Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
“Why is no one here? And not a single staff member can locate my wife or tell me her whereabouts before she left the palace?”
“Son, I’m sure they’ve just gone on a walk …” Tatsu tried his best to not have Ryu jump to conclusions … yet.
Thinking only for a moment, Ryu took a calming breath, trying to take his father’s advice, but his gut only screamed at him louder. “Something’s not right—I can feel it.”
Tatsu abruptly nodded. “Then let’s ring the gong.”
Ryu looked at his father strangely. To ring the gong on the island meant everyone went into life-or-death mode. It was reserved only for the most dire and serious or life-threatening and life-altering consequences.
“You’d do that?”
“Son, I do not wish my fate upon you. You only just found her; I at least spent many good years with your mother before she passed.”
With fists still on the table, Ryu looked down, needing to think for a moment. If they rang the gong and Eira was in danger at the hands of someone, it could mean they might only kill her faster. He needed to be strategic and only wished he knew all possibilities before he leaped into action. Deciding he had nothing to go off of, he was just about to tell his father to go through with it when something caught his eye—a hand-drawn flower pasted on the pages of the book.
His anger, or maybe even fate, had conveniently opened it to the all-too-familiar botanical. Flipping the book to look at the cover, he saw the title, Kasumi Island Family History.
“What is this?” Ryu asked, mostly to himself, but was shocked to hear his father answer.
“That is Kage’s family crest. Tei’s are dragons, but Kai’s is the red spider lily. You didn’t know that?”
Ryu’s heart suddenly sank to the floor. “No …”
“You must not have paid attention to me when I was teaching you the famous family crests, then.” Clearing his throat, his father went into the teaching voice he often used when Ryu was a child. “They are said to be very poisonou—”
Tatsu didn’t finish his words as both he and Ryu looked at each other with fear in their eyes.
“Oh no.” Seeing the writing on the wall for his son, Tatsu felt horrible for him, both of them knowing exactly what must’ve happened and the betrayal that was happening right under their noses.
Knowing all too well what that look in his son’s eyes was, he was almost envious. Tatsu hadn’t had anyone to fight when his wife’s life had hung in the balance. Fighting an illness was a losing battle against an evil you couldn’t take your pain out on. But his son was lucky; lucky that he could fight and possibly save Eira still.
“I’ll find Eira; you handle what you need.”
“Thanks, Father,” was all Ryu said before the dragon under his skin stirred to be let free.
33
If Eira’s Dead, There’s No Hope for You
They didn’t dare ring the gong, his original fear of it quickening Eira’s death if she had been caught a real possibility now. So, he was grateful to find Yuri in the Zen garden, hoping she knew the whereabouts of at least one.
“Have you seen Eira today?” Ryu asked Yuri with urgency.
She sensed his concern, so her sweet tone tried to calm him. “I came to her room earlier, but she said she was tired and sent me away.”
Ryu rubbed his temple, still concerned. “And your father?”
“I saw him earlier in the library, but at the moment, I’m not sure.” Her concern was evident now. “Is everything all right, Ryu?”
No, it wasn’t, but how was he supposed to tell Kage’s daughter about her father’s betrayal?
“I just need to speak with him—it’s urgent.” When he turned to leave, Ryu caught a glimpse of something. “What is that?”
“What is—” Yuri stopped when her hand was grabbed by Ryu, who looked upon her fingers up close.
“Why do you have this ring?” he questioned and could sense her surprise that he knew it had been Eira’s. There were many things he had collected for his future mate over the course of his life, and he could recall each one. This one in particular was one of his favorite finds. Eira had yet to even wear anything like it, and now he was starting to possibly understand why.
“Oh, um, Eira gifted it for me,” she quickly explained with a rising heart rate. “I can’t believe you noticed it. She has so many things.” She trailed off as her hand began to be squeezed. “Ryu … you’re hurting me.”
He didn’t even notice that he was squeezing the hand in his like a vice as everything began to click into place.
“What a fool I have been,” he whispered harshly. Then, yanking her closer, he could see the slight excitement yet fear that flashed in her eyes.