Demonstar: Das Erwachen

Chapter 29 Klarstellung

"I think you cheated," Aiko stated, bringing me back to reality.

Everyone was focused on me. I was so transfixed in my thoughts that I forgot I was even talking.

"She totally cheated," Rashel stated.

"It's not cheating if I won," I explained. Then, sticking my tongue out at them, I teased, "There's just whining and cry-baby losers."

Aiko rolled her eyes at me.

"Sakura had that family murdered," said Kougi.

I couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement, so I just nodded my head when he looked at me.

"He never tells us anything like that," he murmured as he looked at me very intently. "The father was wrong—it wasn't your fault his family died. If what you said was true, which I'd stake my life it is, then Sakura is the one to blame. That family just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"It would make him look bad if he told people about it," Aiko stated, her face growing serious, "or about how Dad just took off with me without a word."

She looked up at me. She was angry, but I couldn't tell if it was with me or Taka. She pulled out her phone, did something on it, then set the phone on the table as it rang out loudly for us all to hear.

"Hey, baby girl, it's been a while," stated Taka's voice over the phone. He paused, likely taking in the sound quality, before he asked, "Am I on speaker phone?"

"Yeah, I need to ask you some questions, and I want the current party to hear it," Aiko told him, a serious tone to her voice.

"Understood... I'm with Maria and Kyo, so let me go to a different room."

It was clear he was moving through a house. There were some voices in the background, then a door opening. When the door closed and the voices were gone, there was just the crunching of Taka walking on the grass.

"Okay, no one's around."

"Did Sakura send the blacksmith and some crazy woman to kill the family Demonstar stayed with after she escaped execution?"

There was hostility to her tone. It was clear that she knew the answer and just wanted someone to tell her for sure. There was a pause on Taka's side of the phone.

"Yes," he finally stated.

His voice was cool and calm, although it was apparent he didn't like the question.

"Why? There were children there, and those people were innocent."

"Who did you say you were with?" he asked.

"I didn't, and that doesn't answer my question," Aiko snapped. She must have realized how upset she was getting, as she took a deep breath before she calmly continued. "I just need to know. I'd go to the source itself, but you know as well as I do that he would never be straightforward about something like this."

Taka let out a reluctant sigh before saying with more than a little fondness, "You know, you're exactly like your mother sometimes."

"Had you said that a couple of days ago, I would have cut out your tongue," Aiko said, a wry smile twisting her lips as she made eye contact with me, "but now I'm starting to think it's a compliment."

"It is a compliment, Aiko. You've been told so many lies as you were growing up... We really did your mom dirty, and not just Sakura but me, too. And a lot of other people she trusted. There're only a couple of people she loves that truly love her back and won't betray her," he sighed and paused again. "As far as the family goes, I wasn't following Sakura at that time. I just heard about the incident. But yes, from what I could gather from it all, he deliberately had that woman and child killed. I think he knew about the baby, but I'm not completely sure about that. And...he was there when it happened."