Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,62

not be allowed to leave the castle until Lord Iesada returns to his own lands. It could be dangerous if she goes into the city, or anyplace our shinobi cannot keep an eye on her. If she asks where the men are again, tell her they went to visit the Painted Smile geisha house for the evening. That should keep her from venturing after them. Now, go.” She gestured firmly down the hall. “Return to your duties. You are wasting time loitering about.”

I bobbed a quick bow and hurried away in the direction she pointed, my mind spinning with this new information.

Well, that confirmed what I’d suspected since arriving here. The walls did have eyes and ears. There was probably a shinobi lurking by the toilets right now, waiting to see when I would come out. That thought made me snicker, but it did present a problem. I needed to go outside to look for Daisuke and Okame, but the Kage didn’t want me to leave the castle. If they saw me leave, they would likely stop me.

If they saw me.

Slipping into an empty room, I made certain I was alone before pulling the third and final leaf from my obi and placing it on my head, letting fox magic engulf me again. When the smoke cleared, I did a quick scan of my white haori and red hakama, making sure everything was in place. Now, if anyone spotted me, they would see a no-nonsense, very determined shrine maiden, and hopefully not get in her way. The only thing missing was Chu, and I hoped the Kage would not notice or care that the miko was without her dog.

All I had to worry about was running into Reika herself.

I shivered. Quickly, I slipped from the room and began striding down the hallway, searching for a way out, while keeping one ear open for the click of dog nails on the hardwood floors.

After a couple inquires using my best Firm Reika Voice, I finally found the front entrance to the castle, where across a vast hall of polished wood and onyx statues, a pair of huge double doors stood half-open. Two samurai guarded either side of the large frame, flickering lantern light gleaming off their black armor and tall yari spears. They eyed me with stoic interest as I approached, but didn’t move to block my path, though one gave me a stern look as I walked toward them.

“Going into the city?” he asked.

I nodded.

“You are welcome to leave,” the samurai told me, “so long as you do not cause trouble within Ogi Owari Toshi. Be advised, you are under Kage law, and all who break the rules of the Shadow Clan will be dealt with accordingly.” He gave a solemn nod of his head. “Have a pleasant evening, and please be safe while in the city.”

I smiled at him and escaped into the cool air of the outside.

My sandals crunched against gravel as I made my way across the courtyard, toward the front gates of the high stone wall surrounding the castle. Aside from my footsteps, the night was quiet and still. From the position of the moon overhead, it was very early morning, perhaps a few hours until dawn. I glanced over my shoulder once to see Hakumei castle towering behind me, the main keep standing rigid against the navy sky, tiled pagoda roofs sweeping gracefully upward. Much like its people, the Shadow Clan’s home castle was elegant and ominous, beautiful and menacing at the same time. I wondered if that was deliberate, to remind the rest of the world that though the Kage were proud and cultured like the rest of the clans, they were not to be trifled with.

Shaking off my morbid musings, I continued walking, the shadow of Hakumei-jo swallowing me even as I moved away from it. Past the barren but meticulously groomed courtyard, I reached the large front gates, which stood open and were guarded by more samurai, none of whom said anything to me. After passing beneath the huge wooden frame, I paused just outside the gate and gazed down the road in wonder.

Hakumei castle sat on a hill overlooking what I assumed was the city of Ogi Owari. Down the winding road from the front gates and across an arched stone bridge over a wide, sleepy river, the Kage capital glimmered with torch and lantern light. It sprawled in every direction, rows of houses sitting primly along the streets and the banks