Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,48

certain individuals, they may try to stop you.” Masao’s dark eyes narrowed, and he drew two pale fingers across his throat. “The Kage way.”

I swallowed. “I understand.”

“Excellent!” Masao became bright and cheerful in an instant. “Well, good luck and thank you for coming, Yumeko-san. Harumi-san will show you back to your room.”

I turned and saw that the older servant woman was waiting for me at the end of the hall. When I looked back, Masao was already striding away, his sleeves fluttering behind him as he went. He did not look back, seeming to forget I was there, and slipped through the door without breaking stride, then shut it behind him.

I followed Harumi-san to my room in silence. I couldn’t be certain, but I was almost positive we took a different route back than the way we’d come. Though it was difficult to concentrate on anything with my mind preoccupied with Tatsumi, Hakaimono and my meeting with the Kage daimyo.

Now I had to get Tatsumi back, and quickly. Not that I wasn’t determined before, but the meeting with Lady Hanshou and her advisor showed me how dire the situation really was. If I didn’t rescue Tatsumi, the Kage would kill him themselves.

Though the thought of what I would have to do made my skin crawl and my stomach turn. Kitsune-tsuki. I had never attempted fox possession before, and with all that had happened with the Kage, there was no time to see if I could even do it. I didn’t dare ask if I could “practice” on any of my friends. Kitsune-tsuki was dangerous and extremely invasive, according to Master Isao, and I had no idea what I was doing. I did not want to slip into Okame or Daisuke only to realize I couldn’t get out again.

But if we did manage to capture the demonslayer without being killed by the Kage or the oni himself, and I did manage to possess Tatsumi…I would have to deal with Hakaimono. Alone. The very thought turned my insides to ice and sent my heart racing around my chest. I doubted the oni spirit that had terrorized the country and had the entire Shadow Clan paralyzed with fear would simply leave if I asked him nicely.

But the alternative was to let Hakaimono wreak havoc as he pleased until the Kage caught up and finally brought the demon down. None of them cared about Tatsumi; he was simply a weapon to them, a thing that should be disposed of now that it had grown problematic. Even Lady Hanshou was simply trying to save face and protect her position. I was the only one who cared if Tatsumi lived or died.

I was so distracted by my thoughts, I didn’t realize Harumi-san had stopped until I walked past her. Blinking, I turned to see her standing against the wall with her head bowed and her hands clasped in front of her. Confused, I looked up, and saw we were in what seemed to be a deserted part of the castle. The halls were dim, with only a couple lanterns sputtering weakly down the corridor.

A figure stood in the middle of the hall, where nothing had been a moment ago.

My ears pricked at yet another person materializing out of thin air. He wasn’t a noble, or at least, he didn’t look like one. He was shorter than most, wearing a simple black haori, gray hakama and a warrior’s topknot. It was impossible to tell his exact age; his face was lined, his body lean and sinewy. He approached us easily, making absolutely no sound in the shadowy corridor, and though his face remained impassive, I suddenly felt as if I were being stalked by some large, deadly cat.

“Good work, Harumi-san,” he told the servant, his voice no louder than a whisper. “Leave us.” Harumi immediately bowed and backed away, vanishing down another hall and out of sight. The man observed me for a moment, sharp black eyes seeing all in a single glance.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked in that strangely quiet voice, like the murmur of the wind in the trees. You knew it was there, but you barely noticed it.

“No,” I said.

He nodded. “Good. If you did, then Tatsumi would have shared far more than he should. Not that it matters now, but I wanted to see the girl who charmed the demonslayer into ignoring nearly all my teachings.” His eyes narrowed, but I couldn’t tell if he was angry, sad, irritated or