Shadow of The Fox (Shadow of the Fox #1) - Julie Kagawa Page 0,157

name coming from the demon’s mouth. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”

He leaped into the air, so high it almost looked like he was flying, before descending toward us. Chu snarled and erupted into his real form, muscles tensing to lunge at the oni, but Master Jiro’s voice cracked into the air.

“Chu, no! He’s far too powerful. Everyone, stay close.”

As Tatsumi landed at the edge of the steps with a crash, the priest pulled out a tattered ofuda, the kanji for protection from evil written down the slip. Holding it in two fingers, he brought it to his face and closed his eyes as the demon grinned and began sauntering up the steps, leaving a trail of blood spatters behind him.

A domed barrier flickered to life, glimmering a faint, almost invisible blue-white in the darkness, encompassing me, Reika, Master Jiro and the two dogs. Chu had quickly shrunk back to his smaller form, but it was still a tight fit. I could see Master Jiro trembling as he concentrated, beads of sweat forming on his brow, as the terrifying form of Tatsumi climbed the steps and stood a few feet away, smiling at us through the barrier.

“Oh, now you didn’t need to do that,” he said, in a voice that was a deeper, chilling version of Tatsumi’s. “I just wanted to have a few words with Yumeko-chan, here.” His cold red eyes met mine through the wall of magic, and he chuckled. “So, you’re nothing but a shifty fox masquerading as a human,” he mused. “A weak little half-breed—no wonder I couldn’t sense what you really were. How deceitful. What other lies have you told Tatsumi, I wonder?”

I trembled, but forced myself to meet the monster’s terrible gaze. “Where is he?”

“Tatsumi? Oh, he’s still in here, somewhere.” The demon tapped his head with a curved black claw. “I imagine he can see and hear everything that’s going on, just like I could. He’s not strong enough to force me out once I’ve taken over, though. No human has been.” His smirk widened as he regarded me, “I did want to thank you personally, little fox,” he said. “After all, it’s because of you that I’m here.”

A cold chill went through my stomach. “What do you mean?” I whispered.

“Well, normally, I can’t get through Tatsumi’s wall—he keeps himself and his emotions tightly guarded, and doesn’t give me any footholds into his mind. But with you around, he’s been slipping more and more each day. You distract him, make him feel things. Make him question who he is and what he wants. And that’s all the invitation I needed. His last thought tonight, before finally losing himself, was of you.”

I sank to my knees on the stones, horror and anguish weighing me down as surely as the heavy robes. No, I thought in despair. Tatsumi. You can’t be gone...because of me.

The demon crouched down, balanced on the balls of his feet, so that we were face-to-face. “If it makes you feel better,” he said in a mock whisper, “he can hear every word we say, but he can’t do anything about it. And, I must tell you, after being trapped in his mind for so long, his pain and despair is a beautiful sensation. Oh, and do you want to know something else?” He bent close, lowering his voice even further. “He was actually starting to trust you, little fox,” he whispered. “Tatsumi never trusted anyone in his life—his clan punished any attachments or weaknesses.” His hand rose, pointed a curved black claw at my forehead. “But he was starting to trust you, a kitsune who lied to him, who has been deceiving him from the very beginning. And now, he sees exactly what you are and how you betrayed him.”

I shut my eyes as my throat threatened to close up. “Let him go,” I whispered, feeling the oni’s cruel, amused gaze through the barrier.

“Sorry?” The oni’s voice was mocking. “What was that?”

Opening my eyes, I looked up, meeting the demon’s crimson stare. “Release him,” I said, and my voice didn’t tremble this time. “Return to the sword, or you’ll see exactly what a kitsune can do.”

The demon laughed. He rose, towering over me, his fangs shining a terrible crescent moon grin as he stepped back. “You’re entertaining, little fox,” he told me. “Which is why I’m going to let you live awhile longer. Don’t worry though—I’ll kill you and everyone you care about soon enough. When you’re not expecting it,