Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,162
friends among the chaos. Please be all right, everyone. Please. I couldn’t bear it if any of you d—
My heart dropped. Against the far wall, beneath the mural of the great dragon, Reika stood beside Chu, ofuda in hand, her once spotless white haori stained with red. The komainu crouched beside her, snarling and baring enormous teeth at anything that got too close, but unwilling to leave his mistress unguarded. The floor around them was littered with bodies, some missing heads or limbs, a few burned and several riddled with arrows.
Among the carnage, Okame and Daisuke fought side by side with a handful of tengu, perhaps the last survivors of the brutal massacre. Okame’s bow lay discarded in the corner, the quiver empty, a spear held in the ronin’s hands.
Behind them all, half-hidden and seemingly forgotten in the chaos, a familiar body slumped against the wall in a shadowy corner. Her chin rested on her chest, and her fox ears and tail were visible in the smoke and flickering lights.
Relief and terror shot through me. Leaping off the pillar, I dove into my body, plunging back into myself. There was a moment of dizziness as I sank into my consciousness, and then, a sensation of completeness engulfed me from the inside, the mortal shell welcoming its missing soul.
With a gasp, I opened my eyes. The roar of flames greeted me, as did the smell of blood and the acrid stench of smoke. I struggled upright and nearly fell as a sudden light-headedness made my head spin. Putting my hand on the wall, I clenched my jaw and took a staggering step forward.
Reika turned then, and her eyes widened as she saw me. “Yumeko-san,” she cried, hurrying forward. “You’re all right. Thank the kami. We were afraid you were gone.”
“Reika, what…” I gritted my teeth as the floor swayed under my feet. Flames danced around us, the heat pulsing against my face and bare skin. The shrine maiden reached out and put a hand under my arm, steadying me. “What happened?”
“Genno’s army attacked not long after you possessed Hakaimono,” the miko answered. “The oni must have led them straight to the temple. We held them off as best we could, but there were too many of them. We were forced to retreat here.” She glanced to where Okame and Daisuke battled side by side, their faces grim and determined. “We couldn’t leave your body lying defenseless next to Hakaimono, but…did you find Kage-san’s soul? Were you able to drive Hakaimono back into the sword?”
I winced. “Not…exactly.”
Reika shut her eyes, and she leaned into Chu as the komainu pressed close. “Then, I fear we are all lost.”
I started to answer, but a hush suddenly fell over the hall, the sounds of battle fading as the demons and yokai retreated a few steps. Breathing hard, Daisuke, Okame and the last of the tengu stood together, weapons raised, as something floated through the smoke to hover over us. A man, a yurei, in billowing white robes, his long black hair flowing behind him.
A chill went through me, and I felt my tail bristle like a terrified cat. Unlike the few other yurei I had encountered, this man radiated evil; I could feel the taint emanating from him in waves, choking and sickly. His eyes, flat and pitiless, gazed down at us, and one corner of his mouth curved in a small, cruel smile. A trio of figures followed him, and each one caused a new shiver to run up my spine. The twin yokai girls with scorpion-tail braids and matching smirks looked dangerous, but it was the third figure that made the hairs on my neck rise. A tall, lean warrior in black, his crimson hair tied behind him, would have been frightening even without the telltale horns and fangs that marked him as a demon. The hilt of a sword poked over his shoulder, and his cold red eyes observed us without a hint of mercy.
The color drained from Reika’s face, and for a moment, she looked like she might faint. Her eyes were wide and horror-filled as she stared up at the ghost, a shudder going through her as she staggered back a step.
“Genno.” The whisper seemed dragged out of the darkest part of her soul. The shrine maiden hit the wall and sank to the floor, her expression blank. Chu whined and shoved his blocky head into her side, but she didn’t appear to notice. Heart pounding, I looked back to