The Dark Wind

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Turns out, the ‘private place’ Kote requested was the whole of the Dark Wind itself. Faith chased everyone out, and then locked the door behind her, leaving a few bottles of wine and wineglasses at the suite we had. The cushion, as expected of Faith, was perfectly comfortable, and Kote sighed with pleasure as he sank into it. Jin, however, only sat stiffly while I poured the wine.

“Firstly, I would like to apologize for Jin’s behavior just yesterday night. Frankly, I knew nothing of it, till I dropped in on him first thing today. I saw the state of his room, the blood on his hand, and it was easy to infer the rest. Shall I trust that you are dealing well with whatever craziness Jin might have shown you yesterday?” The way Kote said it; it was almost as if a parent apologizing for the mischief caused by a naughty child. Jin, for his part, acting the naughty child, as he winced at the Kote’s words.

Since we were speaking business…

“Dare I ask how often does he go…?” I trailed off, making up my lack of words with a little action of twirling my forefinger beside my forehead. Again, Jin cringed as he glared at me. Fiddling with the corner of his black gloves, he smoothed out the creases in his red trench coat again and again, looking for things to do.

Kote laughed.

“Relax, it does not happen often. When I took Jin under my wing, he was but a child, poorly kept in an asylum. They did not understand his bouts of craziness, his nonsense about a species called the nightstalkers. However, you can rest your heart’s worry, for he has few relapses now.”

I wasn’t sure if I was to be comforted by that fact, or scared that Jin would go mad again. I figured I didn’t want to be there when Jin went crazy again. There was a prickling on my palm, and I scratched it idly, before realizing Jin was doing the same.

“What about the blood-bond?” I asked, and there was a subtle change in the politeness in Kote’s eyes. It flattened for a short second, and his slight smile faded away, while Jin began slinking further and further away from his master. I felt my stomach drop into a pit.

I’d expected that Kote knew everything. I thought it was understood that the blood-bond had been made. Even though it hadn’t been spoken, but… I thought Kote knew.

“Any words on this, Jin?” Kote’s voice became dangerously low, and I couldn’t help but shift uncomfortably myself. I tried my best to give Jin my apologetic look, but he wasn’t looking at anyone as he tried his best to turn away.

“It was in my intention to forge a bond. But I did not realize it done, till the words and intention were already out of my lips. Forgive me, for I did not realize what it may mean to you. I… I was already in debt with Dru, and I saw a future where we would need each other’s help.” Jin admitted in a small voice, which I couldn’t believe I was hearing. Here I was, just another normal nightstalker, and before me were Jin and his master.

Jin, the Ancient who was so strict, stern and fierce. And here I was, watching Jin cower before his master, who had only spoken softly –and lowly –to him. From Jin’s reaction, I knew never to tread of Kote’s toes. I was curious of what he would do, but was afraid at what I would see at the same time.

“Am I right in assuming it was a loyalty blood-bind? Nothing else; only blood-debtors?” I couldn’t understand half the things Kote was trying to ask, but Jin understood it just fine as he nodded quickly.

With that, Kote sighed a little, and then turned back to me, his eyes back to its soft green. The small sparkle in his eyes was –thankfully –there as he gave me a quick questioning look.