Blood

Kuraishi stopped them when they reached a crossroads, and closed his eyes. 

Sumiko, a few steps behind him, waited with bated breath. 

Miyori recognized the gesture—the way his face went blank, the slight wavering of his arms, the way he'd spun. 

Noa had done that before, searching for the lines of the Garden's magic. But Kuraishi could sense, was searching for…Noa's blood.
Or maybe his magic, but it seemed the two were closely related. 

"This isn't really any of my business," she whispered to Sumiko. "But is Kuraishi-san, um…Noa's…?" 

Sumiko gave her a tight smile. "I need to talk with Noa about that before anyone else," she murmured. "I'm sure you understand." 

And Miyori did—almost. "You didn't tell him before now?" 

"This way," Kuraishi said, and they went down another hallway.  There were more guards, and they waited while Kuraishi ensured the coast was clear. 

"I want Noa to do what he wants with his life," Sumiko said, continuing their conversation. "Whatever he wants. I wanted him to grow up without the past casting its shadow on him—and Ryosuke agreed with me. When Iseki got pushy and I needed his help, I left a letter for him…I told Noa to try living on his own. If he couldn't, he could always contact me, but when he didn't…I assumed he'd made his choice." 

Miyori shook his head. "He didn't get that letter." 

"I realize that now. I didn't expect the Shijos to be so…proactive." 

"Clear," Kuraishi called, and they rounded the corner. 

Four men were on the floor this time, and Kuraishi looked none the worse for wear. 

"He's very good, isn't he?" Miyori whispered. 

Sumiko just grinned. 

"He's somewhere close, I think," Kuraishi said. "Stay back." 

Sumiko nodded, and stayed at the edge of the hallway. Kuraishi began opening doors. 

Most of the rooms were empty. In one, though, there came a question, and then a shout. 

Kuraishi emerged dragging a conscious young man by the scruff of the neck. "Found a nerd," he said. 

Miyori flew forward. "Wait…that's Nagasawa-san." 

The green-haired young man stared. "Do I know you?" 

"Never mind," Miyori said. "More importantly, though, do you know anyone named Noa Takasu?" 

Kuraishi shook him. "Answer carefully." 

"Yes, of course," Nagasawa said. "He's one of my—the facility's test subjects. Paying back a debt, you know—" 

"You and I both know he's not here legally," Kuraishi said. "What I want to know is, where is he?" 

Nagasawa bit his lip. "He's usually kept downstairs—" 

"He's not there." Kuraishi pulled a knife with his free hand. "You know, even the fae have rules about fighting noncombatants, but if you're going to be uncooperative—" 

"He's with the boss," Nagasawa said in a rush. "I'm pretty sure. End of the hall, research room seven. I really wouldn't interrupt her if I were you." 

Kuraishi laughed. "It's a good thing I'm not you then, isn't it? This room, will there be anyone else in there with her?" 

"No," Nagasawa said. "You got her bodyguards, too, it looks like." Then he wetted his lips. "She's been in there with him a while, so…don't blame me if he's not there anymore—or if he's not in one piece. She can get pretty intense about her research, if you take my meaning."

Miyori's stomach dropped, but Kuraishi just smiled meanly. "You're pretty yellow-bellied for a fae collaborator, kid." 

"I'm a civilian," Nagasawa said shakily. "I'm just doing research." 

"On people?" Kuraishi shook his head. "That's dirty, whether or not you signed an oath. Blood magic through and through." He turned to Sumiko. "You've got his name and description, right?" 

"I do," Sumiko answered. 

Nagasawa struggled. "Hang on, you can't just—" 

Kuraishi said a word and slapped him on the back of the head, and he went limp. Kuraishi dumped him on the ground and tossed Sumiko some wire to tie him with. 

The next moment, the lights in the hallway flickered and went dead, and brilliant light shone out of the cracks of the door on the end of the hall. 

"Three guesses which one's room seven," Kuraishi muttered. "Sumiko, this might get messy. Stay back until I call you, no matter what you hear." 

Sumiko nodded, still wrapping the wire around Nagasawa's wrists. "Just hurry." 

Miyori hovered between them nervously as Kuraishi stepped silently down the hallway, then tried the door. It was locked. Undeterred, he backed up as far as he could and then rammed it with his shoulder. 

Purple-white light spilled out of the doorway, Kuraishi's shadow in the center of it—and, indistinctly, another shadow as well. A standing figure, and some sort of furniture.

All three shadows merged into chaos. The light brightened, washing it all out, and then stuttered and died. 

There was a high scream and a resounding slap, followed by a crash. Miyori heard a grunt of pain that sounded like it came from Kuraishi. 

She drifted forward, heedless of Sumiko's hiss of warning. She had to know what was happening. 

Light crackled inside—pop-flashes of combat. Whoever was inside was putting up more of a fight than any of the guards had so far. She heard Kuraishi's shout and a massive clatter, as though a large piece of furniture had had been knocked over. 

Unwilling to wait any longer, Miyori edged towards the door, staying near the ceiling, and peeked in through the top corner. 

She was just in time to see Murasaki Shijo pin Kuraishi against a wall that was crimson with blood and sparkling with magic. 

"Good try," she said, voice ragged. Her hair was in disarray, shoulders trembling. "A very good try. But all you've done is help answer my question. His blood, your blood—you've come to get back your scion, haven't you? Let's see, which family are you…?"

Kuraishi coughed. "Does it matter?" 

"Oh, call it curiosity." She stepped forward, a shining glass rod in her hand. "You can have a family outing—the first one ever in the land I've created. Just hold still—" 

Miyori didn't think—she just moved. Shijo's hands were both busy—one ringed in light where it touched the wall, one about to pierce Kuraishi's skin. Kuraishi needed an opening—and one experience likely to create one was taking a pixie directly to the face. 

Miyori managed to touch both of her palms to Shijo's eyeballs before she screwed her eyes shut with a yell, stumbling backward. 

The light of the circle died.

Kuraishi came flying off the wall, teeth bared in a feral grin. 

Miyori swung around to the back of Shijo's head and tugged as hard as she could on her necklace, and the words she'd been about to say cut off in a wheezing choke, red-coated hands flying behind her head in an attempt to grab Miyori. 

That was more than enough time for Kuraishi. He punched Shijo squarely in the face, grabbed her arms as she reeled, and pinned her to the cabinets. 

"Nice try," he said. "Just for that, I'm going to topple your entire little empire." 

Then he slammed a spell into the back of her head and let her fall to the floor. 

"Sumiko!" he barked. "Get in here and bandage this woman's hands before you tie her up. I don't know how much she can do with her blood, and I don't want us to be the ones to find out." 

He turned back to the wall and cursed. Miyori left Shijo behind to join him and wanted to swear herself. 

On a metal bed beside the wall, pinned tightly down by restraints, was Noa. 

His eyes were open and glassy, his skin waxy and deathly pale. A thin trickle of blood ran from a large, dark hole over his throat, and that was all—the rest of it, Miyori realized, painted the wall behind him. 

She flew down onto his chest, listening desperately, but there was no stirring of breath, no heartbeat. 

She realized she was speaking, whispering, "No, no, no…"

"Ryosuke, talk to me." Sumiko was still on the floor, carefully bandaging and restraining Shijo, but her voice was shaking. "Tell me that Noa's still there. Tell me we got here in time—" 

Kuraishi reached out and touched the circle, but the magic in it was already starting to fade, the blood beginning to drip down the wall. "I…" 

Miyori made a connection. 

Like attracts like. 

As above, so below. 

"I know what to do." 

Reaching out, she touched her fingers to Noa's blood, and then reached for his chest. She drew one symbol onto it and then turned to Kuraishi. 

"As above, so below," she said. "Noa did this once. Can you make his heart beat along with yours? Draw the blood back in?" 

"...Efficient." Kuraishi stripped off his shirt, giving Miyori access. "It's worth a try."