Chapter 38

Rose

A top the highest peak on Casper, a silent sentinel looming over the island, sat Shioji Manor. The sprawling tract of land was a little piece of Japan surrounded by fifteen-foot-tall walls capped by black traditional Japanese roofing tiles. The wall's bottom half was comprised of large pieces of grey stone puzzled together to adjust for the uneven height of the earth beneath it, while the top half was solid and white. Magical barriers pulsed over every inch of the physical one, creating a tapestry of interwoven shapes and colors that protected everything within it. Nothing on the property could be seen but the tops of the trees.

As our car idled on the road outside the manor, however, it was the gate, more than anything, that gave me pause. Its roof stood taller than those of the protective walls on either side of it. The doors themselves were as tall as the walls and made of a black metal with rounded rivets. There were no handles or knockers on the outside of the doors—no way to enter from the outside without being let in. If it weren't for the intercom, whose screen was obscured by the glare of the morning sun, I'd have wondered how we were going to get in at all.

I hesitated, my fingers poised over the call button. Milo and I—Will had decided, to my eternal displeasure, that he was going to spy on his father again rather than stay at home where he was safe—were there to try to negotiate with Mr. Shioji, but as I stared at those walls, I knew in my heart what our answer would be. Why would the Shiojis feel the threat of anything when their walls were so high, and they were fucking dragons? Still, they were my last hope to try and get the isles' Otherkind to band together. Not to mention learn how to remove Joseph's disgusting influence from our auras.

Why the Shiojis had allowed this audience was beyond me, especially on such short notice, but I wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste. I couldn't. I had to try to get through to them. Because if I didn't, I'd have to leave, and the islands would be left defenseless.

Between the anxiety riding me and the phone calls arranging our stay in Malutaga, I had barely slept the night before, and I was a mess. Milo gave my thigh a comforting squeeze without saying a word. It bolstered me enough to push the button despite my shaking hand.

At first, I thought they might not answer. There was a buzz, and after a long, drawn-out minute, a harsh voice I didn't recognize came over the intercom.

"Name please." The ‘please' seemed tacked on out of habit rather than sentiment.

"Rose McKenzie and Milo King. We have an appointment with—" I started, but the person on the other end cut me off.

"You're expected. Come in."

There was another buzz abruptly ending the conversation, and I was left staring at the offending metal panel in confusion. "Oooookay."

I rolled up the window as the huge metal doors slowly swung open by magic or some mechanism I couldn't see. Shifting Aeden's car out of park—which he'd let us borrow while we were on Casper so we didn't have to hike all the way up to the manor—I drove forward slowly through the gate. The magical barrier cascaded over me. It wasn't as soul-scouring as the one that protected the Hearts' caves, but it was invasive nonetheless, sticking to my skin long after we'd passed through it. The clinging sensation was all I could think about until I parked in front of the house next to one of Mr. Shioji's six-figure, shiny cars.

As we got out of the car, I wiped my hands over my arms to try to get the feeling off me, but it didn't work. So, I took a deep breath, centered myself, and forced myself to just grin and bear it. It was a small price to pay for the privilege of being allowed in. There was no telling when I'd get this opportunity again.

The grounds of the manor were even more beautiful than I'd expected. The trees were in their full fiery fall glory, and I knew from what Aira had told me that there were dozens of species on the property, from Golden Isles native sea bell trees to proud maples and Japanese cherry blossom and plum blossom trees. More than that, the whole area was a traditional garden complete with ponds, streams and bridges, and flowers that were clinging to the last bit of warmth before winter fell.

In the center of this breathtaking place was a house made of dark wood, white walls, and the same roof tiles as the surrounding walls. The manor itself wasn't as opulent as I'd have expected it to be given… well, everything else here, but it was functional and grand in other ways. Magic hummed from every inch, little sprites and fairies dancing between the leaves and flowers, singing their songs as they went.

Beneath that, though, was another song—a song as familiar to me as my own mind. An airy tenor called out to me with its song, whispering words of comfort and happiness at my presence there. The Heart of Casper welcomed me with open arms, even if the stern face at the front door of the house did not.

I will come to see you when I can, I promise, I whispered to the Heart. I just need to get permission first. The Shiojis won't want me gallivanting across their little Japanese oasis here to find you, and I have no desire to be eaten whole by a pissed off dragon.

The Heart laughed, its agreement obvious, and happily withdrew now that it'd been acknowledged. Experience told me, however, that I was to be denied that meeting almost as fast as being denied aid against Joseph.

Milo walked around the car to offer me his arm, and I took it gladly, needing his strength. We walked toward the terse man at the door. His features were an echo of a younger Toki Mawadaira, and as we approached, the ghost of a smile turned up the corners of his lips before he dutifully straightened out his expression.

When he spoke, his tone was just as solemn. "Welcome to Shioji Manor. I'm Sadamaru, but you may call me Maru. I'm supposed to bring you into the house."

"Thank you, Maru. We appreciate it," said Milo, ever affable.

Maru nodded and gestured for us to come into the house. "Please take your shoes off. You can use the slippers there."

After sliding the front door closed behind me, I turned to find that the entrance was two steps lower than the floor of the house. On the first step were the slippers that Maru mentioned, both pairs a plain yellow color that seemed to almost blend in with their surroundings, and once my shoes were off, I stepped into them. From there, Maru gestured once again for us to follow him.

The hallway we were led down was long, and on each side were steps up into rooms and rows of sliding doors made of light-colored wood and white paper. Maru led us to a room at the very back right side of the hallway, indicating that we should take our slippers off on the step, then sliding the door open for us.

We walked into the room and were left alone, Maru shutting the door behind us. His sudden, silent departure left me feeling antsy. My body almost shook with the sensation.

The room we'd been ushered into had tatami mat floors and a low table in the center with thin pillows on the left and right. I looked at Milo, silently asking him which side we should sit at, but he shrugged, also at a loss. After a moment's deliberation, I chose the right side so we could see out the large window that overlooked their garden.

Directly across from the sliding doors stood a wall of artifacts and other fascinating memorabilia: a flag, a suit of samurai armor, and weapons of all varieties, to name a few. The same symbol was emblazoned across many of the pieces. I was left wondering how old everything was, considering the head of the household was five thousand years old.

With Aira's family being as secretive and isolated as they were, I'd never been allowed to come here before. Curiosity had me wanting to study everything in the room, knowing this was likely the only time I'd ever have the opportunity. While we waited, I'd tried to get my fill—but it was only minutes before Mr. Shioji and his wife, Kazuko, stepped into the room. Kazuko carried a tray of four small glasses and a teapot, and she poured each of us a cup of tea before settling next to her husband…

Who said nothing.

Who just glared.

My social training took over, desperate to fill the uncomfortable silence. My rational mind knew that this was likely a psychological tactic, but not even rationality could stop my flubbing mouth.

"Thank you so much for taking the time to meet us today," I forced out, wringing my hands in my lap and trying not to stare at the snapping dragon jaws overlaying Mr. Shioji's otherwise beautiful onyx aura. "I know you must have many things to do at the restaurant, so I appreciate this very much."

"I allowed this meeting because my daughter is fond of you and begged me to at least sit down with you," he said, and took a sip of his tea.

"And I appreciate that very much, Mr. Shioji," I replied, following suit before setting the tea back down again so I didn't accidentally turn the delicate china into dust.

"What would you like to discuss with us that was not discussed at the meeting you had with my son?" he asked, his tone imperious. The slight purse to his lips told me he was pissed about Osuke defying him.

"I came to respectfully ask for guidance." And to debase myself before you, it seems.

I'd spent an inordinate amount of time talking with Aira this morning, discussing the best way to approach him. We came up with a plan… which hinged on me keeping my cool and reverting into a person I'd tried so hard to kill off within me. The person my parents had shaped me into.

"And what sort of guidance do you require?" he asked. His tone showed me just how much my wording stroked his ego.

I took a measured breath, steeling myself for the inevitable rejection. "You have the ability to remove influence from people's auras. If you are amenable, I'd like to learn from you how to do that."

Any sort of goodwill was leached from the room in the wake of my statement. I could've sworn the temperature dropped at least ten degrees. Mr. Shioji's expression hardened, as if asking without words who the hell I thought I was to be asking him such a thing. Kazuko, on the other hand, looked surprised, her eyes wide.

"Pardon?" asked Mr. Shioji.

"I would like to learn from you how to remove influence from other people's auras, if you were willing to teach me," I repeated myself.

"You're quite bold for someone who has nothing to offer me in return," he sneered.

"Even if it means ensuring you never have to deal with Joseph again?" I asked, my control crumbling a little.

"We have no dealings with him. He leaves us be, so we leave him be. As it should be." He said this as if it was his final edict and he'd hear nothing more on the subject. Reading between the lines, I took this as the refusal it was.

"If you won't teach me, then perhaps you could allow me to do one thing," I ventured, but when neither replied, I continued, "You know that the Suttons are the Keepers of the Keys of the islands. If you could allow me to connect with the Heart of Casper, I can help ensure that Joseph cannot corrupt it, should the worst happen."

A muscle ticked in his jaw. "It's no longer in the islands' best interest to have the Suttons involved with their care. Each island is more than capable of handling their own affairs without you and your aunt laying claim to the islands."

"It's not laying claim. It's strengthening the islands' defenses," I replied, trying so very hard to keep my tone even despite how defensive I felt on the inside.

Yet I knew by the expression on his face, the stiff way he held his body, that nothing I was going to say was going to sway him. Mr. Shioji's stubbornness was too strong, too ingrained. I wasn't going to be able to logic my way around it. My hold on my emotions grew tenuous, threadbare even, as he stared me down, all the compassion in his eyes gone.

"It is unfortunate that the merfolk have fallen to Joseph and that Nora has been destroyed," he said, his words frigid cold, and I knew… I knew he was about to all but tell me to fuck off. "However, I must do what's best for me and mine, and fighting a merman is not it. If something were to happen to the other islands, well, that is not in my best interest, either. I appreciate you coming to me with your concern."

The muscle underneath my eye ticked, my hands flexing as I struggled to keep them from shifting. My heart beat a heavy rhythm against my ribcage, trying hard to escape its confines. Every shred of my sense of justice grated against his inaction.

The new, wild part of me—the siren part of me—screeched, shredding my self-control. I fought against my body shifting, knowing from what Aira told me that he'd view it as a threat and would likely kill me for the insult. But I could not fight the change and the barrage of words that wanted to spill out of me. I could not do both, and so decided to give him a piece of my mind, like someone should have done ages ago, even as my body vibrated with adrenaline.

"You weren't a pacifist when it came to the hunters, now, were you?" I dared meet his eyes. "You, who were willing to exile me from my home to save your own skin instead of lifting a finger to take them out. Do you know how easy it would be for you to fix all of this? You could have saved me, yet you chose to let me die . And now you're choosing to let Joseph run amok. When he comes for you—and he will—don't be surprised."

"Are you threatening me?" he asked, his voice low.

"Threaten? No. I don't threaten people, Mr. Shioji, but I am trying to make a habit of calling things as I see them. Joseph has one goal, and your existence here on this island is a hindrance to that goal. The fact that you don't see that—or are willfully ignoring it—is going to be your family's downfall." I took a deep breath. "I don't want that for you. I don't want that for any of us, but not even you can deny the damage that one merman has wrought upon Nora."

"The other islands are not my concern—" he started, but I cut him off with an undignified frustrated noise. Talking to him really was like talking to a fucking brick wall.

"I'm not even asking you to lift one scaly finger on anyone's behalf. I'm asking for you to teach me so I can do it for all of you. I want to prevent what happened in Nora from happening to any of the other islands, including yours. It's nothing nefarious." My stomach twisted. I dug deep into myself, trying to remember how I had to ask my parents for anything, to revert back to the plan. "I am new to being Otherkind, and I sincerely wish to learn, especially with how old and powerful you are. There's no better teacher than you."

I cast my gaze downward, hiding the contempt I knew would be plain there. Flashes of memories of my childhood seared across my eyes, forcing me to recall all the times I'd had to grovel for even basics like new shoes or school supplies. Outwardly, I was never anything less than immaculate, to preserve my parents' reputation, but they often needed reminding… Well, my father needed reminding. My mother, on the other hand, enjoyed seeing me beg and demean myself.

The siren in me screeched, shoving at my restraint again. Hating that I would degrade myself for him even for something as important as this. You are DIVINE , it seemed to say, and as such, he is beneath you !

"That may be," he said, "but I do not have the time or the inclination to teach you, and even if I had, I have absolutely no reason to trust you." His eyes shifted to dragonine slits when I risked a glance back up at him. "I do not care about any others aside from my family, and nothing you do or say will change that."

His callousness, his adamance, broke whatever bonds of civility I had left in me. My control over my power hung by a thread as my words, harsh and cold, flowed out of me.

"You might not let yourself care about anything but you and your family, but you're about to have a third repeat of history. What are you going to do when Joseph takes this home from you? Where are you going to go? What allies will rally around you when all is said and done? Think about that, Mr. Shioji. Think about that long and hard. Because from where I'm sitting, when Joseph comes to take from you what you hold most precious, no one will come save you." My voice gentled, my heart moved by the momentary flicker of sorrow on both his and his wife's faces. "I truly just want to help you… please let me help you."

My eyes bored into his, willing him to unclench, to allow me this one thing. I tried so hard to show him that I meant what I said, that I wanted nothing more than to help ensure he never had to go through what I had endured, what he'd already endured when fleeing the Miyaharas.

"I do not need an infant's help, and the presumption I do is an insult," he snarled at last. "The Shiojis have never had allies, nor do we need them. Not for five thousand years have we needed them."

The once sunlit room grew dim as dark rain clouds formed, and the air around us crackled with power. I shook with the force of my anger as I stared the proud, stubborn Otherkind down, my eyes locking with his. Everything in me pushed him to understand, pushed him to relent enough to see what his inaction truly meant, but he was an immovable force. A veritable wall.

A gentle hand on my arm pulled me away from my staring contest with Mr. Shioji, and Milo's deep voice snapped my concentration. "Rose, you're levitating the water."

I blinked at him, unsure of what he meant until he pointed to the table and out the window. The tea we'd been served was floating in little green globs about six inches above the cups and the tea pot, and outside, the water from the pond hung over the ground as well. A tiny part of me cried out to be vindictive, to splash it on Mr. Shioji, but I didn't. I could—and would—be the bigger person. I took a deep breath, and whatever magic was responsible for the water released, dropping it with a sudden splash.

The ground beneath us groaned slightly, and abruptly, I shot to my feet. "Thank you very much for your time, Mr. and Mrs. Shioji. I sincerely appreciate it."

Without another word, without even a glance at Milo, I took my leave. If Mr. Shioji was determined to stay his course, then so be it. I just hoped, in the end, I could save him from whatever plan Joseph had concocted for him.