Chapter Twenty-Six: Blinding Lights:

The kitsune looked up and saw a tired Shichiro stumbling into the darkened living room, panting. Kohaku's soul flew back to the body.

"Master?" it asked. "Master, what's wrong?" The man took in deep breaths. Kohaku observed him for a moment.

His body's going through another pain, it thought. It was then the kitsune noticed something else. What's this? I� I can't feel a thing. Usually, a kitsune and its handler are one, but when they start to separate, that can mean only one thing. Is it starting at last? Is Mother killing us now? Kohaku shut its eyes. No! I don't want to die yet. Just give more time. That's all I ask.

"Sweetheart?" Kitsune and master heard. Shichiro looked up and saw Amaya standing in the doorway.

"Baby?" she asked. "What are you doing out of bed?" She raced over to his side. Her husband shook his head.

"Couldn't sleep," he said. Amaya put her arm around him.

"You shouldn't be out of bed in your condition," she said. "You know better!" Shichiro chuckled at her.

"What are you, my doctor?" he whispered.

"I'm your wife," Amaya answered. Shichiro cuddled close to her chest.

"I love you," he said.

"Okay�" his wife said.

Shichiro looked up at her, trembling. "I don't want to die."

"I know."

Tears began to form in his eyes. "What would you do if I did?"

Amaya gave him a peculiar look. "What?"

"Tell me!"

"Shichiro�"

His fingers grabbed onto her nightgown. "Please!"

Amaya's face drained of color. What was this? "Are you� dying?"

"Please!" The tears ran down his cheeks.

Amaya dropped her shoulders and shook her head. "I don't know�"

"Would you still love me if I lost Kohaku?"

"Baby�"

"What if I was a normal human?" Shichiro softly wept against her chest.

Amaya sat there, caught off guard. "Uh� well�" Kohaku�s jaw dropped. What's this? She usually snaps at him to man up. The kitsune observed the look in her eyes. It tried to understand what was going on. This is�

Amaya shook her head hard. "Let's just get you to bed, okay?" Her husband whimpered and nodded against her breasts.

"Right," the woman said. She pulled him to his feet and walked him back to their room. Kohaku watched after them. What just happened? That didn't feel real to me. Kohaku shook its head. Oh, this is not good, not good at all. It had to execute its plan quickly.