by Julie Kagawa
Realization dawned on me. “That’s why Lady Hanshou needs us to save Tatsumi,” I guessed. “Because if Tatsumi is killed, she will be admitting that Lord Iesada was right. That the demonslayer was too dangerous to let live. But if we can rescue him and drive Hakaimono back…” I had to stop and think a moment, as all these political games were making my head hurt. “Then, Tatsumi won’t be a danger anymore, and Iesada-sama can just be quiet.”
Masao’s lip twitched in a faint smile. “You are clever, for a simple peasant girl,” he said, though not in a threatening or menacing way. “Use that to your advantage. Most nobles think that the commoners are beneath their notice. Be warned, however. There are many who will not take kindly to an outsider interfering in Shadow Clan affairs. If your quest becomes known to certain individuals, they may try to stop you.” Masao’s dark eyes narrowed, and he drew two pale fingers across his throat. “The Kage way.”
I swallowed. “I understand.”
“Excellent!” Masao became bright and cheerful in an instant. “Well, good luck and thank you for coming, Yumeko-san. Harumi-san will show you back to your room.”
I turned and saw that the older servant woman was waiting for me at the end of the hall. When I looked back, Masao was already striding away, his sleeves fluttering behind him as he went. He did not look back, seeming to forget I was there, and slipped through the door without breaking stride, then shut it behind him.
I followed Harumi-san to my room in silence. I couldn’t be certain, but I was almost positive we took a different route back than the way we’d come. Though it was difficult to concentrate on anything with my mind preoccupied with Tatsumi, Hakaimono and my meeting with the Kage daimyo.
Now I had to get Tatsumi back, and quickly. Not that I wasn’t determined before, but the meeting with Lady Hanshou and her advisor showed me how dire the situation really was. If I didn’t rescue Tatsumi, the Kage would kill him themselves.
Though the thought of what I would have to do made my skin crawl and my stomach turn. Kitsune-tsuki. I had never attempted fox possession before, and with all that had happened with the Kage, there was no time to see if I could even do it. I didn’t dare ask if I could “practice” on any of my friends. Kitsune-tsuki was dangerous and extremely invasive, according to Master Isao, and I had no idea what I was doing. I did not want to slip into Okame or Daisuke only to realize I couldn’t get out again.
But if we did manage to capture the demonslayer without being killed by the Kage or the oni himself, and I did manage to possess Tatsumi…I would have to deal with Hakaimono. Alone. The very thought turned my insides to ice and sent my heart racing around my chest. I doubted the oni spirit that had terrorized the country and had the entire Shadow Clan paralyzed with fear would simply leave if I asked him nicely.
But the alternative was to let Hakaimono wreak havoc as he pleased until the Kage caught up and finally brought the demon down. None of them cared about Tatsumi; he was simply a weapon to them, a thing that should be disposed of now that it had grown problematic. Even Lady Hanshou was simply trying to save face and protect her position. I was the only one who cared if Tatsumi lived or died.
I was so distracted by my thoughts, I didn’t realize Harumi-san had stopped until I walked past her. Blinking, I turned to see her standing against the wall with her head bowed and her hands clasped in front of her. Confused, I looked up, and saw we were in what seemed to be a deserted part of the castle. The halls were dim, with only a couple lanterns sputtering weakly down the corridor.
A figure stood in the middle of the hall, where nothing had been a moment ago.
My ears pricked at yet another person materializing out of thin air. He wasn’t a noble, or at least, he didn’t look like one. He was shorter than most, wearing a simple black haori, gray hakama and a warrior’s topknot. It was impossible to tell his exact age; his face was lined, his body lean and sinewy. He approached us easily, making absolutely no sound in the shadowy corridor, and though his face remained impassive, I suddenly felt as if I were being stalked by some large, deadly cat.
“Good work, Harumi-san,” he told the servant, his voice no louder than a whisper. “Leave us.” Harumi immediately bowed and backed away, vanishing down another hall and out of sight. The man observed me for a moment, sharp black eyes seeing all in a single glance.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked in that strangely quiet voice, like the murmur of the wind in the trees. You knew it was there, but you barely noticed it.
“No,” I said.
He nodded. “Good. If you did, then Tatsumi would have shared far more than he should. Not that it matters now, but I wanted to see the girl who charmed the demonslayer into ignoring nearly all my teachings.” His eyes narrowed, but I couldn’t tell if he was angry, sad, irritated or impassive. “I am Kage Ichiro,” the man went on. “Tatsumi is—or rather was—my student.”
Tatsumi’s sensei. The man who had trained him to be a demonslayer, to fight like a monster himself, and to guard his mind and soul against Hakaimono. He probably wasn’t happy that his student had turned into a demon. “Why have you brought me here?” I asked.
“Because Hakumei-jo is full of eyes, and I wanted to speak to you in private. Where the only shadows watching are the ones I control.” He lifted a hand, indicating the hallway behind me. “This is my territory, my labyrinth, but do not worry—if I wished to kill you, I would not have bothered to have Harumi-san bring you here. You would simply vanish down a corridor, or perhaps fall through a trapdoor, and no one would ever find you.”
I took a furtive breath to calm my heart. “What do you want with me, then?”
“I want nothing from you, girl.” The sensei’s voice was flat. “Except to extend this warning. I know what Hanshou-sama asked you to do. Nothing happens in Hakumei-jo without the echoes of it flowing to me. But you and your companions are not safe here—there are those in the Shadow Clan who do not wish Lady Hanshou to have her demonslayer returned, and will do whatever it takes to stop you from succeeding.”
“Lord Iesada,” I guessed, seeing no reaction from Tatsumi’s sensei. “But, why? Why is he so against us saving Tatsumi? Why doesn’t he want Hakaimono driven back?”
“The Kage demonslayers are trained for absolute obedience,” Ichiro replied. “I taught Tatsumi myself, stripped every weakness from his body and mind, forged him in fire and blood, until only a weapon remained. He does not fear death, pain or dishonor. His loyalty to the Kage is unconditional, but even more than that, he is also the blade that Lady Hanshou wields against her enemies. Long ago, after Genno’s rebellion, Hanshou-sama made the decision to begin training shinobi to use the Godslayer, rather than seal its power away. She believed the risk would be outweighed by the usefulness of having Hakaimono under her control. Over the years, I have trained several demonslayers to Lady Hanshou’s expectations. They cannot be swayed by bribes, threats, power or manipulation. They are her perfect warriors, the blade in the dark that even the Kage fear.”
“They’re afraid of him,” I realized. “Lord Iesada and the other Kage lords. He doesn’t just want Tatsumi killed, he wants Kamigoroshi sealed away forever. So Hanshou-sama can’t use the demonslayer to threaten the Shadow Clan nobles.”
And whomever else she wants.
“They are right to fear him,” Ichiro said gravely. “I have seen Hakaimono, I have spoken to the demon through my students. I know what he is capable of.” His sharp black eyes narrowed. “I thought I had trained Tatsumi well, that he was strong enough to control the demon. But this failure is my fault. Tatsumi has been taught to resist pain, manipulation, seduction, even mind control and blood magic. But I neglected to warn him about the most dangerous emotion of all.” A bitter smile curled one corner of his mouth. “After everything we put him through, I honestly thought the boy incapable of it. Apparently, I can still be surprised, after all these years.”
The most dangerous emotion of all. I wondered what Ichiro meant. I had watched Tatsumi; I knew
he didn’t feel anger, grief or fear like the rest of us. What “dangerous emotion” could be left?
But, while I was curious, I was also certain that the sensei of the Kage shinobi wouldn’t tell me what he meant, so I didn’t ask. “I’ll find him, Ichiro-san,” I promised instead. “I’ll find Tatsumi, and I’ll save him from Hakaimono.”
He snorted. “You are no match for Hakaimono,” he said bluntly. “I will not hope that a single girl can defeat one who has slaughtered armies and laid waste to cities. But, in the slight chance that you do manage the impossible, I will tell you something about Tatsumi that not even Hanshou or her clever advisor knows.
“The ones who survive to become demonslayers,” Ichiro went on, “are not the strongest, or the smartest, or even the most skilled. They are the ones with the purest souls. Because only one whose soul is pure can resist Hakaimono’s influence. Remember that, and know that even now, Tatsumi is fighting.”
Kage Ichiro stepped away, the blank mask I’d often seen on Tatsumi falling into place. “Now go,” he ordered. “Save the demonslayer, if you can. But remember, there are those who will try to destroy you before you even begin your journey. Trust no one, and you might survive.”
“Arigatou,” I whispered, but Tatsumi’s sensei took one step back and threw something to the ground between us. A cloud of smoke erupted from his feet, obscuring my vision, and when it cleared, Tatsumi’s sensei was gone.
A soft chuckle echoed behind me. I spun to see yet another shinobi leaning against the wall with its arms crossed, its features hidden in shadow. Though a moment before the hallway had been empty, I had the sudden impression it had been there the whole time.
“He cares for him, you know.”
I pricked my ears, both at the statement, and that it had come from a female. The shinobi raised its head, revealing a slender form in black, long dark hair tied behind her. “Tatsumi-kun,” she explained. “Master Ichiro’s training has to be harsh, and he can’t show any emotion when it comes to the demonslayer, but he cares about what happens to him. More than he does any of us.” She shook her head. “Tatsumi has always been his favorite.”
“I’m…sorry?”
Her mouth twisted in a bitter smile. “I could have been the demonslayer,” she said, pushing herself off the wall. “I was faster, more skilled, than Tatsumi. But they chose him. And now he’s fallen to Hakaimono.” The smirk grew wider, as a black kunai throwing dagger appeared in her hand, balanced on two fingers. “They should have chosen me,” she said. “I could have told them he was too softhearted to wield Kamigoroshi. They thought they could train it out of him, but apparently not.”
“What do you mean?”
The shinobi gave me a brief look of pure loathing. “He let you live, didn’t he?”
She hurled the kunai at me. I flinched, throwing up my hands, but the black knife missed my head by inches, hitting the far wall with a thunk. Heart pounding, I looked up, fox magic surging to my fingertips. But the shinobi, whomever she was, had disappeared.
Harumi-san found me moments later and silently led me back through countless twisting halls until we had reached the guest quarters. I thanked the servant for bringing me to my room and slipped inside, wondering if I would be able to sleep in a castle full of shinobi. Especially after the unexpected meeting with Tatsumi’s sensei, and the female shinobi who seemed to hate me.
As I stepped through the frame, I realized I wasn’t alone.
Reika was waiting for me, Chu at her side, her expression dark. “Close the door,” she ordered in a low voice. “And come closer. I don’t want to be overheard.”
Puzzled, I shut the door and crossed the room to where the shrine maiden waited. “What’s wrong, Reika-san?” I whispered. She frowned at me, and I hurried on. “You don’t have to worry. It is safe. Lady Hanshou doesn’t know anything about it—”
“That’s a relief,” the shrine maiden interrupted, “but that’s not why I’m here.” She glanced in the corners and at the ceiling, as if there could be shinobi nearby, listening even now, and lowered her voice further. “We have a problem. The ronin and the noble have disappeared.”
9
THE FOREST OF A THOUSAND EYES
HAKAIMONO
“Finally here,” said the blue hag, gazing up at the trees. “We just have to make it through the forest to the castle in the center. It shouldn’t be long now.”
I crossed my arms, gazing at the forest in question. Four hundred years, and the Forest of a Thousand Eyes hadn’t changed, except to get bigger and even more sullen-looking. Tree trunks were bent and twisted, warped into unnatural shapes, like creatures writhing in agony. Branches boasted crooked talons clawing at the sky, or sometimes at living things. Vegetation was thick and tangled, despite the fact that every leaf, frond and blade of grass looked withered and sick. A pallid mist hung over everything, coiling from the trees and creeping along the ground, and the air had a sickly sweet stench that reminded me of rotting flowers.
“Ah, it is good to be home,” sighed the red hag. “I sent word ahead to the castle, so they should be expecting us. Lord Genno will be very interested in meeting you, Hakaimono-sama.”
“I’m sure he is,” I said. The question is, will he see me as an equal partner, or just another demon he can subjugate? That would be unfortunate. I’ve never been good at being subjugated.
“Well,” I told the hags, gesturing at the forest. “Shall we go, then? If the Master of Demons is expecting us, we shouldn’t keep him waiting.” I was eager to get to the castle and speak with the human who commanded it, as well as rid myself of my travel companions. It had been a frustratingly slow trek to the Forest of a Thousand Eyes. The hag sisters traveled only at night; they were nocturnal creatures who were uncomfortable in the sun, and they also wanted to avoid being seen by humans. The second reason I could understand: a trio of ogresses and an oni wandering around in broad daylight would cause any humans who saw us to panic. And while the thought of unrestrained slaughter sounded like a lot of fun, I was trying to avoid fevered mobs and armies of grim-faced samurai. It was infuriating, hiding from mortals, but if I’d learned anything over the centuries, it was that if you massacred one town, settlement or army, ever more humans would follow, angry and zealous, determined to bring you down. At least no untainted mortal would venture close to the Forest of a Thousand Eyes, and the sunlight never pierced the cloud of gloom beneath the canopy. We could travel to the castle without fear of encountering humans, although, given the nature of the forest, I doubted the rest of the journey would be uneventful.
Impatient to be off, I started forward, passing the hag sisters, who blinked and gaped after me. “Wait, Lord Hakaimono,” one called. “There is no path to Onikage castle. If you wait but a moment, we can summon a tainted kami to guide us.”
“No need for that.” I gave them a level stare. “I know the way.”
We stepped into the forest, and the mist and shadows closed around us instantly, casting everything in shades of gray and black. I could feel the corrupted heartbeat of this place, like the center of a target, pulsing with dark power. There was no trail, but as I passed through the trees, cutting my way through undergrowth, I saw the gleam of bones beneath a few of their branches, accompanied by the faint stench of old blood and rotting meat. Jubokko were plentiful here—corrupted, malevolent trees that feasted on blood. They haunted old battlefields and heavily tainted areas, places of darkness and mass death, and looked like normal trees until it was too late. Many a traveler had gotten close to a jubokko’s trunk, only to be snatched up by clawed branches, impaled with hollow thorns and drained of all blood and bodily fluids. Birds, time and insects would eat the unfortunate corpse still stuck in the tree, until only the bones were left to fall to the base of the trunk. That and the slight stench of rot were the only indicators of the tree’s deadly nature.
Bones, bleached and white, glimmered in the roots of dozens of trees as we walked by. I glanced up once and noticed the skelet
on of an unfortunate horse caught in the boughs of a particularly large jubokko, and this was still just the outskirts of the forest. I kept a careful eye on the branches as we passed beneath them, ready to draw Kamigoroshi at any time. But jubokko trees were twisted and corrupted things, pulsing with the power of Jigoku, and craved the blood of normal creatures. Oni and demons were not on their list of desirable prey, so the hags and I remained unmolested as we passed the thickest parts of the jubokko groves.
“Lord Genno will be most pleased to see you, Hakaimono-sama,” the green hag said again, ducking under a thorn-covered branch. A cluster of bloody feathers buzzing with flies was stuck in a cradle of twigs. Sometimes, even the birds weren’t safe from the blood-sucking jubokko. “Many of his strongest demons and yokai were slain in the battle four hundred years ago, and his entire cabal of blood mages were hunted down and executed. The army is not as strong as it was back then, but we’re growing. Having you on our side this time will increase our odds of victory a thousandfold.”
I nodded. “Is Genno’s plan the same?” I asked. “March against the capital, kill the emperor and take the throne for himself? Once he makes a wish on the Dragon and is less incorporeal, that is.”
“We’re not certain,” admitted the red ogress. “Lord Genno hasn’t spoken of his plans for the empire, but he has said that he is not going to make the same mistakes. I’m sure he will discuss everything with you once you get there, Hakaimono-sama.”
