Page 20 of Calming the Storm

I shivered at the touch but was relieved when his orange and gold tails gently brushed mine and it didn’t cause any pain. I felt the tension leave me, but I couldn’t let go of the memory that just flickered across my mind, and it led to my hesitation.

“Crimson, what’s troubling you?” Aki whispered. His fingers lazily traced along my upper back, helping calm me as I recalled the memory I’d had when I passed out on the mountain.

“Storm...When I fell unconscious on the mountain, I saw how Storm died.” I bit my lip, trying not to be overcome with emotion by the images that flowed into my mind.

White Eyes and James.

Aki was silent for a long moment, and I looked up to see his guarded expression. He met my eyes as we shared a moment, simply staring as we laid in each other’s arms in the quiet room.

“Is it hard for you to talk about it?” he finally asked.

“Yes and no. Yes, because I still feel Storm’s essence within me, and retelling even a fraction of what occurred somewhat upsets me, which I figure is influenced by her emotions. However, I want to tell someone about it because I think it might be useful information for the investigation and would help us determine why she was killed,” I explained.

Aki nodded and pressed his hand gently on my head, encouraging me to rest my head back on his chest.

“Can you just give me a few seconds?”

“Sure,” I replied, understanding why he hesitated.

Even if the guys had stated they were willing to move on to date me, both because they had feelings for me but also with Storm’s permission to allow themselves to love again, I bet her murder was still hard for them to talk about.

Two months was not a lot of time to get over someone who I felt a few, if not all of the guys, would have wanted to spend their lives with. Our situation was rare, and the guys were handling it well, but that didn’t mean it was easy.

As I waited, I realized the situation reminded me of when Storm had taken over during my little getaway with Aki. He had been given the opportunity to be with Storm’s presence in my body, almost as if she was testing him, but he refused. Even thinking about it still left me in shock and made my heart swell at his actions and strength in that moment.

“Okay,” Aki announced.

I didn’t lift my head, deciding the skin to skin contact would help tremendously as I explained my thoughts. I took a deep breath, feeling Storm’s essence flicker through me, but I didn’t fight it, knowing it would be easier to have a bit of her influence when I explained her death.

“Two men were there in the courtyard, minutes before my death. The guard was dismissed, and that left the man you know as James and another male. I didn’t recognize him, but the most prominent characteristic was his eyes. Pure white eyes that held a level of coldness that reminded me of how cold and white snow can be,” I began, letting the words flow out in a combination of both our voices.

“James called White Eyes ‘Master.’ He then talked about Crimson...about her death being imminent seeing as she wouldn’t be reunited with her birthright weapon before her birthday and would die. They talked about her birth parents’ affinities and how once her powers were awakened, she’d be able to bring peace...the peace I died for,” I whispered.

I lifted my head, looking into Aki’s wide eyes.

He blinked a few times. “Crimstorm?”

Nodding for clarification, I continued, knowing I wouldn’t have much longer before my essence subsided and allowed Crimson to take over once more. It was even harder to take a bit of control after my last confrontation with Aki, and it saddened me just thinking about his denial. He must have noticed the sadness in my eyes, and I hoped he’d comfort me like he always did when I was down and troubled, but he simply shook his head with an expression of hurt on his face.

“Storm, please continue. I need to know more to help avenge you, with the help of Crimson and the others,” Aki stressed. I frowned at his plea, wishing he’d accept me and not continue to deny me, but I gave in to his request anyway.

“They stated that Crimson would be the strongest Kitsune shifter, especially with her cherry blossom abilities. Then they revealed Crimson’s birth parents, but that’s when James drove his sword into my chest. He pulled it out and asked me what would happen if two Kitsune shifters give birth to a female,” I explained.

“Nine tails,” Aki responded. A bit of anger lingered in the edge of his voice, but my heart knew his anger wasn’t for me, but on Crimson’s behalf.

“A nine-tailed Kitsune shifter with an SSS magic affinity. White Eyes questioned what would happen if Crimson held my pocket watch. He explained she’d be stronger than even Yoshi’s father, the Emperor. I can attest to that...though she’ll need a lot of training and experience to reach such status.”

“Once they find out Crimson’s alive...” Aki trailed off, talking more to himself than to me.

“They’ll come after her. Her power will be sought out, or they’ll kill her before she reaches a level of strength where she can defend herself without trouble. I can only imagine what she’ll be like with my pocket watch, though.”

I took a deep breath.

“After that, he removed my crystals one by one, until only the pink remained. I watched my familiars fade...and then, well...I sent Urufu away. I left strands of my magic in my pocket watch so I could try and communicate through the individual who would harvest its power. Then I prayed. And just like that, I died,” I concluded.

I didn’t see any remorse in Aki’s expression as he stared at me, making the decision to retreat an easy one.

“Sayonara, Aki,” I whispered, allowing my essence to return.

---