Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,5
came Taiyo Daisuke’s voice. “But there is something I have yet to understand.” He shifted to a new position, and his sharp, intelligent gaze fixed on me. “You are kitsune,” he said, and though I heard no malice in his voice, it still drove a cold spear through my stomach. “Why do you care so much for the demonslayer?”
I swallowed. In the battle against Satomi’s demons, my true nature had been exposed, revealing my half-yokai blood to everyone. Reika had known, but it had come as a shock to Okame and Daisuke when I’d suddenly appeared with fox ears and a tail. Considering my full-blooded kin were notorious tricksters and troublemakers, and yokai were not looked upon favorably by most humans, they had taken the revelation surprisingly well. Still, I was kitsune; while they might accept that I wasn’t dangerous, I was still yokai, something they didn’t understand. I didn’t blame the noble for questioning my motives. I would just have to work extra hard to prove to them that I was still the Yumeko they had always known, foxtail and all.
“Tatsumi saved my life,” I told Daisuke. “We both made a promise. You don’t understand, you didn’t hear Hakaimono…” My voice caught, remembering the demon’s taunts, his sadistic amusement as he’d informed me Tatsumi could see and hear everything that was happening. “He’s suffering,” I whispered. “I can’t let Hakaimono win. After I take the scroll to the temple, I’m going after Tatsumi, and the First Oni. None of you have to come,” I added, gazing around the fire. “I know saving Tatsumi wasn’t ever in the plan. After we get to the temple and the scroll is safe, we can go our separate ways, if that’s what you wish.”
Across the fire, Okame let out a long sigh and raked a hand through his hair. “Yeah, that’s not going to work,” he stated. “If you’re going to go chasing merrily after the demonslayer, Yumeko-chan, you should already know I’m coming along. I don’t necessarily like the guy, but he’s good at chopping things that want to eat us in half.” He shrugged and offered a wry grin. “Besides, if he isn’t around, who am I going to pester? Taiyo-san just doesn’t give the same ‘I’m going to kill you’ looks.”
I smiled, relief warming my insides like tea on a cold night. “Arigatou, Okame-san.”
Daisuke’s brow furrowed as he gazed at the sword in his lap. “I was unable to protect Kage-san while he was fighting Yaburama,” he said, touching the lacquered sword sheath. “I vowed to keep him alive so I could duel the bearer of Kamigoroshi when Yumeko-san finished her task. I failed, and if Kage Tatsumi is killed, our duel will be lost.” His eyes narrowed, and he looked up at me. “You have my blade, Yumeko-san. I will redeem my past failure, and when the demon has been driven back into the sword, Kage-san will be free to duel me as he promised.”
“Baka.” Reika snorted, and in her lap, the two canines raised their heads. “Every one of you. You’re all talking about saving the demonslayer as if facing down an oni lord is going to be easy. Remember Yaburama? Remember how he nearly killed you all? Hakaimono is far worse. But more important than that…” She glared at me, dark eyes flashing. “Even if you do manage to find Hakaimono without being ripped apart the second he notices you, how do you intend to save your demonslayer, kitsune? Are you a priestess? Can you perform an exorcism? Do you possess spiritual magic strong enough to not only cast Hakaimono out, but to bind him in place long enough to actually perform the exorcism? Because if you don’t, if you can’t control him, he’s going to slaughter you long before you can get close enough to do anything. Have you thought about any of this?” Her gaze narrowed darkly. “Do you even know what’s involved in exorcising a demon? Or do you think your kitsune tricks and illusions will work on an oni as ancient as Hakaimono?”
I flattened my ears at the verbal assault and the anger radiating from the miko. “Why are you yelling at me, Reika-san?” I asked. “I’m not going after Tatsumi until after I’ve delivered the scroll to the Steel Feather temple. That’s what you wanted, right?”
“Of course it is! It’s just…” Reika exhaled sharply. “You cannot simply chase after Hakaimono and hope for the best, kitsune,” she said. “Especially when you have