Time jerked into motion again, and I flinched back, bracing myself to die even as foxfire surged to my fingertips. Knowing it wouldn’t be enough.
Blood splashed over my face, hot and disgusting, making me cringe. I’ve been hit. I’m dying. But there was no pain, no indication that I’d taken a fatal blow, and after a moment of waiting to see if I would topple over dead, I opened my eyes.
The blue oni still stood before me…but only his bottom half. As I watched, numb, the thick hairy legs crumpled, and the eviscerated demon collapsed to the floor, thumping next to his severed top half, brutish face frozen in shock.
Kage Tatsumi turned to face me, eyes blazing red in the hellish light. Horns curled from his forehead, and glowing tattoos crawled up his arms, coiling around his chest. One hand gripped Kamigoroshi, the blade flaring and snapping with purple fire. He gave me a terrifying smile, then slowly turned to face the army in front of him. The demons and yokai stood frozen a few feet away, staring at the newcomer with eyes gone huge with recognition and fear.
“Yumeko.” I jumped at the sound of his voice, neither Hakaimono nor Tatsumi, but echoes of them both. “Are you hurt?”
I shook my head.
“Good. Stay there, I’ll be right back.”
Hakaimono roared, the sound making the pillars around us shake, and lunged into the midst of the army.
What happened next was hard to describe. Hakaimono moved through waves of enemies like a scythe, savage and unstoppable. Kamigoroshi flared, cutting through limbs, heads and bodies, splitting demons and yokai apart. Amanjaku hurled themselves at him, clawing and biting, and exploded into small clouds of gore before swirling away into mist. A hari onago backed desperately away, slashing frantically with the dozens of barbs on the ends of her hair, but the demonslayer ignored the hooks scraping his flesh and lunged forward, cutting off her head with one swipe of his blade. A minor oni howled as it swung an iron club at him; the demonslayer raised his arm, taking the blow without a grimace, before severing the demon’s legs at the knee. Shrieking, the oni collapsed in a puddle of its own blood, and Hakaimono didn’t even look down as he drove Kamigoroshi through its back.
In the space of a few heartbeats that felt like seasons, it was over. The last enemies, a trio of rat yokai known as nezumi, tried to flee the raging oni of death as he cut through the final demon. With a snarl, the demonslayer lunged after them, cutting two down just as they reached the exit. The third managed to scuttle through the frame, but an arrow zipped through the air, just missing the demonslayer, and struck the nezumi in the back. It pitched forward with a squeak, tumbled down the steps and disappeared. A few yards away, Okame lowered his bow with a grim smile, the side of his face covered in red, before he swayed on his feet and collapsed.
Daisuke caught him and lowered the ronin gently to the floor to kneel beside him. Both men were breathing hard, their clothes torn and bloody, and Daisuke’s fine robes would never be the same. But they ignored their wounds, and the mounds of dead piled around them, their eyes only for each other.
“Sorry, peacock,” I heard the ronin murmur, as Daisuke took his hand, holding it to his chest. “I didn’t…manage to die a glorious death for you.” His other hand rose, catching a strand of silvery white hair between bloody fingers. “Looks like you won’t get to compose that poem, after all.”
“Okame-san.” Daisuke’s voice was thick, and he shook his head in an almost rueful manner. “That day will come soon enough,” he whispered, holding the ronin’s gaze. “There will come a time where we will die a glorious death, and I hope to be at your side when it happens. But right now, we have fought this battle, and we live still. That will have to be reason enough to celebrate.”
My stomach tightened. Turning away, I observed the horrific aftermath of the fight with Genno’s army, and clenched my jaw to keep from losing my meager breakfast. The inside of the temple was now a blood-soaked battlefield, choked with ash and smoke and strewn with gore. Tengu and yokai lay scattered across the wooden planks, with coils of red-black demon mist drifting around them. Everywhere I looked, I saw nothing but death, blood and failure. We had failed. I had failed. The scroll was gone, and Genno would soon summon the Dragon. I had lost this battle.
But you haven’t lost everything.
“Yumeko-chan.”
Reika picked her way over the carnage with Chu behind her, his huge paws creaking against the wood. The shrine maiden was white, either with horror or anger, or both, her eyes snapping furiously as they met mine. “How could you?” she whispered, as Daisuke pulled Okame to his feet and began limping toward us. “You gave Genno the scroll. Now all of Iwagoto will be lost when he summons the Dragon.”
“We’ll stop him,” I said, meeting her rage head-on. I gazed at my friends, bloody, exhausted, but still alive. Okame leaned against Daisuke, one arm draped over his neck, the noble’s arm wrapped around his waist. A few yards away, the last of the tengu were shuffling through the hall, taking stock of their wounded and dead, and would not look at me.
“We’ll stop Genno,” I said again. “We’ll track down his army and use everything in our power to take back the scroll. We still have a little time. The Dragon hasn’t been summoned yet.”
“And what about me?” asked a soft voice at my back.
My heart leaped. I turned to face Tatsumi, or perhaps Hakaimono, standing a few feet away. His sword was sheathed, and the burning crimson in his eyes had faded, as had the claws, fangs and the tattoos crawling up his arms and shoulders. He looked like Kage Tatsumi again, except for the small but conspicuous horns curling from his brow. Reminding us that, even now, he wasn’t human.
“That depends.” Surprisingly, it was Daisuke who an swered, the noble’s hand resting easily on the hilt of his blade. “Who are you? You destroyed Genno’s army, but I am not certain of your motivation. Is this Hakaimono we’re speaking with, or Kage-san?”
Tatsumi paused, then shook his head. “I don’t know, exactly,” he replied, and his voice was resigned. “Both. And…neither. Pieces of each of us, perhaps. I’m not entirely certain myself.”
“That’s not exactly comforting,” Okame muttered. “No offense if this really is you, Kage-san, but how do we know we’re not dealing with a demon who will tear out our throats the moment we let our guards down?”
“You don’t.” Tatsumi’s bleak gaze met mine. “You shouldn’t. A demon’s words can’t be trusted. But, maybe this will be enough.”
And before them all, he lowered himself to his knees in front of me, bowing his head. “Yumeko,” he murmured. “If you truly believe a demon still threatens you, kill me now. Or order me to do it myself. I will obey, as long as I have control of this body. My blade belongs to you, as does my life, until the Kage decide to take it from me. Or until my mind is not my own.” I saw the faintest of tremors go through him, as if he had to struggle to get that last part out. “Until then, do with it what you will.”
“Tatsumi…” I swallowed the lump in my throat and shook my head. “Get up,” I told him, and he obeyed instantly, rising to his feet, his gaze on the ground between us. I wished I could touch him, even for a moment, but he was different now. I didn’t know how much of Tatsumi, the real Tatsumi, was left. And, much as the thought of Hakaimono still lurking in Tatsumi’s soul frightened me, we needed his strength if we were to stand a chance of stopping the Master of Demons.
“You can’t die yet,” I told him firmly. “We need your help to find Genno and get the scroll back. No matter what it takes, we can’t let him summon the Dragon.”
He nodded gravely, and I caught the red spark of fury in his eyes as he raised his head. “I have a score to settle with Genno,” he said in a lethally quiet voice, and there was no question as to who was speaking now. “I’m not concerned about the scroll, or the Dragon, but the Master of Demons will die screaming for mercy, I can promise you that.”
“If we can find him,” Reika said, eyes hard as she watched the demonslayer, as if afraid he
would suddenly leap at her, fangs bared. “He’ll likely be heading to the place to summon the Dragon, wherever that may be. There is only one spot where you can call on the Harbinger, and the history scrolls aren’t entirely clear where that is, or they’ve been deliberately lost. But we must find it as quickly as we can. I fear there’s not much time left.”
“I know where it is,” Tatsumi, or perhaps Hakaimono, said. “Of the three times the Dragon has been called on using the scroll, two of them have been by the Shadow Clan. It’s one of the secrets the Kage keep close.” He turned away and gazed out the door of the hall, his voice grim but triumphant. “I know where Genno is heading. The place where the Harbinger first appeared—by the cliffs of Ryugake, on the island of Ushima.”
“Moon Clan territory,” Daisuke said.
Okame grimaced. “Looks like we’re going to need a boat.”
EPILOGUE
Dawn was breaking over the horizon, driving away the stars and tinting the clouds pink. Standing motionless atop the snowy mountain cliff, Seigetsu lifted his face to the first rays of the sun and closed his eyes.
“She did it,” Taka murmured at his feet. He sounded relieved but unhappy, as if still uncomfortable with the deception Seigetsu required of him. “She saved them.”
“Yes,” Seigetsu agreed. “Exactly as you foretold. The fox girl would possess Hakaimono, Genno’s army would attack the temple and the lost soul would warn them all of the destruction to come. She just needed a tiny nudge to find her courage.”
“What do we do now?”
“Genno has all the pieces of the Dragon’s prayer.” Seigetsu gave a nod of satisfaction and stepped back from the edge. Out of habit, he almost reached into his sleeve for his ball, before remembering it was no longer there. “He will be heading to Ushima Island posthaste for the Summoning. The kitsune girl and her demon will follow, of course. The board is set. The last play is about to begin.”
For just a moment, perhaps the first time in centuries, Seigetsu allowed himself to feel a tiny glimmer of excitement. Years of planning, watching, waiting, were coming together at last. It was almost time.
“Come, Taka.” With a swirl of robes and silver hair, Seigetsu strode toward the carriage perched in the snow a few yards away. Taka scrambled obediently after, hopping from footstep to footstep to avoid the snowdrifts.
“Where are we going now, master? Ushima Island?”
“Not yet.” Seigetsu shook white powder from his robes and stepped into the carriage. “Soon. There is one more item we must acquire before the final maneuver.” He watched Taka scrabble into the carriage, furiously brushing snow from his trousers, and smiled.
“Make ready, Taka. We travel to the edge of the underworld, to the brink of Jigoku itself, to find the splinter that will madden a god.”
* * * * *
We hope you enjoyed your journey through
the fantastical Empire of Iwagoto in
Soul of the Sword!
Look for book 3 of the Shadow of the Fox trilogy.
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GLOSSARY
amanjaku: minor demons of Jigoku
arigatou: thank you
ashigaru: peasant foot soldiers
ayame: iris
baba: an honorific used for a female elder
baka/bakamono: fool, idiot
chan: an honorific mainly used for females or children
chochin: hanging paper lantern
daikon: radish
daimyo: feudal lord
daitengu: yokai; the oldest and wisest of the tengu
Doroshin: Kami; the god of roads
furoshiki: a cloth used to tie one’s possessions for ease of transport
gaki: hungry ghosts
gashadokuro: giant skeletons summoned by evil magic
geta: wooden clogs
gomen: an apology; sorry
hai: an expression of acknowledgment; yes
hakama: pleated trousers
hannya: a type of demon, usually female
haori: kimono jacket
Heichimon: Kami; the god of strength
hitodama: the human soul
inu: dog
ite: ouch
Jigoku: the Realm of Evil; hell
Jinkei: Kami; the god of mercy
jorogumo: a type of spider yokai
jubokko: a carnivorous, bloodsucking tree
kaeru: copper frog; currency of Iwagoto
kago: palanquin
kama: sickle
kamaitachi: yokai; sickle weasel
kami: minor gods
Kami: greater gods; the nine named deities of Iwagoto
kami-touched: those born with magic powers
kappa: yokai; a river creature with a bowl-like indention atop its head filled with water that if ever spilled makes it lose its strength
karasu: crow
katana: sword
kawauso: river otter
kitsune: fox
kitsune-bi: foxfire
kitsune-tsuki: fox possession
kodama: kami; a tree spirit
komainu: lion dog
konbanwa: good evening
kunai: throwing knife
kuso: a common swear word
mabushii: an expression meaning “so bright,” like the glare of the sun
majutsushi: mage, magic user
Meido: the Realm of Waiting, where the soul travels before it is reborn
miko: a shrine maiden
minna: an expression meaning “everyone”
mino: raincoat made of woven straw
mon: family emblem or crest
nande: an expression meaning “why”
nani: an expression meaning “what”
neko: cat
netsuke: a carved piece of jewelry used to fasten the cord of a travel pouch to the obi
nezumi: rat yokai
Ningen-Kai: the Mortal Realm
nogitsune: an evil wild fox
nue: yokai; a chimerical merging of several animals including a tiger, a snake and a monkey that is said to be able to control lightning
nurikabe: yokai; a type of living wall that blocks roads and doorways, making it impossible to go through or around them
obi: sash
ofuda: paper talisman possessing magical abilities
ohiyou gozaimasu: good morning
okuri inu: yokai; large black dog that follows travelers on roads and will tear them apart if they stumble and fall
omachi kudasai: please wait
omukade: a giant centipede
onikuma: a demon bear
oni: ogre-like demons of Jigoku
onmyoji: practitioners of onmyodo
onmyodo: occult magic focusing primarily on divination and fortune-telling
onryo: yurei; a type of vengeful ghost that causes terrible curses and misfortune to those who wronged it
oyasuminasai: good night
ryokan: an inn
ryu: gold dragon; currency of Iwagoto
sagari: yokai; the disembodied head of a horse that drops from tree branches to frighten passersby
sake: alcoholic drink made of fermented rice
sama: an honorific used when addressing one of the highest station
san: a formal honorific often used between equals
sansai: edible wild plant
sensei: teacher
seppuku: ritual suicide
shinobi: ninja
shogi: a tactical game akin to chess
shuriken: throwing star
sugoi: an expression meaning “amazing”
sumimasen: I’m sorry; excuse me
tabi: split-toed socks or boots
Tamafuku: Kami; the god of luck
tanto: short knife
tanuki: yokai; small animal resembling a raccoon, indigenous to Iwagoto
tatami: woven bamboo mats
Tengoku: the celestial heavens
tengu: yokai; crow-like creatures that resemble humans with
large black wings
tetsubo: large two-handed club
tora: silver tiger, currency of Iwagoto
tsuchigumo: a giant mountain spider
ubume: yurei; a type of ghost who died in childbirth
usagi: rabbit
wakizashi: shorter paired blade to the katana
yamabushi: mountain priest
yari: spear
yojimbo: bodyguard
yokai: a creature with supernatural powers
yokatta: an expression of relief; thank goodness
yuki onna: snow woman
Yume-no-Sekai: the realm of dreams
yurei: a ghost
zashiki warashi: yurei; a type of ghost that brings good fortune to the house it haunts
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CHAPTER ONE
The Ghost in the Computer
Ten years ago, on my sixth birthday, my father disappeared.
No, he didn’t leave. Leaving would imply suitcases and empty drawers, and late birthday cards with ten-dollar bills stuffed inside. Leaving would imply he was unhappy with Mom and me, or that he found a new love elsewhere. None of that was true. He also did not die, because we would’ve heard about it. There was no car crash, no body, no police mingling about the scene of a brutal murder. It all happened very quietly.
On my sixth birthday, my father took me to the park, one of my favorite places to go at that time. It was a lonely little park in the middle of nowhere, with a running trail and a misty green pond surrounded by pine trees. We were at the edge of the pond, feeding the ducks, when I heard the jingle of an ice cream truck in the parking lot over the hill. When I begged my dad to get me a Creamsicle, he laughed, handed me a few bills, and sent me after the truck.