Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,37

the Kage.”

The samurai, who had been glaring at Daisuke through this exchange, went slightly pale as he realized who was speaking to him. Lord Iesada’s expression didn’t change, though he did raise a hand to wave his bodyguard back.

“Of course you are welcome here,” he purred, as the samurai gave us a hasty bow and moved aside. “All are welcome in Hakumei castle, let no one say otherwise. Forgive my men and my thoughtlessness, I was not aware that the onmyoji girl was worthy of the protection of the Taiyo.” His oily gaze slid to me. “Then again, if Lady Hanshou herself called her here, then her powers must indeed be of note.”

“Well.” The noble stepped back with a wave of his fan, dismissing us. “I beg your pardon for this interruption. Please continue, and welcome to the Kage lands.” His eyes glittered as he smiled at me again. “I am sure you will find your stay very enlightening.”

He sauntered down the hall, his samurai marching in step beside him, and disappeared around a corner, leaving the sensation of greasy tendrils over my skin.

Okame gave an exaggerated shudder. “Yep. This was the reason I was never at court. I was just no good at the whole insult someone by paying them a compliment game. Call someone a pig to their face, and you get challenged to a duel. Imply that someone is a pig in a pretty poem or turn of phrase, and the nobles titter at the cleverness of it all.”

Daisuke chuckled. “It’s not that difficult, Okame-san,” he said, his voice light. “Would you like me to teach you?”

The ronin snorted. “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, Taiyo-san,” he said with a hard grin. “You can bathe them, comb their hair and try to pretty them up all you want, but they’ll still roll in mud and pee on the floors the first chance they get.”

Chu put back his ears and growled at the ronin, who smirked at him.

“Oh, like you’ve never rolled in mud.”

“Who was that?” Reika asked the servant, who had melted off the wall once the samurai were out of sight. She hesitated, her gaze flitting to the end of the hall, as if worried that the samurai were still lurking about, listening to us.

“Lord Iesada controls the eastern part of the Kage lands and is perhaps the most powerful noble within the Shadow court besides Lady Hanshou herself,” the woman answered. “He is not someone you want as an enemy, nor is he someone we should be talking about in the open where anyone can hear. Please, follow me.”

“Here we are.” The servant paused at a set of door panels, these showing the image of beautiful maple tree branches and a spider’s web between the limbs, stretching across the face of the door. The bulbous, gold-and-black weaver could be seen perched prominently in the center, and looked so lifelike I was expecting it to scurry away from the woman’s hand as she opened the panel. Another pair of servants were waiting on the other side as the door slid back. One had a kimono draped across her arms, the other carried an array of items on a tray: combs and pins and ivory hairpieces. Both bowed as the panel opened. “Please,” the first woman said, gazing at me. “Make yourself comfortable. Mari and Akane will attend you.”

“What about my friends?”

“They will have their own quarters not far from here,” was the answer. “They will be well taken care of, I assure you. You are all honored guests of the Kage. Your safety and comfort is our prime concern.”

I blinked and looked at the two servant girls waiting expectantly beyond the doors. They smiled and politely averted their eyes, but I sensed them watching me even though their gazes were elsewhere. My heart pounded, and I could suddenly feel the scroll, still hidden in my furoshiki, beneath my tattered robes. “Thank you,” I said hesitantly, “but I really don’t need—”

“It is no trouble,” the older woman said. “Lady Hanshou is expecting you—we must make sure you are presentable to the daimyo. Please.” She gestured again to the room, relentlessly polite but letting me know refusal was not an option.

I caught Reika’s eye as I hesitated, and the shrine maiden gave a tiny nod, though her eyes were dark with warning. We were being watched. No doubt there were hidden eyes on us in every part of the castle, shinobi taking note of our every