Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,74
to the plan to destroy Kamigoroshi once and for all. He had always known, of course. Sharing a body and a mind made it impossible to keep anything hidden from each other for long; he knew my darkest thoughts just as I knew his. But bargaining with the Master of Demons, ending the curse on Kamigoroshi and setting my spirit free once and for all—that was every Kage’s nightmare.
“Destroy Kamigoroshi.” Genno didn’t sound surprised. “End the curse and set you free. That is what you would ask?”
“Yes.” I bared my fangs. “The sword can’t be destroyed by normal means. Humans, demons and yokai have all tried. The blade has been snapped, dented, broken and tossed into the sea. It has been plunged into fire, buried in the earth and left in the ice atop the highest peak in Iwagoto. And yet, it always reappears, whole and unscathed, within the sacred shrine of the Kage. The only way to destroy the sword is to break the curse attached to it, the one that binds my spirit to the blade and keeps me imprisoned in the mortal realm.”
“And what makes you think I am capable of such a feat?” Genno inquired, and raised his open palms, his sleeves billowing behind him. “Or that I would want to unmake such a powerful curse? I am in the habit of binding demons to my will, not freeing them.”
“That is precisely why I think you can,” I said. “You know more about binding and sealing demons than anyone in the history of the empire. You studied the forbidden knowledge of curses, seals and dark magic, and you were the most powerful blood mage the empire had ever seen. This is your area of expertise.” I crossed my arms. “As for why you would agree to help me, you have not heard my end of the bargain yet.”
“Oh?” The Master of Demons cocked his head. “Then tell me, demon. What do you have to offer? If you wish to join my army and help us destroy the human empire, I’m afraid that will not be enough. I would gladly welcome you into our ranks, and the great Hakaimono would certainly be a powerful ally, but as you can see, I have an army. One that is growing daily. The aid of a single oni, while a great boon, will not be necessary.”
“You’re a fool if you think that,” I said calmly, making him frown. “Your army already responds to me—they know who I am and what I’m capable of. And if you think that rabble out there does not need a strong general to lead them into battle, you’ve learned nothing in the past four hundred years. Demons respond to strength, and yokai will fall to chaos if they cannot be controlled. If the majority of your army discovers that you possess only a fraction of the power you once held, how long do you think your hold on them will last?
“Lucky for you,” I went on, as the blood mage’s scowl darkened, “I have no interest in overthrowing the empire or becoming king. I want only one thing—to be free of this cursed sword so that I may take my vengeance upon the Shadow Clan. And you are going to help me achieve that.”
“Again…” Genno crossed his arms. “I fail to see why I should.”
I gave him a wide, toothy smile, baring all my fangs. “Because I can give you the one thing you need, human. The one thing standing between you and the empire. The item that will guarantee your glorious return.” I paused, just to make him figuratively sweat, before closing the trap. “I can give you the Dragon scroll.”
There was a long moment of silence, in which Genno appeared to mull over my words and not appear stunned. I could see the flicker of hunger in the sorcerer’s eyes, though he did a fair job of remaining calm. “You?” he asked skeptically. “Can retrieve the Dragon scroll?”
“The pieces, actually,” I corrected. “Two of them. You already have the one, I assume.”
Genno did not bother to answer that question, which told me everything I needed to know. The blood mage already had a piece of the Dragon scroll in his possession. I’d been guessing, really. The Scroll of a Thousand Prayers had been well hidden by those who decided such power did not belong in the hands of mortals, but Genno was determined and cunning and, from what I had seen in his