“I do,” she whispered.
She drew her fingers down his face and he closed his eyes, sighed from the depths of his chest, stoking the fire building inside her. And then she kissed him, long and slow and deep, his mouth open to hers, her tongue seeking his as her hands descended, took his own, pressed them against her. She moaned, biting his lip, tasting blood. And as he drew back, pupils dilated, struggling to catch his breath, she could see he wanted this, every bit as much as she.
“Sis,” he said.
“… What?”
His hand gripped her shoulder, shook her back and forth.
“Hana,” he said. “Wake up.”
Her eyelid opened a crack, letting in the garish lantern light. Yoshi loomed over her in the dark, shaking her. She woke fully, drawing her blankets up around herself and hissing.
“Izanagi’s balls, what the hells are you doing in here?”
His face was creased with what passed for his smile nowadays. “Good dream?”
“What do you want, Yoshi? It must be fucking Cat’s hour by now.”
“I’m ghosting.”
“You’re what?” The phantom press of Akihito’s hands faded as a chill slipped into her bones. “You’re lighting out? For where?”
“Midlands.” A shrug. “Then fair Kigen.”
“You’re going back to Kigen? Are you smoke drunk?”
“I can’t do this anymore, Hana. It won’t let me be.”
She knew instantly what he was talking about—the shadow hanging about his shoulders like a shroud ever since they left Kigen. Every day between now and then had simply been a countdown. Fuse wire and spitting sparks.
She realized he’d shaved his head. Chopped off those long, gorgeous locks and trimmed the stubble back to his scalp. He was handsome as a fistful of devils, her brother. But it made him look older somehow. Harder.
She swallowed thickly, unsure where to begin.
“Yoshi, what happened to Jurou—”
“They threw a hammer party on him, Hana. Tore off his fingers. Took his…” Yoshi winced as he swallowed. “Well, you saw what they did…”
“I did.” She took his hand and squeezed. “And I’m sorry, Yoshi.”
“Motherfucker kills my boy? Lays claim on your eye? And then just walks free and clear?” Yoshi shook his head. “Hells no. Not while old Yoshi still got a pair. Not ever.”
“You think you can take the Scorpion Children on all by yourself?”
Yoshi smiled crooked, reached into his obi and produced a familiar lump. Snub-nosed. Lopsided. A handful of death, handle carved with laughing foxes.
An iron-thrower.
“Where the hells did you get that?”
“Lifted it from the Daimyo’s room. Loaded, too. Awful nice of him.”
Hana paused, looking for the words, knowing she was straying onto dangerous ground. Jurou had been her dearest friend, but Yoshi loved him with all he had. Anything he didn’t keep for her, he’d given to him. And now, the place the boy had filled was flooded with the sight of him lying gutted in that alleyway, mouth lipless and silently screaming.
But …
“Yoshi, there are bigger things happening now.”
Her brother fixed her in his sights, gaze shifting to glower.
“Don’t you fucking dare, girl. Don’t you spiel this rebellion shit on me. I’m not some dishpig gathered ’round an alms house radio, or some farmer fresh from the fields.”
“I know what you’re going to say, and—”
“Oh, doubtless? You know what I’m going to say?” Yoshi snatched his hand from hers. “Why don’t you tell me then, little Stormdancer?”
“… What?”
“Head still in the clouds? Ears full of thunder? Too high up to see the gutter you came from? Remember the people you came up with?”
“What the bleeding fuck are you talking about? I know exactly who I am and where I came from. I loved Jurou.”
“Not like me. Not by half.”
“Yoshi, there’s a war coming. Tens of thousands of men. Machines that blot out the sun. Sky-fleets and Iron Samurai—”
“And what does one gutter-rat do against that? What exactly am I doing here, ’sides from taking up space at that senile old prick’s table?”
“Yoshi, we need you.”
“Room on that thunder tiger for two, you think?”
“Are you jealous? Because Kaiah chose me and not you?”
“It’s not about that, and you know it. You’ve known me since you were knee high to a lotusfly. When have I ever fitted about the cards I got dealt? I do what needs doing. Always have. Always will. And what needs doing right now is that Shinshi and his band of painted pigs.”
“But you look after me.” Hana felt tears welling in her eye.
Yoshi shook his head. “Two tons of arashitora ought to sub just fine. You got an army behind these walls. Guildsmen and stormdancers and sky-ships and all. Up here, I’m just taking up air. But down there, there’s some Scorpion Children that need doing, and state of play being what it is, I don’t fancy their chances of getting shivved lest it’s me flying the knife.”