Raiju: A Kaiju Hunter Novel (The Kaiju Hunter) (27 page)

“
Um,” I said, “what?”

“
Your hands.”

I looked at them, recognizing the weird golden aura that usually precipitated them bursting into flaming torches. “Oh,” I said, releasing her and stepping back. I shook my hands until the glow faded away. That was probably the worst drawback of being Raiju’s Keeper: I couldn’t keep the flames down when I got excited. This was definitely going to play havoc with my love life in the future.

Snowman was right; I really was a hothead.

Aimi looked at me and smiled in sympathy. There were no tears, but that didn’t mean anything, I reminded myself that she was no longer capable of crying them. “Kevin,” she said, her eyes shining, “You’re my personal hero.” Then she picked up her cello case and hurried out the door.

4

The band did great. But you knew they would, didn’t you?

At the end of the performance, while Snowman was still riling the audience, doing that thing onstage that made all the girls in the room swoon, a net was released and hundreds of white paper roses with the fire-gradient Destroyer logo imprinted on them were released into the audience. The club, already full of a low-lying glycol-based, fog-machine mist, took on a fantastic, otherworldly look as everyone exploded with cheers and demands for encores.

The band stood there, smiling and throwing paper flowers. The kids in the club surged forward for autographs, and I saw some of the suited execs moving in, trying to get the band’s attention. Someone shouted about an
American Idol
audition reel, but I didn’t hang around.

This was Aimi’s night, Destroyer’s night. I headed for the exit.

The parking lot was quiet, empty, with a full harvest moon riding high above the city like a giant, blinkless red eye. I shrugged off the chill as I headed for Jennie, waiting patiently for me by the fence. I leaned against the bike, lit a clove with my fingertips, and watched the sky deepen and the stars bleed through in pinpricks of diamond light—maybe like the eyes of the Kami waking up and watching, waiting for a chance to take back their earth.

It made me wonder how many more were out there—Kami, and their Keepers. I wondered what forms they took, and if and when I would encounter any more of them. I wondered if I would have to fight them, or if we couldn’t all just try to get along.

After I had smoked the cigarette down to a small nub I mounted the bike, the finely-tuned engine roaring alive, so loud in my ears I almost didn’t hear the alley side door slamming shut. I glanced aside and saw Aimi clopping toward me across the parking lot in her enormous platform boots, still dressed in her performance clothing. Her top hat flew off, but she didn’t seem to care.

“
Aimi?” I said, surprised she wasn’t inside—like Snowman, soaking up all that yummy adoration she and the band had earned. “What are you doing out here?”

She didn’t say anything. She just jumped on the back of the bike and wrapped her arms tight around my waist. I tried to ask more questions, but she leaned forward and kissed me on the lips to silence me. She whispered in my ear, “Just ride, handsome.”

So we did.

Want to keep up with Kevin and his crew?

Visit his blog at

www.kaijuhunter.wordpress.com

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