Rin slid out of the silk layers of her kimono. She had sent away the new maid, who tried to undress her. The feel of unfamiliar hands made her skin crawl. She kept thinking about poor Yuri, killed by a Yokai, she was certain. And as much as she wanted to pretend she did not care about the humans, she felt guilty for the girl's death. And now the servants watched her as if she were about to grow a third eye and sharp pointed teeth. I cannot stand this. Footsteps thumped on the ground and she spun around, clutching the silken fabric to her chest to conceal her naked body.

Shin looked her up and down slowly, starting with her feet and heading up. She scowled and pulled a hairpin from her hair. It had a sharp point. She spun it towards him, and it flipped over and over before grazing his ear as he dodged it. It embedded in the wall behind him.

"Don't stop on my account," he said with a barking laugh.

Rin snatched up her sleeping gown and went behind the privacy screen to finish dressing. I am going to get you for this, Shin, just you wait.

When she emerged from the other side of the screen, she found Shin lounging on her futon, twirling a scroll in his hand. She crossed her arms over her chest and made a gesture with her hand, indicating he should explain his presence. I had hoped he would not come back. I suppose it was too much to hope for.

"I've been intercepting messengers," he said, showing her the scroll. "Lord Kaedemori is not very trusting. But no need to worry, when a third came through in a week, I knew he would not be sated until he had an answer. I used all my forgery skills to send a letter explaining your presence. It should appease them until we can find a way to break this curse."

Rin rolled her eyes. He could be so arrogant. She plucked the scroll from Shin's hand and skimmed it over. He was not mistaken. It seemed Lord Kaedemori was more suspicious of her than she initially thought. I will need to move quickly, before he gets it in his head to do something more drastic than writing a letter. She took the document over to a brazier and held it to the flames. The fire caught and curled up the paper before she dropped it inside, destroying the evidence.

"Before you ask, no, I have not found out anything about breaking your curse, but do not fear, I will find the answer soon enough." He sat on her futon and grinned at her. She gave him a halfhearted smile. She knew he was trying to stay positive for her. But without knowing anything about the spell, it would be difficult for him to find any way of helping her. She hoped he would go on a wild-goose chase while she worked on ending the treaty. She had not accounted for how damnably persistent Shin could be.

He continued, "I tried going to Akio for help, but he would not even let me through the forest. What did you do to anger him?"

She shrugged her shoulders and plopped down next to Shin. Go back to the Dragon's palace. You'll be safe there. She couldn't say that, of course, and Shin was too stubborn to realize when he was in the way. Hikaru had almost seen him tonight. She sighed and flopped back on her futon. Shin hogged up most of the space, making it difficult to get comfortable. She elbowed him and kicked until they were lying side by side. Their hands brushed against one another and he pulled back. She rolled over to face him. She raised a brow in question. There's something you're not telling me.

"I could get used to the quiet," he said. "You were always blathering on before."

She slapped him playfully on the arm.

He laughed and the vibrations rolled over Rin. His laughter subsided and they stared up at the ceiling for a few moments. It was nice, almost as if things were back to normal.

"The Dragon returned to the palace. That's the reason it took me so long to return."

Rin sat up and stared at Shin with wide eyes. Please say you did not tell him I was turned into a human. I could not face the humiliation.

"I covered for you; he doesn't know anything about this," he said, responding to her unspoken question. He would not look at her.

He's holding back. She tugged on his ear.

He pretended it hurt, yowling in mock pain. Rin gave him another playful swat. Grow up, you big baby.

He chuckled and then sighed before saying, "He's not the same. He's been moping around the palace. He won't eat or sleep. Something's happened." He looked at Rin from the corner of his eye. "Do you know anything about it?"

Her stomach constricted. It would be vain to think the Dragon is pining for me. Rin closed her eyes. When I get back to the way I was, I'll have to face him. But everything is different now. I cannot go back to where I was, not with the court's judgmental looks and their whispers. She wasn't sure which was a worse fate: living out a brief human existence, or an eternity trapped with gossiping Yokai intent on ruining her reputation more than she had already.

She covered her eyes with her arm. Shin drummed his fingers along it, and she lowered it and peeked up at him.

"You're being overdramatic again. Why not go to him?"

Rin tried to laugh, but no sound came out. She rolled over and punched the futon in frustration. The witch had a powerful curse. She never knew how much she would miss her ability to speak until it was gone. Or how demoralizing it would be to not be able to utter a single sound. Shin grabbed her wrist to stop her from punching. She panted as he gently lowered her fist.

"I'll find a way to break your curse, I promise, and then you can go back to the Dragon."

She touched his face, stroking his cheek, and smiled. You've always been there for me. What would I do without a friend like you?

He turned away from her touch. "Go to bed, Rin. I'll watch over you while you sleep."

She shook her head and tugged him down on the futon beside her. She draped his arm around her waist and snuggled up close. Just like when we were kids. He always used to sneak into my bed whenever it thundered. I miss those days. They were much simpler.

He coughed. "Rin, we're not little kids anymore. What if I took advantage of you?"

She twisted around to press her finger to his lips, and shook her head. You would never dare. We're friends and I love you like a brother. She knew he could not read her thoughts, but she thought the message was clear.

He huffed. "You're right, you're the one woman I could never take advantage of. You're too stubborn."

She ignored him and listened to his breathing. The steady in and out made her drowsy and her eyelids sagged. For just a little while she wanted to forget about the curse, forget about Hikaru and his damn honor.

Shin wriggled behind her. She peeked an eye open. There was something on his mind. She could not ask him directly, so she had to settle for him being ready to tell her. After a few moments of silence, he said, "I smelled blood. A human died here tonight and they were killed by a Yokai. You're not safe here."

I know and that's what scares me. Because I can't leave, the witch's spell won't let me.

69R\{