“Don’t worry. He’ll see me.” Kiriai clenched her jaw, but forced her fists to relax as she confronted the last guard on the upper floor of hood headquarters.

“Take it off so I can see it.” The guard held out his hand, suspicion on his face.

Kiriai wondered whether he’d even seen one before. There was no way she would take it off and hand it to him. He wouldn’t be the first official to keep an object for further consideration. Instead, Kiriai leaned forward and held the medallion closer to the seated guard’s face. He glared, but didn’t object further as he scrutinized the token of Akuto’s favor. Kiriai remained patient and didn’t object. Yet.

Eigo and Shisen had only quit arguing with her when they entered the dojo. Now, though, their presence behind her was comforting. Their support gave her strength as she prepared to confront the boss in his seat of power. Boss Akuto didn’t take demands well. However, he owed his life to Kiriai’s family, and she would insist he fulfill his debt.

“I’ll announce you,” said the burly guard finally looking up from the medallion. His body radiated reluctance as he stood and walked down the hallway to Akuto’s office door. He knocked softly, his demeanor switching to one that was much more subservient as he poked his head in the door and exchanged a few words with the occupant. Kiriai pulled on her training to keep her face impassive as the man closed the door and returned to their end of the hall.

“You’re in luck. He has a little time to see you now.”

Kiriai just nodded, all her arguments flooding through her mind as she tried to organize it all into something logical and persuasive. This had to work. She had no other options. Ignoring the guard, Kiriai headed toward the familiar office door.

“Don’t waste too much of his time. He’s a busy man,” said the guard in an imperious tone from behind her. The calm Kiriai had channeled helped her resist the urge to snap back a response. Shisen and Eigo followed her and Kiriai realized she couldn’t put them at risk too, regardless of how much she wanted to lean on them. At the door, she turned and waited for them to draw closer.

“You can’t go inside with me. Just wait out here,” she whispered, so the guard couldn’t eavesdrop.

“Sounds good,” said Shisen with obvious relief on her face. A face-to-face introduction to the boss would be last on her list of desirable activities. The gifted hid in the shadows for a reason.

“No way. I’m coming with you,” Eigo said at almost the same time. His expression was fierce, and he looked determined to attack Boss Akuto on her behalf.

Kiriai was already shaking her head, trying to come up with the words to convince her best friend to stay back when Shisen grabbed his arm and gave it a shake.

Eigo turned to the diminutive woman, startled.

“You can’t go in there with her,” Shisen said. “The boss doesn’t know you or have any reason to listen to you. You’re so far beneath him that any demands you make will just make him angry.”

When Eigo opened his mouth to object, Shisen overrode him and leaned closer. “Stop and think, man. Do you realize how impossible Kiriai’s request is, asking our hood boss to defy his chief? She is the one person who has even the slightest chance of success. We will only make it harder for Kiriai.”

It surprised Kiriai to see Shisen’s words affect Eigo. It took a few seconds, but his bearing changed from protective to resigned. He looked back to her. “Do you really want me to stay out of this? The boss doesn’t scare me. It’s you I care about. Tell me what you want and I’ll do it.” Her protective friend’s expression was fierce, and Kiriai entertained the idea of having his support for the upcoming confrontation.

She shook her head. It was a foolish luxury she couldn’t afford, for all the reasons Shisen had listed. Eigo sagged back and nodded. He could read her answer in her body language.

Kiriai grabbed his arm and caught his gaze. “Thank you, Eigo. Your offer means a lot.” And it did. She turned toward the office door with a boost to her confidence from the support of her friends.

“Kiriai,” came a hissed voice before she could take more than two steps. Kiriai turned, eyebrows raised.

“Stay calm,” Shisen whispered one last piece of advice while making a calming motion with her hand. “You’re angry about this, but you need to stay calm to have the best chance of success.“

Kiriai’s flicker of anger in response to the reminder only reinforced how well her senpai knew her. Kiriai gave her a curt nod. It was good advice.

Kiriai turned back to the office door and gave two sharp knocks before she could change her mind. She offered a quick prayer to her ancestors for help. She would need it.

“Come in.”

Kiriai gave one last look at her two friends. She sucked in a breath, slid the door open and stepped into the lion’s den.

Across an expansive desk sat the boss, who looked up at her entrance, a half smile on his face. He was a powerful man with a nondescript appearance that wouldn’t have looked out of place working in the fields or the mines. A carefully trimmed mustache was his only extravagance. His blunt cheekbones and closely cropped black hair could give him a powerful and deadly look when he needed it. But it was the eyes that she watched. Instead of the deadly cold Kiriai had seen in the past, now they were lit by interest and humor. Boss Akuto looked pleased for a distraction from the drudgery of managing the hood during war time. Kiriai could only imagine. She only saw her increased number of dispute fights, but she knew the senior fighters were being run just as ragged in battles day after day as Raibaru tried to whittle away at Jitaku’s assets in the outer rim. She’d heard Raibaru had just won another storefront with all its assets last week. Their hood was fighting for its life.

The realization only hurt Kiriai’s cause. In the middle of an all-out war, losing her grandfather to a burb promotion couldn’t concern her boss very much.

“Hello, Senior Scrapper Kiriai. I’ve heard good things about your performances in the dispute arena. I could use a couple dozen more just like you,” said her boss with a nod of acknowledgment as he laid papers down on his desk. “Have a seat and tell me how you and your family are doing.” Akuto waved at one of the hard-backed chairs in front of his desk, whose utilitarian appearance contrasted with the opulent comfort of the boss’s own chair.

Kiriai froze and a pulse of anger washed away all of her insecurity and worry. He wanted to know how her family was doing?

With stiff muscles, Kiriai forced herself to take a seat. Shisen’s words echoed in her mind. Kiriai needed to get a handle on her emotions and think before she lashed out at the most powerful man in her hood.

“Thank you, Boss Akuto. But I’m just fighting my best for our hood like every scrapper you have.” Kiriai was proud of how even her voice was. She had Ojisan to thank for that. Learning to control her impulsive nature was a lifelong process, but at least she had improved.

“Well, you won’t be fighting in the dispute arena forever. Our battles against Raibaru are escalating, and without reinforcements from the burb, we will need even more fighters in the battle arena.”

Visions of Ojisan being forced to conform in Southern Core kept distracting Kiriai from the topic at hand.

“Don’t worry,” said Akuto, misinterpreting her hesitation. “I’m confident you’ll do just as well in the battles as you have with the disputes.” He sat back and let a rare smile emerge on his face. “You remind me of myself years ago when I was young and hungry. Never lose that ambition, Kiriai.”

Kiriai nodded since he seemed to expect her to.

“Now, what brings you to see me this morning? Not that I don’t enjoy the occasional visit with my best fighters, but . . .” The boss waved at the papers and work scattered across his desk.

It was time. With the image of her grandfather in the transport, Kiriai summoned all her determination and outrage. Akuto owed her family, and it was time for him to pay them back.

“I’m here to discuss yesterday’s event and find out how you plan on remedying it.”

Instead of looking irritated at her passive call to action, the boss just look confused. “What event?”

It seemed as if losing her grandfather wasn’t significant enough for the boss to remember. Kiriai’s determination to keep calm and cool crumbled.

“You send my grandfather away to Southern Core and you don’t even remember? He risked everything to save your life.” Kiriai’s voice was low and shaky with suppressed outrage. “I risked everything to save your life. You could at least pretend that you care.” Her anger was stampeding through any common sense she had left. Kiriai stood and jerked the boss’s token out of her shirt. She held it out to him with a hand shaking with fury. “Doesn’t this mean anything to you?”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Kiriai knew she’d gone too far. The boss’s easy congeniality disappeared into a mask of cold anger. Kiriai felt like a prey animal a hairbreadth away from the jaws of a dangerous predator. Her common sense returned with a rush and she scrambled for the right words.

“I’m sorry, Boss Akuto,” she said and dropped her head into a respectful bow. “I let my emotions overrule my common sense. Losing my grandfather was a blow I am not handling well.”

An icy silence filled the room and seemed to go on forever. Finally, Kiriai dared to look up. Relief flooded in. Her leader’s anger had disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. His gaze was focused, examining her with an intensity that was disconcerting.

“I understand the emotions associated with our families can be overpowering. I will excuse your disrespect”—Akuto held up a finger as he delivered his words in a calm voice that was not reassuring in the slightest—“once. Do you understand?”

Kiriai swallowed and nodded. She should have listened to Shisen.

“Someone sent your grandfather to Southern Core with the fall staff tribute. And you are here to ask me to get him back. Have I understood you correctly?”

The dawning realization that this was news to the boss was making her regret her outburst even more. Now she was confused. How could he not know Ojisan was sent as tribute?

Kiriai answered his question with a nod but didn’t speak. She didn’t trust herself at the moment and resolved to get more of the story before losing her temper again.

The boss seemed lost in thought and was quiet for several long moments. Kiriai ran out of patience and finally blurted the question that burned inside her. “You didn’t know? You weren’t the one to send him away?”

Akuto shook his head and Kiriai saw a short flash of anger cross his face before his mask was back. “No, my little scrapper. I know how much the two of you mean to each other. And despite what you accused me of earlier, I honor my debts. I wouldn’t have sent him away unless it were something both of you requested of me.”

Relief filled Kiriai and hope blossomed to life. It was all a mistake. Everything would work out. “So you’ll get him back?”

This time she saw true regret on her leader’s face and the short-lived hope inside her withered.

“Kiriai, I speak the truth now. If there were a way to bring your grandfather back, I would do it. Never question that.”

Kiriai clenched her jaw and forced herself to bite back her instinctive response. It was obvious what he would tell her. He wouldn’t bring Ojisan back.

Boss Akuto shook his head, lips pursed. “Anything you want in this hood, I could give you. But to take a staff member back from the burb chief? That is out of my power. I’m truly sorry, Kiriai.”

“But—” Kiriai had to clear her throat and force down the simmering anger to finish in a calm voice. “He saved your life. We saved your life. There has to be a way you can help him.”

Boss Akuto shook his head, gaze solemn. The storm of injustice and anger threatened to overwhelm Kiriai’s control. She made herself breathe and drew on the techniques she’d been practicing with Shisen and her grandfather. Another outburst wouldn’t help her cause, but she had to do something.

“Can you at least tell me how this happened, if it wasn’t on your orders? Maybe that person can get Ojisan back?”

The icy control was back on Akuto’s face, and Kiriai was glad it wasn’t directed at her this time.

“No. Put it out of your mind, Kiriai. Your grandfather belongs to the chief now. The best I can do is to arrange for frequent visits.”

Kiriai shook her head. She refused to accept this.

“And don’t worry. I will find the person responsible and have a discussion with him or her.” The boss’s voice was flat and cold, and Kiriai was glad someone would pay for this. But her grandfather would still be gone. Kiriai’s thoughts were already moving to other possibilities. There had to be a way to get him back. And she would find it.

“I apologize, Senior Scrapper Kiriai, for failing to protect you and your family.” Akuto’s solemn words pulled Kiriai back to the present. She stared at the boss, shocked. How many people had ever had a personal apology from the man?

Her thoughts must have been clear from her expression because the stern leader unbent enough to chuckle. “I may be all-powerful compared to you, little one, but I’m not perfect. There are also many around me who lust after my power and work at cross purposes. I truly am sorry that your grandfather was a casualty of that infighting and I will pay special attention that nothing similar happens to you. Understand?”

Kiriai nodded, still not trusting her voice when all she wanted to do was scream and rail at the unfairness of it all.

“I will look into the matter. You need not worry about it anymore. Dismissed.” The imperious leader was back, and Kiriai knew he wouldn’t listen to any more arguments.

She forced her fists to relax and gave a small bow before turning and leaving Boss Akuto’s office.

Shisen and Eigo were waiting when she exited, but she gave them a small shake of her head. Her failure had to be easy to read from her body language. They were both silent, though Eigo put a hand on her shoulder, his expression worried. Kiriai’s mind scrambled for more ideas. Eigo had to have some. He was always good at finding unorthodox solutions to her problems. And maybe Sento would know if any staff ever returned from Southern Core. Kiriai refused to accept that her separation from her grandfather was permanent.

“I see you’ve heard the news.” An oily voice with an undertone of enjoyment interrupted her thoughts. Kiriai stopped and looked up to see the cruel eyes of Second Jaaku fixed on her, small and beady like a scavenger’s. He stared at her with an anticipation that seemed to drink in her distress like fine wine. An exquisitely tailored suit that would normally suggest culture and taste camouflaged his square features and boulder-shaped body.

“Let me be the first to offer my condolences,” the man said and reached his hand out to Kiriai as if he expected her to actually shake it.

The implications of his gloating words penetrated Kiriai’s thoughts like a knife. Realization crashed down on her. Horror and fury flared to life, both fighting for dominance. Her body shook with fine tremors. Kiriai stared at the hand held out to her and she knew she stood on a precipice, two very different futures stretching out in front of her. If she let her inner rage loose, she would wipe the cocky arrogance from Jaaku’s face. She would leave permanent damage no fixing wand could completely repair. The image was so real and tempting, Kiriai could almost feel his body and bones giving beneath her onslaught. That visceral satisfaction was a heady drink, one her rage urged her to guzzle with abandon.

Kiriai-chan, my love.

The whisper was faint, a childish version of her name with an undercurrent of love and caution. It intruded and distracted, just enough to catch her attention. Blinking to clear her mind, Kiriai looked up and examined Jaaku’s face, his eyes. They were filled with an eager anticipation he was too arrogant to hide.

An icy bucket of restraint dumped over her head and snuffed her rage out in an instant. He had planned this. All of it! Weeks ago, he had engineered Ojisan’s removal. Today, he had deliberately timed his arrival for the moment she was most angry and vulnerable.

And his goading had almost worked.

Kiriai’s stomach clenched, sick at the implications. If she had attacked, even Boss Akuto couldn’t have saved her. Over Jaaku’s shoulder, Kiriai saw the hallway guard watching the exchange with rapt attention. He was probably the one who had tipped Jaaku off and would now stand as a witness to her “unprovoked” attack. It was a beautiful trap and only a subtle warning had kept her from falling into it.

Thank you, ancestors, Mama, Papa. Someone had helped her, and she was grateful.

Back in full control, Kiriai squared her shoulders and drew on all her experience in the arena to project confidence and danger. She plastered a fake smile on her face.

“That is very kind of you, Second Jaaku. I appreciate your concern.” Kiriai reached out and shook Jaaku’s hand. The man had the temerity to try to crush her grip with his own meaty hand. Had he forgotten what she spent her days doing? Kiriai had her own set of tricks. She shifted her grip and touched his wrist with her index finger. The move made it impossible for him to crush her hand. With a smile, she leaned forward slightly. “In fact, I plan on never forgetting it. Ever!”

It gave Kiriai great satisfaction to see the anger and disappointment flicker across Jaaku’s face. Now, he was the one who couldn’t attack her in front of a witness. Kiriai’s smile widened, just to irk the odious man. As she walked past him and down the hallway, her rage burned, low and fierce. Someday, Kiriai would make Jaaku pay, if it was the last thing she did.