Redeemed by Rubies (A Dance with Destiny Book 6) (23 page)

Dawn slowly lit up their quiet room. Yui kissed Lala on the forehead as she crawled into bed beside her Obaasan, while he made ready to leave.

“Hold to her hand, Lala,” he softly whispered. “Remember… do not part until your mother arrives.”

Lala only mumbled and nodded before curling up close to Jenevier and drifting back off to sleep.

Yui watched them a moment more—his two favorite women in the universe—smiling as his heart warmed at the precious sight of their gentle sleeping faces.

I am truly blessed beyond my worth
, he thought, as he quietly closed the door.

Jenevier didn’t move. She remained as she had been for the last few weeks. Alas, the same did not hold true for her precious raven-haired Princess.

Lala furrowed her brow, stirring—wrestling uncomfortably within her darkening dreams. Her eyes suddenly sprang open, yet her consciousness was still lost to sleep. A different entity now peered through the unknowing Princess’s sparkling sapphires.

“Ahh… my treasure… my Jenevier,” Lala whispered, in a deep voice not belonging to her. “Oh, how I have missed you, my love. Missed looking upon your angelic face, touching your magically painted hair.”

While the young Princess yet slept, she reached up and twisted Jenevier’s sapphire curl around her finger.

“Why did I gift you with that horrible trinket? What in the universe ever possessed me to do such an incomprehensible thing? Madness must have claimed me. To think that I could live throughout all eternity without ever being able to glance upon your lovely face once more—yes, pure madness.”

Ahriman tenderly kissed Jenevier’s scarred cheek with Lala’s pale lips.

“In so doing… I have erred, my love. Erred greatly. Something I am not well known for, ‘tis true… and something that will
not
happen twice.” He buried his nose in her curls and inhaled deeply. “Oooh… how I have missed you, my Princess.”

Jenevier didn’t move—a frozen doll, minus her will.

Ahriman kissed her once more… before whispering the words that should never have been spoken.

*****

Mika came in with the tea-laden tray at noon. The dainty porcelain crashed to the ground when she found her beloved Empress sleeping all alone. She ran from the room just as Munenori burst through the door.

“What has happened?” he demanded.

“I know not,” Mika said, running down the hall, swinging Lala’s door wide.

The invisible Shinobi sighed and nearly collapsed when she found her precious daughter sound asleep, curled up in her own bed.

“What’s going on?” Tenshi said as he reached Mika’s trembling form. “Nilakanta is threatening to tear the whole side of the palace off.”

“Your mother is fine. Munenori is with her now,” Mika said, breathlessly. “Please, reassure her Dragon.”

“As soon as you tell me what’s going on, I will.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, Tenshi.” Relieved tears began to streak down Mika’s fair cheeks. “When I came for my shift, Lala wasn’t there. Fear seized me. I thought she had been taken.”

“Taken?” Tenshi looked from his still sleeping daughter back to his wife. “Where is Duhrias?”

Mika silently shook her head.

Tenshi growled. “Why would Yui leave Mama unattended? Lala.” He shook her shoulder. “Lala! What are you doing sleeping here? Why aren’t you with Naga?”

Lala blinked a couple of times before looking around. She quickly sat up.

“How did I get
here
?” she mumbled.

Gasping loudly, the confused young Princess leapt from the bed and ran down the hall.

“Obaasan!” she yelled as she burst into the room, followed closely by her worried parents.

Munenori looked from them, back out to the balcony. “Rest easy, Dragon. It seems all is well with your Guardian
and
her loved ones.”

Nilakanta blew a large puff of hot air into the room—sending the sheers flying about in a frenzied fit—before slowly lowering himself back to the ground.

“Explain yourself, Princess,” Munenori said coolly.

“Don’t you dare speak to my—”

Tenshi’s words were cut short when Mika placed her hand to his chest, but remained silent, waiting.

Lala looked around nervously before clearing her throat. “I don’t know what to say,” she whispered. “I remember coming in here this morning… crawling into bed with Obaasan.”

“Then how do you explain your absence when your mother arrived?”

Lala met Munenori’s stern gaze and swallowed hard. “I… I don’t know. The last thing I remember was when Uncle Yui kissed me good-bye. I remember because he had on his dark purple scarf. It makes his eyes sparkle. It’s my favorite, yet he rarely wears it,” she mumbled quietly.

“And where is Naga’s Knight?” Munenori continued. “Why did you come here all alone? Has
he
not been keeping vigil by her bed as well?”

Lala nodded. “He has, yes.” She glanced toward her parents. “But he left early this morning to go with Goemon. They were gonna do
Dragon stuff
, or something. I’m not sure.”

“Why didn’t you tell someone? Has the River Spirit not been joining you because you have been sleeping abnormally deep for abnormally long periods of time, as of late?”

She bit her lip before answering Jenevier’s enraged Senpai. “That is true, yes.”

“Then explain yourself,” Munenori demanded.

Mika felt Tenshi’s growl forming deep within his chest, but their daughter’s anger burst forth first.

“It’s been well over three weeks now, Angel,” she spat. “Nothing has happened. Nothing! Just because Dimples wished to spend a few hours with a friend, doesn’t mean I have to hunt
you
down and ask for permission.”

“I never said you had to tell
me
!” He motioned towards Jenevier. “Because of
your
arrogance,
your
stupidity…” He ignored Tenshi’s warning growl. “…your precious Obaasan—the
light
of Jinn—was left unattended in her forced slumber.”

“But I—”

Munenori cut her off. “Had you but told your father, told
anyone
that her sworn Knight was leaving the two of you fast asleep and all alone, this would never have happened.”

“That’s enough, Angel,” Tenshi said through a growl.

Munenori continued, “What if,
God forbid
, that bloody Nephilim came and stole her away, stole
both
of you away? What then? Knowing
that
, would you have been too proud to
hunt me down and ask for permission
?”

“I said… that’s enough!”

When Lala burst into tears, Tenshi lunged for the Guardian Angel of Jinn… just as Yui walked into the room.

*****

“Lala was indeed here when I left this morning,” Yui said as he poured the tea. “Were that not the case, I would never have gone. As for how she ended up back in her room, I have no idea.”

When everyone glanced toward the troubled Princess, she only shook her head.

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I can’t remember what happened after Uncle Yui left. I slept… that’s all I know.”

Duhrias squeezed her hand. “Did you not rest well, my love? Have the dreams worsened?”

“Dreams?” Munenori furrowed his brow. “What dreams?”

Lala shrugged her shoulders. “Just dreams… that’s all.”

“Troubling dreams?”

She didn’t answer the mossy lavender Angel.

Munenori sat his teacup down and sighed. “Lala, forget not that you are a magically gifted Shinobi. If you are having disconcerting dreams concerning your Obaasan, then perhaps—”

“They aren’t concerning Obaasan,” she snapped.

“They’re
just dreams
, huh?” Munenori raised a single brow. “Well, if you can remember who you did
not
dream about, then perhaps you can remember who it was you
did
dream about. Mind sharing that with us, child?”

Lala glanced away before grumbling, “I don’t dream about anyone. I just have restless, dark… feelings.”

“Although it may seem she has been doing little more than sleeping lately,” Duhrias said, gently stroking her raven hair. “In truth, Lala has not been resting.”

“When I wake… I am weary. Like, I have been on a long journey.”

“Have you?” Munenori asked. “Been on a long journey, that is. Do you recall seeing strange places in your dreams?”

She shook her head. “I recall nothing. There is only darkness… and weariness.”

“She does not leave the room,” Duhrias said. “I am ever with her.”

“Is that so?” Munenori mused.

Duhrias gritted his teeth. “Yes, Angel. It is.”

“But today…” Munenori kept his gaze fixed on Lala. “…today was different, yes?”

She looked up at his question. “Well, yes. Today… I actually slept. I mean… I didn’t have the same ominous feeling when I woke. I don’t remember going back to my room, no.” She glanced toward Tenshi. “But, when Papa woke me… I felt rested, refreshed. That is, until the reality of the situation sent an epic burst of fear rushing through me.”

“So…” Munenori narrowed his gaze. “This is the first time since Naga was put to sleep that you actually woke rested. Is that what you’re saying, Princess?”

“No,” Duhrias said. “Lala was having this problem long before any of this happened with Empress Naga.”

“Then tell me, River Spirit.” Munenori looked then to Duhrias. “When did her problems actually start? Was it before or after the Kougai?”

“Just after,” Lala whispered.

“Just after, huh?” Munenori tapped his fingers atop his chair arm. “Tell me, Princess. Can you recall what happened
right
before you started having these sleeping problems?”

Munenori waited for her to answer. She didn’t.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Tell me
something
, Lala.” He leaned forward. “Did you get injured? Did you eat or drink anything that didn’t sit well with you? Did someone say or do something that troubled you?”

The River Spirit and the Princess of Jinn quickly looked at each other, and then simultaneously shook their heads.

“…No. Nothing,” they said in unison.

Munenori’s gaze only hardened… on
both
of them.

*****

When Raphael showed up for his regular visit midway through the fifth week, Gabriel accompanied him.

Yui’s eyes grew wide when the two Archs entered the room. Yet, he held his silence. His heart was too full of hope to speak.

“Rest easy, Emperor,” Gabriel said, softly smiling. “The time has come. The danger is all but passed. Even if Naga goes straight to Ashgard, what she will find there will not cause her to overreact.”

Still, Yui did not speak.

“Wake now, little sister,” Raphael whispered. “Come back to me, Kagi Naga.”

Jenevier’s lashes fluttered softly before her eyes slowly opened. She did not turn to the right, nor to the left… only stared steadily at the familiar ceiling.

“Is it over?” she rasped.

“Very nearly,” Gabriel said. “Fear not, little one. All is well.”

She slowly put her hand to her throat. “How long was I out?”

“A little over a month,” Raphael whispered.

“Here’s some tea, Mistress,” Yui said, coming over to the bed. “You must be parched. Come, Milady. Let me help you sit so that you may drink.”

“Get out,” Jenevier said, in an eerily calm voice. “All of you… get out. If anyone save my Dragon comes near me, this day will be their last.”

“…Naga,” Yui whispered sorrowfully.

Jenevier closed her eyes. “…Leave.”

When the soft closing of her door and the sound of distant wings had all ceased, Jenevier once again opened her eyes.

“How dare they,” she whispered softly. “How dare they steal my will like that. I will never forgive them. Never.”

She chewed at her bottom lip, letting her tears flood back to soak her curls… while her pained soul trembled within her.

“All whom I love—every last one of them—they
all
betrayed me. Not a soul came to my rescue. Not a single one. No Guardian. No Angel. No Shinobi. Not even Vindicus came to stand against Gabriel. No one spoke for me. No one cared for what that damnable forced solitude did to me. Every living soul caved under the weight of that blasted golden Arch.” Her trembling was now physical. She shivered with sorrow. “As long as the tempestuous little Death Angel remained silent and still… the universe would remain safe and happy,” she mocked sardonically.