Here is the next to the last chapter. Next chapter is an epilogue/last chapter sort of wrap up. Since next Friday is the day after a holiday, and my parents house has limited internet accessibility (depending on the weather) the update is likely to be delayed. So I wanted to go ahead and get this one out to you, even though it isn't a Friday.
Ravyn
Venice was not kind to its prisoners. Unlike the Carnevale, Kenshin's visit to the Doge's Palazzo was not brightly lit for celebration. He was certain Kaoru was unaware of the true function of the Palazzo – not only the Doge's residence, but the seat of the government and the palazzo of justice – and at the time, it hadn't been important. There had been no reason to discuss the humans who were being held in the inhospitable Pozzi of the ground floor, the eighteen cells so dark they were called wells, stuffed with bodies waiting for trial.
Cloaked from human sight, it didn't take long before he was walking the bleak, murky corridors that connected the worst of the cells. The air was damp and suffocating with the stench of human waste and sweat, with infection and rot permeating the air. His power acted as barrier, burning away the contamination as he moved towards the hall only a few people even knew existed.
That the humans would act on, and arrest each other, due to little more than an anonymous accusation was fuel for the Council of Dragons to argue their case for either total separation from the human world or to push for a takeover. Kenshin had no intention of allowing either, but the power the Council of Ten wielded was one the Dragon Council watched carefully. Their meetings were held in absolute secrecy, but not even hunters could hide their forever and mere humans with no magical talent had little hope. The balance of maintaining a coexistence with humans became far more difficult each year, but it was holding and it would continue to do so.
Carefully, he pressed a wooden panel with his power and then stepped forward so that it could close behind him. Torches sprang to life in front of him as he moved, lighting the path enough that he could see where he was walking. It was unnecessary, he had memorized these walls years before, but it served as a duel function of allowing its guardians to see who had entered. This was one of the three locations that were suitable for holding dragon prisoners. Unlike the human cells that were lined with wood, this corridor was lined with stone and carefully spelled to strengthen the walls so they wouldn't collapse in heavy rain or flooding. The stone made the cells perfect for holding nearly all dragons – but it was specifically used to hold fire-based magic. A shadow peeled away from the wall; recognizing Hannya from his power signature, Kenshin nodded as they fell in step.
"He still proclaims his innocence."
Kenshin arched a brow, "In which matter?"
"He says that Kamiya owes his family a dragon-debt that he was merely attempting to reclaim." Hannya said. "Access to the cells is heavily restricted, only you or Shinomori may have direct access to him now. He's been willing to name your guest."
Temper kept his eyes pale as they reached the final cell block. The fire here was magically maintained and shielded, offering no warmth or comfort in the windowless cells. For a fire based dragon, the days spent locked away and interrogated would have been draining. For a dragon who was accused of working with hunters, interrogations would have involved more than simple questions.
Hannya motioned with his hand and another shadow – Beshimi – unlocked the door, motioning for him to enter. Kenshin stepped inside and considered the dragon bound tightly in shackles. His skin was waxy in the flickering light, and while he was still a large man, some of that bulk had diminished over the last few days. Being so thoroughly cut off from his magic and the heat of the sun, he was weakened and it showed.
"Gohei Hiruma." Kenshin said quietly. The worst of his temper was locked in his chest, but his words came out hard. But by using his first name, he put Gohei in the same precarious position that he had attempted to put Kaoru. The dragon lifted his head, dark eyes widely flickering about before they landed on him. Confusion first – he wasn't his usual visitors – but Kenshin saw the moment Gohei dismissed him based on nothing more than his size. With his magic and beast tightly leashed, Gohei had decided he wasn't a threat.
Another mistake in a long line that had led to his impending death.
"I demand to see the council," Gohei said before Kenshin could speak. A breach in protocol, but the dragon had already shown an appalling lack of sense. "It is my right."
"I have jurisdiction of this case," Kenshin told him. "The council will bow to my decision, whatever that may be. "
He might as well pretend for a few moments that Gohei hadn't been sentenced to death. It would give him a chance to read a measure of the man, to pick apart what was in front of him. As it was, a calculating gleam entered those dark eyes. Kenshin doubted it was ever difficult to read this dragon, but days in this cell had made him an easy mark.
Taking a seat in the chair Shinomori usually occupied, Kenshin leaned back and waited. Gohei amazingly enough seemed to be considering his options, uncertain at what his presence meant. Kenshin wasn't willing to open the negotiations, not when protocol would no longer demand it of him after Gohei's breach moments before. He was curious to see what the dragon would decide this visit was about.
"I wish to levy a complaint about the Kamiya line." Gohei demanded, his arrogance a thin shield for the terror that permeated the room. "And the guards who brought me here; I have done nothing wrong."
Kenshin smiled, letting his teeth show. "We'll get to that. First, the council is interested in some information you have."
The chains clanked together as he shifted. "I have nothing to say to the council other than to demand my release."
"You have been implicated in a plot to bring hunters into Venice by Kihei Hiruma." Kenshin said mildly. The explosion of temper surprised him.
"That little worm."
Now that was unexpected. No denial, no attempts to claim he didn't know the dragon, just a burst of rage. Tilting his head, Kenshin considered the dragon chained to the chair. Sano too, had called Kihei a worm. In Sano's case, the terminology was a slur, referencing a dragon that could not shift – the genetic disability that was usually a result of bloodlines that had bred too closely together for too many generations. But where Sano had used it as an insult, Gohei's rage and innate arrogance suggested something more.
Gohei took that moment to bare his teeth, his next words confirming Kenshin's musings. "As if a dragon would ever associate with something like him."
So Kihei was a dragon who lacked the ability to shift. It would explain the why Kihei had become involved with hunters – or at least one why – but not the how. Or how Gohei had become involved in the plot; close enough to Kihei that his magic was comfortable carrying a spell of an opposite power base.
"Interesting, that you would deny association," Kenshin mused out loud, "Considering you share a last name."
Gohei made a deep noise in his chest and his muscles bunched and strained against the chains holding him securely against the chair. "That thing isn't related to me! It isn't part of my bloodline! He stole that last name!"
Kenshin blinked at him. That accusation would have been one to consider, if there hadn't been the faintest flicker of panic behind the boisterous claim. If Kihei had been falsely claiming a bloodline, it would have meant his death. But it also would have been impossible for Kihei and Gohei to share magic; Kaoru had been attacked by venom-based magic that Gohei had carried. Kihei was a venomous dragon who couldn't shift. Kenshin leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his thighs and studied the creature in front of him. "Lying to me will not help you, Gohei Hiruma."
"This is Kaoru Kamiya's fault!" Gohei raged.
Kenshin's beast lunged but he managed to hold it, grinding his teeth in an attempt to keep from letting the fire rushing under his skin consume this idiot in front of him. Gohei was sweating, both hands white knuckled… except for the thumb of his right hand. It was remarkably lax for the pressure Gohei was exerting on the chains.
"How so?"
"That dumb bitch is responsible for disfiguring my hand!" His eyes were darting all over the cell and his breathing was heavy with strain. "I just came to claim my debt – I don't know about anything else! What that worm would have told you, its lies!"
And the leash on his temper snapped. Ducking his head, he took a breath – death by fire was far too quick– and when he lifted his gaze, Gohei flinched back, managing to move the chair, even under the chains. Kenshin's smile was dangerous when he finally spoke.
"Perhaps I haven't made myself clear." He laced his fingers together and continued to watch Gohei sweat. "This conversation is only the beginning – the conditions you have lived in, the treatment you have received are a luxury in comparison to what will happen if you refuse to cooperate. Eventually, you will die. How you die is a simple matter of how cooperative you are. Dragons can live a long time under… taxing circumstances."
"You don't have the authority to order my death!" Gohei shouted. "I'm a dragon!"
"This isn't England, were every dragons life is valued. And I assure you," his smile was slow and full of teeth. "I can do so much more than order your death."
Gohei seemed to realize exactly how short his life span was and he flinched. "Who are you?"
Kenshin moved to his feet and prowled forward. When he was close enough that Gohei could see the expression on his face, the dragon behind his eyes, he spoke. "I go by many names, but the one you will know best is Battousai."
Gohei lost what color he had left, "Battousai."
"And as head of the Dragon Council of Venice," Kenshin continued his voice low and tightly strung with fury, "I suggest you start cooperating. Or I will see to your death… personally. And Gohei… it will be neither slow nor easy."
Gohei simply stared at him as Kenshin reclaimed his chair.
"You will start with the Kamiya family and your connection to them. The reasoning behind why you kidnapped Yahiko Kamiya, your nephew, and continue with how that is connected to the hunt magic you brought into my city. And Gohei, I know more than you can imagine. You will not enjoy the consequences if you attempt to lie to me again."
X
Kaoru sank into one of the thickly cushioned couches Kenshin had in this opulent bedroom and closed her eyes with a groan of appreciation. Who knew that between a wolf, a dragon healer and a hatchling that the hatchling was the only one who could act his age? That everyone else just simply sank to his level and seemingly enjoyed it? It had been the strangest behavior she had ever seen – she knew nothing about were courting rituals but this Sano seemed to have some sort of perverse pleasure is riling the healer into a frothing rage.
An amused smile curved along her mouth as she remembered Yahiko's face as he watched the endless back and forth. Personally, Kaoru would have liked to pick up something heavy and hit them both over the head, but there hadn't been anything that looked sturdy enough to crack the wolf's skull, and Megumi was still needed to keep an eye on Yahiko. At least some enterprising maid had a hot bath waiting for her when she finally tucked Yahiko into bed and fled for safety.
Clean, relaxed, dress in a soft nightgown and light robe… and no Kenshin. Opening her eyes, she chewed on her bottom lip, examining the collection of items so beautifully on display. She'd browsed over some of the items but hadn't really looked. Hadn't had the time, honestly and she wasn't certain she wanted to be caught. And she had no doubt he would know the instant she started looking, really looking, at what he had on display. Blowing out a breath, she glanced at lovely paintings he had on the walls and forced herself away from the temptation.
Where was Kenshin? The wolf had told her that something had come up that he felt he needed to handle, but that had been hours ago. Twisting the ends of her braid between her fingers, she tried not to wonder what part their conversation that afternoon had played on him deciding to leave. She had expected him back tonight… but it was getting late. Sighing she stood and walked to the cheerfully crackling fire. She didn't really need the heat, but the warmth of it felt good against her skin.
With the heat of the flames licking gently against her palms, the feel and echo of the power Kenshin had sunk into home; into this room… her dragon was quiet underneath her skin. At peace. It had been two years since she felt this settled. The death of her father had rocked her more than she had allowed herself to admit, but even when her father had slept next to her as sixty feet of teeth and claw and beast… this was different. It wasn't entirely safety, she created her own sense of safe, but there was a security in this room she hadn't had before. A sense of having, of trusting. Her mother's death had carved a large vulnerability in her father she had never been able to completely ignore. She and Yahiko were balms but not healing, not really. She'd never asked, but she'd always wondered if they had been given more time if her parents would have agreed to mate instead of simply partner.
The soft click of the door shutting brought her head up. Kenshin was leaned against the door, watching her. He'd have looked tired, except for the dragon that was watching her lazily beneath his lashes. Tilting her head, she felt her dragon lazily respond, shifting under her skin in awareness but no alarm.
"Kenshin."
Pushing away from the door, he strode over to join her by the fire, simply standing next to her for several moments. Kaoru watched him from the corner of her eye. He looked liked he had bathed recently, his hair was damp and he smelled clean and of faintly bitter herbs. She wasn't entirely certain she wished to break the silence between them, but he didn't appear willing to do it himself.
"Is everything alright?"
His eyes were his own again, the pale violet a stark difference to the dragon-gold they had been moments before. "How was your evening?"
Kaoru arched a brow at him, but was willing to give him a few more moments to collect himself before pushing for an answer. "When you said that Megumi would have been sad to miss me catching the wolf on fire, you were not jesting."
He blinked at her for a moment before his mouth curved into a faint smile. "Ah."
"Yes, ah." Kaoru remarked, shaking her head. "To be honest, I considered putting them both out of their misery, but the only thing solid enough would have been the table."
That smile widened and his fingers snaked over and twined through hers, before his weight shifted, bring their shoulders into direct contact. He closed his eyes and seemed to just breathe for a moment before he began to speak.
"I spoke to Gohei Hiruma this afternoon."
Kaoru felt her stomach knot up and her head wiped around to stare at him, trying to read the expression on his face. He continued, seemingly unaware of her reaction. "We learned a great deal."
That was it? They had learned a great deal? Sucking in a breath, she tried to understand what he was trying to tell her. He parted his lashes and his eyes were dragon again. Frowning, she shifted so she was facing him. "What happened?"
His free hand ran lightly up her arm and tangled in the hair at the base of her neck. Pale eyes never left hers. "When you were three years old, Gohei kidnapped you from family members you were staying with. It appeared to be mostly opportunistic, not something that was planned extensively. He saw an opportunity and took it."
Kaoru leaned into him, fingers tightening around his. "What?"
"He attempted to use you as leverage to steal your father's hoard." He untangled their fingers and curved his hand around her cheek instead. Her eyes were wide he wanted to re-break a few of Gohei's bones for putting that expression on her face. Kenshin had been startled when he learned that so many of the Kamiya clan had apparently still been together. Even two hundred years ago, families were scattered in the hope of avoiding the hunts that plagued Europe. It was also why Shinomori was hunting exactly how Gohei and Kihei had connected – Gohei would never have been implicated as being a partner for the worm if he hadn't carried the venom spell.
"Gohei failed and your father disfigured his right hand…"
"His thumb," Kaoru whispered, brows furrowing as she tried to see through the haze of those memories. "He did something to his thumb."
"He ruined it. It was an efficient punishment for what he attempted, removing his dominate hand from ever being fully used again. In a time when dragon life was sacred, it would have been the only option available to him." Kenshin frowned. "He showed more restraint that I would have had in a similar situation."
Kaoru licked her lips. "My mother… did he have…"
"Yes."
Eyes sliding shut, she gripped his shirt tightly between her fingers. "Tell me. Please."
"Kihei and Gohei are distant cousins. It took Shinomori most of the afternoon to finish the magic traces that allowed him to see how closely… and it is unusual for cousins to maintain any sort of relationship in Europe. Kihei is unable to shift, but retains a great deal of magical power. As far as we can tell, and Gohei claims, that it was Kihei who came up with the plot to enter a bargain with the hunters – they wanted access to the hoards. So did the hunters. We are inclined to believe them. Gohei is a lot of things, but intelligence does not appear to be one of his better qualities."
"They went after us…"
"Because your father disfigured Gohei and they needed someone to practice against." His voice was low and there was a rough edge of his words. Nodding, Kaoru took a deep breath.
"So they killed my mother."
"Your father destroyed everyone there, but somehow Gohei and Kihei escaped; they might not even have been part of the attack. We'll never know how exactly, but it seems they were determined to disappear and regroup. We're not certain they would have been able to track any of you except for Yahiko… and Shinju."
"He killed his sister."
"He denies it, but we believe so. Shinomori is not finished questioning him and it is only a matter of time before he breaks completely."
Kaoru opened her eyes. "Did he kill my father?"
Slowly, he shook his head no. "We wouldn't believe him, except the truth magic insists that he is telling the truth, this time."
"Yahiko?"
"A pawn. He blames you for his damaged hand, and wished to make you suffer for it. He had no idea you had come to me or that I owed your father." Kenshin stroked his thumb across her cheekbone. There was no way he was telling her that Gohei planned to use Yahiko to break her and that Kihei wished for a child that could shift. Not now, when her eyes were so hurt already.
"Gohei was too lazy to hunt and fight for his own hoard," Kenshin finished quietly. "Kihei didn't have the ability to hoard. The hunters were just a shortcut. We're not sure how many, if any, other families they have hurt or killed. Shinomori will start putting out feelers tomorrow."
Leaning forward, she pressed her face into his throat. Her dragon was a low roar in her ears and the fact that any one dragon could do something like this… for greed… Kenshin wrapped his arms around her and simply held her while she processed what he was telling her. "What will happen to them?"
"Death."
She nodded. She felt no pity for them. They would have killed Yahiko. "Good."
Hot air blew down her neck as he exhaled. "Kaoru."
"I won't be sorry for that." She said fiercely. "Not after Yahiko."
His arms loosened and he pulled back to look at her face. Then he kissed her. It was slow, a soft meeting of mouths as his magic unfurled around her in layers, washing over her skin in waves of heat. When he pulled back, she was clinging to his shirt and loose limbed against him.
"There is one more thing you must know."
She blinked hazy eyes and swallowed. "What?"
His mouth curved but his eyes were so bright, so serious. "My name."
She frowned. "Kenshin Himura."
"That's one of them. The truest." He agreed quietly. "But I go by another."
She just waited. He sighed. "Sometimes, they call me Battousai."
Her lips parted and she stared at him, surprise and shock flickering across her face. "What?"
He smiled a little, pressing his forehead against hers. "It's just a name."
Her lashes narrowed, and this close, he could watch the dragon fire band around her pupils, turning the beautiful blue brilliant. She didn't move away from him, but temper and dragon colored the spikes of her magic. "You're head of the Council."
"Yes."
She blew out a breath and glared at him. Battousai – the oldest dragon in Venice; rumor said his father had been from Japan but had mated with a European. Rumor suggested that he had fought in several human wars, including one in Japan – which had garnered the nickname. He wasn't the oldest dragon rumored to live, there were a handful in Japan and a few others rumored to still exist. But he was the most active. She would never have guessed that Kenshin Himura – with his compact frame and fire-magic – was Battousai.
But it explained the depth of his magic and his wealth.
"I can't decide if I'm mad at you or baffled." Kaoru finally groused at him. He pulled away to study her.
"Baffled?" Kenshin asked, lashes narrowing.
Kaoru shifted her weight, not liking the uncertainty under the confusion and temper. "I'm young. You're… you're old and the age difference… why would…"
His mouth cut her off. Fingers sliding into her hair, he pulled her close, curling an arm around her waist to hold her in place while he sank into the heat of her mouth. Kaoru couldn't stop the way she moaned as he caught her bottom lip between his teeth anymore than she could help the way her knees gave out. Curling her hands along his shoulders, she stared at him, dazed, when he lifted his head.
One hand slid up her neck, cradling her cheek. "I didn't tell you who I was, what other people think I am, so that you would doubt this."
Kaoru licked her lips. "I just..."
His lips pressed against hers a quick, hard kiss that he pulled out of almost as soon as he started it. "No. I want you. Kaoru, who is brave and beautiful – who defended her brother as her own. The dragon that fought off the attacks of not one, but two dragons and held her own against hunt magic. Kaoru who walked into my study and refused to leave until she knew that she'd find her brother. I want the woman who challenges me in my own study and who steals the last cup of coffee and who has shared my bed, yet hasn't worked up the courage to examine little pieces of my hoard I've left for her. That's who I want. Age? You'll continue to grow. I'll continue to grow. What I want is to have the chance to convince you to do that with me. I'm in this for something permanent, Kaoru. I'm not asking for that now, but it is what I want."
She tangled her fingers in his hair. "We hardly know each other."
His smile was slow and he tugged her closer. "Which is why you'll let me court and beguile you, little dragon. So that I may prove my worth."
And the knot that had formed in her chest disappeared. He'd put the situation into terms she understood, gave her the sure footing of protocol. Everything else aside – he was a dragon courting her, and there were rules. And her dragon approved. Pushing onto her tip toes, she pressed her mouth against his. An invitation.
His mouth angled against hers, hot and welcome. She pressed herself tightly against him, wanting to feel more of him as she felt his control slip – dragon and magic curling around her as he kissed her. Curling one hand into the collar of his shirt, she breathed in sharply when the fabric gave under her fingers, ripping smoothly. Leaning back, she blinked at the sudden expanse of bare chest.
A chest that was shaking... in near silent laughter. Feeling a blush working its way into her cheeks she tried to step back but he followed her, catching her hips with his hands, eyes sparking. "Oh no, I think you have the right idea..."
"Kenshin..."
Hefting her, she squeaked when she landed on the soft mattress. He prowled after her, and smiled, catching her hand and bringing it to his lips as his eyes scanned her, hot with intent. "You are wearing far too many clothes..."
X
Misao considered the dragon in front of her. She'd been sitting in on the interrogations since Himura had his little chat. She'd never him so tightly wrapped in rage, and Gohei was lucky that Battousai was willing to leave the rest in their hands and not his own. She'd never seen him like this but Aoshi had and she heard the stories.
Gohei had all but broken mentally, but she couldn't shake the instinct that he was still protecting something – she just didn't know if it was a subconscious move or something someone else had spelled into him. She couldn't let go of the niggling idea that this insurgence went beyond these two, that there was a bigger game being played here. She excelled at games, but having missing pieces frustrated her.
Other than the hunters... how did a worm like Kihei manage this on his own? Even with Gohei's support, they were both lacking in a certain finesse required to slip these under so many noses. Not to mention the attack that she and Kamiya had survived. Gohei had been in the custody of Aoshi and Kihei had been locked in the packs holding cells. Neither of them could have directed the attack, although she supposed they might have helped arrange it. But that still suggested a third party of some sort… and several humans they needed to hunt down and remove – their investigation had already started into the Council of Ten and the Scarpa family.
Long fingers skimmed down her braid. "Go home."
She glanced up at her tall mate and considered the set to his mouth. Being with Aoshi was all about studying the subtle cues, reading the small lines by his eyes and the tension in his jaw. Tonight he looked riled – jaw clenched, faint lines at the edges of his mouth and an expression she had rarely seen behind his eyes.
"Okay."
He glanced down at her, brow arching in a silent question. She shrugged. "It's obvious we won't get any more out of this one – he probably doesn't know anything else. It'll be another half-day before Kihei is delivered to us by the pack. And as much as I hate to say it… it's possible that whoever this third party is has been playing shadow puppets and using this arrogance against Gohei and Kihei. They wouldn't stop to think it was anything other than their own appeal that brought the hunters to them so easily. And I know there is something else here, I can feel it. I just can't seem to find enough clues to tell me what direction to hunt."
"You are certain?"
Misao nodded. His jaw flexed and then he closed his eyes. "We will start back tracking their movements; see how far back we can trace them. If they are unknowing puppets, we will have to see what patterns interconnect. This is troubling.'
It was. The church was an obvious connection, but not the one she felt the clearest. Shaking her head, she sighed. She'd have to find more information before she could follow this thread that was humming in her head.
Then they'd hunt.
[End Chapter Seven]
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Notes: Just so you can see exactly what I played with/took liberties.
Pozzi: (or 'wells') - they were 18 cells – dark and lined with wood, and connected by bleak, murky corridors. Here, the living conditions were terrible: under the wooden tables lurked every type of insect, food was scarce and inedible, the air suffocating, and the environment overcrowded.
Note: At times, a single anonymous accusation was enough to be arrested, slipped into the "Mouth for secret accusations", still visible in the Hall of the Compass. The last degree of justice was exercised by the most feared tribunal: The Council of the Ten. This Commission had exceptional powers and met in absolute secrecy in what is known as the Hall of the Council of the Ten.
