Page 51 of Caught in the Devil’s Hand

The slap across her face was abrupt, too fast for her to dodge, and it whipped her head to the side. There was an immediate sting in her mouth, and she knew she had cut her lip on her teeth. She took in a fast breath, a tear slipping from her eye.

“I loved you,” he screamed in her ear. Blood dripped down her chin from her cut lip, and she turned her head toward him.

“Not love,” she insisted. “You only want power over me.”

“How dare you dictate my feelings to me.” He grabbed her neck and pulled her closer, squeezing too hard for her to breathe. She thought of using her magic, but she was already so exhausted. She didn’t know what would happen to her if she tried it for a second time. She might fall unconscious, and who knew what would happen to her while she was at her most vulnerable.

“I was willing to forget what happened the other day,” he seethed. “I was willing to help you with your work, give you children, everything I could to make you love me. Why wasn’t I enough?” He dragged her close and fisted his hand in her hair. She yelped at the painful tug on her scalp.

He leaned forward to kiss her, and this time, she let him. His lips, hard and rough, bruised as they attacked her unresponsive mouth. The second they touched her, the string of magic tied around her soul snapped. In her head, she heard a gasp followed by thunder.

Akiji pulled back and glanced at the sky. His chin was smeared with blood from her bleeding lip. Evidently, he had heard the thunder too. He looked back at her, and his gaze dropped to her mouth.

“It’s not love you want, Akiji—not from me,” she said, lip stinging. “You want control. You want the control your father has taken from you.”

“You know nothing about what I want.” He slammed their mouths together for another kiss, this one more brutal. She was forced to open her mouth and let in his tongue. She could have bitten it, but that would only make things worse. She tried to wriggle away from him, but her strength was gone.

She heard a soft thump. Akiji’s sloppy lips mashed against hers. His hand in her hair went slack, and he stumbled a step away before collapsing like a puppet cut from its strings. She dragged her sleeve across her mouth, heart soaring the second she saw who had come up behind him.

“Vallen,” she sighed, tears of relief running freely down her cheeks. His expression was a mix of anger and concern, and a long, serrated sword was tightly gripped in his hand. He must have used the hilt to knock out Akiji. She wanted to leap into his arms, but she was barely standing as it was.

Vallen winced at the sight of her. There was blood on the torn shoulder of her dress and on her chin. Her cheek was red where someone had hit her. He could guess who, sparing a brief glance at the waste of breath lying on the ground.

He wanted to pull her into his embrace and tell her everything would be all right, but in that moment, there was only one thing more important than comforting her.

“I never meant for a kiss like that to break our deal,” he said as he sheathed his sword. “It wouldn’t be fair for me to—”

“It’s all right. I wanted to break it.”

Heart leaping, he took a step closer. “Why?”

“Because I’m happy when we’re together. Happier than I ever thought possible. You’re all I think about. All I want,” she said, voice breaking. He held his breath. “I love you.”

A euphoric smile broke across his face. He wanted to roar his exultation to the sky, but he was too short of breath to gather any air. He hadn’t felt so alive in… No, he had never felt so alive. Ever.

Careful of her injuries, he drew her against him and covered her in kisses. “I love you,” he whispered in Mahou. “I love you so much. The centuries were worth it for you.” Clutching at his back, she shuddered against him and sniffed as though crying. He pulled back to check on her and was rendered speechless. Though tears swam in her eyes, what had seized his tongue and his heart was the bright, beautiful smile on her face. Just when he thought she couldn’t be more stunning…

A pained moan drew their attention, and they both looked down at Akiji weakly testing his limbs. Vallen held his beloved closer, elation and rage warring within him.

“Leave him. We need to go. I can explain once we’ve left the village far behind.”

Shumei tried not to think about the people who would still need her and her medicines. Ikuro and her unborn baby. Master Takebe’s wife, who would soon run out of the poultice for her injured leg. And many people would have summer colds soon.

“We shall collect your brother, then,” Vallen announced, picking her up.

“I can walk,” she protested.

“You were limping two days ago, your shoulder is bleeding profusely, and you’re nigh ready to pass out. Let me carry you, my love,” he said in that luxurious voice of his. She smiled again, unable to help herself, and grabbed hold of the front of his jacket. He lit into a run, his steps even and long to avoid jostling her. In only a moment, they arrived at her hut.

“Oka! Grab your things, quickly,” she called, trying to speak in a loud whisper as she ducked inside. Oka was stirring what would’ve been their breakfast, two logs lit underneath the pot, and he turned in surprise when she limped through the door.

“S-Shumei,” he squeaked.

“I’m okay, but we have to go. Vallen is taking us away.” She threw the last of the water in their washing bowl onto the flames of the small fire. “Gather your things while I get some medicine for this wound. Be quick.” He squeaked again, and she turned to see that Vallen had followed them inside.

“A-Are you him?” Oka asked, pointing at him. Vallen let out a puff of air that was probably a laugh, and nodded.

“Oka, now.” She reached up with her good arm and pulled a basket of prepared medicines off the shelf. Then she opened her bag, and her eyes bulged. She had actually forgotten about the spell book she’d stolen.