could hear each other’s thoughts. Since then, Tama had stayed by his side willingly… just like his sister once had.

“She is of age now… they will desire her.” Hyakuhei's anger at the thought could be heard in his voice. “They will attempt to gain her trust by telling her they are protecting her from the demons. Once she befriends them, they will try to claim her and her power to control the time portal.”

‘So she’s safe for now,’ Tama mused. “But we can’t let her stay with them. She doesn’t belong there.” His emerald iris’s expanded then darkened to ebony. ‘Do you have a plan?’

“We will have to be cunning. I was not able to bring many demons with me into this world and my own powers are fleeting. When your sister’s powers are awakened by the guardians and we are reunited, my powers will be restored.” Hyakuhei could feel the sway of the demons inside him as they rattled their prison walls wanting the power that lay within the priestess. If the demons could get to her, they would force her to open the time portal and let the rest of the demons into this domain.

He growled knowing not only would he have to be smarter than the guardians… he would have to outwit the demons as well. He’d found that the only way to overcome evil was to be that much more.

“Once your sister is by my side, I will bring over my army and the guardians will no longer be such a hindrance. For now, they expect the demons to come for her, and they will,” Hyakuhei informed him.

“While the guardians are busy, Kyoko will be contacted by her long lost brother and he will warn her of the guardians’ deception. But we must take our time and be careful or we will put her in danger. If they think she is going to betray them… then they will not awaken her power. Instead, they will turn on her.”

Jealousy twisted Tama’s voice as he felt the pull from the minds of the demons around them, ‘They cannot keep her.’

“No,” Hyakuhei smiled knowing an even deeper plan, “But first… we will let them think that they can.”

When Tama frowned and looked back up at him, Hyakuhei had vanished. Using his telepathy to communicate he asked, “Are you going to see her?” his voice was wistful and full of melancholy. He wanted to see his sister but knew he had to wait on Hyakuhei to make sure it was safe.

“Shhh,” Hyakuhei’s whisper was haunted as he severed the connection between him and Tama. Another benefit to being a shade was teleportation. He materialized within the living room facing the picture that held both her and Tama. His attention slowly turned toward the stairs.

Refusing to teleport, he forced himself to take every ounce of pain the delay was causing him as he walked up the stairs and leaned against the open door frame as she came into sight. He had known seeing her would hurt and he savored every moment of it. Her suitcase was open on the bed and she was pacing back and forth, hanging clothes up in the walk-in closet.

She was the only one in the world that had the ability to simply take his breath away without even trying. Her auburn hair was in long layers with loose bouncy curls… the body of a goddess… his priestess. He watched as she slowed then stopped next to the bed, seemingly lost in thought. She crawled up on the mattress and curled up into a ball, hugging one of the pillows to her chest.

“It’s so quiet here Momma… Papa. I wish Tama would come home. Then maybe the silence wouldn’t be so deafening,” Kyoko sighed as she lay sideways on the bed not even bothering to crawl under the covers. Blinking a couple of times she felt exhaustion claim her.

Hyakuhei sat down on the bed beside her, watching her breathe. ‘It won’t be long Kyoko… you will get your wish. You will never be lonely again.’ Using a moment’s energy, his body shimmered into existence as he took the cover from the bottom of the bed. He slowly slid it up and over her body then leaned down and gently kissed her temple before vanishing.

*****

“He’ll kill us all if there isn’t any pizza left!” Kamui had a tight grip on one end of the pizza box while Shinbe and Kotaro had a death hold on the other end. Kamui let go as soon as the door opened then laughed when Shinbe and Kotaro slowly set the box down in front of Toya’s chair like they had been protecting it for him.

When Toya didn’t go off on them as he normally did, Kyou glanced up from his laptop and watched Toya take a seat at the table… the wrong seat. He cocked a dark eyebrow when Shinbe and Kotaro shrugged and opened Toya’s pizza box. They started devouring it. Toya didn’t even look at them.

“Toya,” Kyou prompted, going on high alert when Toya didn’t acknowledge him.

Flipping the laptop closed, he grasped Toya’s shoulder and started to shake him but Toya flinched, looking at him as if coming out of shock. Kyou silently wondered if Toya had run across another demon that was lurking near the house. He spread his senses out invading his brother's aura but felt no hint of contact with demons… instead he found something more disturbing.

“Has something happened?” Kyou demanded hearing the rapid thumping of Toya’s blood just under his skin.

Toya nodded… then scared the hell out of everyone at the table when his lips lifted in a smile. Toya never smiled. “I think we need to go to school tomorrow.”

“Here, you want your pizza back?” Shinbe dropped the piece he’d just taken a bite out of then smacked Kotaro’s hand, making him drop his stolen piece back into the box as well. He slowly slid it across the table till it was in front of Toya.

“Here, you want your pizza back?” Shinbe dropped the piece he’d just taken a bite out of then smacked Kotaro’s hand, making him drop his stolen piece back into the box as well. He slowly slid it across the table till it was in front of Toya.

“You could’ve just fought us for it instead of wigging everyone out with that creepy smile,” Kotaro complained.

“I don’t think he was joking,” Shinbe said as he locked his amethyst eyes with Toya’s overly large golden ones. He leaned back in his chair now that everyone was paying attention. Seeing the dazed look trying to creep back into Toya’s eyes he sighed. “And why would we want to suddenly join the freaks down at Hormones Are Us high school?”

“Because, the girl that just moved in across the street is starting there tomorrow.” Toya’s breathing was a little ragged now that he’d finally said it out loud.

When several chairs scooted back from the table, Kyou slammed his palms down on the tabletop with a rattling thump. “Sit! Down!” It was like hitting the pause button on the TV then very slowly rewinding it. Once everyone had obeyed, he turned back to Toya. “Tell us what you are talking about.”

“She’s alone… she’s her.” Toya rubbed his temple even though he knew guardians couldn’t get headaches. “Kyoko… She was talking to the pitcher above the fireplace. That’s how I know she’ll be starting school tomorrow.”

“What’s she like?” Kamui asked getting the same look in his eyes that had haunted Toya’s only a moment before.

“I didn’t talk to her,” Toya admitted then his shoulders dropped an inch. “I couldn’t, but she was dressed like they do at those boarding schools.”

“We can find out where she’s been if her records have already been transferred to the local school,” Kotaro added helpfully.

“On it,” Kamui fearlessly snatched Kyou’s laptop. He knew a backdoor into the school system’s database because he checked all the surrounding schools regularly for signs of anyone who came and went around the age of Kyoko or Tama.

“You’re sure it’s her?” Kyou asked Toya as he leaned forward in his chair.

“We would have known her on sight. Kyoko looks like the maiden statue… but alive.” Toya closed his eyes savoring the fact that so far he was the only one who had seen her. If he tapped into the part of him that was Tadamichi… then he could even remember what she tasted like. If the other guardians knew his secret, they would have been jealous. “Emerald green eyes, auburn hair but she seemed fragile… like she’s still a little girl.”

“I’ll say,” Kamui agreed as his eyes widened on the screen. “Her records indicate she’s been living at an all-girls school in the middle of nowhere-land since she was three years old. Kyoko Hogo, age 17. All the information is here and I even have her class schedule for tomorrow.” He frowned thoughtfully, “But I don’t see anything about her brother starting the school with her.”

Toya shook his head. “I know we’d hoped they were somewhere safe together but Tama was never with her. She’s completely alone over there. Remind me again why we can’t just tell her who we are.” He already knew the answer, it was just bugging the hell out of him because he wanted to tell her.

Kamui glanced up from the laptop as he answered first. “We have taken this vote before. Anyone in their right mind would just call the police on us if we told them who we really are. She’s human Toya… with no idea of anything to do with being a priestess. We have to be careful.”

Shinbe chimed in, “Besides, the last thing we need or want are the feds snooping around because the cops are investigating us for stalking the girl next door. And if the demons find out the priestess is back, they will probably stir up quite a few messes that will have the feds back in the area anyway. It will be dangerous enough with all of us just popping up in school tomorrow.”

“Plus, if we just up and tell her that demons came after her at the age of three and she believes us… then she would probably blame herself for her family being killed,” Kotaro supplied as another justifiable reason.

Toya glared at the other guardians, once again not liking the answers. “You’ve over thought this, haven’t you?”

“What do you expect? We’ve had fifteen years to turn that question inside out.” Kamui gave Toya an apologetic smile.

“Shinbe, I think you should go check the demon wards surrounding the house.” Kyou nodded to Shinbe and suddenly there were only four of them in the room.

“Damn, he left so fast I felt a breeze.” Kotaro rubbed his arms as if the draft had chilled him.

Kamui's fingers flew across the keyboard as he talked, “I’ve always had it set up as if we’ve all been home schooled by our adoptive dad and we are all in the 12th grade. As of tomorrow, we’re switching to public school so we can graduate like normal teenagers.”

“Oh, that won’t send up a red flag at all,” Kotaro said sarcastically. “Five brothers starting in the same grade, at the same time. Even if the teachers understand what’s going on, we’ll still be the talk of the school by the students. It’s not as if we have a chance in hell of fitting in with real teenagers.”

“Try,” Kamui gave him a level look. “Anyway, give me some credit. I’ll stagger our schedule so that one of us will be in Kyoko’s class at all times. I’ve had our school records updated every year since kindergarten, so our age would match hers if she had ever come back.”

“Just curious,” Kotaro smirked, “But what if the priestess had come back at the age of ten?”

“Leave me alone,” Kamui gave him a glare. “Or I’ll make it so your grades suck.”

Completely changing the subject, Kyou remarked, “If I’m right, the demons could not locate her because of the boarding school being on hallowed ground… for the same reason we could not find her. Up until now, the demons have spread out causing havoc only here and there. But now, they will catch her scent and one by one come back.”

His voice became so cold that it sucked the heat right out of the room, “And just because we have found no sign of Hyakuhei in this world does not mean he isn’t here.”

“We know he’s here,” Toya growled feeling his hatred flare then instantly calmed. “We came to this world so we could be with her and protect her. She shouldn’t be over there by herself even for a minute.”

“We all agree with you Toya… but you have to remember she is an innocent. That’s why we are going to become her new best friends,” Kyou informed him.

“Just how are we supposed to do that?” Toya snapped.

“Didn’t your mommy ever teach you to make friends?” Kamui smirked, but his eyes widened when Toya quickly stood up.

Toya noticed Kamui flinch and raised a dark brow. “I’m just going to see what’s taking Shinbe so long.”

*****

Shinbe confirmed his demon wards hadn’t been disturbed, though he worried about the fact that demons weren’t their only problem. The fact that Hyakuhei had broken through the barrier around The Heart of Time spoke volumes of the danger the priestess was really in. Sure, the wards would help hide her and keep the weakest demons from crossing the lines, but it wouldn’t be enough to stop Hyakuhei should he come out of hiding.