Page 79 of Caught in the Devil’s Hand

“My name is Shumei.”

“Why are you so inexperienced, Shumei?”

“You will address her as Empress,” Vallen interrupted.

“I’ll do no such thing,” she promptly slung back.

“What did you just—”

Shumei touched his side to calm him. “How well would you handle magic if you had discovered it only a few weeks ago? If you found out you were supposedly an empress, how well would you be able to lead others the next day?”

“Y-You mean…”

“How old are you, Mai?”

“I’m but twenty-five,” she said. “I’m not much older than—”

“And when did your magic awaken?”

“Fourteen.” A chilling shadow passed behind her eyes.

“You’ve had eleven years with it, then,” she surmised, resisting the urge to rub her arms for warmth. “That’s a great deal more than a few weeks.”

“But this is unacceptable. You are the empress! You should be more powerful than this,” Mai insisted.

“You have no right to question her power,” Rosuke said in a raised voice. “She has incredible potential. I’ve seen with my own eyes more than once.”

Mai’s eyebrows shot up. “Potential?” she parroted. “Demons are running amok, and she has potential?” She walked toward them, and both men tensed in readiness. “Prove it to me.”

Shumei wanted to hunch her shoulders but forced herself to stand straight and look this overbearing person in the eye. Not only was this newcomer taller, older, and more confident than she was, but also more experienced, and she wanted proof?

“Why should your empress have to prove herself to you? You insult her by even asking it,” Vallen said.

“I’ll not accept an empress who is so weak,” Mai insisted, fisting her hands at her sides. “The path, the bridge, the wall, and the gate were all enchanted against demons, but not with her magic, am I right?” She pointed at Shumei, her expression as disappointed as her voice. “And what do I find after all these powerful enchantments? A contingent of witches like me, training for battle? A grand estate brimming with activity? A fearless empress with the presence of our deity and the mind of a leader? No. I find an empty, run-down building, two men, one blondie, and a weak, child empress who looks as though a breeze could knock her down. Unless she proves herself, I’m leaving.”

Vallen and Rosuke both gathered a breath to argue with her, but Shumei’s voice stopped their words in their throats. “Fine,” she agreed.

“But Empress—” Rosuke said.

“She’s right,” Shumei argued. “How would I react if I was in her position? If the world was falling apart and the one person I hoped could fix it seemed incapable? Wouldn’t you be angry, Rosuke? Disappointed?”

“Nothing about you disappoints me, Empress,” he said, gentle.

“Because I proved myself, didn’t I?” she prodded.

“I’ll be here if you need me,” Vallen said, pointing at the ground. She gave him a small smile, grateful for his instant support. Rosuke’s face hardened, his reluctance obvious, but he backed up in concession to her wishes.

“Oka?” she called, startling her brother, whose gaze was fixed on Mai.

She beckoned him and he obediently came, bringing along his wooden sword. In his finery from the day before, he was Vallen’s opposite. Whereas Vallen was a deadly warrior king, Oka was a naïve little prince. She smiled down at him, cupping her hand around his cheek.

“Working hard?” she asked.

“Rosuke’s a good teacher,” he said.

She nodded in relief. “That’s good. I need you to stay with Vallen and Rosuke over here. Mai and I want to test each other out,” she explained, trying to soften the harsh exchange he’d overheard.

“A-All right.” He gripped his sword tight, and she steered him to stand between Vallen and Rosuke.