Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,45

bloodlust. Do not think that he would spare you, girl.” Lady Hanshou shook her head. “Hakaimono is as sadistic and cruel as he is powerful. He will make you think you have a chance, that you are winning, before he tears you apart and laughs at your naivety.”

“I know.” I remembered the demon’s mocking voice. “I realize that, but please hear me out. We think…we might have a way to stop Hakaimono and force him back into the sword.”

I thought she would be surprised. I thought both brows might shoot up in amazement and disbelief. I wasn’t prepared for what actually happened. Lady Hanshou smiled, this time a slow, knowing smile that told me I had stepped right into her web. “Is that so?” she purred, lacing her fingers together. “Please, go on. You do know that the strongest priests and majutsushi have failed to exorcise Hakaimono once he has taken control of a body, do you not? The one time it was attempted, Hakaimono freed himself and slaughtered every soul present in a spectacular bloody massacre. After that, it was decreed that should a demonslayer fall to his influence again, he would be killed immediately, with no attempts at an exorcism.” Lady Hanshou’s eyes narrowed shrewdly. “Hakaimono is too dangerous and cunning to take alive. I am quite eager to hear your plans for dealing with the First Oni.”

“Um.” I swallowed. Lady Hanshou raised an extremely skeptical eyebrow, and I winced. The hazy remnants of a dream came back to me, the words of a white fox telling me what I had to do to save the demonslayer. It still made my stomach churn. “We’re still working out the details.”

“I see.” Now the daimyo’s voice was flatter than rice paper. “And let us say that, against all odds, you do manage to capture the First Oni, who has been known to slaughter entire armies at a time. What then?”

Then I will attempt to use kitsune-tsuki to enter Tatsumi myself and bring him back. And try not to get my spirit ripped apart by Hakaimono. But I certainly couldn’t tell her that.

“Master Jiro and Reika are from the Hayate shrine,” I answered. “They’ve performed exorcisms before. They will drive Hakaimono back into the sword.”

“One priest and a shrine maiden,” Lady Hanshou said, and now she did sound incredulous. “Against the most powerful oni this realm has ever known.” She tapped her fingers against her arm. “And what happens if you are unsuccessful? If Hakaimono proves too strong for you all?”

Then I’ll be dead. And Tatsumi will be trapped forever. Or until someone finally kills Hakaimono. But I’m not going to let that happen. I’ll save Tatsumi, even if I have to be evil to destroy evil.

“Then we will very likely get eaten by Hakaimono,” I told the Shadow daimyo. “But you lose nothing. Except time. None of your own clan will be in danger. If Hakaimono kills one priest, a shrine maiden, a ronin and a peasant girl, what is that to anyone? But if we’re successful…if we can bring Tatsumi back…”

A chill slid up my spine. My thoughts had been consumed with getting to Tatsumi, coming to terms with having to use kitsune-tsuki to possess him, facing down Hakaimono and somehow driving the demon out. I hadn’t thought about what would happen if we did rescue the demonslayer, but if I freed Tatsumi from Hakaimono’s influence…he would probably have to return to his clan. And then what? Would they punish him for losing control? Would he be taken and executed anyway, as a threat to the Shadow Clan?

Or would Lady Hanshou order him to kill us all and bring her the Dragon scroll?

“If you can bring Tatsumi back,” Lady Hanshou echoed, “you will have done what all others before you could not. But how successful can you possibly be, taking on Hakaimono the Destroyer? Even in a human body, he is more than a match for anyone.”

“We have to try,” I said. “Please. Let us find Tatsumi. Let us at least try to drive Hakaimono out. If the demon kills us all, that will be no loss to you.”

“I can offer no help,” Lady Hanshou warned. “My hands are tied in this matter. The law is clear—if Hakaimono is released, the Kage must do everything in their power to kill the bearer of Kamigoroshi and send the demon back into the sword. Already there are murmurs of anger and discontent, the various lords of the Kage whining in my