"Tell them to go away," I groan. "I can't deal with gun-toting hooligans before 12 p.m."

Veah, standing at the edge of the bed, is wearing a leather jacket, pants, and an unbuttoned shirt.

She must have been just in the middle of getting dressed.

It's a really good look on her.

Not as good a look as her without any clothes, but―

The Japanese ninjas. Right. I should probably be paying attention to that and not my girlfriend―

                      Shit. Why do I keep thinking of her as my girlfriend?

Just because we fucked like rabbits yesterday doesn't mean we're dating.

                     And just because she said she likes you, and you like her, and she won't kiss any other girls for you because you told her you didn't want her to, it doesn't mean that―

"Kaya?"

Right. Japanese ninjas.

"I thought Okami said no one would interrupt us!"

Veah unsheathes a sword from under her pillow. "She's testing me."

"What kind of test is this? If you fail this, we die!"

"Oh, I won't fail," Veah says grimly.

Before I can ask about the fact that she sleeps with a sword under her pillow, she attacks.

And I understand exactly why it is she is so confident she won't fail.

Silver cleaves through the air, and Veah is a blur. Dancing around each of the three men until she is shadow and storm, blood and fury. The first man collapses to his knees, impaled.

They don't wait their turn to attack her, like in the movies. The remaining two lunge for her at the same time.

My hands clap over my mouth. "Veah!" I scream.

But she kicks the other one between his legs without looking back, and he grunts, falling backwards.

The opponent in front of her has a thick, jagged blade. The clash of steel against steel makes my ears ring.

And then they are fighting, so quickly I can barely tell where one meets and the other ends.

Their strikes are precise. Lethal. As swift as the movement of a viper, as certain as a killing blow.

Veah moves like lightning, but he is a serpent, a cobra, and each of his hits are meticulous―

Behind Veah, I see the man she kicked begin to stand.

There is a small, sharp dagger in his hand.

Veah is still fighting, wild and ferocious, an untamed hurricane. She doesn't notice.

The man's face splits into a depraved grin as he pounces―

I am moving before I know it.

I am moving before I even know why.

I am moving because that small, sly dagger is aimed right for her back, a wound that will pierce her spine―an injury that will kill her instantly―

I can't let that happen.

A scream rips through my throat, and I feel it―the dagger tearing through the flesh of my arm, through soft skin and tissue―

Steel meeting bone.

I swear I feel it scrape.

I think I might be screaming.

Veah roars, "Kaya!"

Dizzy, I see the blur of her as she beheads the second samurai. "Shinjimae!" But the third is already running, already gone―

I know the choice she has to make. Me or him. She can help me, or she can run after him, chase after vengeance―

It takes her less than a second to make the decision.

Veah kneels beside me, her face twisted. Warring emotions. Anger. Grief. "Why did you do that?" she says harshly. "Why?"

"He was―going to stab―your back―"

Veah closes her eyes. "I would have stopped him, Kaya. I would have seen it coming." She lowers her forehead against mine. "Idiot."

And I want to smile, I do, but as she scoops me into her arms and begins to run, all I can do is ask, "Veah?"

"Shh, Kaya."

"Just―one thing―"

"Anything."

"I can call you my girlfriend now, right?"

But before I can make out her answer, unconsciousness claims me.

"Ren, you could try and be a little more gentle!"

"I'm being as gentle as possible," I hear Ren's voice snap.

There is a sharp, needle-like sensation in my arm. Stitches.

Is it possible to hyperventilate myself to death?

"Look at her! Can't you see that? She can feel it. Give her more anesthesia or I'm going to put a bullet in your ankle."

"I've already given her enough anesthesia for a five-foot-one, 130 pound girl."

"She's in pain. If you don't give her some more fucking medication, I'm going to break every single vertebrae in your spine until she's better."

"All you have done since you brought her to me has been to fuss over her bedside. You're not helping anyone. Now, get out before I make Mai drag you out."

It's the last I hear before I sink back into sleep.

"You look like shit," Maiko tells me when my eyes finally open.

"Thanks," I mutter, pressing a hand to my forehead.

Mai shrugs. "I like being honest. There's no one else here who's going to tell you. Ren probably hasn't noticed, and Veah . . ." She rolls her eyes, but with a little bit of fondness. "She looks at you like . . . like she'd never get tired of looking at you. Like you're the entire fucking galaxy."

My laugh is raspy. "You know, Ren looks at you the same way."

I expect her to scoff, but a faint sadness darkens her eyes. "I know. But I don't deserve him."

"He doesn't think he deserves you."

Mai shakes her head lifelessly. "But it's true for me. I don't deserve him. After the things I've done . . . but that's a story for another time. They're waiting for you."

"They?"

"Veah told you the plan, didn't she?"

That brings back the memory of Veah's head between my legs, her tongue on my―

I clear my throat. "Yes . . . she did."

Except I just can't quite remember the details.

Not when her fingers were moving inside of me and her mouth was trailing down my skin and my legs were shaking, trembling around her.

"If you could . . . remind me, that would be great."

Mai grins knowingly. "Today is the first phase. They're making a batch of the Wyvern beneath the Asakusa Temple."

"The meth lab beneath the church," I say. "This is my part, isn't it?"

Mai nods, almost a little worriedly. "But Kaya, this wasn't part of the original plan. Everything might still work without this . . ."

"But the bargaining chip would be helpful," I finish. I remember now.

The drug lab beneath the Asakusa temple will be producing a batch of Wyvern today, which means that if I somehow manage to impersonate one of the scientists, I can find out how they make it.

I can get the formula. The recipe.

And that is what the Cais want.

That is what Okami was willing to murder me over.

We can use that as a bargaining chip . . . if this works.

Blackmail.

I can't believe I'm agreeing to this, but―if it means bringing down a greater evil, a bloodthirsty criminal? I think it's worth it.

My arm stings when I encircle it with my fingers. Lightly. Tenderly.

"That's a deep cut," Mai says. "You're going to have to be careful. It might stain through the white coat―"

"I'll be okay," I promise her. "I'm ready to go."

"Crazy," she grumbles.

I am already standing up, already fueled by adrenaline.

Okami hurt me.

And she was willing to kill Veah.

For that, I am going to do what I did to those boys who hurt Cassie. I am not going to just help them slaughter her; that would be too kind.

I am going to tear her apart, piece by piece, until all that is left of her is rotting in prison.

Because for what she has done to Veah?

Hell would be too easy.

When I meet Veah and Ren at the church, the first thing Veah does is say, "Yes."

"Yes?" I echo.

Ren salutes me as he dives back into the car with Mai. I really don't know want to picture how the conversation in that ride is going to end. "Try not to get yourselves killed!"

"Yes, to your question," Veah says, as she leads me to the side of the temple.

"My question," I repeat.

She hands me a thick white coat. As I shrug it on, the pain in my arm flares again. But my bandage isn't bleeding through―I'm fine.

And then I realize. My question.

I can call you my girlfriend now, right?

Which means her answer is . . . yes.

Before I can think―or squeal―she says, "In and out, Kaya. Try not to talk with them. They speak mostly English―some of them have been kidnapped by Okami from the U.S. You'll fit in. Just pretend you're new. Say you went to NYU, studied medicine. All we need is the formula, alright?"

"Alright," I say, steadying myself.

"Kaya, you―you don't have to do this," Veah whispers. "This would be―"

"Super important in making sure your entire plan works?"

"Great," Veah continues, "if you pull it off. But, Kaya, you don't have to do this. This is crazy, and if I . . . if I lost you, I would never forgive myself. It's my fault you're in this mess."

"No, it's not," I say fiercely. "You know, I blamed you in the beginning. If only I hadn't woken up handcuffed to a Yakuza boss, I wouldn't even be here. But that was never true. You saved my life, Veah. And now I want to return the favour."

Veah shakes her head. "Kaya, you're . . ."

"Save it," I whisper, tracing the edge of her lower lip with my fingertip. Her mouth is so soft, so kissable. "How about this, if I make it out alive you'll fuck me in the cab ride back?"

Her eyes widen. She catches my wrist, bringing her lips to my knuckles. A featherlight caress. "You have a dirty mouth," she breathes. And then a corner of her mouth lifts into a devilish grin. "I'd have done that anyway."

A shiver curls in my blood. My girlfriend.

I smile to myself as I open the side entrance to the temple―a thick, heavy metal door. The air to the basement is dark, damp. In the distance, I see flickering candles.

But before I shut the door, Veah says, "I'll be waiting right here for you. If anything goes wrong, then just shout my name. I'll be listening."

"Veah," I say. "I'll be fine."

I couldn't have known, then, how much further from the truth that single sentence was.

I couldn't have known it would all go to hell.

"Kaya," Veah calls out softly, just before the door closes. "If anyone down there lays a single finger on you, I will burn this church down to the ground."

The door slams shut before I can kiss her goodbye.

>>>

Ugh, I love the badass Kaya is going to become.

From the moon and back,
Sarai