21b

I wish Kato were here and that I could speak with him. Ilumi stood up. She had lingered in the garden, thinking about Rizuma's proposal. She had not thought about the future or even the potential of a future with Rizuma. He was married and a human-well, a half human. She was not completely immune to the gossip. She could not imagine why he had not told her himself. It hurt her that even now he was keeping secrets from her. Not that it mattered, even with Zoldas blood in his veins, his life span would end, and thinking about that just constricted her chest. I cannot even consider a future until I break this spell. She started walking before she could change her mind. Her bare fleet slapped on the wooden walkways. The servants, who were busy with their tasks, still stopped to bow or try to press offerings of flowers and food into her hand. She shook them off and ran down the hall. She darted down the first empty passageway she could find and leaned against a wall. I almost miss when they hated me. After taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she continued, this time down the deserted halls that led back to her bedchamber. Much of the activity was centered around the main hall, the centermost building where the family entertained. When she reached her door, she looked both ways before sliding it open. She went straight to her futon, and kneeling down, she reached under it and pulled out the dagger from underneath. She clamped her hand down on it and just held it for a moment. Testing the weight against her palm, she resigned herself to her task. It's her or me. She swallowed past a lump in her throat. I have no choice. After poking her head out to check for any casual witnesses, she headed out. She hid the dagger in her sleeve just before a servant appeared at the opposite end of the walkway. The young woman bowed so deep to Ilumi her head nearly touched the ground. Ilumi smiled and scooted past her, her arm pinned behind her back. Ilumi went in the opposite direction of where she had originally intended to avoid suspicion, then doubled back once she was certain the servant was gone. Guards were stationed along the cross section that led to the inner ring; she came across blue-masked warriors. They watched her slip past without expression. They were not Zatesa guards, but Lady Bulan's. Damn, they will not know I am a Zoldas. I doubt they will let me pass. Hidden in the shadows, she sized up the guards and reevaluated her plans. A garden nearby had a trellis, which she could climb. She recalled her last adventure on the palace roofs. I can do it again, and this time no one will be chasing me. She removed the dagger from her sleeve and placed it in her sash. She could not risk it sliding out. Her palms were slick with sweat, so she wiped them on her thighs before taking a deep breath. The guards faced the garden. She would need to distract them to get by. While searching for inspiration, there came shouting from behind the guards. The men turned in unison, pulling their swords from their sheaths as one. Ilumi seized her opportunity and ran over to the trellis, praising her good fortune. As she climbed, her hands trembled. The climb seemed to take an eternity. They'll turn around any minute and I'll be done for. In reality it was but a matter of moments. She reached the roof, where she collapsed, taking large gulping breaths. She rolled over and looked down at the guards, but they had disappeared. No matter. At least I was not seen. She ran along the rooftops. Every few feet she peeked her head over the edge. She found mostly empty rooms. Then she came to a large barren garden. The plants were all dead, the tree at the center was nothing but empty branches. Four young noble ladies sat talking in low voices. They were Lady Bulan's maids. Ilumi squatted on the roof. She wished she had taken off her robes; all the exertion was making her sweat. She swiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand. "Ladies, where are you?" Lady Bulan called from within her chamber. "In the garden, my lady," said the lady in the center of the three others. Lady Bulan glided into the garden. Her long ebony hair fell over her shoulders like rivers of silk. She wore her layers of robes with ease. Ilumi watched her with a distant pang of jealousy. This was Rizuma's wife. Did he love her? she could not help but wonder. Human relationships baffled her despite spending nearly a month in their presence. Tonight is the last night. She looked up at the moon. It glowed above, mocking her. It seemed cruel to murder an innocent human. She could have laughed. Being among the humans had changed her. Lady Bulan joined her ladies and sat on the bench. "Shall I read to you, my lady?" asked a woman to her right. "No, thank you," was the lady's despondent reply. "Does something trouble you?" asked the third woman. Do they take turns speaking to her? Ilumi readjusted her legs, which had begun to burn from squatting. She could not just plop down in the garden and kill the lady. She would have to catch her alone. And there were likely guards about. I did not think this through very well. She removed the dagger from her sash and rolled it in her hands as she concocted a plan. "Nothing is the matter. Leave me," snapped Lady Bulan. The ladies rose together and scattered like fall leaves. Lady Bulan stood up and walked to the far side of the garden. Her head was lowered as if she were deep in thought. Now was her chance; Ilumi prepared to leap down. But before she could, another voice called out to Lady Bulan. "My lady?" Lady Bulan turned in place and furrowed her brow as one of her blue-masked guards approached her. "I asked to be left alone," she said, her lips pressed flat together. "Pardon my intrusion, my lady, but you have not been yourself since we left the palace." "It is not your concern." She turned to walk away, and now the warrior faced Ilumi's direction and Lady Bulan's back was turned to Ilumi. The warrior was so intent on Lady Bulan he did not notice Ilumi watching from above. "My lady, I have sworn my life to you. Your happiness is of the greatest concern to me." She laughed and said, "Those are empty words. What is real devotion? I would say it is nothing but a romantic notion." He smirked. His smile seemed familiar. It cannot be. "A man has broken your heart; I can see it on your face." She raised her hand to slap him, but he grabbed her wrist before she could do so. With his free hand he removed the mask. Lady Bulan gasped and slowly lowered her hand. The Dragon let the mask fall to the ground with a bang. "Karina, did you think you could run?" Ilumi could not see her face, but from the way she balled her hands into fists, she knew the Dragon had stirred her ire. "You left me-without warning… without saying goodbye." He chuckled. "I told you I would break your heart." She scoffed. "You are a terrible liar." He moved closer to her and Ilumi edged closer. Is this where he has been? My master? She knew she should have felt something more, a twinge, anything that indicated there had been real feeling between them, but there was nothing. The Dragon, the greatest ruler in Akatsuki, was in love with a human. Though she could see it in his eyes, she could not believe it. Ilumi watched in a trance as he moved Lady Bulan's hand away from her mouth and kissed her. She backed away, leaving them to their private moment. She could not kill her, not with the Dragon protecting her. But when she tried to walk away, her foot slipped and she went sliding off the roof. She clawed at the roof tiles, knocking loose a few in the process. Then she went toppling over the edge and landed in a bush, which broke her fall. Everything hurt. Her body was covered in hundreds of small pains, all shouting at her. She rubbed her aching limbs and looked up to see an angry Dragon glaring at her. She opened her mouth to explain, but no words came out. "What are you doing here?" he snarled. She waved her hands, showing that they were empty. Then from over his shoulder she saw Lady Bulan pick up her dagger, which had fallen on the ground alongside the broken roof tiles. "Maito, look at this." Maito? Ilumi had never called the Dragon anything other than the Dragon. Had the human given him a name? She could have slapped herself; there were more important things to worry about than pet names. Like the ice that glossed over his eyes that she knew did not bode well for her. "Are you here to kill Karina?" He shook Ilumi hard enough to rattle her brain inside her skull. It's me, do you not recognize me? She looked him in the eye, willing him to see her, but the witch's spell had blinded him. She should have known the witch was devious-her last hope had been snatched away. If her master could not save her, then… "Speak, damn you!" he snarled. His hands on her shoulders were like ice. The cold burn of his touch crept into her flesh, freezing her from the inside. She opened her mouth to cry out, but no words would come out. The witch's spell had muted even her ability to express pain. Karina grabbed the Dragon by the shoulder. "Stop, Maito. I do not want to see any more bloodshed." He ground his jaw, a habit Ilumi was all too familiar with. He wanted to kill her; he would have had Karina not stopped him. "You escape with your life, but if I see you again, you are dead." He stepped backwards and took Karina by the arm. They hurried out of the garden through an adjacent walkway, not bothering to go through her chamber. Ilumi sat in the bush, numb. Her master, who she had served for centuries, had not recognized her, and on top of that, she had failed to kill Karina. Which means I cannot break the spell without killing Rizuma.