respect, then ordered them to the infirmary. “Do not berate yourself, Mr. Murdoch. They are used to battle. No man joins us who is not prepared to give his life. What we do is not for the faint of heart.”
“You should seek help as well, Mr. Murdoch,” Kiyoko said, pointing to his torso. Traces of blood were visible along the edges of the sliced fabric. Annoyingly, her eyes kept straying to the sweat-dampened material clinging to the steely muscles of his chest. “Stitches may be required.”
He shook his head. “Flesh wounds.”
His gaze lifted to meet hers and a dart of delicious warmth went right to her belly. Flesh. Oh, dear. He was feeling the same keen desire, the same sharp need. It was there in his eyes.
And suddenly the full meaning of Murdoch’s earlier warning sank in. Belong to me . That was why his berserker came after her. It wasn’t to harm her. It was to …
She blushed to the roots of her hair.
A wry smile lifted one corner of Murdoch’s mouth.
“How much of you is left inside when the berserker takes control?” Sora asked.
“Everything,” Murdoch responded. His gaze remained locked with hers, his message clear. The heat was so intense Kiyoko had to break off the stare. “The basic motivations are mine. I remember who my enemies are, but my actions become so focused on winning that collateral damage is very common.”
Sora frowned.
“ Collateral damage is an American euphemism for killing innocents and friendlies,” explained Murdoch grimly.
“I see.” Sora turned to her. “And you, Kiyoko-san, did you feel the same energy burst as before?”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
He would not be pleased to know how deeply disturbed she was by Murdoch. She was supposed to keep clear thoughts and a peaceful inner calm at all times. A master onmyōji did not tremble with need and teeter on the verge of throwing herself into her opponent’s arms. If he knew the tumult of her desire, Sora might well change his mind about her future, divination or no divination.
“Fascinating,” said her mentor.
“Well, as interesting as the experiment was,” Murdoch said, “it’s not why I came to Japan.” He picked his jacket up off the floor and turned to Kiyoko. “Let’s talk.”
She glanced at him. “Watanabe-san said you were interested in a relic, something my father might have had in his collection.”
“That’s correct. Some time ago, when Lena Sharpe paid you a visit, she sensed the item in your home.”
“My home? But all of my father’s antiquities are on display in the lobby of the Ashida Corporation building.”
He nodded. “I saw them.”
“And was the relic you seek among the collection?”
“No.”
She mentally reviewed all of the pieces of art in her home, which was easy because the house was sparsely decorated. “Describe it, please.”
“I can’t.”
She smiled. “If you can’t describe it, how do you know it’s not on display at the office?”
“I have a dowser,” said Murdoch.
“A what?”
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a multifaceted crystal attached to a thin silver chain. Dangling it between his thumb and forefinger, he held it to the light. “A dowser. It tells me if I’m near the item I’m seeking.”
“By rotating clockwise or counterclockwise?” Kiyoko asked with a small laugh. “That doesn’t really work, Mr. Murdoch. It’s a charlatan’s trick.”
His brow lifted. “It doesn’t swing, it vibrates. And I can assure you, the lad who gave me this little gem is anything but a charlatan. He’s a very powerful mage.”
Kiyoko was about to say something further, but Sora put a hand on her arm, staying her rebuttal.
“I’ve seen such things,” the old master said. “But how did your mage tell it what to look for when you’ve already admitted you do not know what it is?”
“The object possesses a dark power. We’ve handled other relics of a similar nature, so Stefan set this dowser up to
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