Page 32 of Curses & Kitsune

“Do not speak of things you know nothing about!” She whirls on me, black eyes narrowed, fangs sharp. “You do not need to rub your mating bond in my face, human. There is no one out there for me. The only one for me died long, long ago.”

I wince. Man. Do I always have to put my foot in my mouth? “Oh. I’m sorry.” I scratch my head and look away from Tamano’s tense frame, her red robes swaying in the night breeze. “Do you… want to talk about it?”

“Talk, talk, talk…” she mutters. “What is there to talk about?”

“Clearly a lot, if you’re still upset about it.”

She’s quiet, arms folded to her chest. I figure I’ve pushed her too far, so I look away. She’ll probably vanish in a few seconds. Claws click over the wood. I jolt, eyes opening. There’s a fox with red streaks in her fur sitting on the porch beside me, nine tails curled delicately around her legs. She’s a beautiful fox.

“His name was Konoe.” Tamano’s voice echoes in my mind, making me jump. “He was one of Emperor Toba’s many sons, back when I still walked the earth countless years ago. In the village where I lived among humans, people paid for my services, whether that was cursing a home, tricking their enemies, or other forms of mischief. However, one human came to me and offered me a great sum of money to assassinate the emperor.”

I stay silent, but I think I can see where she’s going with this.

The kitsune turns her pointed snout toward the moon. “I’d come to seduce the emperor, but it was his son who captured my heart. The instant we locked eyes, I knew I would never desire another man again. That he would be the only one I would ever care for. I became his lover, and we spent many days together, getting to know each other to the very depths of our souls. Even when he found out what I truly was, he did not reject me. He planned for us to marry, but his father forbade it. He had arranged a marriage for him with another woman, one he deemed worthy of his heir.”

Even though she’s a fox and only so many emotions can show on her face, her voice shakes with anger and pain. I think I know why she chose this form to tell her story. It’s easier, like hiding herself behind a shield.

“I poisoned the emperor so that we could be together.”

I sigh, knowing this story doesn’t have a happy ending. “That didn’t happen, though.”

The fox’s small body shivers as she lets out a sound like a broken sigh. My chest tightens. “The emperor’s illness exposed me for what I really was. I had to flee, but Konoe had no time to accompany me. Hunters from the palace tracked me down and slew my mortal body. Konoe found me in the woods and wept. I wish I could have consoled him, told him that I was right there beside him in spirit. He took his own life. A priest confined my spirit within the Sessho-seki, and I was unable to pass on and join Konoe in death. For years, I waited for us to be reunited, and the longer we were separated, the more furious I became.”

“And when Namikawa broke the Sessho-seki…”

Her eyes narrow, snout wrinkling in anger. “Namikawa promised we would be reunited, but only if I would serve his pack. In my fury, I demanded a sacrifice in exchange.”

Understanding makes me wince. “You had Namikawa abduct one-half of couples and fated pairs and tear them apart. The way you and Konoe were torn apart.”

A growl rumbles from the kitsune beside me. “You sound so incensed, human. But tell me this. How is it fair that so many got to be happy while I was left to suffer for so long without my love? If I can’t be happy with my mate, then why should anyone else?”

“I can understand. If I were separated from Raiden, I’d be devastated, too, but hurting others the way you’ve been hurt isn’t the answer.”

She snaps her fangs in my direction. “Save your moral superiority for someone else, human. My kind do not follow the same codes and conducts as your race. Even after one hundred years passed, still, Konoe and I remained apart. I lost myself in fury and craved only blood, death, and suffering.”

“Do you still?”

The fox nods. “Of course. Until I am reunited with Konoe, I will do whatever it takes to return to him. If I have to take your body, I will take it for myself. If I must kill, then I will kill!”

“Sheesh. Take it easy. So all this time, you’ve been jealous of me and Raiden, is that it?”

She nods. “Yes.”

Well, I appreciate her honesty. “I guess I can understand being jealous.” I’d be pissed, too, if I’d been separated from Raiden. And while I won’t ever forgive what she did under Namikawa’s influence, tonight has only proven that I’m capable of the same violence as Tamano. I flew into a rage when Raiden was just hurt. But losing him? What would I do then? A shiver rattles my backbone.

“But you want to go back to him, don’t you? So why were you talking earlier like you wanted nothing to do with guys?”

She growls lowly. “Because I will never see him again. You will use me to destroy your enemies, the same as Namikawa, and you will never let me go. Why give up such immense power?”

“No!” I blurt. The fox looks up at me, ears twitching. “I’m not going to keep you imprisoned inside my body, Tamano. I’m not Namikawa. I’d never do that. I want you to be free, too. But only when I’m sure you won’t hurt anyone.”

She narrows her red eyes. “You expect me to believe that?”

“No. I don’t. Namikawa lied to you and used you. But I won’t do that to you. As long as releasing you won’t result in bloodshed, I’ll help you get home to Konoe. I promise.”

She gazes up at me with something like hope in her wide eyes. “Truly?”

I give her fluffy head a pat before I can remind myself she’s a deity, not a cute fuzzy fox. “Yeah. Really.”

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