Free The Shattering Waves (The Year of the Dragon, Book 7) by James Calbraith

the others. She even noticed a slight resemblance in his demeanour to that of Dōraku, as if the two Fanged were two sides of the same coin, one a Leader, the other a Renegade.
    “And what do I call you? Strategist ?”
    “I’ll settle for Yui,” the Fanged replied. “Others call me Father Saturn, or Master Yui, but I won’t insist on titles until you decide to use them yourself.”
    He pushed the tray towards her. She started pouring, and dropped the clay flask in fright. It was filled with dense, bright-red blood.
    “It’s ox blood,” said the Fanged. “I’m not as cruel as Moon … as Yodo- dono .”
    “I-I don’t believe you.”
    “But you know it to be true. At least you should be able to tell the difference by now. If you’re truly ready, that is.”
    Satō put the flask to her nose and took a sniff. It smelled nothing like the blood of the dead servant. The scent still awoke in her the pangs of hunger, but it wasn’t as delicious or enticing as before. She took a sip, fighting back the gagging reflex. The moment the first drop touched her tongue, the world around her lit up, her senses sharpened, her magic powers tingled in anticipation. No longer able to withstand the urge, she poured herself a cup and swallowed it in one gulp.
    “Why are you doing this to me,” she asked in a hoarse voice after the first astonishing effects of the ox’s blood melted away and she was able to think clearly again.
    “And what is it, exactly, that you think we’re doing?” he replied with a question and poured himself some of the blood as casually as if it were a cup of cha.
    “Making me addicted to blood magic. Turning me into one of your slaves.”
    He smiled again. “It wouldn’t take us nearly that long, I assure you. We can be pretty effective if we put our hands to it.”
    “Yodo- do … Yodo said the same. That I will join you of my own will. But how is it my own will if my decisions are guided by an addiction?”
    “The addiction is just an unfortunate side effect of our power.” The Fanged twirled his whiskers. His voice trickled like honey, charming and alluring. “But if it makes you feel more at ease, I can offer you as much blood as you want to keep your addiction at bay, with no strings attached. We desire for you to become one of us, and that can only be achieved through persuasion, not force.”
    “Why would I ever do that ? You are monsters! Blood-thirsty demons. You are the enemy of everything I believe in.”
    He stood up and started pacing around her with unhurried steps, his hands behind his back. “You don’t know much about what we’re really fighting for, do you?”
    Satō shrugged. “Power. Rule over Yamato.”
    Yui stepped over to the wall and touched the runes. A map of the world appeared, drawn in glowing red lines. He laid a finger on a cluster of dots off the eastern end of the largest continent.
    “This tiny speck of land? Who would want to rule that? Who would want to spend so much effort to gain control over something so insignificant?”
    “You can’t believe you’d be able to conquer the world . Not even with your powers.”
    “Maybe not.” Yui returned to his place on the floor. “Not yet, at least. No, our mission is not power for power’s sake. What I say now may come as a shock, considering how many lies you’ve been fed by the Renegade, but … we do what must be done, because it’s the best way to protect Yamato.”
    “ Protect? You’re the onesYamato needs protecting from!”
    He shook his head. “I understand. Really, I do. You only know what the Renegade told you about us—”
    “You killed my father. You almost killed Nagomi. I knew what your kind was like long before I met Dōraku- sama. ”
    Yui winced. “Brother Mars — I suppose you knew him as Ganryū, yes? His methods were, shall I say, unorthodox. And that silly feud he had with the Renegade … We gave him a free hand over the Chinzei operations because he had promised us he would