For the first time since she had been captured, Natsuki awoke feeling refreshed and looking forward to the day. Her first plan had succeeded – not as well as she had hoped, but now she only had a couple of days of captivity left. Next was seeing if she could shorten it. For that, she needed to work on Darius. And now that they had a new hobby to share...

    She and Darius sat down in the living room together once Darius had finished recharging the magical barriers, the lock picking book open in front of them, alongside a lock and a small toolkit. Ken had checked in and then headed out to pick up supplies with Harry. Selena had headed out as well, to do some maintenance on her battle mech.

    “It’s a pity you can’t see it,” she told Natsuki before she left. “But, we have to keep it hidden pretty out of the way. Balthazar’s invisibility screen can only go so far, and the last thing we need is somebody walking into it by accident. So, I won’t be back until the afternoon. You two have fun!”

    Darius stared at the lock and the page. “Harry does this all the time, so it can’t be that hard, right?”

    Natsuki shrugged. “I’ve only seen people do it in stories.”

    “Well, we’re a wizard and a genius,” Darius declared. “We will defeat this lock!”

    By lunchtime, Natsuki was prepared to admit that the lock might be winning. Darius, however, was undeterred, swearing as they ate that they would open the lock by dinner.

    “If Harry can do it, we can do it!” Darius said.

    They were still trying to open the lock by the time Harry and Ken returned with the groceries and supplies...and another two locks.

    “If you’re going to do this,” Harry said, putting the locks on the table in front of them, “you should probably start with easy locks. That’s one of the harder ones you’ve got there.”

    “How is it this difficult?” Darius demanded.

    “Well, most locks are made to be secure,” Harry replied. “Let me know if you need help.”

    “We do not!” Darius cried, opening the lock. “We got it! It only took us...several hours.”

    Natsuki smiled at him. “This was fun. Let’s do this again tomorrow morning, right after breakfast.” And before you recharge those barriers.

    “Sounds good to me,” Darius said.

    “Well, the good news is that I think I’ve got the battle damage all taken care of,” Selena announced as she walked through the door. “The bad news is that the invisibility cloak is failing, and if we don’t get that taken care of within the next two days, there will be a thirty-foot tall battle mech overlooking Tokyo on the slope of Mount Fuji. Somebody will probably notice it.”

    Harry shrugged. “Put a plaque on it and call it a sculpture. Problem solved.”

    “I’d rather go with the invisibility cloak,” Selena said. “If it’s all right with you.”

    Natsuki stiffened as Balthazar came through the front door. She could see it in his eyes – something had happened.

    “Good, you’re all here,” Balthazar said. “Meeting in the conference room, right now. I’m sorry, Natsuki, but you can’t sit in on this one.”

    Natsuki waited a couple of minutes before following them into the basement. The door to the conference room was closed, but a light shone through the crack at the bottom of the door. She crept up to the door and put her ear to it.

    Silence.

    Natsuki sighed and stepped back. The room was magically soundproofed. Well, they had been thorough on everything else, so this wasn’t that surprising. All she could do was wait.

    Natsuki leaned against the far wall and stared at the door, willing it to open. It remained shut. She checked her watch. At least twenty minutes had passed.

    She took a deep breath. Whatever it was, Balthazar would keep his word. She’d be freed in two days. If nothing else, she had that.

    The door opened, Selena the first one out. As soon as she saw Natsuki, she averted her gaze. A chill went down Natsuki’s spine. She raced forward and forced herself through the door. On the table was a map, with three positions marked around an intersection. She could feel Balthazar, Ken, Harry, and Darius staring at her by the door.

    “The other side wants to talk,” Balthazar said. “They’ve put forward Aquila as a mediator. My friends are going to meet with her tomorrow morning and vet her first, though.”

    “No they’re not,” Natsuki said, a tear rolling down her cheek as she turned to face him. “You’re going to ambush and kill her.”

    Balthazar nodded. “I’m sorry. It’s how it has to be.”

    “You don’t understand,” Natsuki cried. “Aquila saved me! If it wasn’t for her, I’d still be trapped as the main girl in that harem comedy! She doesn’t want to fight any of you! She just wants to fetch me and leave!”

    “She’s with the other side now,” Balthazar said. “I’m not going to ask you to agree with what we’re going to have to do, but I know you understand it.”

    Natsuki fell to her knees. “Please...please don’t do this! Please, I’ll do anything! Anything! I’ll stop trying to escape! I’ll cook, I’ll clean, I’ll...I’ll...I’ll stay!”

    Balthazar crouched down before her. “For what it’s worth, I wish I had met you and your friends before this war had started. Once this thing is done tomorrow, you’re free to go. We’ll make sure you’ve got enough money to get to Camp Asaka.”

    “If it’s any consolation,” Harry said, “we’re probably going to get diced making the attempt.”

    Natsuki looked up at him. “How could that possibly make me feel better? You were all kind to me! Please...please don’t do this! Please!”

    “Selena,” Balthazar called. “Take Natsuki upstairs and comfort her as best you can. The next few hours are going to be very hard on her.”

    Natsuki felt Selena’s hand on her arm, helping her to her feet. “Come along, Natsuki,” she said, “let’s get you something to eat. I’ll make you some teriyaki rice balls, just the way you like them.”

Natsuki barely slept that night. Instead, she lay in her bed, her brain racing to figure out some magic combination of words that could make them all back down, or even just get one of them to decide to stay back at the house instead of participating in the ambush. But nothing came to mind.

    Her stomach growled as the sun began to rise. She had barely been able to touch the rice balls that Selena had made for her. Nobody else had eaten much, either. The tone was subdued, with barely anybody talking at all. And nobody was willing to meet Natsuki’s gaze for more than a couple of seconds.

    She rose with the dawn, getting dressed and heading downstairs. Perhaps she could press herself against the door, turn herself into a human barricade. But then, the people who had been kind to her would just move her aside. She was a hostage, that was all.

    She found Balthazar already awake and in the kitchen, counting thousand yen bills and putting them into an envelope. “This is for you,” he said. “Enough money to get you to Camp Asaka, or wherever in the city you want to go. As soon as we’re back, you’re free.” He pointed to the coffee maker. “I made some coffee too, if you want some. You look like you could use it.”

    “Please don’t do this,” Natsuki begged. “I’ll do anything. Just, please, talk with her instead. Please!”

    Selena and Darius ambled into the kitchen, yawning but already dressed. “Please,” Natsuki pleaded, looking at them. They looked away. “Please don’t do this. Please.”

    Finally, Darius met her gaze for just a moment. “I’m sorry,” he said. “This is not what any of us wanted your last day with us to be like. We’re all, so very sorry.”

    “Then don’t do it!” Natsuki cried. “I’ll forgive it all, if you just don’t do it! I’ll be your friend, I’ll...I’ll...”

    “Ken’s going to meet us there,” Harry said, stepping into the kitchen, already in his trenchcoat and fedora. Natsuki stared at him, tears running down her cheeks.

    “Please...” she whimpered.

    “We should go,” Balthazar said, looking at the others. “All we’re doing by staying here is torturing Natsuki.”

    Selena and Darius nodded, and left the kitchen. Balthazar followed, leaving her alone with Harry.

    “Please don’t do this,” Natsuki begged.

    Harry took out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “You’re a really classy dame, you know that?”

    “Ken’s not here,” Natsuki said, her voice barely a whisper.

    “I know,” Harry said. “In my story, where I come from, that’s the highest compliment a man like me can give to a member of the fairer sex. It’s a pity we weren’t worthy of you. Goodbye, Natsuki.”

    Natsuki leaned against the table as Harry left and began to sob. Her legs gave out and she collapsed to the floor, weeping. She cried until the tears ran out, and then she sat on the floor staring. It was almost 8:30 in the morning. Time for Darius to do his rounds.

    Natsuki blinked.

    Time for...Darius...

    She closed her eyes, concentrating, fighting back the fatigue. Darius wasn’t here. There was nobody to recharge the barriers keeping her in the house...unless he had...

    Natsuki shook her head and got to her feet. She needed to wake up. Coffee...was there still coffee?

    She looked over to the counter. Half a pot of coffee remained, as well as a cup laid out for her, no doubt by Balthazar.

    She filled the cup and swallowed it down, the hot liquid burning her throat as it went down. No matter. She poured herself another one and drank it down too. Clarity returned. She glanced at the clock. It was almost a quarter to nine. If Darius had forgotten to recharge the barrier over the front door before he had left, it should be failing.

    She stepped over to the front door. The hum of energy was barely audible...and then it was gone. She pushed her hand forward. It touched the door.

    Natsuki took a deep breath. She was free to escape, but that would mean nothing if she couldn’t get to the meeting place and warn Aquila. She cast back into her memory, and the map she had seen on the table. Everything was there – she knew where the ambush would take place, and where three of them would be. Now what mattered was speed. She could be there within twenty minutes, if she hurried.

    Natsuki raced back to the kitchen and grabbed the envelope of money. Then she ran to the closet and put on her toggle coat and hiking boots.

    “I’m coming, Aquila,” Natsuki muttered as she threw open the front door and made her way out into the streets of Tokyo.

NEXT: “Limbo”