“Men like us want to beseenin our true form. As the human. Not the power or the violence.”
He turned the joint between his fingers. “She said something odd to me once the sun set.”
“What?”
"She looked at me and said, ‘Why does your shadow look like a snake swirling around in the air?’”
I widened my eyes.
“Then she asked if the poison I gave her had made her crazy."
My chest tightened.
I thought about Nyomi. The first time she'd described my dragon-shadow.
“Kenji. . .you know the legend. My father pushed in my head over and over, but I never believed him.” He handed me the joint and looked at me. “But. . .what if it’s true? My mother always said I had the power of the serpent. I hate her so much, but. . .that is one thing that has stuck with me.”
“I think it’s true.”
Rin's bloodline and mine had split centuries ago. Two brothers that had both been Shinigami Hunters. When the demons died or retreated and Shinigami Hunters were no longer needed, those two brothers separated and walked different paths.
My ancestor became a samurai.
Rin's ancestor wanted power, fame, and the throne. He worked his way up, killed the emperor of that time and took the seat.
The brothers never reunited, but apparently the blood remembered and. . .perhaps the shadows too.
And now a woman from across the world was looking at Rin and seeing a serpent twisting in the air behind him like it had been waiting to be noticed.
I swallowed. "She could be your true love."
"I don't know if I even have that."
I took another hit of the joint. When I exhaled this time, the smoke curled between us, blue-tinged and shimmering in the moonlight.
He ran his fingers through his hair. "I asked her about the bag and told her simply that. . .when we make love, I will put it over her head, but that it is breathable."
I waited.
"She had a response, but I don't understand it. I was hoping you could ask your Tiger to give me a translation."
I sighed.
My Tiger was going to be pissed about him drugging and kidnapping her. I doubted she would offer a translation when she would want his blood under her nails.
Still, I shook my head and asked. "What did she say?"
He ran his tongue across his bottom lip. "First of all, she called me the n-word."
I blinked. "She what?"
"The n-word. I don't know why she would call me that, but she said it really loud and then asked if I was crazy.”
Oh fuck. This is going to be a shit show.
I inhaled more of the joint, unsure of what else to do.
"Then she said something about her face card."
