Wolf Who Rules

"Leo and I met at M.I.T. We both had radical ideas, ones that made us unpopular. We believed that magic existed-that there were other realms that could be visited via magical portals. Of course, we had the proof in our very blood, but that we never told anyone, even each other." Jin sighed, shaking his head. "It seems so obvious now. Dufae. How did we miss it?"

"What really happened? My grandfather never told me details."

"When Leo showed us his gate design, a possibility opened up to us. A paradise for the tengu. It became the flock dream, a bright promise at the end of a path through dark woods full of unseen danger. To be able to chose one's mate out of love, and not a carefully ordered breeding plan. To be able to fly. To walk under the sun in our true form, and not to be always hidden. I went to the kitsune, who are powerful in the Chinese government and talked to them about funding. They involved other parties. It was dangerous, I know, but I thought I understood all the factors. What I didn't know was Leo was an elf - that he knew exactly what the oni were - and that he wouldn't cooperate with them."

"Halfway through the meeting with the investors, Leo just freaked. He told them that he would never help the oni build a gate. And worse, he told them why. As much as the elves feared the oni, the oni of Earth feared the elves. He stormed out the meeting. I went after him. We were arguing -" Jin fell silent for a minute. "It happened so fast. One moment he was standing beside me on the street corner, arguing with me and the next he was dead in the middle of the road. I didn't even see what happened."

Jin sighed. "I wasn't driving the car. I didn't push him out into its path. But I brought death to him. And I can only say I'm sorry. And I am truly am. I loved him like a brother."

All Tinker could imagine was Nathan out on the road, his blood on her. Oh gods, she didn't want to cry again. She squeezed her eyes tight on the sudden burn of tears. "How do you deal with knowing that you fucked up so bad? That you killed someone that loved you? That trusted you?"

"Accept the truth of what happened, and then forgive yourself. They would if they could."

She laughed bitterly. "Why would they?"

"Because they loved you."

She pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes, and struggled to get back in control of herself. The truth of what happened? The truth was that she had ignored all the warning signs with Nathan. She had to pay attention, think about the consequences of her actions. Like now - she was desperately trying to get back to Pittsburgh, but what if she was totally wrong? With sudden terror, she saw the implications of her actions. She was taking Dahe Hao to Pittsburgh. She might be saving the human crew, but she was dooming the tengu crew to genocide.

"I'm worried about what will happen to the tengu when we reach Pittsburgh. The elves are killing people that they just suspect are oni. And I know they will see tengu as oni."

"You still don't think of yourself as one of them?"

"No, not really. Wait - how do you know?"

"For the last week, all we've dreamed about is you - all the weird twists and turns your life has taken." Jin picking up the camera. Cloudwalker had trouble tracking the hyperactive dragon through the trailer and caught her and Pony in the viewfinder instead. "We've seen what you've done to keep your sekasha safe."

"You know everything?" She wondered if this was why she been having such horrible nightmares lately.

"Enough. Your fight with the foo dogs. Your transformation from a human. Your fight with the oni lord." Jin played a few seconds of recording as Pony acknowledged one of her requests with a slight bow. "This is just proof of what we already knew. You're the Wind Clan domi, guarded by a Hand of sekasha, one of which is another dreamer."

"Her name is Stormsong."

"You told me."

"I don't know what to do about this," Tinker admitted. "If we don't do the spell, I don't think anyone will survive. If we do the spell, then you end up in the mess in Pittsburgh."

Jin reached out and tapped Tinker's forehead, reminding her of the dau marked onto her forehead. "You have the power to protect us. You could make us part of your household. We could be yours, as these sekasha are yours."

"Mine?" Tinker squeaked. "Why would you want that?"

"Because we trust you more than we trust the oni."

That wasn't saying much.

"I don't know if that would work," Tinker said. "The elves make a big thing about beholding. The sekasha promises to serve in exchange for protection. That everyone fits into society - someone above them responsible for them, but they are answerable to."

"It seems fairly simple. I will promise that the tengu will obey you and you promise to protect us."

"You're serious? You would listen to what I told you to do?"

Jin nodded.

"Are you sure your crew is okay with obeying some snot-nosed kid?"

"Leo's daughter who talks with dragons? Yes, I am sure."