how nice it would feel to take it off. And...that didn’t come out how I wanted it to at all, stop laughing, Okame-san.” I didn’t dare turn around to face him. “Baka. Be serious. We’re supposed to be looking for Lady Satomi...”
And then, one of the women seated closest to the emperor raised her head and looked right at me.
Behind my robes, forgotten and unnoticed by everyone, Chu began to growl. I suddenly felt itchy, like insects were crawling around in my sleeves, scuttling over my skin. The woman held my gaze, a faint smile gracing her full, painted lips. She was very beautiful, standing out among her fellow nobles, her crimson-and-black kimono hanging a bit more loosely in some areas than others. Not blatant or obvious, but suggestive.
Something squirmed through my hair at the base of my skull. Frowning, I reached up and grabbed something long and thin, pulling it from my head.
A red-and-black centipede wriggled between my fingers, coiling back to bite me. I threw it away with a violent jerk, barely managing not to yelp. The insect landed in the grass and was instantly pounced upon by Chu, who snatched it between his jaws and shook it like a rat. Okame, his laughter forgotten, muttered a curse.
Heart pounding, I glanced back at the woman, who was smiling at something the emperor said and not looking at me anymore. But I knew she was responsible for the unwanted visitor, and an icy chill raced up my spine as, quite suddenly, everything came together. This was the person responsible for everything. The giant centipede, the undead crows, the demons that destroyed the temple; it was all because of her. The unseen hand behind it all. The blood witch in the emperor’s court.
I trembled, not knowing if it was from fear or rage, and felt Reika move beside me, also gazing at the red-clad woman. Chu was still growling quietly near my feet, though no one around us seemed to notice the dog. “Well,” Reika said softly, “judging from Chu and how white your face has gone, I have a feeling we might have found our Lady Satomi.”
I nodded. The woman glanced my way again for just a moment, a smug triumph shining from her eyes, and I clenched my fists. If this was Lady Satomi, I also had the feeling that she wasn’t going to make things easy for us.
“Yumeko-san.”
Daisuke returned, the taller man at his side, both smiling at me as they approached. I wrenched my gaze from Lady Satomi and turned to face the nobles. “Yumeko-san,” Daisuke said again, “this is my uncle, Taiyo Morimasa.”
“Hello,” I said to the older Taiyo. Then, remembering where I was, bowed low and said, “It is an honor to make your acquaintance.”
“The honor is mine, Yumeko-san,” Morimasa replied. He looked much like Daisuke, except his hair was in a warrior’s bun atop his head, and he had a neatly trimmed goatee. “You honor us with your very presence. We have not had an onmyoji at court for quite some time. Forgive my impudence, but your name is unknown to me. Which master did you serve under? I had heard rumors that the great Tsuki no Seimei was holding a contest to choose a new apprentice.”
“I...did not serve a master,” I said, groping for a reply. “I just...um...had the talent for it, I suppose. I learned on my own.”
“Amazing,” the older man said. “And at such a young age. Truly remarkable. Well, that decides it—you must perform for His Highness tonight. It would be a great honor to have such a talented onmyoji take the stage before all the court. What do you say, Yumeko-san? Will you show us your talent?”
I felt trapped, like a rabbit huddled in a corner with wolves closing in on all sides. Okame and Reika looked just as uncomfortable, though neither were jumping in with excuses. This was not a request. Even I, with my limited knowledge of Iwagoto’s society and politics, knew that a chance to serve the emperor was the greatest honor one could receive, and that turning him down was the most unforgivable of insults. Even if my refusal did not result in imprisonment or execution, our quest would end right here. If we wanted to find Master Jiro, I had to keep the farce going.
Though I had no idea what I was going to do.
“Certainly, Taiyo-san,” I told Morimasa, making Okame start and stare at me. “It would be an honor.”
“Yumeko-chan!” the ronin