Bound Together (15 page)

“Do you believe your mother was trying to make amends for how So-yi was treated during her younger years?”

“I think so, yeah. It was really amazing when you considered just how little money Mama had without my dad's salary. A lot of money was going to keep me in college, though I was working part-time to try and help reduce the size of the checks she sent me. Mama really did want So-yi and I to have the best lives we could.

“After So-yi was old enough to go off to college herself, Mama was left at home by herself and decided to move back to Osaka. My grandparents are getting up there in years and Mama wanted to go make sure they were taken care of. So-yi went off to university and studied music and audio/video production. After college, she had several surgeries done so her body would match more closely with who she was.”

“Do you remain in contact with your younger sister?” Misaki inquired.

“We're still very close, yeah. We talk on the phone at least twice a week to talk about how things are going with her. I still worry about her a lot, but she's doing okay. She has a good job with a media production company, creating music for all sorts of projects. She plays the violin. She's married to a woman named Nicole. Her life's way more on track than my own and yet I still worry about my little sister.”

Misaki leaned her head against my shoulder. I smiled and ruffled her hair a bit, scratching near where I knew the base of her ears to be. Her smile took on a dreamy quality and she let out a soft vocalization of pleasure.

“Thank you for sharing this story with me.”

I shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal, even though it really was. “I already trust you with my life. I may as well trust you with the contents of it, right?”

She nodded and closed her eyes. “Still, it is a tremendous gesture of trust. I consider myself fortunate to be bound to you.”

“
It's
bound to me,” I reminded her, my tone low so that we would not be easily overheard by the other passengers. “You aren't. The Relic isn't you any more than my heart or my lungs or my bones are me. They're just part of the container that holds me, a machine made of meat that my mind controls.”

“But... if the container is destroyed, what it contains will be lost.”

“That's not relevant to the conversation.” I placed a piece of the sour strawberry candy against Misaki's lips. She giggled and accepted it, chewing slowly. Her expression went from curious to delighted as she swallowed the little sweet treat.

“More?”

I had an evil thought and tried not to let an impish grin spread across my face. I took another of the candies out of the bag and placed it between my lips and turned to face Misaki.

“What are you—oh.
Oh
.” She giggled and blushed faintly. Hesitantly she leaned closer, trying to grasp the piece of candy without touching her lips to mine, but I was having none of that. I leaned forward as well, pushing the candy into her mouth at the same time as our lips met.

I let my eyes close and I felt Misaki's hand on my shoulder, gentle and strong and supportive all at once. My mind was lost within a warm, fluffy haze as the kiss went on for what felt like several minutes, though I was sure it was nowhere near that long. Misaki's lips had the power to slow time, it seemed.

After a time—too short a time!—Misaki drew back, breaking the kiss, wearing that trademarked dangerous little smile of hers. I was feeling only a
little
self-conscious about sharing such an intimate moment while surrounded by strangers. I was surprised at how little I cared. I wondered if that meant something.

Misaki giggled. “That was yummy.”

“The candy or the kiss?”

“Both!”

confession

The airport wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. We managed to get our luggage from the carousel without much incident. The rental car agency was nearby and the credit cards Star provided had more than enough purchasing power to take care of everything without having to dip into my own bank account. Even if I had, I probably wouldn't have minded, since the signing bonus and case bounties at this point had my savings swelling to nearly a hundred thousand dollars.

Yeah, okay, things were going well. I would most definitely be buying a new car first thing once we were back in the States. Might even consider moving to a nicer apartment, all things considered. And my personal life... well, things were going well on that front, too. I turned off to the right and changed lanes as we headed for the freeway.

“Does your mother know we're coming to see her?” Misaki asked.

“Yeah, I sent her a message earlier. I told her I was in Japan for work and that I'd have some time to come visit her. She seemed very pleased.”

Misaki gave me a penetrating stare. “Did you tell her about me?”

“I didn't, no. I think it's better to tell that sort of thing in person, don't you?”

“What 'sort of thing' do you mean?”

“That we're, um, dating,” I murmured, feeling my cheeks heat up. Misaki's expression slid from pointed to dubious, but she didn't say anything. I wasn't sure if she was annoyed that I was tiptoeing around defining our relationship more strongly or that I didn't tell my mother we were, well,
involved
.

“I really don't think it'll be a problem, though,” I continued, trying not to sound like I was babbling. “Mama doesn't always agree with everything I do, but she won't shun me for my choices. Might give me an earful about some of them, but you know, she's a mom. They tend to do that sort of thing.”

Shit. Too late. I was already babbling. In truth I was reluctant to actually voice the way I felt about Misaki aloud and especially to her directly. I had to be reading too much into my feelings because it just hadn't been enough time. It was less than a month ago that we met and I was extremely wary of how my lonely heart might try and trick me.

But... almost a month
had
passed, and my feelings weren't diminishing or fading into familiarity. If anything, they were growing more intense. Sharing the story of my past and my sister wasn't something I did lightly, even if I'd given Misaki a somewhat abbreviated version.

I pulled a cigarette out of my pocket and lit it, not caring that the smell would probably result in losing the deposit. I
was
nervous. I was more than a little afraid what my mother would think about Misaki, even without the whole immortal spirit thing.

“You're nervous about the visit,” Misaki observed.

Fuck. She certainly had a knack for seeing right through me.

“Yeah. I am.” I rolled the window down a little and blew the smoke out of the car as best I could. There wasn't much else I could say, but I kept talking anyway, if for nothing else but to fill the awkward silence.

“Mama moved back to Japan to take care of my grandparents, but... they're getting way up there in years. My grandmother is in her eighties and her husband is only a few years away from his one hundredth birthday. They really won't be around much longer, and Mama wanted to stay with them for their remaining time, but the care they need just isn't possible in their home. They've been at an elder care facility for the past year.”

Misaki nodded. “Will you visit them as well while you're here?”

“No, I doubt I'll do that,” I replied as I signaled to change lanes. I really hated driving in Japan, having learned to drive on the right side of the road in America. The shift didn't feel natural, and the usual calming effect driving had on me was actually doing the opposite now that I had to actively think about controlling the vehicle.

Misaki's dubious look returned. “Why would you not visit them?”

“They aren't really... there... anymore,” I replied, a little evasively. “Sorry. It's just I never really knew them very well and there really isn't all that much left of them. When I heard they went into the care facility I was worried about Mama, but she seems to have made peace with it long ago.”

“Death is a natural part of life.” Misaki turned and gazed out the window. “At least it is for humans.”

I glanced at her and felt a sharp pang of sympathy. “I can't imagine it. Six centuries of life must weigh heavily on you.”

“No, it's not that at all. I'm not human, nor am I mortal, and thus my mind doesn't feel the weight of years. By the measure of most spirits, I'm barely more than a child. There are others, ancient ones who have existed for tens of thousands of years. Spirits who personally watched as humans progressed from primitive tribes of hunter-gatherers into the great and powerful civilizations of the modern day.”

“Did they merely observe?” I couldn't even comprehend an intelligence that had existed for tens of thousands of years. It just seemed too incredible to wrap my mind around.

“Most did. Some chose to meddle. Specters can't help themselves, after all. Spirits aren't social beings. There have never been anything comparable to human civilizations in the spirit world.”

“How do they, um, reproduce?”

“I don't know.” Misaki frowned. I could tell that her ears were likely drooping beneath the obfuscating invisibility charm. “I was artificially created from quintessence and a great and powerful collaborative invocation of magecraft, brought into this world for one purpose alone: to kill other spirits.”

“Hearing you say it like that makes me glad humans don't really exist for any specific purpose.” I felt a shiver run up my spine as I thought of how it must feel to know with every fiber of your being that you were given life specifically for the task of ending life.

Misaki didn't respond to that.

The rest of the trip was completed in silence. I was alone with my thoughts and this was proving to not be an especially good thing. I could kick my own ass for my cowardice. I wanted to tell her. With all of my being, I wanted to pull the car over, stop on the side of the road, give her the biggest fucking hug I could and tell her that she had a purpose other than killing, a reason to live that wasn't entirely defined by battling specters.

I didn't do it, though. I couldn't. I was afraid, unsure. It was too soon. Too fast. We barely knew each other. It couldn't be what I thought it was.

Could it?

No. Calm down, Karin. Take it slow. Don't rush into anything—well, except for the AEGIS job, rushing into
that
was a singularly excellent idea; just look at that account balance! But this wasn't even on remotely the same level.

I turned onto the street where the Takeda household was located. The house was located in a fairly upscale part of Osaka proper on a good-sized lot. There was one car in the driveway that could only accommodate one car, so I parked the rental car at the curb and killed the motor.

“Well, we're here. Come on, let's go visit my Mama.”

I stepped out of the car and Misaki followed suit, keeping silent for the interim. I was sure that wouldn't last after we made the introductions. Honestly I would have preferred if she kept up a cheerful chatter, but I think she was feeling a little nervous, too. Partly because we were now much closer to the stronghold of the people who wanted to kill me and force Misaki back into their service and partly because I was unsure whether or not my mother would accept her, or rather,
us
.

We left the luggage in the car. With the sort of timeline we had, this visit wasn't going to last more than a day. We'd probably stay the night—Mama would absolutely insist, even if she was upset with me—but the longer we stayed in the area without actively working to clear the case, the more likely we were to lose the element of surprise.

I'd soon find out just how powerful the Tsukimura clan was.

I pressed the doorbell. A few moments later, the door opened and my mother stood in the doorway. She had been shorter than me since I was a teenager and she'd never been what one would call particularly slim. That hadn't really changed much in the intervening years, though she seemed to have evened out a bit. From her sporty attire it looked like she'd been getting some exercise when I sent her the message.

“Hi, Mama,” I blurted.

“Karin! Oh, it's
so
good to see you, sweetie! It's been almost three years since the last time you visited! Really, you shouldn't make your mother so sad. I'm the only one you've got, you know.”

I blushed and offered a sheepish smile. “I'm sorry, Mama, but my old job really didn't pay enough for me to be just popping over every year.”

“Oh, don't make excuses. You know I'd have bought your tickets if you asked. Old job? You don't work for that government agency anymore? And, oh my, who is this with you? I can tell by the look on your face that you've got lots of things to tell your Mama, so come on inside and we'll have some tea.”

My mother disappeared into the house without another word. I glanced at Misaki and shrugged helplessly.

“I told you she'd be like this. Come on, let's go before she comes back and drags us both inside by our collars.”

Misaki giggled at the comment and followed me inside. The threshold and entryway of the Takeda family home was paneled in dark oiled wood. The bright late-afternoon sun had my eyes burning a bit, so it was a little refreshing to be plunged into dimness.

We slipped our shoes off and we walked with stockinged feet into the parlor where my mother was already waiting with the tea and a small tray of what smelled like almond and vanilla tea cakes. I was more interested and relieved to see she'd also set out an ashtray.

“Sit down, sit down,” my mother urged, waving to the couches. Misaki and I both sat on the couch; I noticed that Misaki settled a little oddly, making room for her tail in such a way that it wasn't too obvious to anyone who didn't know it was there.

“Well, okay, right. Introductions,” I began, trying not to sound as nervous as I felt. I wondered how old I'd have to get before I stopped viewing my mother as an eternal authority figure. Probably never.

“Mama, this is Misaki. Misaki, this is my mother, Yoshiko.”

Misaki stood and offered a perfectly-executed courtly bow that probably hadn't been commonly seen in hundreds of years. My mother seemed delighted by the gesture, though, so I guess it was okay.

“It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Ashley.”

“Likewise, though don't worry yourself with that 'Mrs. Ashley' stuff. Feel free to just call me Yoshiko. Any friend of my daughter's is allowed certain privileges.”

I didn't miss the meaningful look Misaki shot me. She was waiting for me to clarify our relationship, something I was still feeling more than a little nervous about. The prospect of my mother seeing grandchildren was effectively zero at this point, with So-yi being what she was and my unwillingness to settle down. Even if I chose to pursue artificial insemination, I had no interest.

Besides, considering what I did for a living now...

“Well, Mama, um... I should clarify that Misaki isn't
just
a friend.” My voice cracked a little, sounding awkward and not a little frightened. My mother's eyes narrowed just a hair, almost imperceptibly. I was certain Misaki didn't notice.

“We're, um, dating,” I managed after a short and uncomfortable silence.

“I see.” My mother's tone was neutral. I felt as if I was sitting on a bed of impossibly-sharp needles. My body was totally frozen; I didn't even dare move a millimeter as I waited for my mother's response.

The silence seemed to stretch into infinity. Misaki finally broke it, causing my heart to leap into my throat momentarily.

“Karin is very important to me,” Misaki told my mother, her voice solemn and filled with sincerity. It was true on more levels than my mother could possibly know. “We haven't known each other for very long, but still I care very much for her.”

It took what felt like ages, but my mother's inscrutable expression and hard-eyed stare started to relax. Slowly, ever so slowly, I watched as her lips curled into a pleased smile, though I could detect some sadness lurking behind it. I couldn't tell if it was the sadness of a woman who just watched the last hope she had of becoming a grandmother fade away or if it was something else entirely.

“Yeah, that's basically it,” I mumbled, avoiding my mother's eyes.

“Karin.”

“W-what?”

“Look at me when I'm talking to you, young lady.”

She was using
that
tone of voice. The dreaded Mom Voice. I really, really hated it when she used that voice. I nearly jumped out of my skin and met my mother's eyes. Instantly I could see she wasn't angry at all. No, it was worse than that. I could see that she knew exactly why I'd been so evasive.

“Why didn't you
tell me
you met someone?”

I blinked, desperately wishing I could melt away into the carpet. She knew why, but she wanted me to say it out loud anyway. “I was afraid what you might think, Mama. I know you were never really... pleased... that I don't have any interest in men.”