Imprint (a novel) Book One- The Jade Dragon

Pulse

Atsuhiko Abe let the sensation run through him. The pulse. A searing pain that erupted from just below the sternum like a hot knife. A horde of bitter memories flowed to the surface like blood through a crack in a warriors armor. Drifting up from the darkness toward the light of day. He shook in his seat and dug his fingernails into the leather rests. The coppery taste of blood filled him as he bit down on his lower lip, and fought to control the disruption. The figure of a woman appeared from the depth of memory, her body surrounded by a thousand drifting snowflakes in a white kimono that was covered in blood. The snow danced along the tips of his fingers in the dream space as he reached out for her, but she shied away and just as he mouthed her name and she screamed.

The spell was broken.

Atsuhiko's emerald eyes went wide. It was happening again, after so many years. It was only a matter of time. Sins did not remain locked away forever. He hardened his emerald gaze and put his mask of indifference back on. He was a businessman now, and in the middle of an important meeting with the ranking members of his board staff- it was no place for ghosts.

There was only one other person in the world with knowledge of his true past and she was standing at the head of the room. His business partner Celine Belcourt was in the midst of giving a presentation. An attractive blonde in her late thirties, with eyes the color of the sea, smooth creamy white skin, and full lips. She was dressed in a dark blue business suit and pencil skirt. Her hourglass figure distorted by the crackling light from the film projector. She turned back toward the conference table to face the businessmen gathered there as the last slide filled the screen, a still image of the Yume Art Gallery in downtown Chicago.

Celine noted her partners distress a brow raised in silent question. Atsuhiko nodded and she moved toward the conference room doors and turned on the lights. The men began to chatter in hushed tones, sorting through notes, shuffling paperwork and straightening their ties.

Atsuhiko anticipated their questions when another pulse tore through him, and his mask slipped. He shut his eyes no longer able to disguise his private dilemma. When he opened them again all eyes were upon him, full of questions. The men were whispering. He studied each of them for a moment. Matching their gaze with an air of authority and each of them thought better of pressing him for questions. He cleared his throat and pushed away from the conference table.

"You will excuse me, gentlemen," he proclaimed and cleared his throat, "but I do believe that Ms. Belcourt can answer all of your questions regarding the specifics on the exhibit. I am expecting a call in my office. Do not hesitate to speak freely in my absence, Ms. Belcourt, please keep me informed."

"Of course." Celine replied with a soft smile as she turned to look at some of the men cloistered around the table. They eyed her with a mix of curiosity and distrust. One of the men, a frail looking young man scarcely into his early twenties, wearing thick coke bottle glasses, cleared his throat and stood. All eyes drifted curiously in his direction.

"Yoshitaka-san." Celine addressed him with a bow.

He ignored her.

"Your pardon Abe-san, but we have not discussed the financial aspects of the exhibit for the Tokyo branch. Surely your first priority is to the members of this conference. If you would like, I can," and he paused to glance at Celine pushing up the rim of glasses, "with your permission, of course, take over and weigh the contents of each proposal with the partners."

The men grumbled in uncertainty around him.

Atsuhiko smiled having already anticipated Yoshitaka who was a new addition to the company to express discomfort at taking orders from a female superior. Celine was more than capable of running his enterprise if he were to disappear altogether from the face of the earth. Her business sense was impeccable. Yoshitaka's discontent was immature at best.