with golden cranes.
Yukiko put her palm to her brow, headache digging its boots into the back of her eyeballs. Sickness swelled in her stomach, the floor of Daichi’s house rolling like the deck of a sky-ship in a storm. She’d tried to close off the Kenning, but could still feel Buruu waiting on the landing outside—a pale inferno burning in her mind’s eye.
“It was either bring her with us or kill her, Kaori.”
“So kill her,” the woman snapped. “Where is the issue?”
“I don’t kill helpless girls with their hands bound at their sides.”
“She’s not a girl,” Kaori growled. “She’s a godsdamn Guildsman.”
Peppermint tea. Burning cedar. Old leather, sword oil and dry flowers. A perfume filling Daichi’s sitting room, filling her lungs and head, too much input, sharp and pointed inside her skull. She fancied she could still smell charring meat, hear the sizzle of her skin as Daichi pressed the burning blade to her tattoo.
Yukiko stood and walked to the window. The laughing fire spread awful warmth into every corner, snapping blackened logs between its fingers and breathing smoke up through a beaten brass flue. She pushed the shutters aside, gulping down lungfuls of fresh, rain-sweet air.
Daichi watched Yukiko carefully, faint concern in his eyes.
“Nobody in this room has more reason to hate the Guild than me, Kaori.” Yukiko turned from the window, stared at the council. “But I’m not certain I want to be a butcher.”
“The crews of those ironclads you destroyed might say otherwise,” Kaori said.
“Oh, you fuc—”
“We all do what needs to be done, Stormdancer,” Kaori snapped. “You included. We will all turn the waters red when we bathe once this is finished. The lotus must burn.”
Yukiko looked to Daichi, waiting for him to weigh in, but the old man was staring at his hands, uncharacteristically silent.
“I wanted to check with you all before I did anything final.” Yukiko wiped sweat-soaked palms on her hakama legs. “It’s safe to bring her here. Kin assured me there’s no way for the Guild to track her out of her skin.”
“And you trust him?” Maro scoffed.
“Of course I trust him.” Yukiko’s voice was cold as winter morning. “He saved my life. I trust him more than I trust you.”
“Be it made of scales or brass, a snake who sheds his skin is still a snake.”
“There is no steel in that boy,” Kaori said. “No fire. Only treachery.”
“How can you say that?” Yukiko felt heat in her cheeks, memories of his lips rushing beneath her skin. “He gave up everything to be here with us.”
“He gave up everything to be here with you, ” Kaori said. “He cares nothing for the revolution. If you left us, he’d be gone tomorrow. You are the reason he is here, Stormdancer. Open your eyes.”
Yukiko drew breath to reply, but found no words.
“You’re the reason. The first and only reason.”
“This is not about the boy.” Sensei Ryusaki’s low growl cut through the tension. “This is about the Guildsman, and what we do with it.”
“Kill it,” Maro said flatly. “Their kind are poison. The lotus must burn.”
“I agree,” Yukiko nodded. “We’d be fools to trust it.”
She looked amongst the council, noted the surprise on their faces.
“Look, I know that might make me a bitch, but at least I’m not a stupid bitch.”
“What if this girl speaks the truth?” Daichi’s voice cut the air like a knife. “What if there are more like her in the Guild?”
“Impossible,” Kaori said.
“Arashitora were impossible too, a few months ago.” Daichi’s voice was rough as bluestone gravel. “Now look at the magnificence outside this room.”
The council looked out through the open doorway at the thunder tiger sprawled upon the deck. Buruu was stretched out in the rain, idly tearing up talonfuls of planking. His yawn sent tremors through the floor.
TELL THEM IT IS RUDE TO STARE. EVEN AT MAGNIFICENCE.
Hush! Gods, you’re
Yukiko put her palm to her brow, headache digging its boots into the back of her eyeballs. Sickness swelled in her stomach, the floor of Daichi’s house rolling like the deck of a sky-ship in a storm. She’d tried to close off the Kenning, but could still feel Buruu waiting on the landing outside—a pale inferno burning in her mind’s eye.
“It was either bring her with us or kill her, Kaori.”
“So kill her,” the woman snapped. “Where is the issue?”
“I don’t kill helpless girls with their hands bound at their sides.”
“She’s not a girl,” Kaori growled. “She’s a godsdamn Guildsman.”
Peppermint tea. Burning cedar. Old leather, sword oil and dry flowers. A perfume filling Daichi’s sitting room, filling her lungs and head, too much input, sharp and pointed inside her skull. She fancied she could still smell charring meat, hear the sizzle of her skin as Daichi pressed the burning blade to her tattoo.
Yukiko stood and walked to the window. The laughing fire spread awful warmth into every corner, snapping blackened logs between its fingers and breathing smoke up through a beaten brass flue. She pushed the shutters aside, gulping down lungfuls of fresh, rain-sweet air.
Daichi watched Yukiko carefully, faint concern in his eyes.
“Nobody in this room has more reason to hate the Guild than me, Kaori.” Yukiko turned from the window, stared at the council. “But I’m not certain I want to be a butcher.”
“The crews of those ironclads you destroyed might say otherwise,” Kaori said.
“Oh, you fuc—”
“We all do what needs to be done, Stormdancer,” Kaori snapped. “You included. We will all turn the waters red when we bathe once this is finished. The lotus must burn.”
Yukiko looked to Daichi, waiting for him to weigh in, but the old man was staring at his hands, uncharacteristically silent.
“I wanted to check with you all before I did anything final.” Yukiko wiped sweat-soaked palms on her hakama legs. “It’s safe to bring her here. Kin assured me there’s no way for the Guild to track her out of her skin.”
“And you trust him?” Maro scoffed.
“Of course I trust him.” Yukiko’s voice was cold as winter morning. “He saved my life. I trust him more than I trust you.”
“Be it made of scales or brass, a snake who sheds his skin is still a snake.”
“There is no steel in that boy,” Kaori said. “No fire. Only treachery.”
“How can you say that?” Yukiko felt heat in her cheeks, memories of his lips rushing beneath her skin. “He gave up everything to be here with us.”
“He gave up everything to be here with you, ” Kaori said. “He cares nothing for the revolution. If you left us, he’d be gone tomorrow. You are the reason he is here, Stormdancer. Open your eyes.”
Yukiko drew breath to reply, but found no words.
“You’re the reason. The first and only reason.”
“This is not about the boy.” Sensei Ryusaki’s low growl cut through the tension. “This is about the Guildsman, and what we do with it.”
“Kill it,” Maro said flatly. “Their kind are poison. The lotus must burn.”
“I agree,” Yukiko nodded. “We’d be fools to trust it.”
She looked amongst the council, noted the surprise on their faces.
“Look, I know that might make me a bitch, but at least I’m not a stupid bitch.”
“What if this girl speaks the truth?” Daichi’s voice cut the air like a knife. “What if there are more like her in the Guild?”
“Impossible,” Kaori said.
“Arashitora were impossible too, a few months ago.” Daichi’s voice was rough as bluestone gravel. “Now look at the magnificence outside this room.”
The council looked out through the open doorway at the thunder tiger sprawled upon the deck. Buruu was stretched out in the rain, idly tearing up talonfuls of planking. His yawn sent tremors through the floor.
TELL THEM IT IS RUDE TO STARE. EVEN AT MAGNIFICENCE.
Hush! Gods, you’re
Similar Books
