Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,21
me and lowered his voice. “Their wellbeing is dependent upon your cooperation. Make certain you endeavor to arrive safely in the Kage lands, or your friends could suffer the consequences.”
I bristled, even as another flutter of fear went through my stomach. For a moment, the urge to use fox magic in not a nice way was very tempting. I had visions of ghostly hands reaching for him through the mist, or his robes suddenly bursting into heatless blue flames. But Naganori might recognize another form of magic; he might even discover I was part kitsune, and I did not want this man knowing my true nature. Nor did I want to put the others in danger, as the majutsushi had just made a very inelegant threat.
“Well, isn’t this a charming place.” Relief bloomed through me as Okame’s familiar, acidic voice echoed through the oppressive silence. The ronin stepped close, his bolstering presence at my back, and I could imagine his challenging smirk aimed over my head at Naganori. “Is this where you spend most of your time, mage? Now I see where your delightful personality comes from.”
The majutsushi’s chin lifted. “Insolent dog.”
“That’s what everyone tells me.” Okame grinned, as with ripples of color and warmth, the rest of our company emerged through the gloom. Reika whispered a soft prayer to the kami, as Chu and Ko growled and peered out from behind her legs, both dogs staring wide-eyed into the mist.
Naganori drew back, almost seeming to float as he drifted away. “Follow me,” he said. “Once again, I will offer this warning—keep to the path, do not stray from the trail and do not stare too long into the mist. If you do, you might find yourself separated from the path and your companions. The mist has a way of tricking your mind into thinking that you are all alone with the spirits of those who have died. If you cannot ignore them and focus on the path, it will become a reality. Now, hurry. The dead have already taken notice, and I am curious to see how many of you make it through to the other side.”
“Stay together, everyone,” Reika murmured, and we started down the path, following the majutsushi through the corridor of mist and darkness.
“Yumeko-chan,” whispered a voice.
My heart skipped a beat. It was impossible to tell how much time we had spent on the path, hours or days, but it was starting to feel like we had always been here. Like the flat, dead grayness was all I knew, and it was hard to remember anything else.
I turned my head, very slightly, to see a figure standing at the edge of the path just ahead, smiling at me. His face was lined and weathered, he wore wooden geta clogs and a familiar straw hat on his bald head. As my throat closed and my heart gave a violent surge of recognition, the figure chuckled softly and held up a withered hand.
“Hello, Yumeko-chan,” said Master Isao.
My steps faltered. Tears sprang to my eyes, but I wrenched my gaze away and hurried on. None of the others seemed to have noticed the monk at the edge of the path; when I looked at them, their own eyes were glassy and distant, their faces pale. Reika’s jaw was tightly clenched, and Okame’s eyes were suspiciously bright. I spared a glance behind me and saw Master Jiro marching rigidly on, his gaze fixed straight ahead. Daisuke trailed behind, his expression schooled into a blank mask. No one appeared to see or hear the figures in the mist. They seemed caught up in their own thoughts, or perhaps they were seeing faces that they recognized in the fog, as well.
“Fox girl,” said a voice, and now Denga-san appeared, walking alongside me down the path. “Running away again?” he said, in his familiar exasperated voice. “Where do you think you’re going, exactly? You know running away from your responsibilities won’t make anything disappear.”
“Go away,” I whispered, pinning my ears to my skull. “I’m not listening. I don’t want to see you, so leave me alone.” Neither Reika nor Daisuke glanced at me, though the ghost of Denga-san snorted.
“That’s just like you.” He sighed, keeping pace with me as I walked. “Carefree and immoral, just like a yokai. Like a soulless fox.” His voice hardened, becoming bitter and angry. “I knew it was a mistake to take you in. From the moment you arrived at the temple, I never wanted you there. And