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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Chihiro shook her head. She had a bad feeling in her stomach about the situation she now found herself in and it had nothing to do with her recent bout of morning sickness. Rin was striding ahead of her, back rigid with tension and head held high as if to belie the fact she was nervous. They had been travelling in a westerly direction along a route Rin half-remembered. As the morning had progressed, Rin had remembered more and more about her surroundings. Chihiro could tell the depth of her amnesia was frustrating her surrogate sister. They had passed a small woodland pool an hour before. Rin had recounted a conversation she had had with one of her sisters there, but she could not remember her sibling's name or how old she was herself when the conversation took place. She had stood on the bank of the pool in silence for ten full minutes, fists clenched, trying desperately to remember more. But the memories would not come. It would take far more to break Yubaba's spell.
As much as Chihiro wished to help Rin, she was aware of the pressure of time. She had not dreamt of Haku for some time and her imagination was running wild with the possibilities of what could be happening to him. She needed to get him back soon, and there was still a long way to go according to Linca. The maps of the spirit world that Linca referred to were insanely complex, mainly because they magically updated themselves. All the shifting characters and symbols made Chihiro's head hurt and the map blur before her eyes. She was not alone; Scott could hardly read them any better. She guessed the spirit brain could process information more quickly than the human mind. Chihiro looked at the track she was walking on dejectedly. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how long she lived, she would never be as intelligent or as skilled as her sisters and mate were.
Her belly tightened and lurched. Chihiro swallowed her nausea and smiled. If she did not know any better she would think her child was telling her off for feeling sorry for herself. It was a bad habit left over from her years of living in the human world. Poor Chihiro who was sick in the head, nothing ever went right for her! But she was now Chihiro, mate of Haku, sister of Rin and Linca. Mistress of a bathhouse! The human who would save the spirit world from its biggest threat since its creation! She had no right to feel sorry for herself. She didn't have the time either. She had to find her mate and she also had to look after her confused sister.
Scott was walking alongside her, as was Linca. The water horse was scouting around the woods, probably tormenting the local spirits. There was the same mix of concern and tension on her companions' faces as there was on Chihiro's own. They were all worried about the same thing she was sure. What was it that had made Rin run from this place? Knowing the spirit as they all did, she was very unlikely to run from anything. As they got closer and Rin recognised more, Chihiro also began to wonder how much time had passed since Rin had started work at the bathhouse. The home she had been born in had certainly not been occupied for a very long time.
Chihiro was shaken out of her musings but a half strangled cry. Rin broke into a run and sprinted down the woodland track.
