Page 43 of The Tainted and the Tamed
Haruki felt the heat of his own blood trailing down his back. The sun was fast approaching. Chiyo had left just enough of the shelter to hide quickly. Haruki tried to draw his blade from his sheath—only to receive a kick in the stomach that stole his breath and made his ribs crack. Chiyo slammed her elbow down on his hand to prevent the sword from being drawn further.
While she was distracted, Junpei sprung up from the hide, his blade catching a hint of morning light as it flashed through the air. Chiyo stumbled back, howling in pain.
And then she laughed.
“Did you think I didn’t know there were two of you?” Blood dripped from her torso and the arm that had partially shielded her from Junpei’s attack. “I smelled you at the castle. I’ve smelled you in the woods for two days now. And I made arrangements for you both.”
So quickly he didn’t register the tensing of her muscles, Chiyo sprung up into the tree tops, grasping at branches. With the strength of a seasoned vampire, she kicked out once again—not at Haruki this time, but at the tree.
A loud snap had Junpei and Haruki scrambling backward. She had broken off the top of the tree with a single kick.
Shit. Like idiots, Junpei and Haruki had clustered close together. Swinging to the ground, Chiyo landed like a cat. Her claws were out in a second, slashing at Haruki. Again, he stumbled back to avoid her.
In the blink of an eye, she was in another tree, breaking its top to let the morning sun find them. Junpei slid away, not from the falling treetop but from a ray of soft blue light.
Without thinking, they’d separated.
Haruki drew his sword, tossing the scabbard away. With the gently curved blade in one hand, he gestured with the other.
Junpei saw it and ran.
Like the animal that she was, Chiyo clocked the movement and immediately gave chase. Too late, she regained hold of her instincts and turned to look behind her.
Haruki was already there.
Before he could slash out, she ducked, the blade slicing through her hair and burying into her shoulder. She screeched in pain, then twisted her body, her hands already driving upward.
Haruki watched in horror as the blade flew from his hands, buried in the bone of her shoulder.She’s stronger than me. I made a wraith stronger than me.
Only one choice remained.
Before she could use his own sword against him, Haruki seized her throat. It took all of his strength to move her a little more than his arm span, carrying her with him into the pocket of dawn light she had made.
If I can just hold on—
Chiyo thrashed in his grasp, knocking the sword from her own shoulder. She was covered in blood. His body screamed with pain. And slowly, shade by shade, the darkness of the clearing became deep blue, then the color of lapis lazuli.
His skin was on fire.
He could not hold her tight enough to squeeze her airway the way she had with Murasaki. He sought only to hold her in place.
Chiyo panted, desperately trying to free herself. “You’d kill yourself just to get rid of me?”
“As you said,” Haruki ground out, his own teeth set against the pain. “You’re not Chiyo. The least I can do for her is to make sure you quit her body. You”—he paused, gasping—“disgrace her memory. I can’t let you go on committing crimes with her body and face.”
“You’re j-jealous,” she panted. “I’m stronger than you.”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
“You’re a monster!”
“Yes,” Haruki answered, “I am. I’m also”—he ground his teeth as the pain intensified—”s-sorry. I never wanted this to happen. I tried to save you with my own blood.”
If he’d expected her expression to soften, he was disappointed. She was right. She wasn’t Chiyo anymore.
He owed his apologies to her spirit—not to this creature.
When she finally tore free of his hands, Haruki was ready. He threw his entire body into hers, knocking her to the ground. Though the light only touched his arms, his hands and the gap between his hairline and the collar of his kimono, it scourged every part of him.
