Chapter 19
After the ceremony, Aihi came out onto the temple steps, leaving Chunfeng and Taniya inside Tatsu-Ji with Hidekazu and Raidon. Pink and scarlet petals swarmed around the temple entrance, blocking everything from view behind Ekiken’s towering form and his eager attempts to look inside.
He backed off as she came out of the shrine. Most of the gold had returned to his eyes, but veins of red still crept in from the edges, a marker of his suffering. Would they go away altogether, or would they forever be reminded of this day?
“Congratulations, my friend,” Ekiken rumbled as he sent a trail of peony and sunflower petals fluttering to Aihi’s cheeks, brushing her knotted hair from her face. “We should celebrate this momentous victory.”
“Trust me, we will be celebrating”—Aihi eased he
