Book 3. The saga continues. With her mating to Haku rapidly approaching, Chihiro has a number of new problems to face. But these are nothing compared to the plans a new foe has for her. Sequel to Enchantment of the Heart.
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Kenshin knew what had happened even before Yubaba found him. He passed his hand over the obsidian ball, caressing it as he would a lover. He glanced around his marble hall, then upwards to the sky. It twinkled brightly with millions of stars. Their combined light and that of the full moon illuminated the hall with an eerily cold light and left dark shadows between the columns.
He sighed. So, he was out of time. He had felt the dragon's power suddenly flare and then fade, slipping through his fingers like water. Kenshin could easily imagine how angry the dragon would be. He had been in his position. He had rampaged through the stronghold of an enemy that had held him captive on several occasions. It was satisfying in its own way. He had prepared for the dragon's escape; he was not foolish enough to believe his plans perfect. No, the best strategy was to always overestimate the abilities of those you pitted yourself against. In the event of Haku's escape, he had asked all those within the castle to leave. The loyal shadow spirits were doing just that. They were fleeing the fortress, losing themselves in the moonlit sands of the desert night. If he survived they would probably return. If he did not, they would still worship him. He had aided them greatly; they would not let a small complication like his death get in the way of their religion. He took an odd sort of comfort in that. He chuckled mirthlessly to himself.
"Curse that prophecy!" he laughed. He had thought he could neutralise it. He had been wrong. The witch had been right for once.
"I should have killed Chihiro before she even knew of her quest," he mused, then glanced back at the ball. "But if I had, I would not have come this far. Haku would have been out of my reach without his mate."
When he had heard the dragon had pledged himself to a human he had been intrigued. A dragon was a formidable creature. They were strong and could be vicious. He had only fought one in his long life and he had lost, badly. A dragon that had a human to protect was another matter. Even better, they mated... Now that could seriously put a handicap on the dragon's power. His mother must have foreseen all of this and making Chihiro an agent of prophecy was a masterstroke. She had known if Kenshin ever woke he would act against her. He was certain that the great goddess had not informed her tool that it had been she who had lead to his long slumber. Yes, he had been weary of the world, but too stubborn to end his own life. He guessed she had become impatient to end him and had sent the assassins. Instead of dying as she had intended, he had bested her assassins then entered a hibernation trance and the faithful shadow spirits had kept him hidden. His mother must have been furious when she had realised he had eluded her
He and his mother had never got along, even before things became lethal. She had used him harshly and he had been her willing tool, desperate that someday she may acknowledge her "accidental" child and he would no longer embarrass her. When he finally realised that nothing he did would gain him the love and trust he craved, he withdrew his services. They did not speak to each other for centuries. Now he thought her the worst sort of dictator. She was bound to maintain the status quo because her own life depended on the split between the worlds being maintained. She was the rift guardian; without the rift, she was no more.
