Hikaru paced the length of the chamber. Every so often, he went to the door and rattled it with the fruitless hope that it would open. Even if it did, there were guards outside, waiting to cut him down if he tried to escape. He ran his hands through his hair, pressing his fingers against the scars on his scalp. I am half Kitsune. His new reality had yet to sink in. He dropped his hands to his sides. He should have known Hotaru would try something like this. He had always resented Hikaru's place in the household, and Hikaru had been too blind to stop him. And that's the problem. I knew he was ambitious. I knew he had no love for me and I still did nothing to stop him. If I were a better leader, I would have been able to prevent this. This is my fault. He ceased his pacing. He could see the silhouettes of the guards outside his door. Hikaru never wanted to be a leader; that responsibility had been thrust upon him. Perhaps it will be better if I never become elder. If Hotaru lets me live, that is.

The guards talked together in low tones, their voices like a distant hum, the background to Hikaru's tormented thoughts. Then he heard a familiar voice mixed in with the other two. Curious, he crept closer to listen to their conversation.

"Lord Hotaru has asked to see the prisoner," Captain Sadao said.

"Can't imagine what good it will do. He's destined for the afterlife," replied one of the warriors.

"You will show respect; this is our lord's brother."

The men bowed; Hikaru could see their shadows through the door.

The guards moved aside. Hikaru backed away, looking across the barren room for some sort of weapon. He would not go without a fight. Rin needed him. He needed to protect her. If his brother had moved against him, then he might try to capture everyone that was close to him.

The door slid open and Hikaru, defenseless, squared his feet and prepared to rush the door. But the captain came into the room and shut the door after him. Every muscle in Hikaru's body tensed. As a matter of posturing, Hikaru raised an eyebrow, hopefully to taunt the captain into action. Not that the captain seemed anything other than composed.

"Follow me," the captain said.

Hikaru stared at him for a moment, trying to assess if he could fight him and win. The answer was a resounding no. If the captain could best his brother, then Hikaru might as well be a fly. He decided to switch tactics. "What does my brother want from me? He's already taken control of the clan. Does he expect me to accept an honorable death by my own hand?" he said, with a self-depreciating tilt of his mouth.

The captain said nothing. He slid the door open and commanded the guards to leave. Then he gestured for Hikaru to step out first. Hikaru did so with some hesitance. Glancing down the hallway, he formulated the beginnings of a plan. He might not be able to outfight the captain, but he could surely outsmart him.

He headed towards the elder's chambers, but when he did, the captain stabbed a finger in his back. "Not that way."

"The elder's chambers are that way." Hikaru pointed in the opposite direction the captain had bullied him into. Is he onto me?

"They are."

Hikaru went down the hall, his heart hammering in his chest. The servants that passed them would not raise their heads. He felt as if he were on a death march. He bided his time until his chance came at last. A servant carrying a platter of food came from the opposite direction. Hikaru hurried his pace before the captain noticed. He grabbed the servant by the shoulder, spun her around and grabbed the platter from her. He tossed the platter and bowl of soup at Captain Sadao. Hot broth splashed his face as Hikaru used the momentary distraction to run.

He could not hope to outrun the captain, so he turned a corner, disappearing from sight. Thundering footsteps pursued him. He slammed open the nearest door; inside, a group of ladies chatted together. They looked up as one, eyes wide and curious. He ran through them, scattering them like a flock of birds. They shrieked and shouted curses at him as he slipped out into the garden beyond. The captain, hot on his heels, burst through the door. The ladies shouted instructions at the captain, inadvertently detaining him with their outrage.

The garden beyond was ringed by verandas and more rooms on each side. He turned a sharp right and went into a nearby room. Jumping over an empty futon, he got himself tangled in a hanging reed curtain, slowing his progress.

"Stop, you fool!" the captain shouted from the garden beyond.

Hikaru knocked over a changing screen as he left the room, creating an obstacle for the captain. He did not stop; he kept running, his mind working faster than he thought possible. Then he turned a corner and ended in another garden. He cursed his ancestors for their love of decorative plants. There were a few low bushes and a decorative pond to the right. A single pathway ran alongside it, the only escape route. Jogging up the opposite end of the path, three more guards rushed towards him. They had heard the disturbance and now they raised their blades at him.

Hikaru skidded to a stop, panting and clutching his chest. He was no athlete by any stretch of the imagination. Footsteps fell in behind him; the captain had caught up.

"Hikaru, come to me. I can help you escape."

Hikaru looked to the captain and then to the men who closed in from the opposite side. It was most likely a trap. No matter which side he chose, it meant his demise. He inhaled, then dived into the pond beside him. It was not much deeper than his shoulders. The soldiers shouted as they ran around the pond and the plants that blocked their way. He swam the short distance across the pond and then dragged his dripping body out and onto the opposite veranda. He ran through another room and burst through the other side, but the wet clothes weighed him down and made his progress slower than before. They would catch him for sure. But he had to save Rin. Nothing else mattered unless he knew she was safe.

A hand came down hard on his shoulder and he tumbled to the ground. He twisted up with his arm to punch the captain. He connected with his jaw; it felt like punching a stone. The captain pinned him to the ground, his mouth set in a grim line.

"Stop fighting me, you fool. I am trying to save you."

Hikaru panted, staring up at the captain. "You are my brother's man, you never respected me. Why would I believe you?"

"Because I am not from this household. I am not even human."

His face shifted and his eyes were a bright purple, like twilight, and there was a marking on his forehead like a tattoo or a symbol of swirling lines, which he did not know the meaning of.

"What are you?" Hikaru bit out. "How could I not see you this way before?"

"Because I am stronger than you. Will you come quietly?"

Hikaru nodded as he choked down the paltry explanation. Did it matter what he thought? No matter how far he ran, he could not escape. If the captain was not human, and he had no more reason to doubt, then there was no choice.

The captain eased off him. He grabbed his sword, which had fallen on the ground, and returned it to his sheath.

"Wait here." He slipped away, leaving Hikaru alone with his shifting reality.

Now would be the perfect time to run. But he could not make his legs obey him. So Hikaru waited for the captain to return, ears straining as he listened for the other guards. Can I trust him? What does he have planned for me? Why save me?

The captain returned. And he motioned for Hikaru to follow him.

"Why are you rescuing me?" he asked.

"I'm following orders."

"Whose orders?"

He did not answer.

Hikaru dug in his heels. "I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me who ordered you to save me."

The captain looked over his shoulder. At first he thought he would not answer; then he said, "The forest guardian ordered me to save you."

His mouth fell open. This had to be a joke. But then he had thought Kitsunes were a thing of fantasy until recently as well. It wasn't that much of a stretch to believe the forest guardian wanted him. But why? He held his questions to himself. They slipped out into the hall, where Hikaru saw three bodies on the ground, the soldiers that had been chasing him before. He looked away. He couldn't take the guilt if the captain had killed them for his sake.

After a few moments, Hikaru spoke up. "I have to find Rin."

"There's no time."

Hikaru shook his head, but the captain's back was to him. He turned down an adjacent hall towards Rin's chamber. The captain chased after him and grabbed his arm.

Hikaru shook him loose. "I will not leave without her."

He met the captain's gaze. At first his expression was firm and it seemed unchanging; then with a heavy breath, he nodded. "But make it quick."

Hikaru ran ahead. He threw open Rin's chamber door, but found it empty, her bed unslept in. Could she have gone to the banquet? Fear tightened his throat. I have to find her. He ran out in the hall.

"She is not here," the captain said. He glanced at the sky, as if he could tell time by the stars.

"My brother may have her. If he does, he will kill her."

"If he knows what she is, then he would have brought her back to the shrine."

Hikaru headed that way.

The captain's heavy footsteps followed after him. "You cannot go there. Your brother's men will be about."

"Have you ever loved someone?"

The captain did not respond. It was a ludicrous question, and inappropriate. After a few beats, he said, "I do love someone. I will find her. Stay here."

He pushed Hikaru into an empty room and then leapt into the dark. From the doorway Hikaru saw him running along the rooftops like a bird through the clouds.

h ak