Kaito rested his hands on his hips as he stared down at Suzume. Despite her deep mortification from finding Kaito and Rin in what was apparently a very compromising situation, she could not help but let her eyes travel over Kaito’s well-defined chest. Her sight skimmed over the top of his pants before shooting back up to his face. Too bad he’s too annoying to even consider taking as a lover. She had to shake herself. Get it together. Kaito and Rin were together alone in her room!

“Well I guess I discovered what Rin’s service to you was,” Suzume said as she stood back up and brushed off the fresh robes the priests had given her.

Rin came to peer over Kaito’s shoulder. Her robe was hanging over her shoulder and the top of her breast was revealed from beneath the silky fabric. Her auburn hair was tussled and she looked at Suzume with a half lidded smile. Neither of them attempted to deny their actions, which stung more than Suzume thought it should.

“It looks like you’re both busy. I’m going back to my room,” Suzume tilted her chin and turned to walk away.

“Wait!” Kaito called out to her.

Suzume’s heart clenched and she chastised herself. Stop it. She took a breath before glancing back him with what she hoped was an indifferent expression. “Yes?”

“There’s room for one more if you’d like to join us,” Kaito grinned and pulled Rin under his arm and held his free hand out to Suzume.

“No thank you,” Suzume said with an icy tone.

The smile left Kaito’s face and he took a step back. The spiritual energy crackled around her, electrifying the air between them. They held one another’s gaze for a moment. If she hadn’t been embarrassed and upset at Kaito’s apparent promiscuity she would have said something to turn the shame back on them, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. She twirled away, her wet hair flipping behind her just in time to hide the flush of her cheeks. 

She stomped away making sure to make every footstep echo off the walls as she withdrew. They’re perfect for one another. They’re both annoying beyond reason and they’re both immortal. Suzume arrived at her room. She threw open the door. Once inside, she slammed the door behind her and the paper screen shuddered beneath the force.  Suzume flopped down onto the futon that had been laid out for her.

She lay with her arms and leg spread eagle, while staring at the ceiling. It’s not like I care who he has a relationship with. He loved Kazue not me. She rolled over onto her side and brought her knees to her chest. Sure he can be charming when he wants to. And he’s not ugly...

“That’s some dangerous thinking.” She chastised herself.

The silence of the shrine was her only answer, even the night insects had hushed as if they too had witnessed her humiliation.

Kaito may be handsome but he has also sworn to kill me if he ever finds out who I was in a past life. Not the ideal start to a relationship. I am better off sealing him before this gets out of hand.

Eventually, Suzume fell asleep. She woke early the next morning on top of the futon wearing the robe from the night before. She had a crick in her neck and her hair was a tangled mess since she hadn’t brushed it out after the bath. Suzume groaned and climbed to her feet. A low hum was vibrating through the air of the temple.  The words were too low to decipher but they caught Suzume’s attention despite her sleep addled mind. What is that? Please tell me it’s not something trying to kill us all. I’d like to eat something before having my life threatened today.  

She closed her eyes and tried to fall back asleep but the sound was too distracting. With a heavy sigh, she climbed off the futon. Ran her fingers through her hair and tied it back hastily. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand as she opened the chamber door. The hall was empty but the vibration of the words grew louder. Suzume slipped out the chamber and followed the sound down the hall. The sound seemed to be coming from a building that adjoined the sleep quarters. An open walkway with a roof separated the two buildings. Suzume crossed it and glanced about the grounds which surrounded the buildings. They were well maintained, with low shrubs and plenty of trees.

The building was large and square. The roof was red tile and met at a sharp incline. Behind it lay the shrine. A secondary row of red arches guarded the temple proper. I am not going anywhere near that shrine. Shrines and I do not have a good history.

The doors to the building were sliding paper doors open on all four sides. All the doors were open and inside the priests sat on the floor in rows, their legs crossed and eyes closed. Suzume stepped up and listened to the haunting sounds of the chanting.

The head priest sat at the front of the group wearing ceremonial white and black. What are they doing?

“You came just in time for their morning prayers.”

Suzume spun around to see Rin leaning against a beam that supported the covered walkway. Suzume glowered at her and turned back to the priests pretending the chanting was of deep interest to her. But now that she knew what was making the noise, she had lost interest. She hung about for another moment hoping Rin would get the hint and leave her alone. She didn’t. Instead, Rin came closer. Rin stood close enough to Suzume to brush against her sleeve. Suzume withdrew her hand and scowled at Rin from the corner of her eye.

“This order is known for their ability to transcend into the spirit world. They also have the best mastery of spiritual power manipulation,” Rin explained.

Despite Suzume’s interest in learning more about spiritual powers, she feigned disinterest.

“They draw on water, that’s their element of choice, you could say,” Rin continued on heedless of Suzume’s lack of engagement. “It’s Kaito’s element as well.”

Suzume had to stop herself from questioning Rin further. She didn’t want to give the fox woman the benefit.

Rin stepped in front of Suzume and tried to force her meet her gaze. Suzume turned to walk away.

Suzume heard Rin sigh behind her. “Suzume, we need to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you.” Suzume said without stopping to look at the other woman. Suzume headed at an angle away from Rin and toward the courtyard where the priests had met them the day prior. Suzume was trying to put distance between herself and Rin before she figured out how to use her powers and turn Rin into dust. Suzume took a deep breath. I don’t care who he wants to be with. It does not matter to me.

Suzume was almost to the courtyard which was surrounded by large ginko trees, when Rin grabbed her by the shoulder.

Suzume spun around and wrenched herself out of Rin’s grasp. “I would appreciate it if you would keep your filthy hands off of me.” She tried to walk again but found she could not move. Suzume glared at Rin. “What did you do to me?”

“Just a simple charm. It’s time you stop being so pig headed and listen up.” Rin tossed her auburn hair over her shoulder and gave Suzume a firm look.

Suzume was preparing an angry retort when Rin placed her hand over Suzume’s mouth. She tried to dodge but the fox-woman was too quick. Suzume tried to shout at her but found she could not move her mouth.

Szume groaned at Rin and she smiled. “If you don’t like it then just use your powers and break the charm.”

Suzume groaned again and struggled trying to break free of the charm but no matter what she did she couldn’t. After a few minutes, she sighed –or as close as she could get to a sigh without use of her mouth.

“Are you ready to listen?” Rin asked.

Suzume rolled her eyes and looked away from Rin.

“Too bad, you’re going to have to,” Rin replied, “First of all, what you saw last night wasn’t what you thought it was.”

I know exactly what I saw! At least that’s what she wanted to say but couldn’t the sound that came out was more like a grunt.

Rin held up her hand. “I was giving him a massage. The change between human and dragon can be painful for him and I can ease the muscle for him.”

Suzume rolled her eyes in response.  Like I’m going to believe that, when you were half dressed alone with him.

“I know you think we’re lovers but we’re not.” Rin crossed her arms and it pushed up her breasts.

Suzume tried to scoff but it came out more like a groan.

“We were at one time,” Rin smiled to herself and looked out into the distance as if she looked into the past, “But that was centuries before Kazue. We had our time and we parted ways, the way most immortals do. We don’t often stay with one person for long.”

Is that why Kazue sealed him away? Because she was afraid of being left alone and her pregnant with his child once he was done with her?

“I told you before that I was the key between you and Kazue,” Rin continued, once more back on topic.

Suzume regarded the fox woman intently for the first time. Rin twitched her tail back and forth for a while not meeting Suzume’s gaze.

“Kaito doesn’t know this, but I witnessed Kaito and Kazue’s courting. There were rumors among the immortals that The Great Dragon had taken an interest in a human woman; I could not believe it. I had to see for myself. So I tracked him down. He was not in his dragon form –which he much preferred in those days—he was living under the guise of a human, in a human home. The woman, Kazue, was the daughter of a lord. She was betrothed to marry one of her father’s generals. Kaito wanted to seduce the woman from beneath the general’s nose. He thought it would be a triumph, as you know he is a bit of a trickster.”

Suzume nodded before realizing then she glanced away as if she were not listening even though she was hanging on Rin’s every word.

“What Kaito wasn’t expecting was that this woman had spiritual powers. She was not even aware of them herself. But being an immortal he felt it and that appealed to him more than just a simple seduction. When he discovered her abilities, he revealed himself to her and took her away from his father’s home. He brought her to this very temple to train. Here is the place that she learned how to control her abilities and here they fell in love.”

Suzume glanced about the clearing. She tried to imagine Kaito as he had acted before she had reversed the wish. I can see how she could fall in love with that Kaito.

“There is not much more that I know about them apart from that. What I want to know now is why you reversed your wish? The idol must have told you that your lives must tread these paths. Can you not see it? He’s brought you back to the same temple. Everything is repeating over again. I can’t let Kaito go through that again, I will not see him sealed for another century or more. You have to stop history from repeating itself.”

Suzume grunted, trying to reply.

“I guess I can’t get answers out of you if you don’t behave. Do you promise to be a good girl?” Rin asked.

Suzume nodded.

Rin reached over and laid her hand against Suzume’s mouth. Suzume felt a tingling sensation. When Rin removed her hand, Suzume stretched her mouth and touched it with her fingertips. 

Once she was sure she was back to normal, Suzume said, “I don’t care what you want. Once I learn how to use my powers I am going to him seal once more.”

“Is that so?”

Suzume’s stomach dropped and the air crackled with energy around her. She spun around. Kaito was stood at the edge of the courtyard an unreadable expression on his face. Suzume had no doubt in her mind that he had heard everything.