Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,115

her territory covered in stiff white corpses, but I shouldn’t have had to rely on shedding my own blood to destroy an enemy, even a powerful one.

Around me, the snow was melting into the earth with the death of the yuki onna. The frozen humans scattered throughout the village were slowly uncovered as the ice melted, their bodies slumping or collapsing to the ground, losing the morbid beauty of a pristine ice statue and reverting to ordinary corpses.

Setting my jaw, I pushed myself upright and walked toward one of the defrosting houses, leaving spatters of red behind me in the slush. Being run through with several spears, while not quite fatal, would definitely take some time to heal. Which was probably the intent of whomever had sent the yuki onna. The Ghost of the North hadn’t decided to stalk this exact path on a whim, not when her mountain range was clear across the empire in Sky Clan territory. She was sent here to either slow me down or stop me in my tracks. Which meant someone knew I was looking for the Steel Feather temple and didn’t want me to get there.

Genno.

I shook my head. No, that didn’t make sense. The Master of Demons needed me to reach the temple and the scroll; attempting to halt my progress was counterproductive to his plans. Though I wouldn’t put a betrayal past him once he got the scroll, he wouldn’t try to stop me from getting to it unless he was very stupid.

Yumeko?

With a snort, I dismissed that thought, as well. The kitsune girl wasn’t old or powerful enough to deal with something like the yuki onna. And even if she was, her obvious concern for Kage Tatsumi would keep her from sending such a powerful spirit to block his path and possibly kill him. She cared for the demonslayer too much to cause him harm.

I smirked, ducking into the hut. Water dripped from the thatched roof, pooling on the dirt floor, but one corner was fairly dry, as the snow had stayed mostly outside. Foolish little half-fox, I mused, pulling Kamigoroshi’s sheath from my obi and easing into a sit. So transparent, you and Tatsumi both. Your feelings for the demonslayer are going to get you and all your friends killed. Don’t expect me to show any mercy when we finally meet.

Clenching my jaw, I slowly leaned against the wall, putting Kamigoroshi against a shoulder as I settled back. The yuki onna had been left here for me, that was certain. So, if it wasn’t Yumeko or the Master of Demons who’d sent her, that meant there was someone else, something else, trying to keep me from the Dragon scroll. Another player in this game.

All right, then. Tilting my head back, I closed my eyes with a smile. The yuki onna had inconvenienced me, but my wounds were slowly healing. I figured I’d be fine by tomorrow. Things are getting interesting. Whoever you are, I hope you’re ready to take me on once I reach the temple. Because nothing will stop me from getting to the scroll, even if I have to carve my way through an army to get to it.

19

THE SOUND OF A FLUTE

Yumeko

We buried Master Jiro atop a small hill on the rippling plains of the Water Clan. Leaving his body to the crows and scavengers was unthinkable, as his ghost could linger at the spot of his death, unable to pass on, if his body was not properly taken care of. We had no tools to dig a grave, so we spent the afternoon searching for rocks, slowly building up a mound to cover the wise old priest. And, because Okame insisted, we also built a small grave for Roshi, our driver, the man who had been killed simply because he agreed to help us. When we were finished, a pair of stony graves sat atop the rise, Master Jiro’s staff thrust upright in the center of the larger one. And we all stood solemnly while Reika, her eyes glassy but determined, performed the death ritual to help a soul move on to the next world. Her chanting voice echoed over the plains, carried by the winds, a haunting litany that droned in my head and entwined with my thoughts.

This is my fault.

I clenched a fist under my sleeve, feeling my hands tremble. They died because of me, protecting me. How many more? I glanced at my friends, at Okame and Daisuke, standing side by side.