Chapter 12

The Shadow's Kiss

"Reija, what are you doing out here? It's getting cold. You could get sick!"

"Mama, why does papa always stand there all the time? Are we expecting guests?"

"Yes, lots of guests…" She smiled forcefully for a moment before turning away. "But we are never to greet them, do you understand, Reija?"

Reija blinked. "Mama, I–"

She gripped Reija's shoulders tightly. "You must never meet them, Reija. You must hide."

"Mama! Mama, you're hurting me!"

But her mother would not let go.

"Mama–"

"Stop!"

With a brief surge of energy, Reija jolted up to a sitting position before collapsing back on the bed. The world spun around her quickly. It was hard to tell where she was.

The smell of musty sheets and dust filled her nostrils. Immediately, she knew exactly where she was.

I'm home…

The door creaked open as it swung forward, allowing what appeared to be Nataku to enter into the room.

He held an amused look on his face as he folded his arms over his chest. "Did you enjoy the trip back home?" he asked, leaning against her bed post.

Reija groaned as sunlight touched her pale skin. Shielding her eyes with her hand, she turned her head to the side and sighed. "Not exactly what I had in mind," she mumbled quietly. "Why am I here?"

"According to that pet of yours, your king found you in a bit of a mess while playing with your…enemy," Nataku replied calmly. "Apparently, you failed to return on time, so he took the liberty of getting you out."

"Marvelous," Reija replied glumly. It was a miracle she had survived. If Hiden hadn't gone back for her, who knows what would have happened.

"You play a dangerous game with your enemies, Kage," Nataku said, his eyes glowing brightly. "Your recklessness nearly cost you and your pet your lives."

"What can I say?" she grumbled, trying to get up. Peering up at the Shadow Guardian's face, she asked, "Riine?"

"He used up almost all his energy just to get you back here."

Another sigh escaped the Kage's lips as she closed her eyes. "How long have I been unconscious?"

It took a moment before Nataku gave an answer. "Several days, perhaps. I care not to keep track of the hour. It has never served me well."

Several days… Reija thought, saying nothing for a long time. She hadn't felt so weak and helpless since her Awakening. It had been the same as that stormy night on the hill. The night Hitsuzen kissed her for the first time…

"Nataku…"

The Shadow Guardian looked up curiously. "Hmm?"

"…Tell me a story…" Reija whispered, feeling almost childish for requesting such a thing. "Tell me a story about the Shadow's Kiss."

Nataku chuckled and sat at the foot of Reija's bed, staring out the window. "Such a strange request…I am not fond of storytelling." He lifted the hood off his head, revealing his handsome face and thought for a moment. Finally, he turned to look at Reija's curled up form and began his tale.

"Some believe that the first kiss a person receives creates an affectionate bond…But for Shadows, the first kiss is the unbreakable contract between two Shadows, binding two souls together for all eternity. Your first kiss binds you with that Shadow even in death. Your very thoughts become one. Should a Shadow give his first kiss to someone who is not a shadow, then that Shadow can wield its power into that person, joining the soul. That is why Shadows are careful who they give their first kiss to. Among Shadows, the kiss binds two souls together equally. But for non-Shadows, the kiss brands the soul and makes that soul the Shadow's possession. That is why it is called the Shadow's Kiss. It is a dangerous thing, even for my kind, Kage."

Nataku looked down at Reija and noticed her dark eyes staring at him intently.

"Nataku?" Reija whispered looking away. "Thank you…"

Nataku smiled and rose up, moving towards the door. "We have a contract, Kage. I will keep my promise until the time comes when you no longer need me."

Again Reija looked up. "Nataku?"

Nataku stopped before the door and looked over his shoulder. "Yes, Kage?"

"Have you ever given away your Shadow's Kiss?" Reija wanted to know, unable to quell her curiosity.

Nataku's eyes widened for a moment, not expecting the question. Finally, he shook his head and opened the door. "…Our souls were too different to be bound. Duty is a terrible thing." And with that he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Reija sighed and lay back down on her bed, staring up at nothing in particular. How cruel it was for Shadows to love. Yet, she had made Nataku's fate even crueler.


Nothing seemed to change with Reija returned to school that morning. Trish was still missing, and Suzuki was still ill. The only difference was that Suzuki was actually back in school.

"There seems to be some kind of flu going around," a congested Suzuki stated, sneezing into a tissue. "People have been getting sick lately."

Reija said nothing as she looked at Suzuki. Instinct told her that students were not disappearing because of flu. There was something else causing disappearances.

Suzuki sneezed again. "First me, then Trish, and then you," he said, blowing his nose. "Then I think some other guys. I don't know."

Reija wanted to point out that mortal sicknesses could never affect someone who was practically already dead, but she thought otherwise. Instead she remarked, "I get sick easily."

"Then maybe I should stay away from you from now on," Suzuki teased, winking. "I wouldn't want to get you sick again."

"I'll be fine," Reija replied, not really interested in the conversation.

Suddenly, Suzuki leaned over to her and whispered quietly in her ear. "I missed you, Reija."

Before Reija could determine whether Suzuki was being coy or not, the bell rang, and class began.

"Reija! I'm so glad you're back!" Yumi said cheerfully as the Kage entered the school auditorium. "I wanted to see if you were all right, but I had no idea how to get a hold of you."

"I don't have a phone," came the cool reply as Reija glanced around the dusty stage. When she noticed that Yumi had given her a questioning look, she added, "It's distracting."

There was a loud thump on the stage as Matt appeared with a rolled up script in his hand. "Everyone here? I want to get this rehearsal started already. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can go home."

Just as Matt had spoken, Suzuki ran into the room, panting for breath. "Sorry I'm late! The nurse wouldn't keep bugging me about my cold." He fished his rolled up script from his pocket and sighed. "Okay, where are we?"

"Slow down, tiger. We just got here," a voice said from across the stage.

Reija rested her eyes on beautiful Niki as she walked over to where the group was standing. She soon felt her skin prickled as she drew near.

"Where's Miki?" Yumi asked, looking behind Miki.

Suddenly, Reija found herself staring into transparent blue eyes. Miki held her gaze for a brief moment before walking over to Suzuki. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"You sound like the nurse," Suzuki grumbled. "I'll be fine. Trust me."

Yumi shook her head. "Well, I guess Trish won't be here…again…so maybe we'll work on the scenes with Suzuki and Niki for now. Everyone else can get into costumes and practice their lines for now." And with that, she signaled for Reija and Miki to move off the stage.

Wordlessly, Reija moved behind the curtains, watching the scene being rehearsed. Something about Suzuki wasn't right. Despite his "cold" there seemed to be something that was different about him.

There was a soft rustle behind her, and Reija immediately knew who it was. "How long do you plan to stand there?" she asked, not bothering to turn around.

"Nothing wrong with memorizing lines," Miki replied calmly.

"I don't think lines are what you're concerned about," Reija retorted.

"You were gone for at least 3 days," Miki said, slowly approaching her from behind. "My guess is that you've gone to see an old friend."

The corners of Reija's mouth twitched into a frosty smirk. "Just feeling a little nostalgic, that's all," she answered, leaning against the wall.

"You've seen him then. Hitsuzen…"

For a long time Reija said nothing, watching Yumi direct the scene on stage. Finally, she shook her head and turned around, avoiding eye contact with the Shadow. "My cue is coming up. I should look over my lines." And with that she began to walk away.

Miki grabbed Reija's shoulders and pinned her against the wall roughly.

The scent of caramel immediately filled Reija's nostrils, making her light-headed.

"You shouldn't have gone back. You have made a mistake," Miki said softly, staring at her intently.

Reija said nothing, unable to breathe properly. She could feel his stare on her, but she refused to look up to meet his eyes.

"He will make you his."

The tone in Miki's voice shocked Reija. Was he worried? Was he worried about her?

Curious, Reija slowly looked up to meet his gaze.

Big mistake.

Her words caught in her throat, Reija found herself tilting her head up as Miki's face drew closer to hers. She couldn't stop herself – No, that was wrong – she wouldn't stop herself.

"Reija!"

The moment broken, Reija gasped and quickly turned to look at Yumi coming towards her. Immediately, Miki moved away and moved back to his script before Yumi spotted him.

Reija's knees shook as she caught her breath. Regaining her composure, she turned towards Yumi and shot her a quizzical look. "Yes?"

"We're starting your scene. Let's go!"