in the river and let it wash out to the sea.”
“You’re right. I am sorry, kitsune.” The shrine maiden straightened, becoming more formal. “I apologize for my bluntness,” she offered. “I am known as Reika, and I’m the senior shrine maiden for the Hayate shrine. I am also the only one who knows about the Dragon scroll besides Master Jiro.”
“You know the legend, then. About the scroll and the Dragon’s wish.”
“Yes.” Reika nodded. “Master Jiro told me about the scroll, the Dragon’s prayer and what will happen if the Dragon is summoned. But there is one thing he would not reveal, and that is the location of the Steel Feather temple.” A faint, bitter smile twisted her lips. “I suppose it was for my protection.”
“I have to get to the Steel Feather temple,” I said. “I promised I would deliver the scroll to the monks there. Will you allow me to speak to Master Jiro?”
“I would,” the miko replied, “if I knew where he was.”
I blinked. “He’s not here?”
Reika shook her head. “Three days ago,” she explained, “a courier arrived with a message for Master Jiro, summoning him to the Imperial Palace. He left to attend the meeting, and put me in charge of the shrine until he returned. That was the last I saw of him.” Her lips thinned, and she shook her head. “I shouldn’t have let him go. He confessed that he had an ominous feeling about the meeting and warned me to be on my guard. I should have insisted he stay here. And now, he’s missing and I have no idea what happened.”
“Have you been to the palace to look for him?”
She gave me a bemused look. “I’ve been trying, but you cannot just show up at the imperial palace without an invitation,” she exclaimed. “The guards keep turning me away at the gates. They say that no one has seen or heard of Master Jiro.” The miko made a frustrated gesture. “But I know he’s there. I know he went to speak to a woman named Lady Satomi, and never came back.” She gave me a wary look. “And then, a kitsune arrives at the shrine with part of the Dragon scroll, wanting to know the way to the Steel Feather temple. How could I not think the two were related?”
I started to answer, but a shiver suddenly went through the air, causing a chill to race up my spine. Reika turned, eyes widening, as the edge of a blade slashed through the sliding screen door, cutting the ofuda in half. The door panels toppled to the floor with a clatter, revealing Tatsumi’s lean, dark silhouette in the frame, Kamigoroshi unsheathed and glowing in the fading light.
27
Summoned by Shadow
Something wasn’t right.
I’d watched Yumeko leave with the shrine maiden, feeling Hakaimono’s restless stirring in my mind. As soon as we’d passed beneath the torii gate at the stairs, the demon had recoiled. This was sacred ground, sanctified by priests and protected against evil. Demons were not welcome in this place. Even though Hakaimono’s presence had been masked within the sword, it was still uncomfortable for me to be here. To make matters worse, Hakaimono held a special, venomous hatred for priests, shrine maidens and spiritual figures of any kind. When the miko had first appeared, I’d had to suppress the instant desire to tear the head from her body.
Still, I sensed no evil from the shrine maiden herself, and when she told the rest of us to wait while she continued on with Yumeko, I was wary, but protesting would not have gotten us any closer to our objective. Especially when there were other ways of listening in on the conversation while not being physically present.
Wandering to the side of the building, I leaned against the railing and crossed my arms, affecting a pose of casual patience. While the ronin sat heavily on the steps and pulled out his sake jug and the noble walked quietly to the edge of a rock garden, I furtively held two fingers to my lips and whispered a few words under my breath.
Around me, everything grew very quiet. Sounds faded, becoming muffled, like the world was suddenly underwater. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head very slightly and angled my focus toward the building behind me.
Voices whispered past my ears, as I sent my consciousness into the rooms, searching for Yumeko’s voice. This was a special Shadow Clan technique, used by some of our shinobi to listen to