Page 112 of Ashes and Lilies
“My name is Xavier Renouf.” He released my hand and straightened. “And from this moment on, my services are under your command. I look forward to the many changes that your presence will bring.”
Xavier…
“You know who I am?” I asked.
“Of course.” Xavier raised an eyebrow. “I am your Tongjun. I wasn’t certain, at first, but the feeling has only grown stronger this last week. It’s undeniable.”
“Undeniable?” I didn’t see how. I still had so much to learn.
“You’re my mistress.” His eyes flickered over my form once again, almost appraising. “Your appearance might be unconventional, but I have no objections to this turn of events. Even though I don’t know your name, I’m certain of my role.”
My face flooded with heat—I’d been so flabbergasted that I’d never introduced myself. “My name is Bianca Brosnan.”
“Bianca,” he said, rolling my name off his tongue. Then he grinned. “How very fitting. You and I’ll be a good team. Where are you off to next?”
“I have chemistry.” I hoped he didn’t plan to follow me there. I would surely be noticed if he also started hanging around me, and Damen’s plan would be in shambles.
Of course, Xavier offered the very thing I hoped to avoid. “Excellent, I shall escort you.”
“It’s okay.” I pulled my hand from his and waved. “You do not need to walk across campus with me.”
Xavier frowned. “But, mistress, even with that annoying parrot hovering about, I—”
“Parrot?” He couldn’t possibly mean—
“The demon creature, of course.” Xavier’s other eyebrow had risen to join the first. “Surely, you feel its presence. The leech has been perched outside the window for the entire class. Its hell-laden eyes observe your every movement. While it is true that it is a formidable warrior who has slain millions, it is young. It also isn’t us. Besides, you have no chaperone. I insist on accompanying you—”
I knew it.
“Come with me,” I told Xavier, walking past him. “I want you to tell me everything you know about shikigami.”
Kasai’s presence receded as we left the room. Knowing him, he was probably tattling, but I didn’t care. Xavier stepped behind me as we headed up the mountain toward the Science Hall.
“What is a shikigami?” I asked.
“Most are demons,” Xavier replied instantly but added, “for lack of a better term.”
My heart pounded as I shot him a curious look, and he moved beside me. I’d been right all along.
Xavier glanced up at the cloudless sky. “They are, on the most basic level, energy that have become guardian spirits known as kami,” he said. “They reside in the Underworld, where they are strongest, and maintain a humanoid appearance there. They do not feel human emotions, but they do have unique personalities. They only come to this realm when engaged in a contract.”
I bit my lip—the Underworld.
“What exactly is a contract?” I squeezed my purse against my chest and turned toward Xavier.
A loose hair had fallen over his face, and he tilted his head at myquestion. “You don’t know?” After I didn’t respond, he continued, “When entering a contract, the onmyoji agrees to share their life force with the shikigami. In return, the onmyoji borrows the shikigami’s strength. They can resume their battle-ready forms. Kasai, for example, has chosen to be a phoenix, and it is its first time in a contract.”
“What about the Xing?” I pursed my lips. “Why doesn’t Damen always keep the same shikigami?”
“A contract becomes void once a soul passes through the veil,” Xavier responded. “Huo must renew his contract every time he is reborn. It’s probably a good thing. Sometimes, a shikigami and their onmyoji don’t get along. This has happened before as Huo, historically, is not the most agreeable. However, Huo has chosen to contract with certain shikigami more than once. It’s been a long time since Huo has chosen a new shikigami, so Kasai has surprised many people.”
“Is Kasai evil?” I wondered, glancing at the science hall.
“I don’t like it.” Xavier didn’t miss a beat. “Kasai is rash and inexperienced. However, it is a strong weapon.”
My gaze returned to Xavier. “What about his shikigami that hadn’t been chosen in this lifetime? Do they enter new contracts?”
Xavier’s mouth thinned. “Not normally,” he admitted, pushing his loose hair back from his eyes. “The shikigami historically partnered with Huo are extraordinarily strong and would overwhelm most onmyoji. However, the one currently in a contract, though rarely seen in battle, is Kiania—Finn Abernathy’s familiar.”
