Sharkbait

I got out of the Uber in the parking lot of the airport. Luna Adrienne, Alpha Leo, and my parents were all there waiting for me. I almost forgot the sword in my excitement to get to them; I quickly thanked the driver, then grabbed my wrapped bundle, and stepped out. I was engulfed in hugs, eventually able to breathe and move again.

I saw Supreme Vampire Cyprian Pontalba standing well apart from the werewolves milling about the parking lot. He stood with a small group of vampires, some from his Coven, some not. “We heard Master Alexander is dead,” Adrienne said.

“He is,” I said. “I removed his head with this sword. Emily is now in charge of the Boston Coven.”

Master Cyprian must have heard that because he turned towards me. He walked towards our group, accompanied by another Vampire wearing an expensive suit. They stopped a few feet away from me, as my family formed a semi-circle behind me. “You killed Master Corvinus?”

“I did,” I said.

“How,” the well-dressed man asked.

“My apologies, Heir Lawrence. This man is my colleague, Master Vampire Vincenzo Milan, the New York City Coven leader.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said as I offered my hand. Vincenzo shook it warily. “I obtained recordings that told me Master Corvinus was not just lying to me, but he ordered the attempt on my life a few days ago. The same audio verified Corvinus was holding two ranked werewolves in the basement of a building in his territory, making them into his personal blood bank. Both acts are grounds for war between our species.”

“I didn’t know about this until a few minutes ago,” Vincenzo objected.

“We found out last night. Luna Adrienne raised the army, and you know the rest.” I could see Timothy and Traci sitting in the open door of a minivan, their injuries being tended to by a Pack doctor. I looked at Cyprian. “You were able to verify Corvinus was violating the treaty?”

“We were,” he said. “Our people arrived at the location just after the werewolves brought the pair out. Two of Corvinus’ vampires died fighting them.”

“Now, how did you kill Alexander,” Vincenzo asked.

“I got close to him and used this sword to remove his head,” I said. “He fucked with me, and I took him out.”

“I see,” Vincenzo said.

“The Werewolf Council is satisfied that the Vampire Council did not know of or sanction Master Corvinus’s actions, and we have retrieved our people and killed the ones responsible,” Luna Adrienne said. “Our people are out of Coven territory and returning to their homes. We would prefer to treat this as an aberration in an otherwise successful treaty between our peoples.”

“I would agree,” Cyprian said. “If our Council had known of his actions, the outcome would have been the same. We have no wish to go back to the time before the treaty was in place.”

“What about them,” I said as I pointed to the newly-freed couple.

“I will ensure the new Coven leader provides compensation to them for their suffering,” Cyprian replied. “Alexander had plenty of money; Emily can provide restitution.”

“I’m glad our peace will endure, and I thank you for your assistance,” I said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to endure a stern talking-to from my father and my Uncle about going off on my own.”

That got a smile out of Cyprian. “If you are ever in New Orleans, you are welcome in my home, young Vicki,” he said. “I will need to stay here for a week or so until the Masters can meet, and Emily faces any challenges to her new status. My aircraft is at your disposal as long as you need it, Vicki. Have a safe trip home.”

That was cool! I loved private jets, and it would make traveling with a samurai sword easier.

Vincenzo extended his hand, this time bringing mine to his nose. “I will not miss your next public appearance in New York. Thank you, Vicki, for resolving this cleanly.” The pair turned and headed back towards the other vampires.

I turned back to my family and opened up the links. “The Volkov School of Diplomacy is great! First, you kick ass like Leo, then you smile and mend fences like Adrienne.”

They all started laughing. “We better get you on the plane before your diplomacy goes bad,” Unka Leo said. “Can we trust his pilot?”

“They are human, and I trust Cyprian wants us safely home,” I said. I didn’t have anything except my purse and my new sword. “I wish I could shower and change. I wiped the blood off where I could, but it’s soaked into my dress.”

“I know, the smell is awful. I think I have something in my bag you can use,” Mom said.

The pilots had another twenty minutes of preflight, so we sat in the comfortable cabin of the aircraft. My Mom saw the hilt of the Japanese sword sticking out of the blanket. “Can I see that sword, Vicki?”

“Sure,” I said as I pulled it out.

It was centuries old, and the craftsmanship was incredible. “What do you know about it?”

“It was on Alexander’s wall. Emily said it was priceless, made around 1300 by Masamune.”

Mom had her tablet out and started searching for information while Dad pulled me close. “You’re taking too many risks, Sharkbait,” he said. “Look, you’re giving me grey hairs.”

I snorted. “Dad, you had grey hairs when you met Mom,” I said. “I know it’s been a little wild, but it’s not my fault! It’s not like I’m going out of my way to get into trouble!”

“I know, honey. I just worry about you.” I leaned into his shoulder, the fatigue getting to me. “Now, why do you have a boyfriend who is much older and rides a motorcycle?”

“Da-aaad,” I complained. “James is a good man, a SEAL. I like him a lot.”

“He’s not your mate,” Dad said. “You’ll hurt him if you let him get too close.”

“I know,” I said. I needed to change the subject. “Luna, how did you guys take the vampires down so fast?”

“Armor and flamethrowers,” she said. “Smelled horrible, but it’s effective. It doesn’t kill them right away, but it hurts them enough to bring the swords to bear. You aren’t the only one who lopped off a vampire head today.”

“My sword wasn’t as expensive, but it worked just as well,” Leo responded. “Maximillian was defending the entrance to the cellar when he got lit up and charged us.”

I smiled and moved over to hug him. “My Unky Leo is such a badass,” I said.

“I love you, Sharkbait,” he responded.

“HOLY SHIT,” Olivia said. “Look at THIS!” Mom had a page up talking about Masamune, whom the page declared to be the greatest of all Japanese swordsmiths. I saw the photo she was pointing to; “Honjo Masamune” was the title. The sword was an exact match to the one in her lap.

“How?” I kept looking back and forth between the photo and the sword.

“The Honjo sword was the Sword of Shoguns,” she said. “It was the finest sword Masamune created and is a Japanese National Treasure. Its last sighting was in 1945 when the owner turned it in with fourteen other swords to a police station. The American Military Occupation had outlawed the manufacture or possession of swords. An American soldier signed for it, but no one matching that name was in the military in Japan. The sword’s whereabouts are the subject of much speculation; it is so well-known that selling it is impossible. Some think the sword was destroyed with the other collected weapons.”

She handed me the tablet, and I read the article. “I can’t keep this,” I said. “It belongs in a museum, not on my wall!”

“Your finding this will be a big story, and there will be questions if you bring it in,” Leo said. “Questions you can’t answer.”

We talked for a few minutes and came up with a plan. Instead of flying to Minnesota, we flew to Washington, DC. My newfound fame came with some benefits; the starstruck assistant at the Japanese Embassy was incredibly helpful. He was thrilled at the prospect of me filming a documentary in Japan about deep-water sharks. He got me a twenty-minute appointment with the Ambassador that afternoon. He was surprised when I asked that the Military Attache attend but agreed when I mentioned Amy’s husband was a SEAL, and the project might include military divers.

When we arrived at the Japanese Embassy, I only brought my parents inside with me while Leo and Adrienne went off to dinner. The Military Attache, a Commander in the Maritime Self-Defense Forces, met us at Security. The katana raised some eyebrows in the X-ray. “It’s a gift,” I said.

“I will have to hold it while we are inside,” the Commander said. With that, he escorted us to a waiting area where we drank tea and nibbled on snacks as we waited. “Where did you get this,” he said as he looked at the sword closely.

“I’d rather tell the story once,” I said.

With that, the door opened, and a young woman asked us to follow her. The Ambassador looked up as we entered, and the Commander made the introductions. “You wish to film a documentary in Japan,” he asked me.

“Yes, but that was just an excuse to meet with you. Commander, the sword?”

He handed it over to his boss, and the Ambassador’s eyes got big. “This… it can’t be!”

“The Honjo Masamune sword. It is my gift to the Japanese people.”

The Ambassador gently set the sword down and sat back in his chair. “Are you sure?”

“Part of the reason I brought it to you is that your experts could authenticate it. I am fairly certain of what it is, but even if it is another maker, it is still worthy of museum display.”

“I don’t know what to say,” he finally said.

“Take high-quality photographs and send them off to the experts,” I said. “I can wait.”

He made a phone call, and ten minutes later, the emails and phone conversations were coming fast and furious. I couldn’t follow the language, but I could sense the excitement. “Further testing will be required to verify the age, but it matches the last known photographs of the Honjo. This gift is extraordinary,” he said.

“I prefer the donation remain from an anonymous donor, except those at the highest level of your government who need to know,” I said. “All I am doing is returning a treasure to your people, and I cannot say how I obtained it.”

“Did you steal it?” I shook my head, no. “Then it is of no consequence. My people are in your debt, Vicki Lawrence,” he said as he stood and bowed. “If there is anything we can do for you, just ask.”

I asked for only one thing, and he was happy to provide it. The Ambassador quickly set up a teleconference with the Prime Minister and the head of the two Japanese Houses. After informing them of my gift and desire to remain anonymous, they gave me time to address them directly. They listened attentively as I passionately advocated for shark conservation, and the importance of banning shark-fin soup. I even got an invitation to testify in front of Parliament when the conservation bill came up for debate.

We dined with the Ambassador and his family that night, leaving about ten that evening to head back to the airport. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face after today’s events.

I slept the whole way back to Minnesota.