Page 8 of Drawn into Oblivion

Standing above her was an imposing male figure—but not Rosuke. The lower half of his long, white robe floated on the water. The air around him was bright, and even though she couldn’t see his face because of the deep hood over his head, she wasn’t afraid of him. In fact, he soaked up all her fear and confusion like a sponge.

“It disturbs me that this fear of yours haunts your dreams,” the figure said, the resonance of his voice rippling the water.

“Am I still dreaming?” she slurred. Her mind was alert, but her mouth was sluggish.

“Yes, but it is no longer a dream of your own making. Do you know me?” His words were heavy in the air, like a cloud slowly sinking to the floor.

“You are the Divine One,” she said with awe. She looked down at herself, and though the milky water hid her nudity from him, she felt compelled to wrap her arms around her bare breasts.

“Why do you cover yourself?” he asked in a kind voice. “Are you afraid?”

“I suppose I don’t wish to be rude?”

“I am the origin of human life, and you are one of my creations.” He made a graceful, sweeping gesture, sleeves billowing. “To see your form would never be an insult to me.”

She slowly lowered her arms. “The empress said you would come. I am honored, Divine One.”

He lowered himself into the steamy water, soaking his robe. “It is a pleasure to speak with a season elder. I have not done so in many centuries.” He silently beckoned her with his strangely indistinct hand. He seemed solid, but all she saw was thick steam.

She placed her hand in his palm and sighed. She felt like crying, for it was like touching pure and unconditional love—soft, passionate, and safe.

“Shumei told you I would grant you two things, but I shall grant you three. You are not ready to receive the third, so I shall visit you once more. One of the first two gifts must be used to purify the tainted soil of the city. It is a power reserved only for you and the empress, but you alone will use it.”

“Why me?” she asked, wondering why a power the empress could use just the same would be granted to no one special.

“Not true, Mai. You are quite special.” Her heart hammered when she realized he could hear her every thought. “Do not fret,” he said with a smile in his voice. “I’ve come to grant you power, not judge. You ask me why, and my answer is that it’s your duty, for you are the season elder of Spring. Each season has its own meaning and purpose. Summer is the season of growth, Autumn is the season of harvest, and Winter is the season of sleep.”

“And Spring?”

“Spring brings renewal. You shall use that affinity to revitalize the dead soil of this burned city. Blow the breath of life into the ashes.” Her eyes widened with shock. “Shumei is your leader, but her duty is to lead the people, to protect human life.” He emphasized the last by squeezing her hand. “The house elders are charged with protecting the world in which my children live. Do you understand?”

She nodded, feeling anxious and blessed at the same time. It all seemed too good to be true. To go from being less important than livestock to being part of the ruler’s inner circle—and even speaking with the Divine One himself—was a new level of surreal.

“I understand,” she said. The Divine One seemed to smile, but she felt it rather than saw it.

“Second, I shall grant you a library of knowledge about the enemy. Everything the old court ever learned, including what was lost to fire. I would have you use this knowledge to teach those who will join Shumei in her campaign. In the coming months, you shall teach her army what to expect.”

“Me? An instructor like Vallen or Rosuke?” she said with growing alarm. She couldn’t help doubting how well she’d “know the enemy” after this communion. Would her inferior mind remember only useless bits of information? And even if she came away with a uniquely comprehensive understanding of demons, did that translate to being able to instruct others? What if she wasn’t the leader everyone wanted and expected her to be? What if everything about her was all bluff?

“Listen,” the Divine One commanded, stealing her full attention before she spun into full-blown panic. “I know you, Mai.” He rested his other hand on her shoulder, renewing her calm and washing away her anxiety. “Just as I know my champion and all my children. Your only flaw is your lack of trust. You trust no one, not even yourself. It is time to let someone in and to let yourself become more. Your ability to do so will affect so much, dear Mai,” he said, drawing her to her feet.

The heavy, wet folds of the Divine One’s warm robe folded around her as he took her into his embrace. The moment he placed his hand against her lower back, she gasped at the strange, uncomfortable sensation that followed. She felt as if she were draining into a hole in the floor, and quickly found herself without the strength to lift her head. Her lungs clamored for air as though she had sprinted flat-out until the absolute end of her limits. Despite her blurry vision, she tried to look to the Divine One for explanation.

“It was the same with the empress. I am teaching you stamina, not only for your body, but for your magic. It will be important,” he said, though she didn’t understand his meaning. “The sensation will not last much longer.”

Not five seconds passed before the feeling abruptly faded, leaving her exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to lie back in the water, float, and sleep.

“It is time, Mai of the Cherry Tree, Elder of Spring, and Elder of House Sakura,” the Divine One proclaimed. The air cleared, and his brilliance intensified. He lifted her head in the gentle cradle of his hand, and his lips hovered above her mouth. Tears escaped as she closed her eyes.

He breathed into her, and it tasted of heavy, creamy sugar. Her weariness melted away, leaving her groggy but relaxed. He breathed a second time, filling her with the air of a late winter morning laced with the smell of mountain pines. The crisp, fresh scent woke her, bringing life back into her limbs. With his third breath came pepper and appetite and the warmth of a hot summer day next to a cooking fire. It energized her, and she was able to stand on her own.

Then he touched lips to hers, his mouth as soft as flower petals, and her body jerked as raw power rammed into it, pulling her tight as if she were a sack to be filled. Liquid heat rolled down her throat, burning as it went, and her ball of magic eagerly reached to catch the first drops.

She couldn’t even cry out as his blessing poured into her. Her stomach cramped with fullness, and she struggled to push air through her clogged lungs. The heat of power pushed, shoved, and elbowed into the nooks and crannies of her body, filling up her fingers, her toes, her lips…

When she thought she might explode, the Divine One ended their kiss. Overwhelmed, she could do nothing but droop like a cloth doll as he picked her up in a bridal carry.

“Dream no more of your fears, Mai,” the Divine One bade, “only of pleasure and fulfillment. Remember your desire for the one called Rosuke when you wake, and be watchful of your empress. The enemy, even now, cajoles its way close to her.”