Soul of the Sword Page 18

  “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 first rebellion, completely ruthless. If he had decided to summon the Harbinger, he would be searching for the missing pieces tirelessly. Honestly, I was a little surprised he had found only the one piece so far.

  “Forgive me, Hakaimono,” Genno said slowly. “But I have been attempting to gather the fragments of the Dragon scroll ever since I knew of the Harbinger’s coming. I have minions across Iwagoto searching for the missing pieces, for any hint of where they might be. We have scoured the empire from corner to corner and have yet to turn up more than one. I had a servant in the capital, who swore she could get another of the pieces, but she failed. And the night of the Wish is rapidly approaching.” Genno turned and gazed at the sickly moon visible outside the balcony, his voice turning grim. “Time is running short,” he mused darkly. “If the pieces are not brought together by the time the Dragon stars fade over the empire, the Wish will be lost, and the Harbinger will not reappear for another millennium. I cannot allow that to happen. If I have to sacrifice the whole of the empire to Jigoku, I will be the one to summon the Dragon.”

  Genno turned back, raising his sleeves so that they fluttered in an imaginary wind. “So imagine my surprise,” he said, “when the demon Hakaimono strolls into my castle, after centuries of being trapped within Kamigoroshi, and casually announces that he can bring me the very thing the entire empire is seeking. You’ll have to excuse me if I find that rather difficult to believe.”

  “Believe what you want,” I replied, knowing he was hanging on my every word now. “But I know where the scroll is. Both pieces, actually. And if you agree to play nice, I’ll even go get them for you.”

  The human’s eyes glittered. He wanted the scroll, was desperate to have it. It was, as I had always known, the one thing he couldn’t pass up. But Genno wasn’t stupid; the Master of Demons knew the dangers of bargaining with Jigoku and was understandably skeptical. “Would you?” he asked, narrowing his gaze. “And the thought of summoning the Dragon yourself doesn’t interest you? The final pieces of the prayer to summon the Harbinger are in your grasp, and you would simply turn them over?”

  I snorted. “The Harbinger doesn’t respond to demons or yokai—his bargain was with the humans. Only a mortal soul can call the Kami from the sea.”

  “True, but you could always force someone to make the Wish for you,” Genno reasoned. “Use it to free yourself from Kamigoroshi. Isn’t that your greatest desire, Hakaimono? Would you not seek out the scroll for that alone?”

  “No,” I said firmly. “I have no interest in the Dragon’s Wish, no desire to call upon the Harbinger of Change.” Curling a lip, I shook my head. “You humans and your constant quest for power…There is no mortal I would trust who, at the penultimate moment, would not use the Wish for himself. Besides…” I sneered and glanced at Kamigoroshi, still lying on the pedestal. “Demons and Kami don’t exactly get along. I wouldn’t trust the Harbinger to undo what he brought about a millennium ago. In fact, if the scaly, wish-granting bastard appeared before me, right now, I’m fairly certain I would take Kamigoroshi and shove it up his dragon hole.”

  No change in expression from the Master of Demons. “You would bring me the scroll pieces,” he repeated, “in exchange for breaking the curse on Kamigoroshi and allowing your spirit to return to Jigoku. That is your bargain?”

  I nodded. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

  Genno’s pale lips thinned. “Very well,” he murmured. “If that is what it takes, then you have a deal, Hakaimono. But I’m afraid I will need you to bring me the scroll before I can attempt to break the curse.” He raised transparent arms so that the moonlight filtered through his sleeves. “As you can see, I am not at my full power. After the Dragon is summoned and I have my new body, I will gladly honor your request.”

  “I figured as much.” Picking up Kamigoroshi, I tucked it through my obi again. “Don’t worry, I’m not some conniving blood witch who has to send minions to do her dirty work for her. You’ll have the complete scroll before the night of the Wish, I assure you.”

  “Out of curiosity,” Genno mused as I took a step back. “How do you know where to find the scroll, Hakaimono? My servant, Lady Satomi, informed me that she knew where a piece was, that she was getting close to acquiring it. But now it appears Lady Satomi is dead, and the scroll fragment lost. How is it that you know where the final pieces are located?”

  I smiled. “Jigoku i
s eternal, Master of Demons,” I said. “I’m older than you can even fathom, and my memory is very long. The Kage have had a long history with the Dragon scroll—the second Wish was spoken by Kage Hanako, better known today as Lady Hanshou, who desired immortality and to rule the Shadow Clan forever. She got her wish, though not in the way she expected. As it turns out, eternal life is not the same as eternal youth.”

  There was a faint rustle from the soul inside, Tatsumi’s curiosity stirring at this newest revelation. I chuckled inwardly at his ignorance. If he only knew the truth, the depth of his daimyo’s obsession.

  “But even before the Kage,” I continued, staring at Genno, “I am no stranger to this realm. I was around when the empire was young, when demons and yokai outnumbered men. I remember the places that have been lost to human history. And thanks to a naive little fox girl, I know where to find the last pieces of the scroll.”

  “The Steel Feather temple,” Genno said flatly, revealing that he, too, knew where the scroll was being held. Probably from Lady Satomi. But he didn’t know where the temple itself was located, because the crusty guardians who lived there knew how short and fickle human memory was. They didn’t even need their magic to hide themselves away; all they had to do was not interact with the mortal world for a few hundred years, and the humans would forget they ever existed.

  But Jigoku was eternal. Jigoku did not forget.

  I just smiled, and Genno’s brow lifted. “You know where the temple is,” he stated quietly.

  Deep inside, I could feel Tatsumi’s anger, his desperation, but especially, his worry and concern for a simple peasant girl who, even as we spoke, was on her way to the temple. Whose path would surely cross with mine once more.

  “Yes,” I said, savoring Tatsumi’s despair as I answered. “I do.”

  12

  THROUGH YUME-NO-SEKAI

  Yumeko

  “Lady Hanshou asked you to do what?”

  We had returned to Hakumei castle in the darkest hours of the night. As quickly as we could without attracting attention, we slipped through the halls and through the doors of Master Jiro’s room. The old priest was sitting against the far wall when we came in, long-handled pipe curling tendrils of smoke into the air, gnarled staff resting on his knees. Ko lay curled up beside him, looking like an oversize dandelion puff, and barely flicked an ear when Reika and Chu herded us through the doors.

  “Ah,” Master Jiro breathed, taking the end of the pipe from his mouth. “You found them, Reika-chan. Thank the kami.”

  The shrine maiden hadn’t answered right away. After shutting the doors, she’d reached into her haori and pulled out a familiar slip of white paper—an ofuda—one of the talismans that allowed her to work her magic. This one read silence in stark black ink, and Reika pressed it firmly to the doorframe between the shoji panels. I felt a ripple of energy emanate from the little strip, spreading over the walls of the room, a barrier that would keep prying ears from listening to our conversation. As the magic settled, I felt a prick of vindictive satisfaction. Ha, try eavesdropping on us now, nosy Kage.

  “No thanks to these three,” Reika growled, turning to glower at me, Daisuke and the ronin. “I’m not even going to mention the stupidity of certain individuals who go wandering around the Shadow Clan capital by themselves. Or a certain lying yokai who told me she’d stay in her room and then went gallivanting into the streets of Ogi Owari with no thought for herself or the very important thing she is carrying.”

  “That isn’t true,” I argued, making her scowl at me. “I was thinking of the very important thing, which is why I disguised myself as you. No one even knew I left the castle. I was perfectly safe. Well, until the assassins.”

  Ko raised her head and growled. Master Jiro blinked.

  “Assassins?” he repeated. Taking the pipe from his mouth, he tapped the end on a square of tissue and set it aside. “I fear you are going to have to start from the beginning, Yumeko-chan,” he said.

  So I had. Beginning with my meeting with Lady Hanshou, and her shocking request to save Tatsumi and free him from Hakaimono. Reika’s eyes had nearly bugged out of her face when she heard the daimyo’s request, and she was sputtering before I even finished the sentence, leading to her question.

  “Save the demonslayer from Hakaimono?” the shrine maiden went on, answering her own inquiry. “When her own majutsushi cannot?” She gestured fiercely. “And what did you tell her?”

  “I told her I would try,” I said quietly, making the miko groan. “This doesn’t change anything, Reika-san. We were going to look for Tatsumi anyway.”

  “After we took the scroll to the temple, Yumeko-chan! The scroll is more important—”

  “I know it’s important!” I pinned my ears and glared back at her. “I know I have to take the scroll to the temple and prevent the coming of the Dragon. But…I can’t forget about Tatsumi.” Thinking of the demonslayer made my stomach tighten, and I took a quick breath to steady myself. “Please,” I said, gazing around the room. “We owe him this. Tatsumi fought Satomi’s demons alongside us. He faced an oni to allow us to reach Master Jiro. We can’t abandon him, and we can’t wait. The Shadow Clan is already tracking Hakaimono down. Tatsumi might be killed before we can even get to him.”

  “We don’t even know where he is.”

  “I do,” I said. “Lady Hanshou told me. She said that Hakaimono was seen traveling west, toward a forest beyond the mountains.”

  Reika snorted. “Can you be a little more specific?” she said, and waved a billowy sleeve. “There are lots of forests in the general direction of west.”

  “It was the big forest between Hino and Mizu lands,” I said, and saw Master Jiro’s eyes narrow. “What was its name, again? Lady Hanshou told me, and it sounded very ominous. The Forest…”

  “The Forest of a Thousand Eyes,” Master Jiro finished, and Reika jerked up as if she’d been stung. “The site where the Master of Demons gathered his army to declare war on the empire.”

  “That accursed place?” Reika grew pale, and she shook her head fiercely. “Absolutely not. I refuse to let Master Jiro set foot anywhere near that forest. Finding Hakaimono is one thing. Going into the Forest of a Thousand Eyes is like walking into Jigoku itself.”

  “You don’t have to come,” I said. “I won’t ask any of you to follow me. But…I’m going after Hakaimono. I’ve already made up my mind. I’ll find him myself and—somehow—I’ll get Tatsumi back.”

  “How?” Reika demanded. “You keep saying you’re going to save him, but you know nothing of exorcism, binding rituals or the nature of demons. How do you think you’re going to defeat Hakaimono, Yumeko-chan?”

  “I will save Tatsumi. Even…even if I have to possess him myself.”

  There were a few heartbeats of silence after this statement as, one by one, my companions realized what this meant.

  “Kitsune-tsuki,” Reika said, her tone disapproving. I waited for her to berate me, to tell me that it was evil, to insist that I find another way. But, for once, Reika was quiet, thoughtful, as if coming to the realization that this might work, even if she didn’t like it.

  “I know it’s not ideal,” I said, gazing around the room. Master Jiro looked grave, Reika’s jaw was set, even Okame looked uncomfortable with the talk of possession. Beside him, the noble’s face was unreadable, but his eyes were dark and troubled. “I would rather not perform kitsune-tsuki if I had the choice. But, if it’s the only way to drive out Hakaimono, I feel I have to try.”

  “But, you’re only half-kitsune, Yumeko-san,” Okame pointed out. “Are you sure you can do it?”

  “I…think so,” I stammered, earning raised brows from Reika and concerned looks from everyone else. “It’s not something I’ve ever tried,” I admitted, “but I was told that it came naturally for kitsune. That, when the time arrived, I would know what to do.” I did not mention that the someone who had encouraged me to use this particular kitsune talent was a mysterious white fox who’d appeared
to me in a dream.

  “So, our plan, such as it is,” Reika continued in a dubious voice, “is to find Hakaimono, somehow restrain him and then you will possess the demonslayer using an ability you’re not even certain you have. And once you’re inside, you’re going to…what? Convince Hakaimono to leave? By asking him nicely? Or, do you intend to fight the demon while you’re both inside Kage Tatsumi?”

  “If that is what I must do,” I said. I did not relish the thought of fighting Hakaimono, but Reika was right; he wouldn’t just leave if I asked him politely. “Whatever it takes, if I have to, I’ll drive Hakaimono out myself.”

  “And what do you think that will do to the demonslayer’s soul?”

  “I…” I faltered, pricking my ears. “What do you mean?”

  She shook her head, but there was a sadness in the gesture, not exasperation. “Kage Tatsumi has been wholly possessed by Hakaimono,” she told me. “A soul, be it human or oni, cannot be destroyed, only suppressed or driven out. If your kitsune-tsuki is successful, there will be three presences inside him, three separate wills competing for control of his mind and body. If you fight Hakaimono inside Kage Tatsumi, the demonslayer might not come out of this ordeal unscathed.”

  “What will happen?”

  The shrine maiden raised both hands. “I have no idea,” she said. “A fox possessing a mortal to drive an oni spirit back into a sword has never happened before.” She grimaced, and I tried not to dwell on the absurdity of that last statement. “However,” she went on, “I do remember a case of tanuki-tsuki that Master Jiro was called on to exorcise. The tanuki had taken possession of a young woman, and by the time they brought her to the shrine, she was very sick, having gorged herself on sake and rice cakes for three days straight. And yet, she still continued to cry with hunger, demanding we bring her food and alcohol. The tanuki spirit was driven out, but sadly, the young woman never recovered, and died a few days later in her home.”