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Finn’s face turned red, and he glared up at Damen. “I don’t have stage fright!” His voice was low, embarrassed. “Just shut up. I’ll do it.”
I was about to ask how one summons a shikigami but didn’t have a chance. Finn put his fingers to his mouth, and an ear-splitting whistle rang through the room. Julian grasped my hand, holding tight as the air in the room warmed.
Along with the heat, came a thick denseness. Smoke covered the floor, and I couldn’t help but notice it hadn’t taken Damen nearly as long to summon Kasai from the time I’d heard his whistle.
Julian was watching me. “What—” I started.
He pressed his finger to my lips. “Just watch.”
He seemed to be waiting for something to happen. I watched Finn, my chest tight with anticipation.
If I hadn’t been watching the cloud grow thick between us, I might have missed the change.
A shape formed from the mass. And an instant later, it solidified, confirming my fears.
Itwasthe same tiger.
I glanced at her before turning my attention to Finn. “That took almost a minute. Damen summons Kasai in like, five seconds.” I so wasn’t impressed.
Finn flushed and crossed his arms. “Well, I’m not Damen, okay?”
“Finn’s time is actually quick for an onmyoji,” Damen said even as his focus remained on the tiger. Who, for all the world, seemed rather chill about being here today. “Kiania, you’ve some explaining to do.”
‘Hello, my lord,’ she purred. Her voice made my pulse race. She sat leisurely, her tail curling behind her as she cleaned it. ‘Have you missed me?’
“That’s not how I’d describe it.” Damen narrowed his eyes. “Quite the opposite, in fact.”
“What did she say?” Julian asked, his grip almost painful over mine.
“She said—”
“You can’t hear her?” I pulled on Julian’s hand; both to get his attention and to try to escape.
Damen focused on me, his expression becoming even more severe. “And youcan.”
“Kiania.” Finn moved to stand beside his brother. “Why didn’t you tell me you could talk to her?”
‘The relationship between Mu and me is our own,’ Kiania said, not opening her mouth. Instead, she licked the bottom of her paw. ‘And what we have predates you, little boy. Mind your business.’
“See.” Finn faced Damen, gesturing in her direction. “No other shikigami would argue like this. She doesn’t listen!”
“Actually, that’s not true. It depends on their personality.” Damen didn’t even look at Finn, he was still frowning at Kiania. “Kiania has always had a mind of her own and does what she wants. That is why if you were having trouble dealing with her, you should have come to me.”
Finn’s shoulders slumped. “I—”
“What do you want, Kiania?” Damen interrupted Finn. “Why did you come back? You had to know that would prolong your sentence.”
She paused, her tongue still out, and when she opened her golden eyes, they flickered toward Damen. ‘I still do not understand human emotions.’
“That’s not what I asked,” Damen cut back. “Why are you here? You had to know what would happen if you were caught targeting Mu again. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t end your existence right now? Finn can always get another shikigami.”
‘You can try, but you’ll destroy her in the process.’ Her voice was calm. ‘The three of us are successfully bonded, this isn’t like your other cases. Haven’t you realized what’ll happen by removing one of us from the equation? It’s not so very different than a regular contract, in theory.’
Both Finn and Damen paled, but I wasn’t certain what this meant. I supposed the drama was lost on me, but I was sure it probably ended in my death. Everything else seemed to.
“What did she say?” Julian asked again, urgency lacing his tone.
“I can’t kill her…yet.” Damen’s voice shook. “She and Finn have been splitting the physical effects of their connection with Bianca.”
