Will emerged from his own bedroom as Noratuk called for everyone to come down to dinner. He’d decided to take a quick shower on his own to cool down, so to speak. He had actually switched the water to its coldest possible setting at the end, a trick he’d learned from his sensei to relieve fatigue and give him a little boost of energy. Of course, the water had felt only lukewarm against his skin, and he’d found himself wishing, for the first time, that he could turn off the aura of heat for a moment, just to enjoy the little things like cold water.
He was just toweling his hair off as he exited his room, and nodded a greeting to James as the older man passed him. He’d expected a cocky grin or wink from James, but was puzzled to see him roll his eyes as he looked at Will, and hear a laugh as he rounded the corner. Frowning, wondering what that had been about, Will threw the towel onto his bed and closed the door. From there, he joined the back of the line as the Nexians made their way down the halls to the cafeteria. As he passed the very top of the staircase leading down to the rec area, Will glanced down.
Edward, Noratuk, Hitori, and Hitori’s lieutenant were standing in a close huddle discussing something. He wondered what the topic of discussion was as James nudged him onward. Edward and Noratuk didn’t look pleased, whatever it was. That was judging by their deep frowns, at least. Hitori’s companion looked pleased with the subject, but Hitori’s face was inscrutable. He was making a pacifying gesture in Edward’s direction, clearly trying to reason with him. But then Will was forced to turn away, and he lost sight of them.
“Dad doesn’t look happy,” Charlisa was at his side, her frown matching that of her father’s. “Of course, Hitori has a habit of shaking things up whenever he comes to visit.”
“Does he visit often?” Will asked. He’d never heard of the Soul Nexus’ Alpha being in the city of Fairbanks. But then again, he reasoned, with how discreet the politics of the Nexuses were, he couldn’t be too surprised.
Charlisa shook her head, but Will sensed that it wasn’t a movement of denial. “About once a year. But with the tournament coming, he’s probably up to something extra mischievous now.”
James patted her on the back as they sat down at the tables. “You’re overthinking it, Char.”
“Lisa,” Charlisa said, glaring at him. “How many times do I have to tell you I don’t like your nicknames?”
Will let out a quiet snort of laughter that turned the glare towards him. He hastily made a pacifying gesture, reminding himself forcefully of Hitori downstairs. “Sorry. It’s just… such a lazy nickname.”
James widened his eyes and clutched one hand to his chest in mock injury. “You wound me, William.”
Will grimaced. “Yeah, that’s definitely not gonna fly. You can call me Will, or I’ll flip you on your ass.”
Both Charlisa and James looked at him in faint surprise, along with a few others. Even Will was shocked. It was the first time he’d spoken so abruptly since joining the Nexus. There were a few muted chuckles among the group, and Charlisa smiled slightly at him. James, for his part, simply looked away for a few moments, nodding quietly as if confirming something in his mind. Will considered apologizing for his rude remark, but before he could even open his mouth to speak, movement at the top of the stairs caught his eye, and all the quiet conversation came to an abrupt halt.
“Will, come with me,” Edward said. “We need to talk.”
Will got to his feet, feeling as though an ice cube had just slipped into his stomach. Edward and Noratuk were side-by-side, Hitori and his companion trailing a few feet behind them. He glanced down at Charlisa as if asking for her opinion, and she discreetly shooed him along. Swallowing nervously, he made his way over to the Alpha, nearly tripping on the bench as he moved. Ignoring the snickers of the others, he followed Edward and Noratuk into the kitchen.
Noratuk closed the kitchen doors behind them with a snap, and Edward ushered Will over to where the stoves sat. He complied, watching nervously as the two Soul Nexians leaned casually against the sinks. “Yes, Alpha?”
“Why didn’t you tell me that you knew Hitori?” Edward asked. He didn’t sound angry, Will thought, but he also didn’t sound pleased. “Did you not think this was the kind of information I should know?”
Will opened his mouth to reply, but wasn’t sure what to say, so closed it again. He glanced between Edward and Noratuk, both faces blank and expressionless. He looked at Hitori instead. There wasn’t anything more to read in the smooth angular face either. His lieutenant looked faintly amused by the entire exchange, his eyes lingering on Will’s as if scanning him.
“I only met him the once,” He said finally, his voice sounding a little hoarse. “He attended the tournament I competed in.”
This was perfectly true, of course. After Will had won the tournament, he’d run into the Soul Nexus Alpha outside the stadium. He hadn’t planned it, and he’d been rooted with fright when Hitori had approached him. He’d only had a short conversation, in which Hitori had congratulated him on his victory. Sure, he remembered the pride he’d felt at Hitori’s compliments. The man had told him he fought like a true senshi.
“Well, Hitori has just informed me that he found you most impressive,” Edward said. Will flushed at that. “It has come to my attention that he intended to recruit you to the Soul Nexus.”
“What?” Will took a step back in shock, momentarily forgetting that there was something behind him. He caught up against the stoves, nearly stumbling. “But I’m not from Japan.”
“It was my intention to come visit you during this trip,” Hitori said. His voice, as ever, was smooth. “I remembered watching you fight, and I knew I could find you here.”
“Oh,” Will said. Now that some of his panic had started to fade, he felt a little light-headed. “I’m sorry.”
Hitori waved one graceful hand in dismissal. “There is no need to apologize, my boy. You have not caused me offense. But there is one thing you should be made aware of.”
Suddenly, a terrifying thought occurred to Will. He turned to Edward, his heart thumping. “I enjoy being in the Fire Nexus, Alpha. Please don’t surrender me. I mean no disrespect to Hitori-san, but this is my family, and I’d like to stay.”
Edward frowned at him. “Will, that’s not what-”
Will continued on, speaking over Edward. “I’m honored by your offer, of course, Hitori-san. But Fairbanks is my home, and the Fire Nexus lives in that home. Besides, I’ve already started training, and I don’t want to give that up.”
“Will-san,” Hitori said, his eyes widening slightly as he lifted one hand. “You need to listen-”
“I’m sure the Soul Nexus is honorable and all,” Will said, the panic returning in full force. He didn’t want Edward to continue, to hear that he’d have to leave the Fire Nexus. That he’d have to leave Charlisa behind, and move to Japan. “Please don’t take my flame back. I can prove to you that I’m loyal, if you just give me the chance. I swear I-”
“Enough!” Edward barked. Will fell silent at once, jumping a little so that he knocked an empty pan off of the shelf. “That’s enough!”
Noratuk put one hand on Edward’s arm. He glanced at her in faint surprise, and she shook her head. He took a deep breath, making an obvious effort to control his temper. “You’re right, Nora. I’m sorry.”
“Will, I will not be taking your flame back,” Edward continued. “Not that I could, in any event.”
“How do you mean-” He began to ask, but the Alpha lifted one hand to cut him off.
“I cannot remove your flame,” he repeated. “I’ve tried in the past with someone who betrayed me, and it was impossible.”
“But I can’t join the Soul Nexus if I still have my flame,” Will said. He half-turned to look at Hitori. “Can I?”
Something dangerous flashed in Edward’s eyes as Will had asked that of Hitori. He spoke a little louder as he continued, “And you will not be leaving the Fire Nexus.”
Just like that, the wave of panic washed away, and silence fell. There was a faint ringing in Will’s ears. “I- I’m not?”
“No,” Hitori said. “It is not in my nature to antagonize others, and Edward says you are a promising new talent. Taking you, even if I were so inclined, would anger him greatly.”
The two Alphas shared a long look, passing a message, and nodded. It was a curious sign of quiet respect between the two men. Will didn’t know what that was about, and he wasn’t likely to find out, so he continued along the original train of thought. “Why can’t the flame be removed?”
“I don’t know for sure,” Edward said. “But it is yours. Even as an Alpha, I can’t take it.”
“What happened to the traitor then, if you couldn’t take his flame away?”
“I was going to imprison him,” Edward explained. He glanced at Hitori again. “But before I could, he died.”
“I killed him,” Hitori said. “It was not an action I enjoyed, but it had to be done. He was threatening the safety of innocent civilians.”
Edward nodded. He turned to face Will once more. “We’re getting off-topic. Hitori, will you tell him?”
“It does seem fair,” Hitori agreed. He took a step forward, coming off the sink. “Young Will, the truth of the matter is that, while I do not want to steal you from Edward-san here, he did steal you from me. In a way.”
“How?” Will asked. “You didn’t tell me that you wanted to recruit me.”
“Very true,” Hitori said, bobbing his head slightly. “But I did begin the recruitment process.”
“The recruitment process.” Will repeated. It wasn’t a question. But suddenly, what Hitori meant clanged into place in his brain. How did an Alpha recruit a new member of the Nexus? Well, that was obvious. He shared a piece of his power. Edward had given him a small piece of his flame, giving Will the ability to manipulate and grow it. So that meant….
“You gave me a piece of your…” Will said weakly. “Your… what do you call it? We call it a flame.”
“I call it a spark,” Hitori said. His face was very grave. “And, yes. I gave you the basic power needed to join the Soul Nexus.”
“So I have both a flame and a, uh, a spark?” Will asked, aghast. “Inside me?”
Nobody agreed or disagreed with his question, but he knew it was the truth. Weakly, he gripped the corner of the stove to steady himself. This was not what he’d expected. But at least he wasn’t being sent away, he thought. “So what does that mean? What does that make me?”
“One of my men,” Edward growled at once. “Don’t you forget it.”
Will wasn’t sure if those last words were more directed at him or Hitori. Noratuk placed her hand on Edward’s arm again to console him, and looked at Will. “We don’t know, Will. We want to try to see what that means.”
Will ran one hand through his hair, letting out a long sigh. It was obvious what the implication was. He knew exactly what they were thinking but didn’t want to say aloud. “You think I might have the ability to use power from both Nexuses.”
Stiff silence followed these words. He looked from Edward to Hitori. “Don’t you?”
