Page 49 of Drawn into Oblivion

“Nonsense.” He waved away her objection with his wrinkled hand. “I’m too old to keep all of the glittery items in my shop that have yet to find owners. Besides, this is a more practical gift. A-although I hope you don’t have to use it, of course,” he amended.

“Take it,” Hiro urged, pushing the box at her. His grandfather muttered under his breath as he reviewed his botched sentiment. Mai was forced to accept the rather heavy gift. “Now open it, E-Elder Mai.” The boy tripped over her name, his face turning red.

She raised an eyebrow at him as she released the small clasp on one side. She hinged the lid open, which pulled free with the slightest rasp. What lay inside made her eyes as big as moons.

“Divine One have mercy,” she whispered.

The jeweler had gifted her a dagger. Its handle was overlaid with black leather that matched the material of the sheath. The guard on the handle curved toward the grip and was made with some kind of dark metal that dully reflected the sunlight. Her magic twisted just looking at it, and a sudden ringing in her ears made her head hurt.

“That is an ankle dagger, young lady. Although, you could probably hide it almost anywhere, I suppose,” the old man explained. The ringing in her ears slowly died away. “It’s been sitting in my shop and waiting to be sold ever since my great-grandfather was a boy. Even then it was old. I suppose it is rather plain, but the blade is still quite sharp, enough to cleanly slice a falling leaf.”

“I don’t know what to say, Master…?” she fished, hoping for his name.

“Gin’s the name,” he said with a big smile as he pointed at his face.

She replaced the lid and bowed her head. “Thank you, Master Gin and Master Hiro. Your gifts mean a great deal to me.” Hiro’s face was as bright red as a setting sun.

“Elder Mai,” a new but familiar voice yelled from far away. Blinking in surprise, she turned to find the high general headed straight for her.

“You’re welcome, young lady. My grandson and I will enjoy the day and let you return to your duties,” Gin said in parting as he steered Hiro toward the food booths. Mai bowed her head once more before looking back at the high general.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Vallen said when he reached her.

“Is something wrong?” she stuttered. Did something happen to the empress? Or Rosuke? What could have happened to him at a festival, of all things? Did he eat something bad? Was he sick? She clamped her fingers around the solid weight of the dagger’s case.

“There’s something you need to see,” he said, hushed and serious. Her stomach cramped around a cold lump of anxiety.

Vallen motioned for her to follow and led her back to Lantern House. They swiftly passed through the entryway and central hall to the smaller rear doors, each step carrying them farther and farther from the noise of the festival. When they passed through the gate of the second wall, she ventured a question.

“What’s happened? Is it Rosuke? He seemed fine only half an hour ago.” Though Mai thought she was relatively long-legged, the high general was much taller and easily outpaced her, and she had to jog occasionally to keep up. Looking at his face from the side, she frowned at the hard expression marring his usual good looks.

“You’ll see soon enough.”

That didn’t sound good.

They retraced the path she and the empress had taken earlier that morning from the residential palace. On their way into the nearly deserted building, they passed only a couple of bored, lonely guards and quickly made their way into the west wing, where high-ranking military officers resided. The court members and their assistants lived in the east wing, while the empress lived alone with her consort in the smaller north wing.

They were no doubt on their way to Rosuke’s room. Her throat convulsed as worry turned her stomach, but she took a deep breath to brace herself. No matter how sick or injured he was, she’d do everything she could to help. She wouldn’t panic.

They stopped in front of a door halfway down the central passage of the west wing, and Vallen turned to face Mai as she jogged once more to catch up to him.

“I have only one piece of advice,” he said in a near whisper.

“Yes?”

“If he says you’re killing him, keep doing whatever it is you’re doing.” He then blinded her with a huge grin, like a boy showing off to his doting mother.

She shook her head with utter bewilderment. “What?”

Vallen opened the door and firmly pushed her into the room with his hand on her shoulder. Mai could only make spluttered sounds of confusion as the door closed behind her. Her ears registered the sound of the high general calmly walking away, his footsteps quickly fading, but her brain could hardly comprehend the scene in front of her.

Rosuke was tied to his bed. And he looked absolutely indignant about it.

Chapter Fifteen

Rosuke wanted to kill Vallen. Or at least maim him. Something painful, at minimum. The man had insisted they speak about something in private, and the moment they were alone in Lantern House, Captains Yuushi and Kiyoshi had ambushed him, gagged him, and carried him to his room while going on about doing this “for your own good.”

He had struggled in vain against the three men, their attitude as mischievous as a joining-day prank or perhaps that of enemy spies. He had begun to toy with the idea that all three were possessed by demons when Vallen began tying him to his own bed while the other two held him down.