Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,33
to think, to plan, to ponder what I’d do if opportunity presented itself again. This time, I was ready.
“Actually, I was hoping to join,” I told the hags, whose yellow eyes lit up like candle flames. “I heard rumors of Genno’s return and came here to see if they were true. Too bad he’s not here. I would’ve liked to talk to him, see what his strategy is for overthrowing the empire. But if you say he’s just a ghost…”
“We’ll take you to him, Hakaimono-sama,” the blue hag exclaimed. “I’m sure the Master would be pleased to speak with you. We were simply guarding his tomb in case any mortal came wandering in, but rumors of the island keep most away, and the undead take care of the rest. We are not needed here.”
“Yes,” the red sister agreed. “Now that Hakaimono-sama is free again, this opportunity is too important to ignore. Will you come with us to speak to Master Genno, Hakaimono-sama? It’s a lengthy trip, but we can leave straightaway.”
I masked a smile. “Where is Genno hiding these days?”
“The cursed castle of Onikage, in the Forest of a Thousand Eyes.”
I snorted. The Forest of a Thousand Eyes was the dark, tangled stretch of wilderness that lay between Water and Fire Clan territory. Its original name was the Kurai Tsuki Mori, though only scholars of history and those who lived for many hundreds of years would remember that. Long ago, when the empire was still new, the Kurai Tsuki Mori was at the heart of a savage war between the Hino and Mizu families, as each clan tried to claim ownership of the forest and its vast resources. After a few decades of fighting and bloodshed, the emperor stepped in and declared the Kurai Tsuki Mori the property of the empire, putting an end to the war and the feud between the two families. A shrine was erected at the border of the Water and Fire territories, hunting in the Kurai Tsuki Mori was declared illegal, and only a limited number of trees could be harvested from the edges of the forest each month.
Then, four hundred years ago, the Master of Demons began his uprising against the empire. Using blood magic and a horde of demons and undead, he built himself a castle deep in the depths of the forest. As Genno grew in power, and his army of demons, yokai, blood mages and evil spirits swelled in number, the Kurai Tsuki Mori changed. It grew darker, more tangled, and began taking on a life of its own. By the time the Master of Demons led his forces against all of Iwagoto, the forest had become a dark, twisted thing, possessed of a malicious sentience and hatred for all living things. Those who ventured into its depths either never returned or stumbled back out again completely mad. And when Genno was killed in the blood-drenched valley of Tani Hitokage, his body broken and his army slain, the forest was no longer known as the Kurai Tsuki Mori. It had become the Forest of a Thousand Eyes, a cursed place, and no sane human ventured into its embrace for fear of being haunted, possessed, devoured, or simply vanishing into the dark, never to be seen again.
“That’s a rather obvious place for Genno to set up camp,” I told the hag sisters. “But I suppose no one is going to bother him there, either.” With a shrug, I raised a claw, indicating the exit behind us. “Very well. Take me to the disembodied Master of Demons. Let us see if we cannot find a way to avoid the mistakes of the past.”
I could feel Tatsumi’s horror as the hag sisters led me out of the tomb, and I turned my thoughts inward. What’s the matter, Tatsumi? I taunted. Does meeting with the Master of Demons whose demon army nearly destroyed the empire four hundred years ago not sit well with your demonslayer convictions? I smiled at the flicker of rage that pulsed through my head. Don’t worry—I have no intention of submitting to any mortal, not even the self-proclaimed Master of Demons. His little uprising means nothing to me. But if he can give me what I want, I’ll play nice, for a little while. I felt Tatsumi’s apprehension join the swirl of anger and disgust, and chuckled. I would think you’d be happy, demonslayer. If all goes as planned, we’ll finally be free of each other. That’s what you’ve always wanted,