Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
AKIRA
Iwas being dramatic again. Fainting like that? Ugh. Why? Just why?
I got spared a broken skull by my fiancé, who apparently caught me in time like the Prince Charming he was.
He’d even gone off to find me some grub.
Bless his cotton socks to the stars and back.
Now awake, I sat on a double bed in the windowless room. A place of bare gray walls, a cold resin floor, and a few books on a single bookshelf. Oh, and a tall lamp beside the bed.
I pulled my knees up to my chin, thinking, the second crayon still intact, resting between my flesh fingers like a cigarette. Trying to keep a level head.
Damn. This felt overly familiar, reminding me of being under SCU lockdown in that hospital in Shinjuku City.
At least there’d been a window there.
Missing the Cherry Moon sucked greasy camel balls. So did hiding, cowering from the demons of this world.
I’d rather be shitting a brick and twirling a sword than hanging around waiting for the next wave of shite to hit.
My katanas are gone…
I chewed my bottom lip, keeping my anger on hold. It wanted out, to rage and burn at the injustice of this shit.
The mazoku wouldn’t have me or my life. Absolutely pissing not. I’d come too far for them to mess this up.
“I won’t stay hidden for long,” I said. “Mark my words.”
But how to fight back? And what the hell was this thing about The Nine? They sounded fun.
Not.
Ugh. My head. There were people on the case, but that didn’t help me in the here and now. I wanted to get out there on my motorbike, Cindy, and go hunting. With new katanas, slicing, dicing, stabbing.
You miss that life…
“It’s my blood,” I vocalized.
Shit. I guess it was. But how hot did it burn? I might have the craving to smash some faces in right now, but what about the tug in the more peaceful direction? That counted for something, a much better fit for the new me.
“I don’t wanna lose anything,” I whispered.
I’m gonna lose him…
I’m gonna lose everything.
Great. I loved being a hot pot for conflicting emotions.
Where the hell were the glacé cherries? A whole tub and a massive mug of coffee would sort my head out. Throw in a cupcake or two, and I’d be right as rain.
For like ten minutes.
I blew out breath, my lips rippling. My pits were a bit pongy, my scalp itchy from sweat.
Shower time. There was bathroom attached to this room with towels, and spare clothes G had packed for us before the SCU whisked us away from the cottage.
“Come on, stinky.” I swung my legs off the bed. Maybe being clean would clear the way for some actual ideas and not this whining bullshit rolling around in my head.
I stripped, getting under the hot spray and lathered up with the minty shower gel, the kind to make your balls get the cold tingle from the eucalyptus.
“Akira…”
I froze, the voice like fingers on the back of my neck.
“Akira…”
Slowly, I turned to find nothing in the large shower cubicle with me.
Still, I said, “Who’s there?”
“It is coming, Akira.”
“What—”
“Do not falter. You are full of so much light, so much love, no matter the darkness within you. Do not let your pain win. Yes, I know you’re hurting, but think of what you have done here.
You have broken one wheel of shadows, now you can break another.
You have not given up in the face of adversity.
That tells me you are a warrior, so full of strengths a punch can only dream of gaining. ”
I stumbled into the wall, then slid down to my arse.
“M-Mum?”
Oh, shit. No, no, no. That couldn’t be her voice. No, no, no. She wasn’t here. She wasn’t here. She wasn’t here.
It didn’t sound like her, but those were the words she’d said to me when I’d finally met her during the afterlife drama.
This voice was different. As lovely as hers, but with a deeper tone. Kind of genderless, really.
Mum…
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”
What was this, test Akira to the max day? I mean, for bollocking hell’s sake! How many more emotional gut punches did I need to take?
“No,” the voice answered. “Your mother is at peace. Your mother is not here. A new path is. Yet remember her words. Remember who you are.”
I pushed my wet hair out of my face, the water pounding the top of my head. “You’re… You’re not her?”
“The path is waiting. Not yet. Not yet. Not yet. Remember who you are.”
Those words sank in now, pissing me off. “I know who I am, cheers.”
The voice repeated the same stuff.
I snarled, summoning my babies and sent them out to explore the immediate area. They found nothing.
Once again, the voice repeated itself.
“How about you just tell me what’s up, bruv?” Ooo, I hadn’t used that word in a while.
“A choice will present itself to you,” the voice said. “You will see, you will decide. The world needs a warrior.”
I saw a flash of Sakura. A flood of pink light turning cherry-red filled the cubicle, and a warm wind blasted me in the face.
To hell with this. I got to my feet, dried off, quickly dressed in a pair of black jeans and a powder blue tee, and rushed toward the bedroom door. I wasn’t staying in here alone with creepy voices.
Fuck mysterious paths.
Fuck cryptic bullshit.
Fuck being told a test was coming.
And never tell me to remember who I am.
Wanker. It was lucky to be a voice and not standing before me with a tongue to be cut from its dirty mouth. I didn’t care if it wasn’t a threatening voice. Talk bollocks to me, face the consequences. End of.
There’s that anger…
Whatever.
Flinging the bedroom door open brought me face-to-face with Zach.
“Oh!” I squeaked, slamming on my brakes.
He lifted a hand in a hello, a tote bag hanging from his left shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” I signed.
He looked a little on the pale side.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked.
Hmmm. This wasn’t really the best time for bro chat.
“Sorry, I know you’ve got a lot on your plate,” he added. “But I really need to talk to you about something.”
Man, I couldn’t say no to him. He was my brother, and I had all the time in the world for him.
“Come in.” I stepped aside for him.
He thanked me before opening the tote bag and pulling out the holy text, 天使の書 (Book of Angels), the white leather cover immaculate.
“Oh, shit. I forgot.”
Next came a golden tenshi candle with a white 祈り(Prayer) carved into it.
Every Cherry Moon, we lit the candles, placing them beside the book and said our thanks, making sure to perform the little thank you ritual each of the seven nights.
We’d learned about the power of the Holy Week from a new chapter in the book. It appeared on the first year, a brief paragraph telling us what would happen. After that, we remembered it for ourselves.
Zach put the book on the table and lit the candle.
I bowed my head, saying thanks. He did the same, and that was that. Night one done.
Phew. Thanks to my brother for not letting me miss it. I’d have stewed on it for weeks.
Zach started pacing the room, visibly flinching from his own unease.
When I caught his eye, I signed for him to take his time.
What was going on in that head of his?
Pausing, he rustled in his pocket for a crumpled piece of paper. He placed it on the bed, then proceeded to sign an explanation.
“It’s in there,” he said. “Everything. I’m scared. I don’t know what to do, what to think. I’m confused.”
I hated to see the anguish on his face. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
Whatever it was he wanted to share with me, I wanted him to be absolutely sure now was the time to pull the trigger on it.
“A choice will present itself to you.”
I closed my eyes for a few seconds, shaking off that reminder.
I’d deal with it later.
“Bad time?” my brother asked. “Of course it is. I’ll go. Sorry. This really doesn’t matter right now.”
“I’m fine. This does matter.”
He scuffed at the floor with his left trainer, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Are you sure you want me to read this?” I signed.
“I’m sure. Please read it.”
So, I did, unfolding the crinkly lined paper.
After I broke up with Melinda last summer, I kind of went on a journey.
Crap. This is hard.
He’d drawn a picture of a drunk-looking face with mad curly hair before continuing.
I went out a few weeks later. After she blocked me. I was hurting so badly I just needed to get out of the house.
Went clubbing. Didn’t drink any booze, only lemonade. Met this guy. Danced.
Laughed. Felt good about myself again.
Kissed him.
Went back to his place.
Both sober.
We kissed. No sex. But what a kiss.
“Oh,” I said, looking up at him.
His eye gleamed with fear.
I folded the paper, handing it back to him.
When he took it, I thought he’d bolt. By the tenshi, the man looked so scared, so bewildered.
I smiled. “Firstly, thanks for telling me that. I’m honored you felt comfortable enough to share it with me.”
He nodded, then dipped his head.
Moving forward a few steps, I caught his attention. “I’m glad you had some fun.”
He practically swallowed his bottom lip, barely blinking.
I didn’t want to push or force him to say anything he didn’t want to. I just waited, making sure he knew this was a safe space for him to speak about anything. Signed it twice to make it clear.
It took him five minutes to say, “I think I’m bi.”
I nodded, giving him the space to offload.
He continued. “I still like women, but I’ve realized I like men, too. It wasn’t some passing fancy. Kissing him kicked an unseen door down. Hard.”
“A good snog can turn the world upside down.”
He snorted. “Dickhead.”
“Sorry.” I felt a bit bad with the slightly fluff response.
“It’s true, though,” he said. “Kisses are powerful. This guy changed my life.”
Aw, so lovely. “Will you see him again?”
“No. We had an understanding. Just a one-night thing. But now…” He folded his arms, signing nothing else.
I tried to fill in the gap. “But now the world is your oyster?”
He unfolded his arms. “Something like that.”
“Come here.”
He sighed. “I feel…I don’t know.”
“Lighter?”
“I guess so.”
“Come here.” I opened my arms. “Come hug your bro.” Cue a big grin just for him. “I love you.”
The bro hugging commenced. I patted his back, every beat a reminder of how much I loved him.
He wasn’t alone.
Ever.