My Silver Protector

Chapter 5

"Hey you two, wake up." something hard nudges me and I jerk awake. Metal bars dig into my back and I wince. The hard object that touched me is Hideyoshi's foot. I glare up at him.

"You could try being nice," Ginji says flatly, I can tell he's still half asleep. I'm not the only one glaring at the monkey ayakashi.

Hideyoshi goes straight to the point, no pleasantries to spare. "Ranmaru-sama wants the human to meet him in his quarters in the next hour." He looks at me with disgust. "Please freshen up before then." his eyes slide to Ginji. "Make sure she gets there, Ginji-sama."

Ginji nods.

I stand outside the domain of Ranmaru-sama; the nervousness in my stomach making me feel queasy. I quell it so no one notices, especially not Ginji. He's already uptight enough. The kitsune seems to know what to expect more than I and whatever it is, it's not pleasant.

My skin is sore from being scrubbed by maids who seemed to think they could scrub my humanity from my skin. Would you believe I'm still not anywhere near becoming an ayakashi?

"Enter!" the door is slide open and I hesitantly step in beside Ginji. We make our way toward Ranmaru where he sits by a table, drinking from a steaming cup of tea. He doesn't look up. "Please sit."

My steps halt abruptly before I ever reach the table. A man sits on Ranmaru's right side. His ethereally gold eyes pierce through mine as if he can see right through me. A chill spikes its way down my spine. He the hunter and I the prey.

I don't have to ask who this man is because I already know.

"Raiju-sama, this is your new maid servant." Ranmaru doesn't meet my eyes. Though to his credit, my eyes are still caught in the lion's grasp.

Ginji pushes my back until I begin to walk again. The kitsune doesn't remove his hand until I am settled beside him on the tatami mat. A servant pours us our tea, disappearing back into the background.

I take a sip to move my focus away from the thunder god. The liquid scolds my mouth most unbearably but I swallow it without a single flinch. I may have burned off all of my flavor sensors on my tongue because I taste nothing.

Eyes stinging with tears I smile at Ginji who sits across from me. He's the only one who can tell I'm in pain. His blue eyes fasten on mine calling me to answer his silent question of if I'm okay.

Raiju doesn't own any manners. The man hasn't stopped staring at me once since I came in the room. My new master's eyes are cold. Colder than Ranmaru's hatred of me. This Thunder God would not be kind to me. I rather be Ranmaru's slave than his. At least I think he might treat me better. Even if he threw me in the dungeon.

"Not much to look at but she'll do," Raiju spoke to Ranmaru rather than I or Ginji.

I look away from the two of them. Wasn't I going to be his maid? What did it matter what I looked like? Rude!

A bang rattles the table and we all jumped in shock. Ginji looks positively outraged, his fist resting on the table. "If you don't mind," his words are deathly calm, "Don't talk about Aoi-san as if she were a horse."

The other two ayakashi look taken aback. Ginji was always the calm one.

"What's it to you Ginji-sama? Do you wish she were yours?" Raiju goaded the kitsune, his golden gaze burning me once more.

Ginji's ears went flat, his blue eyes turning into sharp ice glaciers. If looks could kill...

Raiju laughed. As if the idea that Ginji would want me was preposterous. "What would your master innkeeper think of your desires?"