Chapter 6

It was the strangest thing, he just couldn't get the words she had uttered in her state of shock during the Tea Ceremony scene out of his head. "I cannot move unless the Master dismisses me." What did she mean? What kind of life did that girl lead, to be referring to anyone as Master? The thoughts that accompanied it sickened him. To think that practices like that were still occurring in Japan. He rolled to his other side and turned his pillow. "I'm never going to get enough sleep if I don't stop thinking about it." He groaned.

Slowly but, surely his active mind allowed him to drift off. He found himself in a grand ancient palace that was not unlike his eccentric boss' office when he was in his Ancient Egyptian phase. In a room concealed by billowing white, silk drapes he found her lounging on a chaise, enjoying the music a female musician was plucking on a harp as a burly dark man dressed in a shendyt and sandals fanned her. She sat upright and smiled brightly. "Kuon! How...?"

He smiled and his green eyes took in her bare visage, noticing the multiple strange markings that covered her skin that he hadn't noticed before. The same markings that appeared on the coin that was in his safe. "I don't know, but it is nice to see you again Kyoko." He purred.

The way he was looking at her caused a slight blush to creep over her cheeks. She stood to cover herself.

"You don't need to do that. You're just fine. I don't mind." He told her admiring the view with appreciation.

She nodded and lounged back into her seat then patted it for him to join her. Not wanting to be too completely obvious he sat on the cushions that were placed directly in front of the chaise and took the wine that she had poured and offered. She rolled over on her belly and giggled. She reminded him of an ancient masterpiece painted by one of the masters. Hm... She has them all over. He smiled at the thought.

She leaned over his shoulder from her place behind him and her long silky hair tickled his neck. "So... How is it that you have found me in my place?" She popped a peeled grape into his mouth and he could feel her bare breast graze the back of his neck and shoulder as she moved her free hand over his shoulder and down to his chest, gently caressing him. As it was, he was consuming any food that she was offering solely to keep his mind and hands under control.

He swallowed nervously. "I'm not really sure why or, how I'm here. I was in my bedroom trying to sleep and now I find myself here with you." He whispered.

"Ah... I see. Hmm... Then if it is sleep that you need, then it is sleep that I can offer you." Her warm breath fell upon his ear and neck. He then felt her delicate fingers gently raking through his hair and softly massaging his scalp and he was lulled to sleep with the gentle breeze and soft music that surrounded him.

"Hmmm... You are a beautiful one sweet Kuon." She whispered to the sleeping man before her. "Enjoy your slumber while I watch over you."

Poor child... to not be near her mother and father at such a young age. Kyoko thought as they rode down to the parking garage of LME after she had finally tricked Maria into admitting that she knew of her own father's love for her.

"Onee-sama, how would you contact your father?" Maria's sweet voice chimed and Lory winced a little. He had not yet educated Maria on the nature of her heritage and she didn't know that Kyoko was actually her great-aunt. How do you explain to one so young that you are over 35,000 years old and still younger than the teen-aged looking woman next to you?

Kyoko looked at Lory. "Brother? Have you not explained to her yet?"

He shook his head and looked down in shame.

"Oh my... Maria, I haven't seen my father in a very, very long time." She explained. She would let Lory handle the complicated questions later.

"Then what about your mother?" She inquired sweetly.

Kyoko sighed. "Dear Maria, I have not seen either of them in so very long."

"Oh no! Onee-sama, that is so horrible. I'm sorry. I didn't know!" Maria started to cry.

"There, there it is nothing like that. We just haven't spoken in a long time. I'm sure they are just fine. How about this... why don't you call him or, write him a letter. Just tell him how your day went and go from there. I'm certain he will be happy to hear from you." Maria nodded at the advice and hugged Kyoko tightly.

"I think I will Onee-sama. Thank you so much!" Maria told her cheerfully.

Lory patted her head. "Maria, I think it's time you leave for home. Ruto will drive you." He kissed her temple.

"Yes Grandfather. Good-bye Onee-sama." She waved as she entered the limo and Ruto shut the door.

Kyoko looked up at Lory. "Huba Syd..." Her eyes narrowed at him. He knew he was in for a scolding when she gave that look. He hadn't seen it in many years. "Why have you not told her? I sincerely hope that you have told her father."

"I'm working on it?" He told her sheepishly.

She groaned in frustration as she walked away from him to go back to the LoveMe office. "What? Are you waiting until they question as to why they are 300 years old and haven't aged a day over 20? You should do this soon Huba Syd or, they may not forgive you for the deception."

"I will tell them soon Farasha... I promise." He called to her as she entered the building.

"See that you do little brother." She told him as the door closed behind her.

She sat on the steps in the stairwell with the little purplish-blue stone in her palm, putting a voice to her worries about her brother and his family. "Ah... Kuon, what should I do about him? They should know of their heritage. We are proud Djinn. Why would he want to hide that from them? He should tell them before they discover that on their own and cause troubles for the humans." She sighed once again.

"Mogami-san? Why are you here in the stairwell?" Sawara Takenori asked the young woman that had been mumbling in a strange language on the steps.

"Oh! Um, Sawara-san. You startled me." She straightened after he spoke, dropping the little stone down the steps without realizing it. "Hm? Noooo!" She howled after realizing her special treasure was nowhere to be found.

"Mogami-san? What's wrong?" He asked with worry.

"I dropped it! I dropped my special treasure that Kuon gave to me! My dear Kuon, I'm so sorry!" She cried at the loss. It was the first gift she had ever received.

"Don't worry dear. I'm sure it's here somewhere. We'll find it." He told her as they searched the steps finally coming down the to the landing.

Ren had heard the little ting and plunk of the stone as it landed on the floor next to him. "How... What on Earth? Why does this look so familiar?" He murmured as he rolled the little stone between his fingers while examining it.

"KUON! I'm so sorry!" He heard a female voice cry out and stiffened. He quickly placed the stone in his pocket and looked in the direction of the disturbance. "Please forgive me." She sobbed.

He watched as she searched the floor around the steps.

"I'm sorry but have you seen a little purplish-blue stone anywhere near here? I seemed to have dropped it. Oh dear, I hope it wasn't damaged." She kept looking. "Someone very special gave me the stone. It was the first gift I have ever received and now I've lost it. I'm so sorry Kuon." She started crying again.

How? How did she get this. She says that I gave it to her... Why can't I remember? He bent down with the stone hidden in his hand and pretended to pick it up. "Is this it?" He presented it to her.

She gasped. "Oh thank you! Thank you so much! I thought it had been lost forever."

He chuckled inwardly at how cutely she was gushing over a simple stone. "You do know those are quite common, nothing special."

She frowned and her brow furrowed. "It may not be special to you, but it was my first gift ever and it means something to me..." His statement irritated her, made her feel like she meant nothing to him.

"Whomever gave it to you must have tricked you. They should have given you something that wasn't so worthless if it was your first gift." He told her cockily.

She leaned in close to him and told him, "Thy should consider thyself blessed I do not turn you to the ass that you are. Hamar!" She slipped in her speech and language as she grew more angry. Her eyes turned to a molten gold, faded little gold tattoos appeared on her neck and her thickly accented voice echoed in his mind. His statement had brought back memories of the king that had enslaved her and many of her former masters. He was indeed very lucky she didn't turn him into the braying ass that had popped into her mind that moment before she left.

He stood in a haze, trying to make sense of what he had just heard and witnessed. Why did it all seem so familiar? Her voice, her thick angry accented words and the faded tattoos? What on Earth did she call me? He blushed for some reason and his body reacted to the thought of the tattoos. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

A/N:

hamar: jackass. (the donkey type)

Forgive me if some of my words are incorrect. I have been using Google translator and we all know how accurate that is, lol. That being said, let's just go with it and say that the convoluted language that Google gives us as a translation is actually the Djinn language. I appreciate the reviews and hope you all are enjoying this one. Thank you. ;)