Kindling Flames: Burning Nights (The Ancient Fire Series Book 6) (16 page)

Letting out a breath, he turned around to face Shuri and the girl. “What’s your name?”

The girl looked up from the floor and sniffed again. “Nalani,” she answered before dropping her gaze away from him.

Darien considered her natural dark skin and long hair. “You’re native to the island?” he asked.

Nalani nodded.

“Was Kusanagi your master?”

The young woman’s head snapped up to meet his gaze before turning to Shuri for permission to give a response. There had been a note of hate in her eyes that answered his question.

“Answer!” Darien barked, letting the irritation show in his voice.

Nalani’s attention came back to him, but she lowered her head and bit her lip, afraid to speak.

“You need not fear harm from the Council. I protect what’s mine,” he said in a reassuring voice. He looked up to Vicky as he finished. She stood silently in the doorway, but he could tell that she did not like what was going on. He sent her comforting thoughts as he focused on the problem in front of him again.

Finally, Nalani spoke. “No. Kusanagi was not my master.” She raised her eyes to meet his again. A spark of anger lit her eyes. “Polunu was.”

“I see,” Darien said as he turned from her to pace across the room. His mind churned as he put things together. “Kusanagi chose you to punish Polunu for his rudeness.” He paused and looked back at the girl and saw in her eyes that he was right. “You’re important to him. A lover?”

The anger in her eyes flared brighter and her spine stiffened. “His only.”

“And if I send you back. Kusanagi will punish both you and Polunu?”

Pain chased the anger from Nalani’s eyes. “He threatened to stake us both out for the dawn,” she said softly as she dropped her face to stare at the carpet.

Chills raced up Darien’s spine. He knew what it was like to be tied out for dawn with someone he loved. He glanced over at Vicky again. Rage flashed in her eyes. Turning back to Nalani, he walked over and held his hand down to her. “Stand up.”

She considered him before taking his hand to rise.

He wrapped his arm around her back and turned to Vicky. “Could you find her something to wear while I make a call?”

“Of course.” Vicky said, coming into the room.

Nalani gave Darien a confused look as he pushed her towards Vicky.

“She’ll take care of you,” he reassured the girl.

“Let’s get you out of that thing,” Vicky said taking Nalani’s arm and leading her back into the bedroom.

“You’re keeping her?” Shuri asked, surprised.

“No,” Darien said, picking up the phone and punching the number for the front desk. “But I’m not sending her back to be murdered.” When the front desk answered, he turned his attention away from Shuri and had the clerk register him a second room in the hotel. When it was done, he hung up and looked back up at the woman waiting for him. “She can wait here until I’ve gotten this sorted.”

As if on cue, Vicky and Nalani came out of the bedroom. Both of the women had gotten properly dressed.

He looked over the shirt and shorts Vicky had put the girl in. “Much better,” he said as he came over and stood next to Vicky. “Thank you.” He gave her a quick hug and kissed her on the temple.

“You’re welcome,” Vicky said, leaning into his side.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promised, giving her one last squeeze before letting her go. He turned his attention to Shuri and Nalani. “Let’s go,” he said, leading the way towards the door.

“Darien,” Vicky called before he could get to the door.

He stopped and looked back at her.

“You’re forgetting your keys again,” she said with a smile.

He let out a small laugh and grinned. “As always,” he said, shaking his head at his own forgetfulness. “Excuse me for a moment.” Heading into the bedroom, he rounded up his suite key, wallet, and phone. As he headed back out, he glanced at Vicky, now standing with the other women. “Call me if you need me.”

“Of course,” she said.

“Now, let’s go,” he called to the other two women.

They followed him as he headed to the door and held it open for them. “Did Mano bring you?”

“Yes,” Shuri answered

“Good,” Darien said as he pulled the door shut behind them and pointed the two women towards the elevator. “Then once we get Nalani settled, he can take us back to the Council.”

“But it’s daylight there, my lord,” She said worried. “You’ll burn.”

Darien punched the button for the elevator and stepped back to wait for it. “That’s my problem to worry about. Not yours.”

Shuri raised a curious eyebrow at him, but didn’t say anything.

When the elevator arrived, Darien ushered them all in and sent it to the lobby. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and worried about how he was going to solve this. If he didn’t choose his path carefully, he was going to end up in a fight that he wasn’t sure he would win.

Watching out the front window of the car, Darien drew in a resigned breath and let it out slowly as they pulled into the drive of the Hawaiian Council’s complex. This was not how he wanted to spend his afternoon.

“Forgive me, my lord,” Mano said, drawing Darien’s attention from the view outside the window. “This is as close as I can get.” He stopped right at the end of the sidewalk, but there was still a fair walk up the path to the main door.

“That’s fine,” Darien said as he reached over and popped open the door. The sunlight bit at his skin, but he ignored the sting and got out of the car. Standing up, he looked around to get a better feel for the layout of the place. It seemed bigger in the light of day. Shutting his door, he turned his attention to his companions. “So where can I find Kusanagi?”

“Inside,” Shuri said as she got out of the back of the car. “I suspect he’s still in the dojo.”

Darien nodded his understanding and headed for the front door at a normal pace.

“He’s a day walker!”

The hushed tones of Mano’s astounded observation brought a smile to Darien’s lips. He glanced back to see the surprise on the man’s face. It was amusing to see awe at an action he had grown accustomed to. Turning back around, he made his way up to the main door and pushed it open. The sounds of the gurgling koi pond echoed around him as he stepped into the shade of the house. He took a deep breath as the cool, moist air soothed the stinging from his skin. As the door closed behind the group, he turned to face his companion. “Where now?”

“This way,” Shuri said as she turned left and skirted around the edge of the pool.

Darien fell into step behind her with Mano bringing up the rear.

Halfway across the room, Shuri took the steps leading up to the wooden floor of the connecting hall. The floor squeaked loudly as she stepped on it. Each additional step she took sent up a shrill, chirping noise.

Pausing, Darien raised an eyebrow before following her up the steps. “Nightingale floor?” he asked as he stepped down and the wood flexed, letting out another barrage of musical squeaks. “I haven’t seen these outside of Kyoto.” He pulled his attention from the intricate flooring as he walked on, making them sing. “Does your master have trust issues?”

“My master had this specially made to keep out intruders,” Shuri said as she glanced back over her shoulder. “And yes, he doesn’t trust anyone very much. But considering his past, I understand why.” She turned her eyes back to the front and led the way down the hall.

Darien considered Shuri as he followed her in silence. He wondered how much of Kusanagi’s background she actually knew. He thought about asking her, but decided to keep his peace. He had a feeling that she wasn’t as human as she was pretending to be, but she didn’t feel like a fay. He reached out and brushed his power over her, trying to sense what she was, but he found nothing unusual in her aura. She felt as human as they came. He shook the feeling away and paid attention to the hallway ahead of her. He could see a set of framework doors at the far end. There was a thin paper stretched across the wooden slats.

“My master should be in here,” Shuri said as she placed her hand on one of the doors and slid it open.

Stepping past her, Darien stopped and glanced around the large room. There was a narrow walkway around the edges, but the center of the mostly empty room was covered with grass tatami mats. Kusanagi sat on the floor directly across from the door, dressed in a white Gi jacket and hakama pants. Even knowing it was rude, Darien stepped straight onto the mats and marched across the room to stand a few feet in front of Kusanagi. Darien studied the younger man as he waited for Kusanagi to respond.

After several long minutes, he final spoke without moving from his meditative position. “You would disturb my rest?”

“I would,” Darien said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kusanagi opened his eyes and looked up at him. “What can I do for you, Ancient One?”

Darien’s jaw tightened in anger. That title was usually used as a sign of admiration, but there was no respect in Kusanagi’s voice. “I want the poisoner,” he demanded.

There was a long pause as Kusanagi stared out at him. “You’re too late. They have already been dealt with.”

“How
dare
you show me such disrespect?” Darien snapped. “I told you I wanted them alive!”

Kusanagi hopped to his feet and took a step towards Darien. “And I am the master of this Council,” he snapped back. “I will deal with my people as I see fit!”

Darien took a step closer and raised his voice. “I wanted them alive!”

Tension radiated out of Kusanagi and his eyes narrowed. “Are you challenging me?” he said in a low but threating tone.

Drawing in a deep breath, Darien tried to reign in the fury eating at him. “I did not come here to challenge you,” he said in a more even tone. “I came here to get justice.”

“And you’ve had your justice,” Kusanagi said as he threw up his hand and turned away from Darien. He walked over to a low table and picked up a sheet of paper. “Kimberly Hunter poisoned your human.” He held the paper out to Darien. “She admitted to ordering her servant to administer the poison in hopes of starting a war.”

Darien reached out and took the paper.

“She and her agent have been dealt with.” Kusanagi finished. He crossed his arms over his chest as Darien read over the signed confession.

Anger furrowed Darien’s brow as he finished. He looked up at Kusanagi with hard eyes. “Victoria isn’t just a human. She’s my wife.” His hand tightened around the paper, crushing it as he lowered it. “We are properly bonded, making her my life mate. Ancient laws are very clear on the subject of attacks on one’s life mate. The life of her attacker is mine to demand, and I hold the right to take it myself.”

“It’s too late.” Kusanagi said flippantly. “They are no longer your concern.” He turned away from Darien and went back to the pad he had been resting on. “If you have no other business here, I’d like to take my rest now.” Kneeling down, he dismissed Darien without another word.

Rage ate at Darien, but he couldn’t see what else he could do without challenging Kusanagi outright. It was an idea, but he didn’t know if he could win as he was. “The Great Council will hear of this insult,” he said through clenched teeth.

“As you wish.”

Kusanagi’s words stiffened Darien’s spine even more. Turning on his heels, he stormed off towards the door.

“Oh,” Kusanagi called, stopping Darien before he could get out of the room. “By the way, you have two days to remove yourself from my island before you violate your visitation rights. And since you did not formally request permission to stay, I expect you to be gone.” He lowered his face and glared at Darien from below his brow as he went on. “If you choose to remain, I’ll take it as an act of war and I’ll have full rights to deal with you as I see fit.”

Darien met his glare with one of his own, but did not respond. Biting his tongue, he turned and left through the sliding door. The squeaking of the floor irritated him more as he stomped his way to the car with Mano hot on his heels. “Keys!” Darien snapped holding out his hand.

Mano dropped the car keys into Darien’s palm without question.

Climbing into the driver’s seat of the black sedan, Darien jammed the key into the ignition and took off without waiting for Mano to get in on the other side of the car. He needed some time away from everyone to cool off and think about what to do. He glared at the confession still crushed in his hand before crumpling it more and throwing it down on the passenger’s seat.

That sheet of paper took most of the bite out of his threat to call the Great Council. And Kusanagi’s smugness had shown he knew it. They may reprimand the man for not allowing Darien to take his justice properly, but with a signed confession they probably wouldn’t look very deep into the matter. Especially since Vicky had lived. Had Vicky died, they would have torn the Hawaiian Council apart to make sure the right person was punished.

Darien drew in slow, even breaths as he made his way back to the hotel. As he got his temper back under control, he decided on a course of action. He’d call the Great Council and report the offense. With Kusanagi’s background, they might take a harder look at the situation, but Darien doubted it. Then, after he had reported Kusanagi, he was going to gather Vicky up and get the hell out of there. This whole trip had gone from bad to worse, and the only way to keep things from escalating was to leave. Maybe in a hundred years, when things had settled down and their kids were grown, he might think about trying this again. Then again, probably not. Island hospitality wasn’t what it was cracked up to be.

***

As the door clicked shut behind Darien, he drew in a deep breath and let the tension relax from his shoulders. Walking across the room, he dropped Mano’s keys on the table. He really shouldn’t have taken the man’s car like that, but he’d needed time to himself. This whole trip was turning into a huge mistake.

Grabbing up the open bottle of mead, Darien yanked the cork out and dumped what was left in the glass still on the table from last night. About an inch worth of mead splashed down into the cup. Raising an eyebrow, he studied the bottle. He hadn’t realized that he’d gone through the entire bottle in one night. But that did make sense. He had been using its magic to fortify himself all night. Picking the glass up, an amused smile came to his face as he swirled the drink around and threw it back pretending it was something harder. It was a silly act, but the thought of unwinding with a glass of scotch or whisky was very appealing at the moment. If only alcohol affected vampire the way it did humans. He felt the familiar bite of the alcohol, but it was stronger than he remembered it being last night. Swallowing the drink, he eyed the glass warily, wondering what had changed. As the liquid slid down his esophagus, it heated his chest before bottoming out in his stomach. It was an odd sensation that he wasn’t sure he liked. Suddenly, a wave of magic washed over him, lightening his head. The glass slipped from his fingers as he swayed. Clutching the table, he held on for dear life as his world wavered in and out of focus. He chuckled to himself as he tried not to fall over. He should have known better than to make a halfhearted wish while consuming anything filled with fay magic.

“Darien?” Vicky’s sweet voice wafted in from the other room.

He glanced up just in time to see her step through the doorway. Dressed in a brightly colored shirt and denim shorts, she looked amazing to him. “Hello,” he said with a smile. Holding on to the table, he staggered round the end towards her.

“Are you all right?” Vicky asked as she rushed to catch him before he fell.

Darien giggled and leaned into her. “I just need to rest for a moment.” He was sure the rush he’d gotten from the mead would pass in a few minutes.

With concern on her face, Vicky practically carried Darien over to the couch so they could both sit down. “Are you sure?” she asked as he leaned against her.

Closing his eyes, he laid his head over on her shoulder. “Yeah,” he said without elaborating. The drunken feeling was already starting to fade. Letting out a content sigh, he opened himself up and reached out to check on how Vicky was doing. For some reason, the energy slid around her in a wonky way. Opening his eyes, he sat up, concentrated on her, and tried to focus his energy better, but he still couldn’t get a proper reading on her.

“How’d it go?” Vicky asked breaking into his concentration.

Darien gasped as his energy snapped back to him. It was a disturbing feeling. He chalked it up to a side effect of the mead and shook it off. Slouching down on the couch, he rubbed his forehead thinking about the day he’d had. “Not good.” He sat up and looked at Vicky. “Kusanagi has given us two days to get off the island before he declares war on me.”

“
What?”
Vicky asked shocked. “Can he do that?”

Darien nodded. “It’s frowned upon to declare war on an Ancient, but he’s well within his rights to do so. We did enter his territory without permission.”

Anger made Vicky’s brow furrow. “Isn’t that a bit extreme?”

Shrugging, Darien stood up. Since the world was no longer waving around in odd directions, he made his way back over to the table and the box of mead. He was still feeling drained and needed a pick me up. What he really needed was a good feeding of fresh blood, but the mead would work instead. “I might have yelled at him a bit.”