A Memory of Starfires

11

Kari pulled off her work gloves and wiped the sweat from her brow. After watering the rows of blue hostas she had just planted, she set out to look for Sato-san.

Just as she reached the rose garden a girl in a maid's blue and white uniform greeted her with a smile and a bow.  "Good afternoon, young miss."

"Good afternoon." Kari nodded her head. The girl was just a few years older than her, with light blond hair pulled up in a tight bun and eyes that matched the blue color of her dress.

"Please call me Beth. Master Collins sent me to tell you that Mr. Sato was called on an errand.  I have light snacks and refreshments prepared in the arbour, then I'll be happy to take you to the gates."

"Thank you. But you really don't have to-- the snacks, I mean."

Beth inclined her head kindly. "It is what the Master desires, and it's no trouble at all. If you would please follow me, Miss."

Kari admired the rose gardens on either side of the cobblestoned path. The bushes were still young, but their sweet scent was wonderful. At the end of the path stood a large shaded arbour covered with climbing vines of light pink flowers.  A round table draped in white linen was laden with a large silver tray holding an assortment of delicate pastries and cakes. A smaller table held various beverages and tea. Kari had never seen anything so lavishly prepared, but then, everything in this place bordered on extravagance.

Speechless, Kari turned to Beth as the maid held out an elaborately carved chair for her. Surely she wasn't expected to eat all of these tasty desserts! "Er-- are the other workers coming too?"

"Oh yes, of course, Miss. The Master would like to thank everyone for all the excellent work these past few days. They are most likely on their way as we speak."

Kari picked an éclair while Beth poured her a cup of tea. The porcelain cup was so thin and delicate she feared it might shatter in her hand. Fortunately, looks were indeed deceiving when it came to priceless china.

She made a mental note to thank the master of the house, if she ever got the chance to meet him. Which was probably closer to zero, given the eccentricities inherent in the rich.

Her eyes looked up at the stately mansion, admiring the graceful height of its towers, to the tall arched windows...

Her heart skipped a beat. For behind the corner window facing the rose garden, on the third floor, stood a shadowy figure. She blinked to get a better focus, but the shadow disappeared as if it had never been there.

This house was, for sure, the oddest, eeriest place in town!

* * * * * * * *

The coming of night was the most draining on his powers, Taren admitted with distaste as he lay on his bed, staring at the moonlight's shifting reflection on the high vaulted ceiling. Not that he didn't trust Evan or his security team to keep watch over the girl, but he couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that grew stronger as the days went by.

The power of wind and air came to him with ease now, recalling with irony of how he had paid for it, in pain and blood. With a single thought he rode the winds, his consciousness soaring high above ground. He followed the silvery path of the Guardian's ward that had shielded Kari on her way back, visible only to them both. In less than a minute he reached the vicinity of her home, a modest two-story house close to the center of town.

He quickly identified where five of Evan's security team were stationed, hidden in the shadows.  Testing the currents, he found not a trace of the familiar signature of a Hunter. Leaving a part of his consciousness with the wind, he shaped a dome of protection around the house. Satisfied, he withdrew, his mind retreating back into the tired shell that was his body.

* * * * * * * *

Plagued by nightmares, Taren slept fitfully, tossing and turning in his sleep. The pitch-black night had turned into the confines of a dark, suffocating cage. A pair of slanted, malevolent green eyes gazed at him through the darkness.

* * * * * * * *

At close to midnight, a tall man, dressed impeccably in a black coat, walked out of the airport's sliding glass doors. As he stood on the curb, a sleek, black limousine pulled over, and a uniformed chauffeur stepped out, bowing to the man.

"Welcome to Tokyo, my lord." The chauffeur said, holding the door open for him. "Lord Rend is expecting you at his estate."

The man steps into the vehicle.

"I'm tired. Take me to my hotel. I'll meet with him tomorrow."

"As you wish." The driver bowed again.

Leaning back on the plush seat, the man's lips curled into a smile that did not touch his eyes. 'He's here ... I felt his presence very briefly, but it was enough.'

The man's green eyes smoldered. 'He never should have let his guard down.'