Senshi (A Katana Novel) by Cole Gibsen Read Free Book Online

was too late to keep highlighting my hair platinum or if it was time to darken it with the changing leaves to a honey color.
    Yeah, I’d tell him later.
    I found my meditation playlist and hit play. Instantly the sound of crashing waves filled my head and unraveled the coils of tension in my shoulders. I brought my palms together in prayer pose.
    After several minutes of sucking in deep, even breaths, I closed my eyes and fell into the darkness behind them. Two lifetime’s worth of memories waited for me. I don’t know how long I pushed through the flashes of images, searching for the one I wanted, but it only felt like seconds until I found it.
    And just like that, I was there. Seeing, through closed eyes, a memory so vivid I could almost smell the blossom-scented oil Etsu drizzled across my skin and feel the pointed blade nestled into the folds of my robe.

9
    Japan, 1491
    A fter Etsu had left her alone in her room, Akiko threw up twice and tried to mask the smell by burning incense. A cup of lukewarm tea bobbled in her shaking hands. A cup she promptly dumped in her lap when the sliding doors shoved open.
    The samurai looked only a few years older than Akiko. This was good, she thought. Some girls had to service old men, a possibility that made her stomach lurch. But when the boy smiled, Akiko’s relief vanished. His eyes held a predator’s hunger that had nothing to do with desire.
    The crack of the door sliding shut vibrated through Akiko’s bones. With shaking hands, she tried to bury the tea-soaked silk of her robe beneath dry folds, lest the samurai find her clumsy and demand his money back. But as Akiko reached for the fallen teacup, a hand snatched her wrist and pulled her roughly to her feet .
    “Forget the tea.” The boy’s voice held the edge of a threat. “Now is my time. You will concern yourself only with me.” He encircled her body with his arms, leaving no room for escape, and ran his lips along her neck. Akiko gasped and instinctively pressed a hand against the samurai’s chest, trying to wedge free from his grip. This only made him laugh and hold her tighter.
    The other courtesans had told her that the first time, while painful, was usually fast. They told her not to be afraid because the men paid more for the privilege than the pleasure. But each passing second in the boy’s arms felt like an eternity. Taking a breath, she closed her eyes and swallowed the acid burning the back of her tongue. Maybe if she could imagine herself somewhere, anywhere else, she could get through this. Akiko tried to conjure the fields where she gathered flowers with her younger sister and the market square she ran through with her best friend, Haruki. But the samurai’s breath, hot and sour on her neck, broke her concentration. The faces of the people she loved vanished, leaving her alone in the dark.
    This is an honor, Akiko reminded herself. This is all part of being a highly respected and well-paid woman of pleasure. The benefits are worth the sacrifice. But when a hand pulled at the corner of her robe, Akiko could no longer believe her own lie. It was then she realized she’d rather be a beggar on the streets than the recipient of this particular honor. She opened her eyes and twisted out of his arms. “Please,” she whispered. “There has been a mistake. I-I cannot do this.”
    The boy smiled. “Oh, yes, you can.” He reached for her shoulder and pushed her to the ground. “And for the price I paid, more than once.”
    His words unwound something inside of her. Despite the fresh bruise from her fall and the pain coursing through her leg, Akiko could only feel the slow rise of anger as it burned through her veins. “You cannot do this if I do not allow it.”
    His laugh was quick and harsh. “I am a samurai. I can do anything I want.” He leaned on top of her, pinning her to the floor, and slid his calloused fingers down the front of her robe.
    Akiko shuddered, bile fresh on her tongue. “I will