Dreamlands (35 page)

Samojirou looked at us. “You will be able to get help in a few minutes.”

“You leaving Murphy behind?” Mason asked.

“He hurt my Keno-chan and insulted my lady and myself,” Samojirou said coldly.

“I told you he was my asshole,” Mason said. “Don’t… shit, he’s got a wife and family. That’s the only reason that I was willing to trade Collins and Fairinox for him.”

Samojirou sneered. “The only reason?”

Mason suddenly grinned, but it was a tired grin, not a happy one.

“Well, I thought that the both of them were the biggest shits I ever saw outside lockup, but that just might have been me.”

“I will ask my lady,” Samojirou said.

Mason nodded. “Tell her thanks again. And I liked hangin’ with the cool kids.”

“And you told Tamazusa-sama that you had no manners,” Samojirou said.

I stepped into his embrace, and we went through the shadows to join the others.

FELICITAS IVEY

262

KENO

NO one seemed surprised to see us when we stepped out of the shadows beside Collins and Murphy. They both just stared at us like they had never seen anything like it before. Fuse and Yatsufusa seemed to be hugging, and her sons were all between her and Collins and Murphy. Collins was tied up, and someone had put Fairinox’s head on his lap. He was staring at it in horror. I couldn’t find it in myself to feel sorry for the man.

“What the fuck?” Murphy yelled.

“My lady.” Samojirou and I bowed to her. “Could you take us home?”

“Have you been injured, Keno-chan?” Tamazusa asked.

“Not really,” I said. “It’s other people’s blood.” I looked around and realized where we were. We were down on E

level with the servers. The lights were starting to flicker, and I realized that the servers were still running for some reason. I blinked and looked at Tamazusa. “Do we have some time?”

She shrugged. “I think so. What is it that you wish to do?” 263

DREAMLANDS

I grinned and keyed open the server room, surprised that it worked. Stupid of them, that they hadn’t locked out my access code after all this time.

“You fucking gook, don’t you even think about that!” Murphy screamed.

Collins was too shocked even to say anything. Murphy stopped screaming when Inue kicked him in the ribs. He kept his threats and curses to a lower volume after that. Samojirou followed me into the server room, curious about what I was going to do.

“Keno-chan?” he asked.

“This is where all the servers for the East Coast are,” I said. “I know where the backups are too. And I’m going to wipe them all clean.” I sat down at a keyboard and started to do that, my fingers dancing over the keys on the keyboard. I’m good. I’ve had to be for the last four years. But when I was working for the Trust, I never showed them all that I could do.

I went through their protocols and safeguards like they weren’t there, spawning virus after virus in my path to hunt out other Trust machines hidden in other organizations, as well as all the computers Global International used. Those viruses were just the ones that were noticeable. I also inserted code that wouldn’t activate until they started cleaning up the mess.

After I was through trashing their servers, I went after the backups. I instructed them to attack any other Trust servers they were connected to and had them overwrite themselves several times so their data wasn’t recoverable. I had ruined these people, I hoped, and it had only taken me a few minutes.

When I was done, I got up and used the keyboard I had been typing on to smash all the monitors and other keyboards, and I smashed that keyboard on the floor. That felt good. Samojirou just watched me with a smile on his face. He kissed me when I was done destroying things.

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264

We walked out of the server room, and Tamazusa looked at us.

“And that did what?”

“I ruined their servers, their backups, and told the backups to infect other Trust computers.”

“I do not understand,” she said.

“I destroyed all their records,” I said. “They will spend weeks, if not months trying to clean up this mess. That felt so good!” Murphy started screaming again. Tamazusa looked down with a slight frown on her face. Samojirou looked at him and used the hilt of his katana to smash the keypad for the server room. The Trust wasn’t going to be able to get into that room easily.

“Kairns-san asked kindly if we could spare him, since we have the other,” Samojirou said, motioning to Murphy.

Murphy started screaming the word nigger, as well as gook, when he heard that.

Tamazusa shrugged, “Since he asked nicely, I suppose that I can.

Collins will be entertaining enough on his own.” Samojirou laughed, and she smiled up at him. Then she did something, and we were standing back in the iris garden.

I wasn’t surprised to see that Okita and a couple of squads of samurai were waiting for us. They took charge of Collins with a nod from Tamazusa. I was glad to see Murphy wasn’t with us. I was shocked to see that Tamazusa and Inumura were drained and pale. Two of the maids approached her, and I wasn’t surprised to see that she went with them. She looked like she was going to collapse. “Please attend to our guests,” she instructed Samojirou.

“I thank you for your help in recovering my consort,” Samojirou told the
Hakkenshi,
bowing low and humbling himself before them.

I knelt and added my thanks to his. “I am grateful for your assistance.”

265

DREAMLANDS

They all looked at us, and Fuse walked over and lifted me to my feet. She gave me a hug and smiled. “You are one of us, how could we not help? And Samojirou-sama has been a good friend to me over the centuries.”

“I wish to get Keno-chan to Tan’yu-san, my lady’s healer,” Samojirou said. “Do you also need his attentions?”

“I am fine,” Fuse assured him. “Mason-san was most careful of me.”

SAMOJIROU

I WAS back in the Dreamlands. For a moment, I thought that I might be trapped in the real world, as monstrous as I looked, but I had returned to my usual appearance. I was back at home with Keno and my lady.

Tamazusa was exhausted, and it was up to me to entertain the
Hakkenshi
and their parents.

After escorting Keno to Tan’yu, I settled our guests in. I knew that our prisoner would be taken care of also. Collins would be dealt with when Tamazusa was able.

Keno wasn’t injured, and I took him back to our rooms. I knew he was tired and needed to rest. I would let him and not worry about our future. I helped him bathe and wouldn’t let him say anything, silencing him with kisses. Keno let me, willing to follow my lead in this.

Keno curled up to sleep, and I lay with him. I didn’t think I could sleep, but I drifted into it soon after he had. We were both woken by a discreet knock on my door. The door slid open, and I was surprised to see that Inusuka Shino and his brother Inuyama Dousetsu standing there. I sat up, and Keno whimpered and turned over.

“And how is our brother?” Inusuka asked.

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I looked at him and wondered how I could gracefully get off the futon without waking up Keno. “Asleep, as was I,” I said. I got up slowly and tucked the covers around Keno before slipping into a
yukata
.

“We wish to discuss our brother with you,” Inuyama said.

“Then we will do so in the garden, so he will not wake,” I replied softly. I did not miss that they now named Keno their brother, not just their brother’s avatar.

We all adjourned to the garden, kneeling on the porch. I waited for them to start talking.

After a thoughtful minute, Inusuka looked at me and smiled.

“And what are your intentions?”

“That is up to your brother’s avatar,” I said. “Keno-chan chose to come here. He does not have to choose to stay with me.”

“Will Sakura-chan?” Inusuka asked.

“That again is up to Keno-chan. Keno-chan, who really is not your brother,” I pointed out harshly. “And I hope that he will never be like your brother!”

“Why?” Inuyama demanded.

“Because the Inuzaka Keno who I fell in love with was a man possessed. Did you not see it in his eyes?”

“Keno-chan has the same eyes,” Inusuka said.

“He is an innocent,” Inuyama said. “Even now, untouched by blood. This is a good thing.”

“I hope that he remains that way,” I said. “I cherish the boy. I would grieve if he took the same path that his ancestor had.”

“We wish him to know that he can stay with us,” Inusuka said.

“Hamaji would adore the company. If not my household, then with any of us.”

267

DREAMLANDS

“That is a kind offer,” Keno said from the doorway to our room. I wondered how long he had been standing there, how much he had heard of this conversation, but there was nothing in his face or his eyes that would tell me. “But my place is with Aboshi-sama and Tamazusa-sama.”

Inusuka studied him for a few moments before he nodded. “That is your choice.”

“I will not say that it is a good one,” Inuyama said, “but it is one that I will honor. But please know that you are our family.”

“I am only his avatar,” Keno said.

Inusuka nodded, “But I fear that is all that is left of our brother Keno. That is the price that he paid to save his lover. Mother will still fuss over you as one of us, I will warn you.”

“I will consider you all my family,” Keno said with a low bow. “I am honored to be part of it.”

They got up and bowed, sauntering out of the garden. Keno looked after them, a strange look on his face. He eventually walked down and joined me. “Aboshi….”

I leaned over and brushed my lips across his forehead. “Keno, I…

you do not have to stay here.”

Keno pulled back. “You don’t want me?”

“Too much, still.”

Keno smiled. “As I do you.”

“I will not―”

“I trust you,” Keno said. “I know that you’re not going to hurt me.

I don’t know if we can have sex any time soon, but I think that we can try.”

I smiled down at him. I didn’t expect Keno to lose his fear of sex overnight, but there was a definite invitation in his voice. I leaned over to kiss him again, delighted when he kissed back. I broke off the kiss FELICITAS IVEY

268

after a few minutes, Keno making a soft sound of disappointment when I did so.

“Keno, there is no need for you to be Sakura,” I said.

Keno smiled sunnily. “I like being Sakura. You like her too.” I nodded, thinking and plotting. Sakura would be the companion in my delights, while I had Keno trained in the magical arts. He needed the training, and I wanted a companion who was thought to be harmless in the Game. Keno as Sakura wasn’t a target. He would be when people realized he was a talented sorcerer.

“I think that I should arrange for your training with magic to begin soon,” I said.

Keno pulled me down for another kiss, and I decided I would let the future take care of itself. I had Keno by my side, and that was enough.

MASON

I WASN’T surprised that Keno left us. I started the slow walk upstairs, supporting Wolf. I didn’t think he was awake enough to realize he was crying. Okay, I’d call it more his eyes watering, because he wasn’t sobbing or anything. I knew he was mourning Keno. The kid wasn’t dead, but I knew―well, hoped―that I wouldn’t see him again. I had just entered the stairwell when the lights came back on. I was at the top of them when the rescue squad found us. They took Wolf off my hands and started treating him.

McGann was with them, and I saw the relief in her eyes when she saw us. I thought she believed Samojirou had killed us.

“How?” she asked when she got close enough to talk without shouting.

269

DREAMLANDS

“I don’t know,” I said honestly. I looked over at the squad and called down, “Check the server room first. I think that Murphy’s down there.”

That got them to hustle faster. I didn’t know if the man was there; Tamazusa might have decided to take him with her, but I hoped not. I hoped that she
had
taken Collins with her.

“You injured?” one of the medics barked. I saw that Goose was taking care of Wolf.

“Just peachy,” I said.

Wolf was bundled off to the infirmary, and I followed him.

McGann checked on him briefly before having to go deal with whatever shit she had to. I was still in the infirmary when they brought in Murphy. He looked like shit, but he had enough energy to start screaming when he saw me.

“That nigger was working with the fuckin’ gooks! I want him out of here! I want his nigger ass terminated!” Murphy shouted when he saw me, and the language got worse from there.

I didn’t say anything, because there really wasn’t anything to say.

But they let me stay by Wolf’s bed when they brought him back in.

Wolf wasn’t injured too badly, but they wanted to watch him a couple of days. He had an IV hooked up to him and a few other things that looked really uncomfortable.

Wolf woke up after a couple of hours. “Keno?” he whispered.

I gave him a drink of water, letting him sip a little before pulling it away. “Gone.”