Bound Together (5 page)

“Well, that's a relief,” I muttered, feeling a tightness within my chest start to unravel just a bit.

The fox-eared girl's head tilted again. “Why?”

“Because I don't like the thought of having a slave, maybe?” My tone was a bit harsh, perhaps, but it was a defensive response, hastily snapped out. The reaction it got, however, sent a sharp pang of guilt through my chest.

The girl immediately collapsed down into a low, prostrating bow, her forehead pressed against the mattress of my bed, her ears laying flat, her tail curling between her legs. She looked for all the world like a dog someone had just kicked.

“Please, Master, forgive me for speaking out of turn. I submit to any punishment you deem fit.”

“Hey, hey, I didn't mean anything by that,” I told her, trying to make my voice sound as soothing as possible. I placed my hand on her slender shoulder and squeezed it softly, trying to show her that I wasn't upset.

She didn't budge. “Come on, sit back up and look at me. You're making me feel like I just kicked a puppy.”

Slowly the girl drew back up, settling into a sitting position, though her back slouched a bit more than before. Her ears drooped, clearly broadcasting her uneasiness at the perceived breach of some ancient etiquette that I had no knowledge of.

“Okay, look. I don't know what your previous Masters were doing to you, but that sort of thing is
not
going to happen to you as long as we're stuck with each other.”

The weird girl didn't say anything, but her expression
did
seem to brighten at least a little. Her ears perked back up, too.

“So, first thing. You don't have a name and nobody ever gave you one, so I'll come up with one for you myself.” I stopped and thought for a moment, trying to figure out a name that would be appropriate. Well, she'd been imbued into a Japanese longsword, after all. A Japanese name would likely be appropriate.

I pondered for a long moment. My Japanese had pretty much disintegrated badly in the years since Mama moved back to Osaka to care for my grandparents. It was never all that great to begin with since I'd been raised in the States.

Regardless, I spent some actual effort trying to think up something good. After a few minutes of thoughtful silence, I decided upon something I considered appropriate; at least it was the best I could do on such short notice.

“How about... Misaki?”

The girl blinked, but she didn't seem to be too upset by the suggestion. I still felt I should explain how I decided on the name, anyway.

“Well, 'Misaki' can use the kanji for 'beautiful blossom.' When I woke up, the first thing I smelled was the faint scent of flowers, and I know that came from you, because I don't even own any perfume. And the 'beautiful' part, well... that should be obvious.”

The girl didn't seem to react. I guess I tried to be all cool and relaxed. I mean, I really did try, but clearly it didn't work out so well. Maybe it was too subtle? Awkward, thy name is Karin. There was more to the meaning to explain, so perhaps I hadn't
completely
lost my ability to look cool.

“There's an alternate reading for 'Misaki' as well; a collective term for various types of spirits in Japanese mythology. That's also appropriate, don't you think?”

The girl smiled. Her tail swished a bit faster and her ears pricked up. I could see she was pleased by the meanings inherent in the name I'd picked out for her.

“Okay, Misaki, it's nice to meet you,” I continued, putting a degree of cheerfulness I didn't actually feel into my voice. “My name is Karin Ashley. Since we're stuck with each other, I hope we'll get along well.”

“Karin. It is a strong name, I think. A good name for a warrior.”

I chuckled softly. “I'm definitely no warrior. Maybe a half-ass excuse for a soon-to-be unemployed security officer at the very most.”

“Then you have the soul of a warrior,” Misaki insisted. “You fought courageously against the thousand-eyes with a mundane weapon, despite being at a severe disadvantage—and yet you survived!”

“Yeah, and the whole time I was practically shitting myself. Besides, if it hadn't been for you and the sword...”

Misaki shook her head. “That does not matter. What could have happened is not what actually happened. You were victorious
because
you overcame your fear.”

I felt my cheeks start to heat up in response to her praise. It wasn't something I was used to at all. “I don't really think I did anything worth mentioning. I mean... I couldn't just run away and let you die. I just did what anyone else would have done.”

“You risked your life for a stranger in a hopeless situation.” Misaki's ears twitched and her expression became thoughtful. “You had no obligation to do so, to shoulder the responsibility of protecting and defending.”

I shrugged but didn't say anything. I was having a hard time articulating how I felt, especially as Misaki appeared to view me in a much more favorable light than I'd ever experienced. As screwed as I knew I was, her praise fed my ego and right now I was desperate for any sort of positivity.

“I would never have imagined that the Relic would be bound to a woman. All eighty-one of my former Masters were men. I did not even know such a thing was possible!”

“It's not that unusual,” I informed her. “I mean, we're a long way from true equality, sure, but there aren't many jobs a man can do that women can't. Being a soldier or a cop, you use your legs, your hands and your head, not so much the sexy parts. So I don't really see how it matters.”

Misaki's head tilted quizzically. “Within the house of my former Master, only men were ever instructed in the art of warfare. Women were only responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the house itself. My former Master's family believed strongly in the wisdom of tradition.”

“That's how it was for most of human history. Things will never be perfect, but we have to keep working to make them better. Otherwise we're just sitting there spinning our wheels and never making any progress.”

“My former Master would consider such an outlook uncivilized,” Misaki said.

“Uncivilized, my ass. Tradition is usually just an excuse to let lazy minds travel only the safest and most well-worn paths.” I puffed on my cigarette and flicked ashes into the ashtray. Misaki's expression was pensive as she considered my words. I was mostly babbling at this point, still pretty put off-balance from the sheer weirdness of the situation, but it was still an accurate depiction of what I believed.

“So, what happened after I was knocked out?” I wondered, trying to focus the conversation on something I could actually deal with. “Did the intruders get away with the data drives?”

Misaki held up a reassuring hand. “No, Master. Once the specters had been defeated, the communications jamming failed. It was not long after when federal agents arrived and secured the scene.”

I lifted a hand up and shook my head. “Look, don't call me 'Master.' I don't care what that other guy did, but I'm not a man, I'm a woman, and I'm
definitely
not your Master. Just call me Karin, okay?”

She looked more than a little distressed at the prospect of using my name instead of a title. “But is that not disrespectful?”

“No, it's not disrespectful,” I explained, trying to keep my tone as soothing as I could. I could tell that she was capable and highly intelligent, but the culture she appeared to be accustomed to was clearly regressive and highly patriarchal. Or even worse: what if she'd been created to act this way,
programmed
to act this way?

That didn't seem right, though. Misaki appeared to be open to different ways of doing things, so maybe she could loosen up a little now that she was under my care. Was she under my care? I still didn't really know what the hell was going on here. Maybe it was time to find out.

“Misaki, I need you to answer some questions for me. Do you mind?”

“What questions?”

I placed the cigarette between my lips and took a long draw, blowing the plume of smoke out and above Misaki's head. I didn't even know if she actually breathed air or not, but it seemed the polite thing to do.

“How did I get home? Tell me everything that happened after I killed that eyeball thing and passed out.”

Her fox ears twitched. “Your strike was not aimed precisely. The specter's miasmic core destabilized and caused an explosion. With the bond between you and the Relic still tenuous, I did not have much mana to draw from, but I managed to protect you from the blast enough that you would survive. After the miasma faded from the area, I was able to release the barrier and carry you to the outside of the building to your car.”

I blinked. “Wait, you can drive?”

“Well enough.” Misaki smiled shyly. “My former Master trained me extensively in the use of modern technology, so that I would be able to blend in among humans and better assist him in his duties.”

“I think those ears and that tail would make 'blending in' pretty difficult.” My tone was dry and I fully expected the quip to go over Misaki's head. The twinkle in her eyes and a slight twitch at the corner of her lips told me she hadn't missed the joke. I considered that a good sign.

“The visible features of my aspect are far easier to hide than a lack of knowledge about the modern world,” Misaki countered. “Clearly things are very different from the way they were before. I would never have imagined the Relic being bound to a woman!”

I hoped she'd get over that quickly. Being constantly reminded of perceived inferiority was sure to irritate me. Misaki didn't seem to mean it in a negative way, though, so maybe I was just being too sensitive.

“So... I'm guessing you haven't really spent a lot of time out in the world, then.”

Misaki shook her head. “I am called when needed for my duties, but otherwise I was not permitted to venture out without my Master. When I was not accompanying my Master on a hunt, I remained at the manor and functioned as a maidservant.”

That didn't surprise me very much. Misaki's thoughts on gender roles were outdated enough that I already guessed they were keeping her insulated from the outside world. Probably to better maintain their control. Fuck, these people are pissing me off and I've never even met them before.

I sipped at my tea, wishing I'd made coffee for myself instead. Honestly I was curious to learn more about her specifically, but there were more important things to concern myself with at the moment.

“Can you tell me what else happened? My phone should be ringing off the hook, my boss and the stars only know how many other bureaucrats wanting to pick my brain, but I haven't heard so much as a peep. I seriously thought I dreamed the whole thing.”

“Your superior and three of your people were killed by the thousand-eyes.”

I winced. “I can't say I'm surprised, but still, after something like that...”

“The scene was secured and sealed by four AEGIS front-line operatives and their commander. They are a secret government agency of spirit hunters. My former Master considered them one of the family's most formidable enemies.”

I recognized the agency she mentioned: the Advanced Engagement Ground Interception Squadron, yet another example of the United States government's fetish for acronyms. As far as I knew, they were an infrequently deployed tactical response unit attached to the FBI, a sort of federal version of the police SWAT teams, but with more high-tech toys to play with. Clearly they were much more than that, but I was more interested in something else Misaki mentioned.

“Why did your Master consider them enemies?”

“They exist at cross purposes.” Misaki's tail curled around her thigh and she started to smooth the fur with her hands. “My Master's House seeks fortune and influence, as well as the accumulation of arcane knowledge. AEGIS exists for the express purpose of destroying any specters summoned into the world.”

The layers of intrigue began to pile up. Misaki and her former Master showed up at the Records & Licensing Agency for selfish reasons. It was easy enough to guess that the agency had dirt on the family and they wanted to stop their rivals from obtaining said dirt.

“They're going to know I was there,” I pointed out. “Reynolds called me in on my day off, there's records of that, plus the times I used my ID to open doors, enter my office, the computer use. They'd have to be blind and stupid to not realize I was there.”

Misaki's ears drooped slightly. “I was most likely not detected, but AEGIS couldn't have overlooked your presence, nor could they fail to notice the body of my slain Master. They
will
seek us out.”

I lit another cigarette. Normally I wouldn't be burning through them this quickly, but things were hardly anywhere in the vicinity of normal. Misaki was right; if AEGIS was really in on this demon-underworld bullshit, they'd be paying me a visit soon enough.

“I have no messages or missed calls,” I pointed out. “What about your ex-family? Wouldn't they want to recover the Relic? I'd think it would be a treasure that they've passed down generation after generation.”

Misaki didn't seem to like that question. “They can't.”

“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow, letting out a puff of smoke. My throat was already becoming sore from chain-smoking three in a row, but they were taking just enough of the edge off of things that I didn't care.