EIGHTH BLOOD

Chapter 37: Goodbye and farewell

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"I wish you could stay for Tanabata," Nagisa said.

"Me, too," replied Octavia.

Smiling, the princess pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't forget about us. Because we certainly won't forget about you."

Octavia smiled and hugged her back. "I won't. I promise. I hope we meet again someday."

"I'm sure we will." She pulled back and cupped Octavia's cheeks. "Take care of yourself."

"Likewise."

Nagisa's grey eyes softened. "I want to share something with you before you go."

"What is it?" Octavia's face heated as the princess leaned in close and whispered in her ear. "What does that mean?"

"It's just a poem," Nagisa laughed. "My mother used to recite it to me when I was young. Think of it as a parting gift." She slipped her hands into Octavia's and squeezed them. "Come on. We don't want to keep Sesshoumaru waiting."

A teary Haru waved goodbye from his seat atop Taro's shoulders. They stood beside Nagisa at the top of the beach, alongside hundreds of other islanders who'd come to see them off. She gave them one final wave before sprinting towards the ocean.

Sesshoumaru was lying on his stomach in his true form. As Octavia approached him, his ruby eyes peeled open and settled on her. He lifted his enormous head and peered down at her tiny mortal form. Her smile didn't fade as he growled, then bumped her with his nose. She checked that the Sword of the Firebird and the Reikon Blade were both secured to her waist before scaling his right arm. She found a comfortable spot at the base of his skull and thrust her fingers into his silky fur. It was like sitting on top of a cloud. His neck muscles shifted beneath her thighs, tightening as he prepared to launch himself into the sky.

"Fly," she whispered. "Show me some real stars."

His body vibrated with laughter as he leapt into the clear blue sky. They weren't in the air long enough to witness the sun sinking behind the western horizon. In his true form, Sesshoumaru was faster than a jet. A few hours later, they were flying over the province of Aki.

When they were a couple of miles away from the stronghold, a familiar shape appeared on the horizon. Ah-Un tore through the air like a bullet, racing out to meet them. The dragon hovered above Sesshoumaru and mussed Octavia's head with its two snouts. She let go of Sesshoumaru's fur and threw her arms around the dragon's necks. She shrieked when Ah-Un floated higher without warning, taking her with it. Tossing her onto its back, Ah-Un waited until she was holding onto its mane before riding the air currents alongside Sesshoumaru. With the sun on her back and the wind in her hair, she had never felt more alive. She squealed with laughter as Ah-Un flipped its body so that they were flying upside down.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and flew higher. Octavia recognised the challenge and waited until Ah-Un was flying upright again before chasing after him. Catching him was no easy feat. Despite his colossal size, he was much faster than Ah-Un, and his fur provided the perfect camouflage, allowing him to blend in with the clouds. Unfortunately for him, she knew his youki better than she knew herself. It was like a beacon, calling out to her from within the cloud cover. She followed it to its source and vaulted onto his back, landing on a bed of soft fur.

Thunder boomed in the distance. The clouds behind the Western Stronghold were black and streaked with lightning. Roaring, Ah-Un sped towards them. Octavia gasped as it opened its twin mouths and devoured several lightning bolts as if they were blades of grass. The dragon's youki increased and it unleashed another roar, replicating the sound of thunder, before beams of blue and green lightning erupted from its mouths

"Holy shit," Octavia muttered as the clouds cracked open like eggs.

Sesshoumaru snorted beside her. They let Ah-Un pave the way to the stronghold, where a new storm was awaiting their arrival.

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Back on Namida, Asuka trekked through the forest until she reached a hidden cove. The snow was hard beneath her boots, crunching with every step she took towards the shoreline, where the Commander was gazing out to sea. The icy water lapped at his bare feet, making Asuka wince. Whilst the snow was warm to the touch – no doubt thanks to the magic of the crystals – the sea around the island was the opposite.

"Have they departed?" he asked without turning around to face her.

"They have. I watched them leave myself."

"That's good."

Asuka's teeth worried her bottom lip. He sounded so lost. "Are you okay?" she asked.

He sighed. "No."

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Forgive me, sir. If I hadn't treated her so poorly in Ebisu—"

"You don't need to apologise," he cut her off. "You had no way of knowing who she was. Stop dwelling on the past and just focus on the present." He stuffed his hands into his sleeves. Despite his calm demeanour, the water around him was steaming hot. "It's time," he said. "Gather the others and meet me by the falls."

Asuka bent forwards into a bow. "Yes, sir."

As she walked away, she couldn't help but shiver as she remembered the bloodlust in Hana's purple eyes. The moment that her eyes had glazed over and she'd called upon her powers, Asuka had known exactly who she was. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't she have just been a hatchling instead? Or better yet, why couldn't she have stayed dead?

Now that the Commander had found her, he wouldn't be satisfied until she was back where she belonged.

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Author's Corner

Who the frig is the Commander and what does he want with our girl? Keep reading to find out!