[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"Because--" Nankyo stopped and fell silent. "I did not want you to hate me."
"I never hated you!" Kindan said in a rage. "When will you believe me?"
"You would have," Nankyo replied. "What if I had said I was Koori? And then what was to become of me? You would have
hated yourself, and eventually me, for doing that to you." He looked away, gazing blindly at the horizon. "I preferred to die
an aggravating prince than as Koori."
"Storms take you!" Kindan swore. "Prince, Koori or simply a brat, I would not have allowed you to kill yourself for such a
stupid reason!"
"It's not your decision to make," Nankyo snapped, turning to face him, angrily shoving away errant strands of hair.
Kindan grimaced in disgust. "I have nothing but hatred for your family now." He glared at Nankyo. "I flat out refuse to let you
die. It is not an option, even if you persist in making it one."
"Get this through your thick head - it's not your decision."
"Is that a fact?" Kindan asked, his voice low, angry.
Nankyo returned the anger full measure. "Yes."
Kindan moved fast, latching on the prince's shoulders and dragging him close even as Nankyo tried to back away, ducking
his head and crushing the prince's lips beneath his own. He kissed Nankyo hard, bruising his lips to ensure that the prince
would still feel the kiss hours later. He gripped Nankyo firmly, on the chance he began to struggle to get away.
They were breathing heavily when he finally pulled away. "I waited more than a decade for you, Koori. You have no right to
give up on everything without talking to me first. We made a promise - you're not allowed to choose to break it on your
own."
"Give up?" Nankyo asked icily, too angry to be distracted. "Who ever said I gave up? "
"Didn't you?" Kindan returned. "All I've heard from you on this stupid sacrifice thing is 'I have no choice' 'it's the only way' -
but that sort of resignation doesn't seem like you. It sounds to me like you never tried to find another way."
"There was no other way! I've looked a thousand times with no success!" Nankyo shouted, jerking away from Kindan. "If I
didn't die to take my family's power away, then Umiko would die to preserve it." His voice was bitter, "My father was right, in
that if someone has to die, I am most suited."
Kindan snorted, "That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard."
"Shut up," Nankyo snapped.
"Make me," Kindan retorted. Silence fell for a minute or two, as they glared at each other. "So why are you even here? If
you've come to try to justify your stupidity, you've probably noticed it isn't working. Though really, I'm having a hard time
deciding why I don't just kill all three of you and salvage what's left of my sanity."
Nankyo hands were fisted tightly at his side. "So you're saying there was no point in my coming to see you? That I shouldn't
have bothered?"
"I'm saying you'd better not have come for stupid reasons. Coming to explain to me that you have no choice but to die is a
stupid reason."
"And what would you like me to say?"
file:///H|/NOVEL/New%20novel/1.htm[9/25/2009 10:22:25 AM]
AmaSour Fiction
Kindan sighed in aggravation. "That you haven't given up. That you're still trying. That you care enough about--" He broke
off, suddenly unsure. "That you care enough about me to keep trying." He stared miserably at Nankyo, "I would have done
anything, if you'd but asked me. Isn't that the promise I made? Anything in my power to do, I would have done."
"Why?" Nankyo asked roughly. "One small promise made by children is no reason for you to be this upset."
"Nor for you," Kindan replied. He moved closer to Nankyo, grasping his shoulders more gently than he had earlier. "Yet here
we are."
Nankyo looked uncomfortable, but did not pull away. He opened his mouth to speak, then changed his mind and closed it. "I
don't have to die."
"& What?" Kindan asked.
"I mean I do& but not really. Raiden knows& knows how to bring me back."
Kindan closed his eyes, hands tightening on Nankyo's shoulders. He opened them again, seriously annoyed. "I'm going to
kill him, I swear it. And why didn't you mention this before we started arguing?"
"Because--"
"Never mind." Kindan cut him off. "No doubt there's some needlessly complicated, aggravating reason going on in your
head that's only going to make me angrier than I already am. Do us both a favor and stop thinking." Kindan took a deep
breath, "So. You're not really dying. Which means you're not trying to break our promise, which means I don't need to dunk
you to make you see reason." One of his hands wandered up to stroke the fine line of Nankyo's cheekbone. "What am I
going to do with you?"
It looked as though it took all the strength Nankyo had to reply. "I was hoping you'd give my medallion back."
Kindan smiled faintly. "And where would you ask to go if I did?"
"For now, I'd rather just stay here."
Kindan smile widened, fingers sliding around to grasp the hair at the nape of Nankyo's neck, tilting his head back as he
leaned down to kiss him.
Shuddering in relief, Nankyo slid his own arms around Kindan's neck and kissed him back, for once free of the fear and
unhappiness that had plagued him for so long their absence felt strange. But it was strange in a heady way, as dizzying as
Kinni's kisses, the taste of fruit and salt a perfect fit for the captain's kiss, as direct and sure as the man himself.
"Well," Kindan said at last. "It's not how I imagined it would go, but I am happy to have found you again, Koori."
Nankyo let his forehead lie against Kindan's chest, shuddering in relief. "Me too, Kinni."
Trailing his hands along Nankyo's back and shoulders, both soothing and reassuring himself the prince was really there,
Kindan looked toward the mansion in the distance. "Was the storm you?"
"Taka, mostly. He was a trifle displeased."
Kindan laughed softly. "I would imagine so. Raiden always had a talent for placating."
"He's had a lot of practice, I'd imagine." Nankyo replied dryly.
"Mmm," Kindan murmured an agreement, playing with strands of Nankyo's hair. "I'm going to kill him. But later." Pulling
away, he kept hold of Nankyo's hand and led the prince to his home beside the lighthouse.
*~*~*~*
Kindan leaned over the bed and softly kissed Nankyo's lips. He brushed away loose strands of hair, baring a soft cheek,
then trailed his fingers down to the silver chain and heavy medallion that had finally returned to their place around Nankyo's
neck.
Pulling the blankets up around the sleeping prince, he reluctantly left the sanctuary of his room, passing through the main
part of his simple house to the door that led directly into the lighthouse. He looked up, blocking his eyes from the shreds of
sunlight that glared down on him. Sighing softly, Kindan began his ascent.
file:///H|/NOVEL/New%20novel/1.htm[9/25/2009 10:22:25 AM]
AmaSour Fiction
The lighthouse was no longer used. Few ships came out this far - usually only those that had lost their way - and the ships
that did make berth on Sanhoshi did not require the lighthouse.
Kindan reached the top of the lighthouse and circled around the top slowly, hand trailing along the railing. The breeze was
refreshing, cooling in the late afternoon heat. He slowed to a stop and folded his arms across his chest. "I should shove you
over the railing."
"I can hardly argue that," Raiden replied. A dark red scarf kept the wind from his hair, matching the sash that held his blue
robes closed. Nearby, Kindan seemed oddly somber in clothes of gray and black. He grinned suddenly. "You look better
than you have in years. Less tense."
"I'm still tense about some things," Kindan responded.
Raiden sighed, smile fading. "You can't tell me you're that surprised. Of all people, I expected you to be the least startled."
"Shima," Kindan looked as though he wanted to smack his old friend. "It's true I always knew there was something strange
about you - in all the years I've known you, you've hardly aged a day. And you've experience far too extensive for your
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]