Chapter 33

The color drains from Tsuyoshi’s face. Michiko refills his cup of tea and whispers something in his ear. He drinks all the tea in one gulp and sits there, staring wordlessly at Zenjiro.

“So that makes you my biological grandfather,” I tell Zenjiro.

“It does,” he says.

My voice rises. “But it doesn’t explain what you want from me. Or why you’re sending your dogs after me, or knocking on Tsuyoshi and Michiko’s door in the middle of the night for a cup of tea.”

Zenjiro’s tone is cutting. “You are my only biological grandson.”

“I’m half-kitsune,” I say.

Yukimi’s voice echoes in my mind. Even though you are half-kitsune, Zenjiro will want you. Maybe especially because you are half-kitsune. He might find it useful.

Zenjiro looks at me with heavy-lidded eyes. “I am very aware of that.”

Tsuyoshi sucks in some air and it sounds like he’s having trouble staying calm. “Have you come to demand that Octavian return with you? Because you are his blood relative?”

“No demands are necessary,” Zenjiro says gently. “But the myobu have brought it to my attention that you are chronically ill and will not live much longer without treatment.”

“So much for doctor-patient confidentiality,” I say.

But my sarcasm seems lost on Zenjiro. Maybe yakuza bosses never laugh. He slides his hand over the tabletop, as if he means to touch me, but my fingers curl into a fist.

“But there is a cure,” Zenjiro says. “And I am willing to help.”

I bite back a laugh. “Why?”

“That is obvious.”

I force myself to smile. “I appreciate your offer to help, but no thanks.”

Zenjiro arches one eyebrow. “So you will turn to Yukimi for help.”

“Not with your dogs following me,” I say.

He drains the last of his tea. “That won’t be necessary. There are more subtle ways to determine someone’s location.”

“So you know where she lives?”

Zenjiro simply pops another mochi into his mouth and chews.

My blood freezes in my veins. Junko. She saw Yukimi and me in Ozuru’s yakitori restaurant, not very far from the location of the Lair. And I told her to tell Shizuka, who’s apparently in cahoots with the yakuza. How could I have trusted the myobu?

“Do you trust Yukimi?” Zenjiro says.

I sip my tea to stall for time. “Somewhat.”

“I am sure it has occurred to you,” he says, “what happened after your father followed your mother to Hokkaido.”

I shake my head. “I was a baby. Like you said, I don’t remember anything.”

His gaze locks onto mine. “Akira never returned.”

I force myself not to look away from his black eyes, even as cold sweat slicks my skin. My stomach tightens against the sick, sick feeling that I know the truth.

Tsuyoshi coughs quietly.

Zenjiro unfolds his long legs and stands. “I must go. Thank you.”

“Nothing else to say?” I ask.

“It’s late,” he says. “I’m afraid I have already been too much of an imposition on your grandparents.”

There’s just the slightest emphasis on that last word.

“Goodnight,” Zenjiro adds, his gaze on me. “Until we meet again.”

~

Before the flood of inevitable questions, I speak first. “Let me explain.”

We all return to the table, and with a lot of jasmine tea to wet my mouth, I tell them what happened: Yukimi, the inugami, the anburojia, the photo of my father, everything. Tsuyoshi and Michiko listen politely, nodding, not asking questions. But Gwen makes little noises of surprise or impatience, and I can tell she wants to talk.

“And then Gwen and I made it back here,” I say.

“Your grandmother and I are glad that you are safe.” Tsuyoshi’s voice sounds scratchy. “It must be difficult to learn what you have. We understand if you don’t wish to talk about it further.”

I shrug. “I’ve barely had time to think about it, to be honest.”

“Tavian.” The word bursts out of Gwen. “What are you going to do? Zenjiro knows where Yukimi is.”

My stomach lurches. “He could be bluffing.”

“What if he isn’t?”

Tsuyoshi interrupts. “Yukimi can take care of herself.”

But she doesn’t know the inugami are coming, and that the Lair is no longer safe. I rake my fingers through my hair and grab fistfuls of it, twisting until it hurts. I thought I needed to come here, to help my grandparents, but in fact Yukimi is in the most danger right now. What will the inugami do to her?

“I need to warn her,” I say.

“Do you have her phone number?” Michiko says.

“No, of course not.”

“Email address?”

I glance at my grandmother and see the challenging look in her eyes. “I know you don’t want me to go back there, but I can’t let them hurt her.”

“Yukimi can take care of herself,” Tsuyoshi repeats.

“She doesn’t know they’re coming!” I’m shouting, I don’t mean to, and I take a deep breath. “Sorry.”

“Tavian,” Gwen says. “Can’t you enter her dreams?”

“You think she’s sleeping right now? I ran away from her in the middle of the city. She must be looking for me.”

“Then let her find you,” Michiko says, folding her hands on the table.

I grit my teeth. “Zenjiro is watching this place.”

“Octavian.” Tsuyoshi stands from the table. “I will call Kazuki and your mother and let them know you are safe.”

I wince. “You told them already?”

Tsuyoshi’s face darkens. “You were missing for a night and a day. And most of this night. They deserve to know.”

“All right.” I rise to my feet. “Let me talk to them.”

He hands me the phone, and I retreat to my bedroom.

Gwen lingers in the doorway. “What are you going to tell them?” she says in a low voice.

I rub my face with my hands. “I don’t know, Gwen. I just got back here after running like hell, and now I find out I was running the wrong way.”

She shuts the door behind her. “You can’t go back out there.”

“What else am I going to do?”

“You think shapeshifting back into a fox is a good idea?”

I make a noise between a growl and a sigh, then slump on the floor against the bed. Gwen sits by me and I wrap my arm around her shoulders. Some of the tension melts from my muscles. I kiss her, softly at first, then harder, until she sighs against my lips.

“Don’t leave,” she says, “without taking me.”

I look into her eyes, see how they glimmer from hazel to gold. “So you do want to go?”

“Not without a plan.”

“Of course.” I squint. “You’re actually being less reckless than I am? This astounds me.”

She bites back a smile. “Stop it. You’re too tired to be sarcastic.”

“Maybe.” I stare at the phone in my hand. I know the numbers I need to press, but I don’t want to. “Wait a minute…”

“What?”

I run over to my luggage and unpack the little blue netbook my dad insisted that I bring, even though I told him I’d be more likely sketching than Photoshopping on this trip.

“There’s wifi in here, right?” I ask Gwen.

She shrugs. “I think so.”

I boot the netbook and sit on the edge of my bed, joggling my leg as I wait for it to load. “Come on…”

Gwen peers over my shoulder. “What’s your brilliant idea?”

“I don’t have Yukimi’s phone number, but I can get somebody else’s. Think about it. Who’s known Yukimi for a long time, trusts her with his life, and also runs a restaurant?”

She only has to think about it for a second. “The oni. Ozuru.”

“Bingo.” I type as fast as I can on the miniature keyboard. “I remember the name of the place… the Fat Oni. Let’s see if I can pinpoint an address and phone number.”

“Do you think they’re still open?”

“It’s a yakitori bar kind of thing.” I click on links for food reviews, directories, maps, until— “There!”

Gwen hands me back the phone and I punch in the number.

It rings, rings, then picks up. “The Fat Oni, how may I help you tonight?” A woman’s voice.

“Is Ozuru there?” I say.

“Ozuru?” The woman hesitates. “He’s busy right now. Can I take a message for you?”

“It’s urgent. Please, I need to talk to him.”

“And your name is?”

“Tavian.”

I hear nothing but the background din of conversation and the sizzling of yakitori on the grill. Then, the sound of the phone changing hands. “Hey, this is Ozuru, who am I talking to?”

“Tavian. Yukimi’s son.”

A long pause. “How did you get this number?”

“Google.”

“Kit, it’s one in the morning.” Ozuru sounds gruff. “What are you calling for? Does your mother know about this?”

“No, she doesn’t.” I talk quickly before he can cut me off. “You need to find her, Ozuru. You need to tell her that the inugami are coming for her, and that the Lair isn’t safe anymore.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

I blow out my breath. “Zenjiro Matsuzawa tracked me down. And he strongly implied he knows where the Sisters are.”

“God damn it.” Ozuru sighs. “I’ll go find her. Thanks for the tip.”

“And tell her I’m safe right now,” I add. “With my grandparents.”

“Will do.”

He hangs up, and I set down the phone.

“So he’s going?” Gwen says, who was eavesdropping.

I nod. “Hopefully he’ll find her in time.” I stare at the phone in my lap. “Now I need to call my parents.”