Empire Fall

Chapter Thirteen

UNEDITED

Izumi surveyed the destruction around her. Three soulless bodies lay on the floor, cold as the night. Splatters of blood dotted the pale skin of her forearms. Her right hand was soaked in it, given the way she had to use twist the dagger - her only available defense at that moment.

"They wanted to use me as bait to get to you," she quietly informed Itachi, who had just arrived at the scene, when he learnt that his wife had been - or attempted to be - kidnapped.

"Inabi's men," he noted.

She turned her face to him on hearing the anger in his voice, surprised. It was rare for her husband to get angry and lately suspected that she was an exception to his rules. But the dark haired man was already turning, instructing the soldier who had accompanied them to take care of the bodies.

"I shall take Lady Izumi back, Ryu."

She remained quiet as they trod through the path. Somewhere along the way, she had put all her weight on Itachi, but he didn't complain. Once cleaned-up and back in their shared room, she paused and took in the surroundings.

"What is all this?"

Trunks were being loaded with their belongings and hauled away. Itachi stood in the middle of it. He looked over his shoulder at the sound of her voice.

"We must move."

Izumi blinked. "Why?"

"They found you, Izumi," he stated, turning around. "They know where we are."

Izumi surveyed the room with the soldiers carrying their belongings away and then ordered, "Disperse."

Once left alone with her husband, she approached him. "I was in a marketplace. They chanced upon me and thought it might be a good idea. They had not factored in that I could defend myself. It is all coincidence, Itachi."

Since that particular eve a month ago, Izumi had been using his name more often. Many times, she did it purposely, knowing it pleased her husband. Other few times it came naturally.

"I cannot base the safety of my family or my people on an alleged coincidence."

"I understand," she said. "But do you think moving hastily will be safe?"

"We have to act. Once Inabi discovers his men are missing, he will send out a search party."

Izumi considered this, then sighed. "I suppose you are right. But where are we moving to?"

"A friend is making the arrangements as we speak."

"A friend," she echoed. Itachi didn't make many. In fact, he only ever spoke of one.

He placed a palm on her worried cheek. "Do not fret, dear Izumi. I shall keep you safe."

And she replied with, "It is not my safety that concerns me."

To which he only smiled.

"I worry, Itachi. For the people, for us, for the queen mother and for lord Brother."

"All shall turn out as it is meant to. Worrying will get us nowhere, except make a hard journey harder."

Izumi blinked. Amusement fluttered on her lips. He had just returned the exact lines she had told him once back to her. That, if nothing else, helped diffuse some of the tension from the situation.

"I believe I know those words."

"I believe you do, too."

And then something happened. A trick of the moonlight or her addled mind, that Itachi's dark eyes seemed to glow. The intensity was always there and she was getting used to that, but this was different. Lighter.