The Binding Vow of Lazarus

Chapter 101

Satoru nodded, then glanced back at Tamamo. She was watching him carefully, her head tilted against the wall of the cart with that little smile. He frowned, then looked at Suguru. "Let's get this over with."

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The night was alive with a hushed tension. The procession moved slowly with a sway, the lantern's hanging off the corners of the palanquin tilting with it. The bearer's wobbled under their misshapen legs and mismatched sizes. The curses had been made to wear robes dyed in deep purple, matching in symmetry with patterns of cranes and wisteria that stretched across the side of the palanquin.

The crowd parted in silence as the display moved through the narrow streets toward the palace gates. Suguru walked just ahead, his presence commanding the flow of the march. His hair was loose, glimmering black in the lamplight. His stride was smooth, his arms in his sleeves with his gaze fixed forward. He drew eyes like moths to a flame.

Behind the palanquin, wearing similar — although more modest — kimonos with their eyes and heads down in polite duty. Behind them was Nanami, his jaw set firm and his eyes sharp. The blunt sword at his waist was visible, boldly showing weapons without fear. Satoru beside him was smiling. Lazy and relaxed — the very picture of nonchalance. He also boldly displayed a sword on his hip, although it was clear that if you brought up one word about the law to him it would be a whole thing.

Suguru strode up to the guards, his smile slick as ice as he bowed politely. The procession slowed to a halt behind him, the curses kneeling to lower the palanquin and steady it.

"Open your gates, we've arrived to speak with the Onmyoji."

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There he was, seated at the head of the long tea room. Abe no Seimei. Who, to everyone's surprise, was much younger than they expected. He was tall and beautiful, his dark eyes having a sparkle to them that was oddly familiar. He wore a fancy well woven kimono, it was well stitched, which was to be expected of the court sorcerer. Or astrologer or whatever the cover was.

"What a way to start my evening," Seimei said with a chuckle, leaning forward to take a closer look at the group of sorcerers. And... his eyes flicked over to one who didn't belong: the curse.

Or was she a curse? Something felt off about her but it was hard to say what. She was hidden among them in plain clothes, but it was clear that they were all watching her — their body language gave it all away.

"Sorry for the big show," Suguru said with a dramatic frown, "but we needed to speak with you immediately and it's hard to get a court official to reply in a timely manor."

"Such a drastic choice," Seimei sighed dramatically, then smiled. "But what an interesting girl you've brought before me. And what an interesting way to hide her strange aura."

"Shall we get right down to it, or shall we stall with pleasantries for a little longer? I'm not sure how these meetings are generally supposed to go," Suguru said with a polite-enough smile.

"Skip all that, tell me about her," Seimei said, pointing the end of his lacquered fan towards Tamamo.

She smiled innocently at him, fluttering Sarah's long lashes at him. He tilted his head, taking a look at her from another angle before tilting to the other side. How interesting — a foreigner clearly. A western country of some kind, but not one he immediately recognized. Green eyes insisted a Celt, but that wasn't exactly right either.

"What curse has possessed her?" he asked with a fond smile.

"Tamamo-no-mae," Suguru said simply, and the frown fell right off Seimei's face.