Page 320 of Mercy Written in Blood

Renji pressed harder against the abdominal wound. Haruki's face tightened.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"The argument."

"No."

"I was angry."

"No."

"You were trying to—"

"No."

The word broke. Haruki's eyelids lowered. Renji gripped his hand.

"Look at me."

Haruki did. Barely.

"You do not apologise now."

"When?"

"Later."

"Bossy."

"Later."

The promise became command. Haruki's gaze moved across Renji's face. Something soft entered it despite the pain.

"All right."

His eyes closed. Renji struck his cheek lightly.

"Haruki."

No response.

"Haruki."

The pulse beneath Renji's fingers faltered. One beat. Nothing. Then another. Irregular. Too slow.

Renji felt the old night collapse over him. The first love's hand slipping from his. The final breath. The terrible stillness afterwards.

No.

He placed both hands over Haruki. One against the chest. One over the abdomen. Hemomancy rose before thought. The Takahara diagrams returned. Dual circulation. Regenerative force without blood exchange. A human pulse controlling the rate. But Haruki was unconscious. No consent. No shared control. The mechanism his family built required both. Renji had only himself.

"Wake him," he said.

Ken knelt beside them.

"What?"