Surrender to Darkness by Annette McCleave

word his father killed himself after losing the job he’d held for thirty-four years. He’s very bitter, but we can still reason with him.”
    Murdoch trusted his gut. And his eyes. The bomb spoke volumes. “Wrong. He came here to die. Talking isn’t going to change anything. I’d prefer not to help him meet his maker, but I’ll do it if I must.”
    Kiyoko said something to the warrior.
    Another burst of Japanese spilled from the young man’s lips. The lad’s eyes were locked on Kiyoko, his face flushed with resentment, and an unsettled feeling landed in Murdoch’s belly.
    “You’re right,” she said. “Takeo says he has lost faith in the onmyōjō ways, that he no longer believes we can defeat the demons. He has embraced the dark side of his soul, and he is pleased that he has slain several of his fellow senshi because it will save them from the futility of our daily demon hunts. He accepts that he will die today.”
    “Fine,” Murdoch said grimly.
    “But he wants me to do it.”
    He bristled. “Not in a million bloody years.”
    “He is my student. It’s a fair request.” She waved a hand to a warrior standing just inside the dojo. The young fellow raced to her side, presented her with an intricately engraved scabbard, then scurried back. “I will lose face with his peers if I do not grant him his wish, Mr. Murdoch.”
    “Lose face?” He shot her a quick, angry stare. “You’re going to let pride get you killed? You’ll lose a sight more than face if you give in to him. He just wants you close enough to guarantee he takes you with him when he flips that damned switch.”
    “I’m faster than you think.”
    “I don’t care how bloody fast you are,” he said hotly. The berserker was clawing its way up his chest. “You’re not going to duel a madman with a bomb. Understand?”
    “I’ve fought demons. I can handle a man.”
    “For God’s sake, woman, you just admitted that you trained him to kill creatures more powerful than himself.”
    “I’m still the teacher.”
    Murdoch couldn’t keep his eyes off the four blocks of plastic explosive strapped to the young man’s chest. If the bloody bomb went off, Murdoch would suffer and suffer badly. It wouldn’t kill him, but it would come as close to killing him as it was possible to come, shredding his flesh and pulverizing his bones. Imagining that same impact on Kiyoko was almost enough to make him puke up his meager breakfast.
    “He’s still the one with the bomb.”
    “Stop worrying,” she said mildly, drawing her sword with a light rasp of steel. She bowed to Takeo, and the young warrior bowed back. Neither of them took their eyes off each other. “I’ll survive, and so will you. My shield magic is very strong.”
    Murdoch snorted. “Lass, you’d have to be a mage to manage a shield spell capable of holding off a bomb at close range.”
    The young warrior was growing antsy, and he took a step toward Kiyoko, brandishing his weapon and snarling an obvious threat.
    Murdoch stepped between them with little thought.
    Kiyoko’s katana sliced through his jacket and into his side, burning along his ribs. She shoved him away, but not before the blood flowed. A warm, sticky stream ran down his side and pooled at the waistband of his trousers.
    “Stop trying to protect me,” she said angrily.
    “My actions are not entirely my own,” he admitted, though not one whit unhappy at where his feet had taken him. “Remember what I told you about my berserker and its primitive claim? It’s having a little trouble with this scenario.”
    “I remember. But didn’t you also say the basic motivations while you were in the berserker state were your own?”
    Murdoch’s breath snagged. True .
    “I think you’re blaming your inner demon for your chauvinistic tendencies, Mr. Murdoch. Step out of the way.”
    He blinked. Was he?
    Unfortunately, a blink was enough time for Kiyoko to slip past him. She rushed the young warrior with her sword aloft and