Bound by Forever (True Immortality 3)

31“Finally!” Niamh cried. She lifted her head from the tablet they’d borrowed from the hotel staff. “I’ve got a hit that sounds promising.”

Half an hour ago, she’d started googling Osaka and Mizuki Nakamura. Considering Mizuki was an old woman when she’d cursed Kiyo in 1898, he wasn’t hopeful they’d find much on the internet. While Niamh searched, he’d stewed in restless anger over the fact that he’d just assumed Mizuki had used a human sacrifice to curse him. She’d brought a young girl with her to the gardens that night. Mizuki told him she was the most impressive miko she’d encountered in years. Both he and the girl thought she was there to help Mizuki deal with him.

Instead she’d killed the girl, siphoning her energy to curse Kiyo.

In the morning, when he awoke after being knocked unconscious by the curse, the gardens he laid in had begun to die.

All of that pointed to the fact that Mizuki had channeled her power through nature.

He’d never suspected that she’d used a powerful talisman to contain her spells and curses for longevity.

Feeling impatient with self-directed anger, he strode across the room and Niamh handed him the tablet.

“It’s a blog entry from a travel blogger in the US.”

Wondering at the relevancy, Kiyo read the paragraph Niamh pointed to.

Of course, I can’t write a post on Osaka without mentioning the atmospheric and creepy tavern my sister and I stumbled upon on our last night there. Buried within the Sakai ward near the port of Osaka Bay is the home of the WEIRDEST experience Lucy and I have had since arriving in Japan. We’d been talking with a local girl about how fascinating the miko culture was. For those who missed my post on that, mikos are shrine maidens. Or female shamans to you and me. They’re pretty respected in Japan, and Lucy and I love anything with a hint of supernatural or occult to it. Anyway, our new friend told us that a famous family of miko lived in Sakai and the latest generation owned a tavern.

Well, we had to go, right?! So we found the entrance to the tavern down a very narrow alley between a bunch of buildings crammed together. We’d never have known it was there if our newbie friend hadn’t told us.Kiyo sighed with impatience. “Does she get to the point anytime soon?”

“Yeah, keep reading.”As soon as we stepped inside, it was like the dark little place was charged with electricity. It’s hard to describe. All I can say is that the bartenders were the least friendly people we’ve met while being in Japan. It was like they didn’t want us there or something!!! And the clientele … off the charts CREEPY. The whole vibe was very mystical and goosebumpy.“Goosebumpy? Really?”

Niamh laughed. “So she’s no Shakespeare. Just keep reading.”When we asked the lady bartender about the so-called family legacy, she said if we didn’t get out, she’d CURSE us! Lucy and I almost stayed just to see if it would happen but, seriously, guys, we freaking believed her. Call us crazy all you want, but you’ll understand what we mean when you visit. And for an authentic mystical Japanese experience, you HAVE to visit Nakamura Izakaya in Sakai to hang out with the descendants of the überfamous Mizuki Nakamura, the most powerful miko in the history of Japan!“Shit,” Kiyo breathed, not believing what he was reading.

“It has to be her, right? Sakai is the area she lived in?”

Kiyo nodded. “The Nakamuras lived in the Sakai ward. Their men were involved in trade.”

“Then I guess we’re going to their tavern to ask a few questions. If we’re lucky, they might have a jade pendant hanging on the wall as a souvenir.”

He threw her a wry look. “Yeah, it’ll be that easy.”

“It’s our only lead.”

He exhaled heavily, dropping the tablet on the sofa. “Then I guess we’re going to Osaka.”

“What about Sakura’s fight tomorrow?”

“We’ll return in time for the fight … and hopefully we’ll have the pendant and we can get the hell out of Japan and go somewhere Astra can’t find you.”* * *Tokyo Station was busy but nowhere near as crowded as it would be in a few hours when it was rush hour. Upon checking which type of shinkansen would get them to Osaka the fastest, they bought tickets on the Nozomi. That bullet train would get them into Osaka in two and a half hours. Despite the gravity of the reason for the trip, Niamh was openly excited about getting to ride on a bullet train for more than a few minutes.

“And first-class tickets that cost an absolute fortune,” she said gleefully. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Kiyo slid his arm around her waist, pulling her into his side as he guided her through the station toward their platform. “Did it make you like me more?”