Page 22 of Cherry Moon

Sarah stood with her hands folded behind her, dressed in a crimson suit, her blonde hair tied into a ponytail. She appeared regal, with perfect posture and a lot of warmth about her.

We hugged. I’d learned to respect her a lot over the years, coming a long way from keeping her at arm’s length while my dad was alive.

She greeted G next, pleasantries exchanged while my temples began to ache. There was only so much distraction I could muster before reality bit me on the booty again.

“I’m sorry for having to bring you here,” Sarah said. “These are dangerous times.” With a glance at Riku, she called for his nanny.

The older woman, Donna, arrived to take him away with the promise of cake.

He didn’t need telling twice.

“What’s going on?” I asked when they were gone.

“I’m so sorry you were attacked,” she responded.

“I’m… I’m fine.”

Her expression was unreadable. It got that way when her serious, High Alpha side came through. “Would you like something to eat and drink?”

Oh, bollocks! My pistachio cupcakes! They were ruined, left out to go manky.

Well, this day just got shittier.

I shook my head.

No one else wanted anything.

“Then please sit.” She gestured at the table. “I’ll explain everything.”

My chest was a tangle of knots with added barbs. I took a seat at Riku’s coloring station and picked up a crayon, turning it over in my bionic hand, the metal arm fully exposed by my short-sleeved T-shirt.

I didn’t care who saw it anymore. After five years, I was proud of it. The biggest war wound, a symbol of my survival.

“I’ll get straight to the point.” Sarah steepled her fingers. “As you know, there has been a surge in mazoku activity recently. Their creations have launched small-scale attacks across the world. And there have also been reports of the same attacks in Elvenrie.”

I hadn’t seen an elf in years, the borders of their realm sealed for the most part.

Elvenrie had been a dying realm, but apparently Cherry Moon was helping to stabilize things over there.

Forever bless the tenshi for their gifts, man. There were still ongoing talks between the elves and the werewolves, the road to peace long, but possible. And at least no side had attacked the other after the cursed moon saga.

There’d be no point. That shit was over. All about the positive progress now.

“What do you think this means?” G chimed in.

Sarah leaned back in her chair. “It was only this morning that the SCU captured a mazoku-born creature outside of Wolf Heart.” A pause, her eyes squarely fixated on me. “It spoke your name, Akira.”

A shiver ran through me, as if some prick danced on my grave.

She cleared her throat. “I quote, ‘Akira Murakami. The one who takes will be expelled. He did this to us. He shamed us, he broke us. But times are changing. The rot will be burned out and The Nine will rise. The Nine will dine on the ripened moon. Fruits and blossoms and the pretty moon for all! Create. Create. Create. The dance begins.’” A second throat clearing followed. “It didn’t manage to say anything else before its body exploded.”

I applied some serious tension to the crayon between fingers.

“That quote about the cherries again,” G said.

My eyes throbbed, my pulse quickening with irritation. “Was it a blob with chicken legs?”

“Yes. The same creature you described from earlier.”