"Blood and crossfire

The tides are turning

Fear the darkness

Hearts are trembling

From the shadows

Gaves and gallows

The world is ending"

Ready For War by Tommee Profitt feat. Liv Ash

Sara. . .

Sara.

Sara!

My eyes shot open, and I gasped for breath. My veins felt like ice and pain sprouted from my arm. Blinking slowly, I glanced around. Scott and Isaac were kneeling on either side of me with worried expressions. Shivering, I curled into myself and focused on the fox-spirit within me, and slowly it started warming me up.

Groaning and pushing myself up to sit, I remembered the last thing I had seen: demonic warriors looking into my soul and marking me. Something about them seemed familiar, like what they were was on the tip of my tongue. While it was all pretty freaky, I was more annoyed at my skin feeling frozen. And all of that definitely outweighed what had happened before the shadowy figures appeared.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked, a hand on my shoulder.

Hesitantly, I brought a shivering hand up and touched behind my ear, feeling the mark that remained.

Isaac took that as a sign I might not have been okay and said, "Don't worry. I've got one too." He tapped behind his own ear. I grabbed his arm and brought him closer to me. "Whoa, okay." Turning his head, I looked at the mark.

Onore.

"Weird, right?" Isaac said, trying to lighten the situation.

Upon closer inspection of our surroundings, we were inside Derek's loft with Boyd, Kira, and Derek watching us. Allison was off to the side on her phone.

"O-One hell of-of a party, huh?" I joked, forcing a smile and doing my best to push past the persistent cold despite my efforts at using my abilities to make the chills diminish.

"Only you would joke about being attacked by shadow ninjas, Sparky," Derek said, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I can't get a hold of him," Allison said, lowering the arm holding her phone, and getting everyone's attention.

"Who?" I asked.

"Argent knows about the weird shadow ninjas," Isaac explained. "He thought they were after him, but after them showing up here, that's definitely wrong."

"We should find him, make sure he's okay," Scott said, looking up at Allison. He turned back to me. "Think you can stand?"

"Help me up, Wonder Pup," I muttered. I grabbed Scott's outstretched arm and Isaac held my other side, both helping me off the floor. I wobbled a little and leaned heavily on Isaac once standing. Isaac rubbed my arm which helped a little with how cold I was. My eyes zeroed in on Boyd and Kira, the latter of whose expression was a mixture of worry and confusion. I dug in my pocket, pulling out my keys. "Boyd, can you drive Kira home?"

"Yeah, of course," Boyd said, walking forward and getting my keys from me.

"You should really head home, too," Isaac said.

I shook my head as firmly as I could with my limbs heavy and aching. "No, I'm going with you guys to talk to Chris. And you can't stop me."

"Well-"

I glared at Isaac to cut him off, and he thankfully shut up.

"His eyes were glowing," Scott repeated.

At Allison's apartment, we found Chris bleeding and unconscious on the floor just inside the entry. Isaac and Scott helped take his pain away after sitting him up in his office. And Allison started tending to her father's wounds. We had also taken turns using the bathroom to wash the paint off of us while we waited for Chris to wake up.

Once he had come to, Chris explained his experience with the same things we did. Something about them continued to bug me. I knew I should know what they were. I had heard about them before, been taught about them. But the name and associated lore was escaping me.

"There was something almost ritualistic about it," Chris said with a haunted look in his eyes. "Like it was looking right into his soul."

"That's the same thing it did to me," Isaac said.

Allison continued to dad at her father's head wound. "That's what it did to everyone."

"Not everyone," Scott corrected. "They only came after the werewolves and Sara."

"And Lydia," Allison said. I frowned at that. They went after Lydia too?

"Anyone with a connection to the supernatural," Chris pointed out.

"Then who was the guy they went after in Japan?" Isaac asked.

"A kumichō," Chris answered. "A Yakuza boss. It was my first gun deal. I was only eighteen and it was supposed to be a simple exchange. Except Gerard left out the minor detail of the buyers being Yakuza. He wanted to see if I could adapt in the moment. Testing my ability to improvise."

"Or your ability to survive," Allison added.

"The moment the sun went down it was like they just materialized out of the shadows. They had swords, not curved like katanas but straight, black steel."

"Ninjatō." My voice was coarse and rough, but they heard me, and Chris nodded.

"What did they want?" Scott asked.

"To get to the kumichō. They cut down every living thing in their way."

Isaac brought a hand behind his ear, feeling the mark. "Did they mark him like they did us?"

"Not exactly." Chris's voice was grave and deep as he recalled the incident. "They knew he was supernatural and stabbed him with their swords, holding him up in the air while he bled out." Allison, having finished tending to the wound, stepped back, giving her father space, and leaned on the surface behind the desk.

"What was he?" Scott asked.

"I don't know," Chris said. "But there might be someone who does. There were a few others who survived that night. One of them is a man named Katashi. They called him Silverfinger because of an unusual prosthetic, and it looked like he was getting ready to take them all on himself. I've known for a while that Katashi was in the country. I spent yesterday tracking him down."

Isaac gestured to Chris's injuries. "Didn't look like he wanted to be found."

"Not particularly, no," Chris agreed.

Scott leaned forward on the desk, looking intently at Chris. "You think he knows what they are? Or what they want?"

"Maybe."

"What if he doesn't want to talk?" Allison asked as Chris stood and went to a box on his desk.

"What if he doesn't even remember you?" Isaac added.

"He'll remember this." Chris opened the box and moved cloth out of the way to reveal a silver mask. One exactly like I had seen. Scott picked up a piece of the mask and I stared at it, my blood running cold. "I know I didn't kill it. I'm not sure you can. But I slowed it down long enough for us to get out of there."

"What was behind the mask?" Scott asked.

"Darkness. Absolute darkness."

It then hit me what they were. I remembered my mom reading a children's book to Riichi and me when we were younger, and one of the stories in it was about a boy growing up to fight oni, demons. Once we grew out of the children's tales, Mom had taught us about actual Oni, not regular yōkai. We were up against Oni and whatever they were searching for.

"Before we go talk to a damn Yakuza member," I spoke up after clearing my throat, getting their attention, "tell me something: what did the kumichō look like when he shifted?"

Chris seemed confused at the request. "I don't-"

"Humor me," I said. "Any distinctive traits jump out at you?"

He regained the faraway look in his eyes as he remembered back all those years ago. "It was unlike anything I've seen. He had chrome teeth, all pointed like fangs, and his eyes briefly turned white." My face fell, and I took a few steps back to lean on the armchair. "Please tell me that look means you know exactly what they're after."

"I know what they are and what they were after, but let's just say, I'm inclined to let them continue if it's the same thing here, which so far it seems like it is." Why else would they be checking supernaturals if they weren't looking for a nogitsune? It wouldn't make sense otherwise.

Isaac looked at me expectantly. "Well, are you going to share with the class?"

I sighed and rubbed my arms. "They're Oni, Japanese demons. To the best of my knowledge, they can't be killed, but they will kill anything that gets in their way. They're not technically good nor evil. Their morality depends on who summoned them and for what purpose."

"Summoned them?" Allison repeated, her voice strained. "Someone's controlling them?"

"So it's like the kanima all over again," Scott said, setting the Oni mask piece back into the box with the other pieces.

I shook my head and scoffed. "No, it's better, way better. Trust me. I only know of one way to summon an Oni. A kitsune sacrificed their tails."

"I'm sorry, what?" Chris asked.

I brought out mine from beneath my top, showing Chris and Allison the kunai-turned-necklace. "A kitsune earns tails over time, which can be made into a physical object, usually a weapon, and they're a testament to a kitsune's wisdom and power and have their own properties. We can only earn nine in total. When one is sacrificed, uh, broken, it summons an Oni for whatever purpose the kitsune sees fit, and they won't stop until their purpose is fulfilled. The older the tail, the more powerful the Oni."

"So, if you broke yours-" Isaac started to say.

"They wouldn't stand a chance against the ones already summoned," I finished for him, putting my necklace away. "There is no way my mom summoned them, but I can double-check." Noshiko popped into my mind briefly. I didn't know anything about her except her being drawn here because of the Nemeton. It was possible she summoned the Oni, but that wasn't a bad thing even if the others may have seen it that way.

"You said you know what they're after," Scott reminded.

I nodded slowly and sighed again, a shiver running through me. "There's only one thing the kumichō could've been: a dark kitsune, also known as void or a nogitsune. "

Scott frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. "But you told Stiles kitsune are only able to shift their eyes which are orange."

"I wasn't completely honest with him," I revealed with a small, awkward smile. "Nogitsune aren't like other kitsune. While the rest of us are just tricksters and can become evil, nogitsune are born evil. They are malicious and cruel and can possess just about anyone." I rubbed the mark behind my ear. "The mark behind our ears is the Japanese kanji for 'self'. The Oni are checking for who isn't themselves. And when they find out who is possessed, they will kill the nogitsune along with its host, like they did with the kumichō. I strongly believe we should let them."

"No," Scott said firmly. "We need to figure out a way to save the host. Whoever it is, it isn't their fault they're possessed. They're not the one killing people."

My gaze softened as I looked at him. A werewolf with everyone's best interests at heart. "Scott, as admirable as your hero complex is, it might not be possible. A nogitsune will stop at nothing to bring chaos and with the chaos comes death. I don't know of a way to expel a nogitsune without harming the host."

"Then we find one," he continued adamantly. "There has to be a way, even an experimental one. We have to try. Sara, what if it was you? Wouldn't you want us to try everything we could?"

"A kitsune can't be possessed by another kitsune."

His frown deepened. "That's not my point."

"Wait, then why did the Oni check you?" Isaac asked from his spot.

"Oni can only tell if someone is supernatural, not what specific type until they do their check," I explained then turned back to Scott. "And no, Scott. I understand your point, but I wouldn't want you to save me. Every kitsune knows the horrors a nogitsune can inflict. I promise you, I would want the Oni to kill me before my body would be used to hurt others. And I'm willing to bet the host will agree once they find out it's them. Nogitsune are far worse than a werewolf or a kanima. I would never inflict one even on my worst enemy."

"What do you mean by that?" Chris wondered skeptically. Of course, the veteran hunter would recognize a double meaning.

"Nogitsune can be summoned by other kitsune."

He shook his head and waved his hand. "Wait, wait, wait, so you're saying someone summoned it to Beacon Hills?"

I shrugged. "I'm saying it's possible, not a certainty. But a nogitsune being here would definitely urge a kitsune to summon Oni to combat it."

"Why would someone do that?" Allison asked.

"Every kitsune knows what a nogitsune is capable of, so the reason was likely painful. Maybe revenge for a wrongdoing." Unless the kitsune was just a dick and wanted to cause pain, but I'd rather not assume the worst. Especially if it turned out to be Noshiko, but why would she come to town just to summon a nogitsune? It seemed more likely for her to have been the one to summon Oni to counter it.

"What if it was summoned by your mom?" Scott asked.

I shook my head. "She has no reason to. Everyone responsible for Riichi's supposed death is dead thanks to Peter. And when they're summoned, they arrive shortly after, so if she had summoned it after the fire, it wouldn't be just now appearing. And a kitsune summoning one isn't the only reason a nogitsune could be around. It's very possible it came here for a different reason or even because of the Nemeton."

Allison leaned against the desk, looking put out. "So we're back to square one on figuring out why the nogitsune is here and how to get rid of it and the Oni."

"I can still reach out to Silverfinger," Chris decided. "See if he knows anything else about Oni and nogitsune that might help us figure it out or how to get rid of them. You all need to keep an eye out for the time being. They seem to be focused on your pack or anyone associated."

Derek, Isaac, Lydia, Ethan, Aiden, and me, which leaves Scott, Boyd, Kira, Riichi, Noshiko, and Mom to check before they move on to other supernaturals in Beacon Hills which could number in the hundreds for all we know.

That didn't fill me with a whole lot of hope.

When I got to school hours later, running on only a few hours of sleep, I quickly found Kira by her locker. When I stopped at her side, her eyes widened, and she said, "Oh, my gosh, you're okay!" She sighed and her shoulders lost their tension. "I was so worried. You looked terrible when we all split. Oh!" She quickly reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out my keychain. She handed it to me. "Here. Boyd thought I'd see you before he did."

I gave her a half-smile. "Thanks. How are you doing?" I asked carefully, studying her expression. I had been unconscious when the pack had been fighting the Oni, but I assumed based on Isaac and Scott's brief retelling of it to Chris earlier that she had seen them shift.

Kira closed her locker and shouldered her backpack. "Aside from finding out about werewolves and being attacked by shadow ninjas, I'm okay." She frowned with her eyebrows furrowing. "I think. Boyd tried to explain as much as he could on the ride home, but I guess everyone's confused about the ninjas."

"Not as much as before."

She perked up a little, a tad confused and surprised. "Really?"

"They're called Oni," I explained. "Japanese demons."

She made a quiet 'ah' sound while nodding. "I suppose that explains the masks and swords. But what did they want?"

I glanced around, making sure no one was too close or listening, and lowered my voice. "What have you heard about nogitsune?"

Kira gasped, her eyes widening briefly as she stripped off her backpack, tore it open, and pulled out a thin book. The cover read Japanese Mythology. Before I got a good look at it, she opened it up and flipped through the pages to one with a picture of a black fox and a white fox and a description. Someone's been doing their reading.

She turned the page toward me and asked, "Yako, right?" Literally field foxes but also another name for nogitsune.

"If you wanna get all traditional on me, sure," I said with a small shrug. "But yeah, zenko are the good kitsune, and yako are the bad ones, for simplicity's sake."

"And there's one here in Beacon Hills?"

I nodded and tilted my head with a slight grimace. "It's likely." It made the most sense and was highly likely but wasn't a guarantee without confirmation. Regardless, the Oni were looking for who wasn't themselves. Maybe I was in denial about the potential for them not being after a nogitsune though.

Kira closed the book and started to put it away but paused and looked back up at me, worry clouding her expression. "What if it's me?"

"What? No!" I moved to grab her shoulders but she backed away.

"But it makes sense, right?" she said. "I come to town and these demons start looking for a nogitsune? What if it is me?"

"It's not." It couldn't be.

"Sara, you don't know that." She wrapped her arms around her torso, closing in on herself. "What if I didn't know about me being a kitsune because I just started getting possessed? Or-or I was born a nogitsune and I'm just too young to know?"

I reached out for her again, softening my gaze as I set a gentle hand on her arm. "Kira, it's not you. Nogitsune are evil, malicious, cruel, everything you're not."

"But if I didn't even know? They possess people. What if I'm actually human and there's this evil spirit inside me that takes control when other people aren't around?"

"Your mom's a kitsune, too," I blurted. I winced and dropped my hand from her arm. Chikushō, I probably shouldn't have said that. I reached up and pinched my nose. Think before you speak.

Kira gaped. It took her a good few seconds to shake her head and blink. "What?"

"Damn it." Well, the cat's out of the bag. I lowered my hand and looked at her again. "Being a kitsune is hereditary. Your mom is a kitsune, so you were born one, too. And since you were born one, you can't be possessed by one."

"She's a what?" Kira repeated, her voice clipped and gaze hardening.

"Yeah."

Kira turned away, gazing at the floor. "And she never. . ."

"No."

"Why didn't. . ." She was definitely having a difficult time processing that.

"I don't know."

Her head snapped up at me. "But what if I'm a born nogitsune?"

"Oh, my god." The school bell rang overhead to warn students about the soon to start first hour. I sighed and pointed at Kira. "Don't do anything rash, and don't say anything to your dad or anyone else, got it?" She nodded, and I grabbed her wrist. "Now, come on." We had first period to get to.

On my way to lunch to meet up with Kira in order to try and talk her down from the crazy idea that she was the nogitsune, someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a classroom. I yelped and stumbled over my feet as I fell through the door. Turning around, I saw Scott closing the door.

"What the hell, Scott?" I asked, fixing my bag and beanie. "Could've just asked."

"Sorry," he muttered, looking out the window down both sides of the hall. He then turned around to face me while I looked at him expectantly, wanting an explanation for his odd behavior. "I'm sorry, Ethan and Aiden have been following me around all day." At least that apology sounded sincere compared to the haphazard first one where he wasn't even fully paying attention.

My eyebrows knitted together as I frowned. "Why?"

"Well, the Oni were kinda looking at me last before they disappeared, so the twins are worried."

Shifting my footing and crossing my arms over my chest, I said, "They do know they're not after werewolves, right? They just need to check you to make sure."

His lips made an 'o' shape. "I forgot to tell them that. It kinda slipped my mind."

"'Course it did." It didn't surprise me one bit. "Why'd you pull me in here?"

"I have a plan," he said. This should be good. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Deaton installed Mountain Ash wood at my house. After school, I figured we could go there, my mom can put down a line of ash, and we'll be completely safe from the Oni."

One problem with that, though it wasn't technically a problem, just more unnecessary. "Except they don't want to kill you anyway."

"But what about Kira?" Scott asked. "You said a nogitsune is a type of kitsune, and we don't exactly know what type she is, so we can keep her safe in the house once it gets dark and the Oni return."

"I'm about seventy-five percent sure she's a thunder kitsune." Only seventy-five percent because even though electricity was a characteristic of thunder kitsune, others like celestial and spirit weren't affected by electricity either, and who even knew what nogitsune powers manifested as even if I did not believe she was a nogitsune at all. I was willing to bet my college fund on her being a thunder kitsune though.

"If you're not one hundred percent sure, I don't think we should risk it. I don't want anyone to get hurt." His brown eyes tilted the slightest bit downward and his eyebrows just barely twitched upward.

Curse his fucking puppy dog eyes. I doubt he was even trying or even knew. The damn bastard.

"Fine," I caved.

Scott beamed, bouncing a little in place. "Great. Now, we just need to figure out how to get Kira and ditch the twins somehow once school ends, so they're not dragged into it."

I lifted a hand, making him pause. "We need to get Boyd, too. I highly doubt he'll want to leave her side once school ends." I took a moment to think of how to ditch the twins and immediately thought of what we had done earlier in the semester. "We need to keep them from following us, right?" He nodded. "What better way to do that than take away their transportation?"

A mischievous smile spread on his face. "That's evil. I like it. Since they're following me, I'll distract them long enough for you three to mess with their bikes and leave for my house. I'll be right behind you, got it? Right behind you." I just knew his hero complex was going to bite him in the ass one day even if it really suited him.

I nodded. "Got it."

In the next classes that I had with Kira or Boyd, I passed them notes with a brief description of the plan, and the moment the final bell rang, we hurried out the doors, meeting up at the front of the school, and got to work on Ethan and Aiden's bikes. Well, Boyd did. He knew more about machines than I did.

"After breaking into the police station, this kinda feels boring, honestly," Kira said as Boyd passed her a spark plug.

I chuckled and replied, "Maybe you shouldn't say that so loud."

She frowned and muttered, "Crap."

"I'm not even going to ask," Boyd cut in, getting to work on the second bike.

"That's a wise decision," I told him.

Once the spark plugs were out, I sent a quick text to Scott to tell him we were done, and Kira, Boyd, and I went to my car, pulling out of the parking lot shortly after.

The drive was quick, but we had to wait for Scott to arrive to let us inside, though true to his promise, he didn't take long, arriving just a few minutes later, and he quickly hurried up to the door and let us in.

"So, we just chill here then?" I asked, looking at the others as we all stood in the foyer.

"Uh, yeah," Scott said, putting his hands in his pockets. "My mom should be off work soon. I already texted her what's going on, so she knows to hurry home."

It was silent for a few moments as we all just stood there unsure of what to do next.

"Well, this is fun," I finally said, breaking the silence. "We should do this more often." That at least got Scott to laugh.

But Kira looked up at Boyd and asked, "Can I show you something?"

"Oh, uh, sure," Boyd said.

"You can use my room if you want," Scott told them, pointing up the staircase.

"Thanks," Kira said, flashing Scott a quick smile then hurrying up the stairs clutching her backpack. Boyd glanced at Scott and me before walking up after her.

I noticed Scott's confused look as his eyes followed them. "I think she's showing him a book she showed me earlier," I said. "It was about Japanese myths. She is increasingly concerned with the potential for her to be what the Oni are after even though I know she isn't."

"You hope she isn't," he corrected. I frowned, glaring at him. He tilted his head, almost pouting. "Sara, you know I'm right. The truth is we don't know for absolute certain. That's why you agreed to this plan. You have a feeling, and I trust your feeling. This is just precaution."

Sighing, I kicked the ground while looking down. "I know." Adjusting my messenger bag, I looked back up at Scott. "I'm gonna do some homework while we wait."

"That's a good idea. I should probably make sure all the windows are locked."

While Scott went around each of the rooms to make sure all of the windows were latched, I started unloading my school stuff in the living room and sat on the floor in front of the coffee table. When he was done, Scott sat down next to me and unloaded his own backpack. It was quiet between us as we both worked on the worksheet we had gotten as homework in Physics.

With the bare minimum for talking, I couldn't help but think about what had happened the previous day. Or almost happened since nothing had actually happened. It was almost, not definitive. But did that make it worse? There wasn't even clear intent on it happening, more like happenstance. Maybe the almost kiss was just in my head and I'm overthinking it for nothing.

After a short bit, I couldn't bear the tense silence. "I wonder what they're talking about up there," I said light-heartedly, finishing up an answer on the page.

"When I had to interrupt to close my window, Boyd was telling Kira about you," Scott said, looking over at me.

My hand froze, and I turned to him. "What?"

"Yeah, he was telling her about what he's seen you do, and what Riichi's done," he explained. "I think he was trying to tell her that real kitsune aren't like what she's read in stories." My eyes drifted downward. Scott reached over and set a hand on my knee, gently rubbing it with his thumb. "Are you okay?"

"I just. . ." I couldn't finish the thought.

"You don't think you deserve it."

My chest tightened at his realization. "I don't," I agreed.

"Yes, you do."

I shook my head and looked up at him. "No, I don't. Fire is only good for one thing, and that's destruction." When he didn't immediately say anything, I looked back at my homework. "Riichi. . . Richi is the one who deserves the praise. He saved Boyd. He's the healer. I'm. . ." I trailed off, unable to continue.

"The destroyer?" Scott filled in quietly.

"Yes."

"Sara, I-" He cut himself off at the sound of a car pulling up outside. We both looked in the direction the sound came from as silence drifted between us. From the corner of my eye, I noticed him turn to look at me again, probably wanting to say something.

But I didn't let him. "Must be your mom," I told him as I sat up and started cleaning up my things. "You should probably go see her, make sure she understands everything that's going on." I heard him sigh before slowly pushing himself up from the floor. I avoided his gaze when he paused to look at me, then he left the living room once he heard the side door to the kitchen open and shut.

Then I heard Scott say, "What are you doing here?" I frowned and sat forward to look over and see Agent Douchebag standing in the kitchen. Oh, no. "And why do you still have a key?"

"Funny you mention keys," Agent Douchebag said. I hopped up from my spot and walked over to Scott's side. Scott's dad didn't look surprised to see me at all as he continued. "While I have a key to this house, I'm not exactly sure how you got a key to my office." Agent McCall opened a familiar laptop on the island counter and showed us the screen.

It had a picture of Scott front and center with Kira and me on either side of him, cut off by the edges of the screen.

I kept my face passive, but internally, I was freaking out. He's trying to get Noah fired, and if he's willing to do that, would he arrest his son and friends for breaking into his office to erase evidence? I wouldn't put it past him. But then that might dampen his case against Noah, so would he really? And what was he doing in Beacon Hills anyway? I had been under the impression he was perhaps trying to be back in Scott's life, so if that was true, he wouldn't arrest us, would he? But it was also literally his job, and if any of his superiors found out he didn't, he'd be fired.

Chikushō, I'm too young to go to prison.

Meanwhile, Scott didn't seem to have any explanation either, staying just as silent as me.

Agent McCall looked between the two of us and said, "Let me help you out here. This kind of thing usually begins with something along the lines of, 'It's not what you think,' or, 'I can explain.'"

Scott glanced over at the window where the sun was visibly setting. "Dad, let me help you out," Scott replied tensely. "You need to leave."

"I will, with a satisfactory explanation."

"Maybe if you weren't such an asshole," I pitched in helpfully, "he'd be more willing to be honest with you. Respect is a two-way street, Agent Douchebag."

"Go get a warrant," Scott added with a small nod.

Agent McCall's jaw twitched. "I don't need a warrant. I'm your father."

"No, you're a gene donor," Scott argued, his voice clipping in disdain. "I got my hair color from you, and that's all I got. So, you're not allowed to play tough-dad with me." Yes, Scotty, call him out.

Just then, Melissa walked in behind Agent Douchebag at the perfect time. "Hey, what's going on?" she asked.

"Maybe one of you should explain," Agent Douchebag answered, staring at his son while Scott glared back.

My eyes caught the sun dip below the horizon, bathing the room in mild darkness. "Scott," I mumbled, reaching for his arm. If Melissa was going to do anything to secure the house, it needed to be right that moment.

As Scott looked toward the window, Agent McCall's gaze drifted behind us. "Who the hell is this?" he asked, walking past us toward the living room. Scott and I turned around to see an Oni with shadows whipping around it.

"Dad, no!" Scott tried, but Agent McCall kept walking toward it. "Dad, wait!" Another Oni materialized directly behind Scott's dad and stabbed him with a sword. I winced and heard Melissa gasp behind me as Agent McCall collapsed on the floor. "Dad!"

I heard a scream from upstairs. "Kira!" I yelled.

"Sara, wait!"

I didn't listen and charged the Oni, ducking under the swing of the sword then bounding up the stairs two at a time. Up on the second floor were Boyd and Kira hurrying out of Scott's room.

"It's behind us!" Boyd said quickly but skidded to a stop in front of me with Kira by his side. "Nevermind. Duck!" I dropped down and he swung a hard punch. The sound of bone hit metal and I turned to see the Oni fall back down the stairs. I glanced back at Boyd with an appreciative look as he half-grinned. "How many are there?"

"With that one," I said, catching my breath, "it makes three. Let's go."

Boyd grabbed Kira's hand and they followed me down the stairs where complete chaos was ensuing. We hit the bottom floor as glass shattered from the kitchen window, Ethan and Aiden landing on the dining table who proceeded to attack the one that had been forced to the first floor. Then my eyes zeroed in on Riichi and Derek fighting one Oni and Scott fighting another.

"You help Scott, I'll help Derek, Kira stay right here," I listed then took off toward the living room. Sliding over to my bag, I dug out my chain, swung it around the nearest Oni's sword as it was raised, and pulled the sword from its grip. Riichi used the stun to kick the Oni into Derek's claws.

"Mom, now! Do it now!" Scott yelled.

Melissa ran past me, and Derek and Riichi forced the Oni out the door. She threw down a bottle of Mountain Ash, the glass shattering on impact and an ash line forming along the floor.

Everything went quiet as the Oni stood at the exits.

I turned to look for Kira and spotted her in the kitchen with Boyd, both staring at the Oni outside. Sighing, I hurried over and asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Kira said quietly, staring at the shadow warrior. She glanced at the ash line at the other door then hesitantly raised her hand toward the screen door in front of her, but the Mountain Ash pushed her hand back.

"Scott, this isn't good!" Melissa yelled from another room.

Snapping my head in her direction, I ran toward the sound, following Scott and Riichi. Melissa knelt next to Agent McCall, her hands on the stab wound, trying to stop the blood flow as best she could.

"We need to move him," Scott said, mild panic setting in his voice. "We can use my room. It's out of the way. Sara, Riichi, can-"

"Yes, of course," I said. Scott stayed by his mom to take the brunt of the weight while I picked up Agent McCall's legs and Riichi helped with the torso to keep the agent steady and straight.

The stairs were a bitch to make it up, but we set Agent McCall on Scott's bed to keep him completely away from the conflict downstairs. Scott went to his bathroom to get a towel while Riichi and I helped Melissa settle the agent who was covered in a cold sweat.

"Need to call for backup," Agent McCall murmured as he tried to keep his eyes open.

"How bad is it?" Scott asked after returning and handing his mom a towel.

"From the way his arm is rotated, the tendon looks torn," she explained, applying pressure to the wound and giving Scott the coat that she had been using. "He could be on his way to a collapsed lung."

"Mom, those things. . . They're not going to leave until the sun's up."

"At the rate he's bleeding, he's not gonna make it that long. We got to get him to the hospital."

"I can heal him," Riichi said, stepping forward.

Melissa turned sharply to look at my brother. "What?"

"You know how I do fire?" I asked and she nodded. "He can use water to heal."

Riichi wrung his hands, glancing between the bleeding FBI agent, Melissa, and Scott. "He'll be weak afterward because of the blood loss, but the wound will be healed. It would also mean having to tell him about everything. There's no way we can explain away this sort of damage. Not to mention how he'll feel physically. It's not the same as a dog having a successful surgery."

"On the plus side, it would mean no hospital bill," I said, trying to manage a smile.

Melissa took in a slow breath and looked at her son. "Scott? You would be the one explaining."

Scott nodded curtly. "Do it."

Riichi immediately began stripping off his jacket. "Alright, I need a-a pitcher of water and a few hand towels. Hurry."

I took off toward the hall and Scott followed me downstairs to the kitchen where the twins, Boyd, and Kira were milling around in tense silence. As Scott began digging through the cabinets, I noticed Aiden looking at Kira who was still staring at the Oni.

"It's Kira, right?" Aiden asked her. I turned to the interaction, not particularly liking his tone. Scott found a large pitcher and handed it to me then started digging out the hand towels as I turned on the faucet and began filling the pitcher. "You going to tell us what you are?"

Boyd stepped up to Kira's side and growled at the former alpha. Aiden ignored him and grabbed Kira's arm.

"Aiden," Ethan said in a warning tone.

"Watch!" Aiden told him then brought her hand up to the barrier where it was immediately repelled. "See that?" He dropped her arm. "She can't go through it either. So, what are you?"

"She's a kitsune, idiot," Derek interrupted, walking in from the other room. Scott stood up from where he had been on the floor digging out small towels from the lower cabinets and looked at me with tense amusement at the conversation going on behind us. "Like Sara and Riichi. Use your eyes, you can see it all around her. The younger ones give off an aura. She just hasn't learned how to conceal it yet. She probably doesn't know what kind she is, either."

"My money's on thunder," I said, drumming my fingers on the sink as the water neared the top of the pitcher.

"What?" Kira asked.

"There are thirteen types of kitsune," I explained, turning around but keeping a hand resting on the faucet handle. "You think you're the one the Oni are after, which is dark, but I think you're likely thunder or celestial."

She shook her head. "How are you so sure? Kitsune are called trickster spirits. It's supposed to trick you. How are you so sure I'm not the bad guy?"

"We've seen the bad guys, and you're not one of them," Boyd told her, rubbing her arm.

I turned back around and turned off the sink as the water reached the top. After grabbing the towels from Scott, I said, "I'll bring these to Riichi." He didn't need to see his father bleeding out in his room, regardless of their current relationship.

"Thanks," he said in a small voice.

Hefting the large pitcher of water out of the sink, I brought it upstairs with the hand towels. Inside Scott's room, Melissa was keeping pressure on Agent McCall's wound as Riichi moved things around to make room. Pillows, blankets, and clothing had been shoved away to leave the area around Agent McCall completely bare. Riichi had also pulled his hair back with a hair tie, and Agent McCall was missing his shirt.

Riichi nodded at me when I walked in. "Set it on the nightstand," he said and started rolling up his sleeves to above the elbow. I moved around Melissa and carefully set the pitcher down and put the stack of hand towels next to it, then I moved out of the way, standing at the foot of the bed.

"I need to speak to Scott," I heard Agent McCall say. He breathed heavily and could barely rasp out his request.

Melissa stared down at him as though he had grown a second head. "You're kidding, right?"

"Don't patronize me, Melissa. You know why. . . You know why I really came back, don't you?"

She gently rubbed his cheek. "And, as usual, your timing sucks. You're not talking to him, not like this. So, you stay awake, and Riichi's gonna fix you right up."

"This is gonna suck," Riichi started, climbing up onto the bed to kneel on Agent McCall's uninjured side so Melissa could stay on the other side, "but I need you to remove your hands."

Melissa looked up at him and reluctantly nodded. As she stood, she pulled away from the wound, and Riichi acted immediately, using his powers to stream half of the water out of the pitcher, his eyes glowing a bright orange. The water encased his hands and he pressed down on the wound. Agent McCall's eyes widened as he grunted in pain, and the water began glowing, showering the dark room in a blue and white light.

I'd never actually seen his healing in action, only seeing the aftermath or hearing about it from others. The focused look in his eyes, the peaceful glow of the water, the water knitting together the wound. The only kitsune type able to heal others. I had to look away, my heart heavy in my chest.

Taking a deep breath, I walked out of the room, returning back to the group in the kitchen. Derek was explaining Mountain Ash to Kira when I went and stood next to Scott leaning against the fridge. He looked up from the floor, meeting my eyes when I joined him.

"Your dad will be fine," I reassured. "Riichi's right on it. You okay?"

He shrugged. "We might not have the best relationship, but. . ."

"That doesn't mean you want him to die," I filled in. He nodded. "Maybe the explanation will bring you two closer like it did with you and your mom."

"I'm not sure I want to be close with him." He folded his arms over his chest. "But I guess it'd be nice to not always argue with him."

Before I could say anything, I wasn't even sure what I truly wanted to say anyway, the house shook as the Oni began using their sword pommels to hit various points of the barrier.

"What are they doing?" Scott asked, kicking up off the fridge.

"Testing for weaknesses," Ethan answered. The twin inched forward as the Oni continued to hit the barrier. Glass bowls fell from the counter, shattering on the floor.

I frowned as two of the Oni focused on the screen door on the side of the kitchen, pressing the points of the swords against the barrier. Then one of them took the sword away and pressed its hand against the barrier.

"Guys?" Ethan said, grabbing the others' attention. "We have a problem." The Oni stopped pressing against the barrier, standing up straight and staring into the house. It didn't fill me with a sense of joy or safety.

Scott's phone rang out from his pocket. He quickly answered it, bringing it up to his ear and saying, "Allison, please tell me you have something." Scott's conversation didn't last long, and he put his phone away without a word. I took that to mean that Silverfinger didn't have anything to add that I hadn't already told them.

The other Oni materialized with the two already at the kitchen door. The one in front set its hand against the barrier again, said barrier being less resistant than it had been before. Looks like Scott's plan to avoid Kira being checked didn't last very long.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Kira asked. "They're looking for me."

"No, they're looking for a dark spirit," Boyd said, stepping toward her. "I'm with Sara. You're probably a different kind."

"We're going to have to do something," Derek cut in.

The barrier broke and two of the Oni stepped inside the house, staring at us as though they were waiting for us to react.

"Don't do anything," Scott said.

"Is he serious?" Aiden asked, glancing back at everyone else.

"I said, don't do anything." Scott turned to Kira. "Trust us."

"They can test us together," Boyd said and held out his hand to Kira. She looked down at his hand then back up at him and nodded. She slipped his hand into his and they walked forward to the two Oni who were waiting.

In sync, the Oni stepped forward, standing before Boyd and Kira, and brought their hands up as their eyes glowed. The Oni gripped the sides of their heads, and Boyd and Kira fell to their knees as the Oni checked them for the nogitsune spirit. Aiden stepped forward, but Derek grabbed his shirt, holding him back. Then the Oni marked them, letting them fall to the ground.

I half-expected the Oni to disappear after that, but when they didn't, I remembered they hadn't checked Scott yet.

When he caught my gaze, he said, "Right, guess it's my turn." As he walked forward, I went with him, but he stood in front of the two Oni and I grabbed Kira, gently pulling her away and sitting her up against the fridge as she shook from the forced chill. Ethan and Aiden did the same for Boyd.

"I'll get Riichi. He needs to be checked, too," Derek said as the Oni stepped up to Scott. He left to get my brother, and I hoped Riichi had finished healing Agent McCall by now.

One of the Oni gazed into Scott's eyes, just as it had done to the rest of us, and he collapsed just as Derek returned with a bloodied Riichi. Once Riichi had been checked, the Oni disappeared in clouds of smoke.

Onore - self, the kanji that gets branded behind their ears

Yōkai- means ghost or phantom but refers to supernatural monsters

Kanji - the system of Japanese writing, the characters used, not the phonetic spelling

Zenko - good foxes, refers to benevolent kitsune associated with Inari, a Japanese kami or god

Yako - field foxes or nogitsune, refers to mischievous and malicious kitsune

Chikushō - Damn it, oh shit, oh hell

Is anyone still reading this? I feel like I've lost all reader interaction, and I'm not sure why? Which is really disappointing because I thought someone might have something to say about Scott and Sara almost kissing. And it happened right when I asked if people liked the songs at the beginning of each chapter. I know I can't make anyone review, but it is much appreciated.