Chapter Twenty: Jade Mirror:

Tsuzuki had always been drawn to death even before his own. He didn't know how to voice the reason why in words. Maybe he secretly liked the risk that came with it. He hadn't really thought it through. Tonight proved the tempting death drive to be overpowering.

He had a date tonight. This morning's revelations created a small problem. Sleeping with his wife could potentially be deadly. He hadn't seen the full effects yet, but still� Tsuzuki called up Anna on his phone. He looked at the clock as he waited.

"Hello?" his wife asked on the other line. The shinigami sat up at his desk.

"Anna!" he said.

"Hey baby," Anna said. "What is it? Do you have to work late tonight?"

"No, I'll be home early tonight."

"You sounded worried. Did something happen?"

Tsuzuki pressed his lips together. Lying was pointless; she'd figure it out later. "I got my results back."

"And?"

"We'll talk when I get home."

"Al� right�"

Tsuzuki smiled. "It's okay. I'll give you a good night, I promise."

"You mean it?"

"We will be okay. Say it back to me."

"Asato-kun�"

"Say it back to me, please?" Tsuzuki waited, holding himself back from yelling at her.

"We will be okay," she said at last. Tsuzuki closed his eyes.

"Thank you," he murmured. "I'll see you tonight."

"I love you," his wife said.

"Love you too," he said. The words before were all lies except the last. He had to lie to put her at ease her before the truth came out. He breathed and opened his eyes. Better get this over with.

---------

Tsuzuki made it to his front door. All of the lights were out inside, but he doubted she was asleep. The man had noticed that Anna hadn't been sleeping well lately. He had meant to ask her, but hadn't had the chance. Maybe he would have some clue tonight. Tsuzuki unlocked the door and went inside. He found Anna sitting in the dark living room, waiting.

"Anna," he said. "You didn't go to bed?" His wife shook her head.

"Oh," he said as he took off his shoes at the door. He came over and sat at the coffee table. Anna had a serious look on her face.

"What are the results?" she asked. Her question caught him off guard. She doesn't waste time, does she?

"She is feeding on me," he replied. "They are positive." Tsuzuki looked for a reaction on her tired face. The moonlight from the big window added to his image of her as a trampled and wilted lotus. There came a crack in her poker face.

"What can we do?" she asked in a low voice. Tsuzuki took a hold of her dainty hand.

"I can't sleep with you, but I still want to," he replied. Anna drew back her hand.

"No�" she murmured.

"Watari wants to examine you to see how far long the kitsune is before she takes you." Tsuzuki noticed the worry in his wife's eyes. "You won't hurt me tonight."

"How can you be so certain of that?"

"I'm not."

"But Asato-kun, why?"

He looked her straight in the eye. "Please bear with me when I say this." Tsuzuki paced himself to speak. "Something in me wants to feed her to see for myself." He held up his hand to stop her. "I can't explain it myself. Just please� Only for tonight."

"I can't�" his wife said.

"Please," he whispered.

"I don't want to hurt you," Anna murmured, looking away. He took her by the hands.

"I can take it," the shinigami insisted. "Just for tonight, please?" He had the eyes of a samurai ready to commit hara-kiri. Anna struggled to pull away.

"Asato-kun, you're scaring me!" she cried. The shinigami leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. She wanted to push him away, stop him. We can't do this! I don't want to hurt him. Still, so many thoughts in her head wouldn't let her move. Tsuzuki gently pulled away.

"I have to do something really quick," he whispered. "Don't move. I will come and get you." He gave her a small kiss before rising to his feet. His wife didn't even turn around as he disappeared down the darkened hall. Anna felt her throat tighten. He was on a suicide mission tonight. Her protests of reason could not reach him. Anna drew her eyes closed. I don't know what to do here, she thought. How do I stop him? Suddenly, the footsteps returned and a hand rested on her shoulder.

"Come with me," Tsuzuki whispered. Against her better judgment, Anna rose to her feet.

"Asato-kun, don't do this," she whispered.

"But I must," her husband whispered as he took her into his arms. "This will settle all of it." Tsuzuki planted a small kiss on her nape. Anna swallowed hard and shut her eyes. He took her down the hall with him. They came back to their bedroom. Tsuzuki pinned Anna against the wall.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered. "Please stop this."

"I can't," he whispered against her lips. His arms wrapped around her narrow waist. He leaned in close to her ear. "Do you trust me?" Anna pressed her lips together.

"Asato-kun�" she murmured as she looked away. He turned her face to his.

"Do you?" he whispered. Anna closed her eyes.

"Yes�" she murmured. His lips came within inches of hers.

"That's all I wanted to hear," Tsuzuki whispered. He kissed her again. This time, Anna didn't bother fighting back. He won't listen anymore anyway. His hands went for her lacy blue shirt and slid it over her head. She felt her body quiver at his touch. The samurai had the blade in his hand. Tsuzuki unbuttoned his own shirt and cast it off over his jacket and tie already on the floor.

"I have something to show you," he whispered. The shinigami led her over to their futon. Anna happened to look to the left and noticed a huge mirror stretching from wall to wall.

"Asato-kun�" she whispered. He kissed her on the cheek.

"I thought of it on a whim," Tsuzuki said. "I want you to see yourself while we do it tonight."

"What?!" she yelped with a red face. Tsuzuki lay down on the futon on his back.

"Come on," he said. "This could be fun." The shinigami reached up and pulled his wife down on top of him. Anna landed a yelp, her hands and legs landed on either side of him. The samurai had opened his gi for the ritual. Tsuzuki reached up took Anna's red and black bra in his hands. Boy did he take his sweet time with each hook. His wife let out a tiny gasp.

"Oh," she whimpered. Tsuzuki gave her a devilish grin.

"You okay?" he asked. She quickly nodded and her husband licked his lips. The bra ended up tossed across the room. Anna reached down and unzipped his trousers. She could already feel how excited he was through his boxers. Anna fought to keep her head together. It didn't take long for his boxers to follow suit. Tsuzuki reached up and caressed her cheek.

"Good girl," he whispered. Anna looked away, blushing. Her husband chuckled and placed his hands on her jean skirt. He waited for her to settle down a bit before unzipping her skirt. His wife peeked over at the mirror as he did so. A rush of heat filled her chest.

"Ooo," she murmured. Tsuzuki leaned up and gave her stomach a tiny butterfly kiss after taking the skirt off. He could feel her trembling.

"You like that, huh?" he asked. As he gave her stomach another kiss, Tsuzuki grabbed onto Anna's lacy wet panties. They automatically joined the rest of the clothes. The wife took another glance in the long mirror as the samurai readied his blade.

"Something wrong?" Tsuzuki asked.

"I feel like a porn star like this," Anna admitted with pink cheeks.

"It's okay, you'll get used to it," he said. "Now come on, take me." He could already tell by the quivering excitement in her voice at her question that she was already into this.

"You sure?" she asked.

"Go on," Tsuzuki encouraged her. "This will be worth it!"

"Okay�" she said softly. The woman could feel the sweat forming on her back already.

--------

Ivory silk highlights her slender, toned, hourglass figure. The young lad had watched Aphrodite from her palace over many nights. She was something he could never have. Intangible, but Aphrodite could be seen like the clear sea. Every night, she took down her reddish-brown hair and brushed it smooth. The clean scent of her locks was what drew him to the window in the first place.

She was going to take a bath tonight. It is a sensuous ritual performed to purify her body of earthly indulgences. Normally, this boy would turn away, but tonight, the soft winds around her drew in deeper. Aphrodite walked over to her cream porcelain tub. He could see the red and tender whip scars on her back when she drew her russet locks into a bun. Her nape and scars drew him deeper into the dream. They teased him, reminding him that he would never have her.

The goddess pulled at her ivory sash inch by inch. The robes gracefully sank down to the cool white marble floor like the cherry blossoms in Meifu itself. Jets of cherry blood flooded his cheeks. He could feel the rest of his blood rushing down between his legs. The invisible glass made it worse for him. Her cool, pale creamy skin, the red tender whips scars across her back, her flowing reddish-brown locks trapped in a bun to keep dry in the bath. So much mad his heart race out of control.

He froze when he noticed those greenish-brown eyes of his goddess' turned on him. Lust changed into panic. Oh no, she saw me! He knew that to peer upon a naked goddess during her bathing ritual equaled death. What do I do? What do I do? The lad's eyes looked around an escape. Suddenly, Aphrodite walked over to her window. Before the lad knew it, he found himself inside the goddess' bedroom in her palace.

--------

Tsuzuki gently caressed Anna's shoulder in their futon. That ride really wore her out. Perfect way to end a high-strung day. However when he looked in the mirror, Tsuzuki saw the extent of his "suicide mission." A deep dark purple and black bruise sat on his collarbone. The shinigami put his hand to the wound as he feared the worst that was coming.