Page 52 of Caught in the Devil’s Hand

With precious little time to flee, she put off any discussion of it and instead packed up some medicine, a roll of clean cloth to use as a bandage, and the comb Vallen had given her. By the time she turned around, Oka was holding a small bag of his things and standing next to Vallen, ready to go.

“I’m all set,” she said.

Vallen ushered them outside and produced a loud, high whistle. Not a moment later, his horse galloped into view from the path behind her house. Shumei had worried they wouldn’t all fit onto the animal’s back, but she could tell just from looking at the monstrously large horse that she was wrong. Vallen lifted her up first and then set Oka in front of her.

“Hold tightly to the pommel, young man,” he ordered.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” a man yelled. With a gasp, Shumei looked over her shoulder. Her nearest neighbor, the one Vallen had said was having an affair, had come out of his house. Behind him were several more people, their mouths open with shock as they took in the strange scene before them.

“I’m leaving, Master Akito, and I may never come back,” she announced. Vallen pulled himself into the saddle, fitting snugly behind her. “And by the way, shame on you for cheating on your wife.” Akito stood there spluttering. Even more people appeared.

“Let’s go, Vallen. We’ve little time,” she said, feeling a strange urgency as dread twisted her stomach. Or maybe her magic was warning her.

“As you wish, my love,” he purred in her ear. He seemed to relish the new pet name. He nudged his horse’s flanks, galvanizing it into a gallop. They took the path behind her hut and were soon out of sight.

Chapter Twelve

Vallen could tell Shumei was anxious to put some distance between them and the village. Every couple of minutes, she glanced back. When they came to the stream—the same one where he had first spotted her—he steered the horse to follow it. His mount had to move slowly to keep its footing, but anyone attempting to track them would have a tougher time of it.

They followed the stream south for quite a distance, stopping only for a few precious minutes to tend to Shumei’s wound, but no one said much. His curiosity burned intensely as to where she had gotten her injury—he hadn’t seen any sort of weapon on Akiji—but even when Oka asked, she begged they get somewhere safe first. Eventually, the stream crossed an old wagon path overgrown with patches of grass and fallen tree limbs. He turned them again, and the horse agilely picked its way along the trail.

He felt Shumei sag in his arms, and though he worried for a split second that she had lost too much blood, he remembered the fatigue on her face when he had first found her that morning. She hadn’t yet explained, but he suspected she had used her magic. She had little experience and no training, so she must have worn herself out. The same had happened often to young amateurs in the Dark Court.

“This is the farthest I’ve ever been from home,” Oka said. Even a voice as quiet as his was startling in the still forest, but Shumei didn’t stir from her slumber.

“This is where the adventure begins,” Vallen said as the horse swerved around a fallen tree.

“She’s asleep?” Oka asked, looking over his shoulder.

“Seems like it.”

“Where are you taking us?”

“To my estate, a few hours farther.”

“Why did we have to leave?”

“You’d have to ask your sister. I’m as clueless as you.” He adjusted his hold on Shumei, making sure she didn’t get a cramp in her neck.

“What’s going to happen when we get there?”

“Some of that depends on what your sister has to say, but we’ll be safe for a while, and we can plan what to do next.” Oka fell silent for a moment, but Vallen could tell by the way he fidgeted that another question burned in the boy’s brain.

“What’s on your mind?” Vallen prompted. “Whatever it is you wish to ask, feel free.”

“What are your intentions toward my sister?” Oka blurted.

Vallen was taken aback, not because of the question itself, but because of how the boy had worded it. Oka seemed rather eager to be grown up.

“Well?” Oka prodded, half turning.

“I love her. I intend to make her happy.” He sincerely wished he could give Oka something more definitive to go on, but all of their lives were uncertain at the moment.

“Good.” Oka then fell silent, seemingly content with Vallen’s answer.

Shumei shifted in her sleep, snuggling deeper into his embrace with a satisfied sigh. He pressed a gentle, silent kiss to her forehead, and savored the sweet ache in his heart.

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