Gloria Oliver Read Online Free PDF

and a demon.
    That wasn’t the way things were supposed to happen in the world.
    “I just thought…”
    Miko’s white mask looked up as he hesitated. “Of course. You had no reason to believe otherwise. But it isn’t true. When we touch others, it doesn’t have to be the paralyzing touch they feel. We can make our touch warm, if we like. Almost as warm as a living human’s.” Miko sat up. “Won’t you let me show you?” With a fleshless hand, she gestured to the floor right before her.
    His misgivings showing on his face, he slowly nodded and then inched toward her. Turning his back to her, he knelt on the floor. Despite what she had told him, he bit his bottom lip, waiting for her cold touch to creep into his skin.
    He tensed as a comb gently sifted through his hair. He hardly dared breathe as the small comb descended past his shoulder, stopping once to painlessly take care of a tangle. Miko continued to comb his hair, her soft silk kimono occasionally brushing against his arm.
    He stiffened more as he felt her gather his hair. The burst of cold he had expected as her hand brushed past his neck, however, never came.
    “There, I’m finished. It wasn’t that bad, was it?” Her voice was close.
    He shook his head as he gingerly turned to face her again. “Why … why are you being so kind to me?”
    Miko stopped in the middle of placing her small comb back into her hair. “Is there a reason why I shouldn’t be?”
    He stared at his coarse blanket, not knowing what to do with the unexpected rebuttal.
    “No. Well, yes,” he said. “I’m not a noble or a samurai. I’m a peasant, a lowlife. You shouldn’t be wasting your time on someone like me. You are geisha! You are of art, of beauty, of dance, all those things. Why waste your time on one such as me?”
    He dared not mention that spirits and demons weren’t known for their kindness, either. While his babbling could get him into trouble, he still had no wish to offend Miko, in case her thoughtfulness was, for whatever bizarre reason, genuine.
    The geisha laughed out loud. It was a soft and gentle laugh.
    “Oh, dear Toshi-san, where do you think geishas come from? While some may like to forget their humble origins once a wealthy lord has bought their contract, their past is still the same. I, like you and countless others, was sold as a child to a merchant who favored me and trained in the arts of the geisha since I was three. I have been lucky compared to those who’ve ended up in the red lantern districts, and I’ve never forgotten it. Every evening I send a prayer of thanks to the gods.” Her eyes glowed. “You and I have more in common than I do with any of the nobles and samurai I have served during my life, Toshi-san. Do not belittle yourself.”
    “But, Akiuji-san, you have no idea of what I’m like.” He stared at his hands, not sure why he was saying these things to her. “I could be evil or vicious, maybe even a pervert.”
    Miko’s eyes shone a bright blue. “I don’t think I have to worry about keeping my virtue intact anymore, do you?”
    Realizing he’d yet again made a fool of himself, he nevertheless grinned as Miko’s sweet laughter once more filled the room.
    “Even if I had to, I wouldn’t worry while in your presence.” Miko leaned toward him for a moment. “I’ve always had good instincts for people, and it has rarely failed me. I like you very much already.”
    He blushed at the flattery and turned away so she wouldn’t see. Before he could think of something to say, a bell sounded just outside the door.
    “I’m sorry, Toshi-san, but I must go now.” Miko’s hand rested for a moment on his arm. “Try to get some rest. Asaka-sama will want to test your skills this evening, once it is safe for us to rise above water.”
    “But—”
    “I’ll meet with you again before then with your meal. Perhaps you would enjoy some music as well?”
    Without waiting for his answer, Miko stood and silently slipped past him