Destroyed by Onyx (A Dance with Destiny Book 4) (24 page)

He smiled knowingly. “We will do so, together.” He placed his hands tenderly upon her cheeks and kissed the top of her head. “Gratitude, Kagi Naga. Thank you for accepting my love. And thank you for cherishing my feelings.”

“And thank you, dear Munenori, for letting me love you in return.”

He bowed toward her in their half-praying manner. “It is as it should be.”

She mirrored his gesture. “As it should be.”

“Namaste, little Angel.”

“Namaste, Brother.” She looked him in the eye. “Yet, I have confession to make. I didn’t want to do it, Munenori, didn’t want to separate from you. That… was the hardest thing I can ever remember having to do. All I truly wanted was to fall into your arms and remain there forever. I still do. My feelings in your regard have not changed.”

“Then we are of like-mind, Little Fire. Our confessions are matched.” He smiled and held his hand out to her. “Come. You have some ancient friends eagerly awaiting your return. Nilakanta will be furious if I keep you all to myself. And I have a surprise waiting for you as well.”

She giggled as she took his proffered hand and they flew through the beautiful secret valley, together.

“Ah, Milady, behold.” He pointed to where she was already looking, squeezing her hand as he whispered, “Here lie ye Dragons.”

Chapter 27

Yui

(YOO-ee)

“Aye. So ye think he loved her, then?” Vittorio asked.

“I do,” Yui said, with a slight nod of his head.

“Tell me, wee ninja. How can a man lay hands upon the woman he loves, an’ beat her so horribly? How can this man then say he loves the very thing he destroyed?”

“I didn’t say it was right. Nor did I say it was understandable. The truer question would be more like… What
is
love? If you asked this to any speaking creature, you would receive many different answers. Then where do you find the truth in it? I believe the answer has to come from your own heart.”

“Aye, Lad, now yer just playing around with words. Making excuses for a madman.”

“I will never make excuses for Musashi or for the vile, inhuman things he did to my Princess.” Yui’s eyes were cold and hard as he spoke. “I will never forgive him. Not in this life
or
the next.” He paused, trying desperately to rein in his rising temper, closing tight his eyes to shut out the horrible memory. “I was simply answering your question as honestly as I could. Yes, Musashi loved Jenevier. He loved her the only way he knew
how
to love.” He glanced back over at Vittorio. “The problem you’re having, Guardian, is with your own thoughts on love. You believe love to be a glorious and noble thing. But I tell you. Love comes from the heart. And if a heart is neither glorious nor noble, how can its actions be? Musashi loved her the only way his violent heart knew how to love… violently.”

“Aye now, an’ how is it ye speak with such knowledge of love when ye are but a wee lad? Have ye loved many maids?” Vittorio chuckled teasingly. “Ye are fair tae look upon. A prettier lad I’ve nae seen. The maids fall down at yer feet, do they nae? Aye, I know they do.” He elbowed the blushing young man playfully. “An’ what makes ye think I see love as a glorious an’ noble thing, wee ninja?”

“Your heart.” Yui smiled knowingly. “You have a valiant heart, Guardian. You are effortlessly gracious, caring, and chivalrous to a fault.”

“An’ how do ye come by such knowledge as this? Ye know naethin’ of me, Lad. My heart cannae be as wondrous a thing as it is in yer naïve young mind.”

“Oh, but I do know you,” Yui said. “Quite well, actually. The very chairs we now sit upon are the same ones Princess Jenevier and I sat in as she told me about you.”

“Aye, did she now? An’ just what did she tell ye?”

“She told me many things—all about the Vanir and her job as the Death Angel. She told me about her childhood friends and her ethereal new family.” Yui looked sideways at the man, grinning. “But when she would mention you, when your name came up, she changed. Her voice would soften and her beautiful eyes would just dance. When she said
your
name, the brightest smile I’ve ever seen would spread across her lovely face… even if she was crying. The things you did for her, Vittorio—the way you spoke to her, how you treated her. Those are the very things that fairytales are made of.”

“Aye, nae have I met one like her,” he whispered.

“I’ll share something with you, but you can never let her know I told you,” Yui said.

“A secret, is it?” Vittorio chuckled lightly.

“Not a secret. Well, not exactly. She may not even know the truth of it herself. But… you healed her when no amount of magic could do the job. You, Vittorio, are the perfect foundation all her Fairytales are built upon. Every other man in this universe is measured by the standards
you
set. Whether she knows she’s doing it or not, all men are compared to you in her mind, in her heart. Your actions, Guardian, are her golden sigil set high atop a mountain. A mountain we must each climb if we ever hope to be accepted by that extraordinary little Angel. You, Brother, are the scales upon which we are
all
weighed.”

“Aye, wee Shinobi. I already knew that. My colorful lass loves me too much.” He smiled his charming half-smile. “But yer right in saying she doesnae even know it herself. I love that giggling bundle of curls more than ye’ll ever know.”

“To be loved like that—magically, ferociously, unconditionally,” Yui whispered. “We should all be so lucky.”

Vittorio sighed. “Aye, lucky.”

Yui heard his deep sorrow, felt the weight of it upon his young heart. He mercifully changed the subject. “So, as I was saying. Musashi loved her the only way he knew how. Actually, she was the first person he had ever felt that way toward. So… she got it all. The best
and
the worst of him. When he realized the time had come when his mighty swords and royal crown could no longer protect her, he did what he thought was right.” Yui looked Vittorio in the eye. “He tried to get her back to you.”

“By beating her?”

“No… by
forcing
her to don her wings. His intent was to push her into either getting so angry with him, or fearing for her sons so horribly, that she would do whatever she had to do to protect them.” He shook his head, rubbing his brow. “But he ignorantly trod into dangerous territory he knew absolutely nothing about. His physical desire overtook him and he succumbed—broke like a twig underfoot. He didn’t realize how powerful a thing passion could be.”

“Aye, Lad. Ye mean he nae?”

“No. Never. He knew nothing of women, not in
that
way. He was a natural warrior, through and through. He had only ever walked the path of violence and death. And… delicate, feminine things have no place on the battlefield. He had only learned to be tender because of her and the babes. His heart changed when he saw the great pain she endured during their birth, and the even greater love she held for them. He had never known such a thing, not during his own twisted youth.” Yui smiled fondly. “And nothing can weaken a heart like looking into the eyes of a swaddled babe—so innocent, so helpless. Oh, and the way they smell… it’s like a drug. Watching the tiny little thing nurse from its tender mother’s breast… rocking it in your arms while it sleeps the blissful sleep of a newborn Angel.”

Vittorio chuckled softly. “Sounds tae me like yer Emperor’s wasnae the only heart turned tae mush by those wee lambs.”

Yui blushed. “Anyway, he was tender with them while things were peaceful. He learned by watching them, by witnessing a mother’s love… the most powerful magic in the universe. But when life or death was thrown into the mix, when the time for confrontation came, well, he reverted back to the only thing he knew… force. It was his way. It was his life. Triumph via blood and steel.”

“I wish he’d met my wee Death Angel in all her glory,” Vittorio grumbled. “Nae matter how strong he thought he was, one look intae Vashti’s ruby eyes an’ he’d have pissed his royal pants.”

“In truth, I believe that was his intent,” Yui continued. “He confided as much to Hanzo, after Apollyon had left this realm. Said he was ready to sacrifice his own life to send her back from whence she came.”

“Aye. An’ then the bloody fool went an’ kissed her.”

“Yes.” Yui nodded. “And it was his undoing.”

“I still dunnae understand why she dinnae change, why she dinnae defend herself.”

“Tenshi and Daichi.” Yui stood and walked to the banister. “She was completely convinced her powers had left when the twins came. In her heart, she was just a regular human again, a regular human mother. And she did what she thought she had to do so no harm would come to her precious Angels.” Bitter tears trickled down his face. “She told me once, in her mind… she could see Tenshi and Daichi trembling outside her chamber door, swords to their little throats, crying for her to hold them.” He absently wiped his cheeks. “She said… she would bite her tongue to keep from screaming. She didn’t want them to hear their mama cry out, didn’t want to scar their fragile little minds.”

Vittorio’s growl was knee-weakening. “Aye, I hate that Daichi killed the bastard so swiftly. I would’ve liked tae have gotten my hands on him for a few hours. See how long it took
him
tae cry oot.”

Yui nodded his agreement and both warriors fell silent for a time. They remained lost in their own tormented thoughts until a handmaid came with their afternoon meal.

“Anyway,” Yui said after savoring his first sip of fresh tea. “That’s when I found her stumbling around in the dark. I carried that broken little Angel on my back, took her to our new home. We were blessed. Our eclectic little family lived hidden away in blissful peace for the next couple of years.”

“Aye, a debt that cannae be repaid, Lad,” Vittorio said softly.

“Taking care of her, seeing her smile… that’s all the payment I could ever hope for.”

Vittorio smiled knowingly.

“I still have nightmares about it,” Yui admitted. “I wake up in a cold sweat, her whimpers still bouncing around in my mind, the look of her torn flesh as I peeled her kimono off her back.” A shudder ran through him. “I know not how she lived through it. She is made of much stronger stuff than I.”

“Aye, she’s made of much stronger stuff than the lot of us.”

Yui spent the next few hours filling Vittorio in on their life together. Every laugh, every tear, right up until Munenori walked into their lives… and brought the outside world with him.

“Everything else I know about her from back then came from him, from the Angel,” Yui said. “After she ended Apollyon’s vengeful war, Munenori told me about her bonding with the ancient blue Dragon, and the amazing story of how she was blessed with her new weapons. I would’ve liked to have seen that.” Yui chuckled. “I bet her eyes were sparkling brighter than her blades. He told me she could talk to the Dragons in her mind, just as plain as we’re talking right now. Munenori said she acted like them, too.”

“Aye, what’s this now?” Vittorio laughed. “She breathes fire an’ hoards gold?”

“I know not. He just said they were the same. Something about being easily distracted by shiny things, rare things, beautiful things. And how they tease and taunt and laugh and play.” Yui shrugged his shoulders. “He said they were exactly the same—the Dragons and Naga. Said they were as perfectly matched as a new pair of shoes. Munenori swears she is the absolute embodiment of them. A Dragon in Angel’s clothing.”

Vittorio snorted out a laugh. “Aye, is that what she is? A wee Dragon? Dressed up as a lass?” He smiled fondly, staring out at the flowing lavender. “Hmm… makes a bit of sense when ye think upon it, especially the being distracted by shiny things part. She certainly has a fiery temper an’ lethal talons, that’s for sure.” He looked sideways at the smiling ninja. “I cannae refute his reasoning, wee Hand. An’ that would definitely explain the new name Father gifted her.”

“Yes… Kagi Naga.” Yui laughed. “Anyway, the next time I saw her was when she came back from Vanahirdem. She came to my village, kept her sweet promise of return, and brought me here to mind her home in her absence.” He leaned back, propping himself up on the banister with his elbows. “So, your turn. Fill me in on the war that met its end here. Tell me what happened when she left afterwards and went back to your city. And if you know, explain why she is minus all her vibrant color.”

Vittorio looked off into the distance, pain filling his moistened eyes. “Aye, Lad, we thought her dead,” he began. “The two years ye lived peacefully hidden away in yer secret valley, we spent in constant war with hell’s henchmen. Day in an’ day oot… blood enough tae fill a riverbed. It was the battle here on Jinn where I finally found my wee Angel, alive an’ well. An’ she lost her beloved Varick… almost in the same breath.” Vittorio filled the weeping ninja in on every torturous moment of that horrible day. “An’ when that broken wee Angel walked back through our crystal gates, she was met with epic hate, the likes of which I’ve nae heard tell of. Varick’s mother, Vareen… she would’ve claimed her head if it weren’t for that blue Blessing of hers. An’ Jenevier was broken enough tae just sit there an’ let her do it.” He went on to tell the young man about the healing they all shared in and how they had decided to pick layers and help with the healing of the universe as well. “An’ that’s when she left us, headed back tae her birthplace.”

“Alone? You let her go all by herself?”

“Aye, Lad, dunnae rub the salt in too deep. But, yes. The three who claim tae love her best stood there an’ watched as she entered those clouds alone. When next I saw my Angel, she was as a ghost. A wee lost soul… adrift with nae anchor.”

“Do you know what all happened to her while she was lost?”

“Nae, Brother. She left before I saw anything other than pain an’ rage. Yet, Valencia was there.” Vittorio sniffed and shook his head. “Vareilious saved her worthless hide. He stayed Daichi’s hand before he could end her, an’ we took her back tae be tried.” He turned and looked Yui in the eye. “She was in bad shape, Valencia was. She wouldnae speak upon it, but she was broken. Inside an’ oot.”

“By whom?”

“I dunnae know the answer tae that, Brother. But… Ahriman was there.”

“Ahriman?”

“Aye, Apollyon’s right hand an’ soul-eater extraordinaire. Jenevier named him Vybius.” Vittorio shook his head, sighing. “That fallen Angel, I fear him more than that dark Prince, where Jenevier’s concerned. He befriended her in hell an’ she trusts him, she does.” He gazed out at the coming night. “An’ he’s nae one that should ever be trusted… nae by anyone.”