“You will not save this world. You will destroy it!”
The passion slipped from Izanami’s face and her expression went cold again. “Speaking with you was always futile. I cannot expect you to understand dutiful sacrifice when all you know is emotional sentimentality.”
Bracing her weapon, Izanami shoved the blade out, pushing Emi back. The ground shook violently. Tree roots tore out of the earth, shooting like spears for her back. Wind surged, forming shimmering razors that sliced through the roots as she thrust her wind blade.
Izanami snapped her sword up and their blades crashed together. White light and rushing wind erupted in every direction. Izanami shoved her away. Emi jumped forward, guided by Amaterasu, and her blade snapped out again. The weapons clashed, sung through the air, and clashed again. Slashing and parrying, they danced through the snow as writhing tree roots and swirling blades of air battled around them.
“You cannot defeat me with only half your strength, Amaterasu.” Izanami parried a strike and raised her other hand. Swirling, howling white power launched out of her palm and smashed into Emi’s blade, flinging her backward. The wind caught her, and she landed neatly on her feet.
“I cannot defeat you,” Amaterasu said through Emi. “Not alone.”
Izanami’s eyes widened as Emi turned to the glowing column of light behind her, so close after Izanami had thrown her toward it. Shiro was still suspended within the light, unconscious. Izanami rushed toward them and tree roots tore up from the ground as Emi swung her wind sword out.
The blade cut through the light and slashed through the lines in the dirt, breaking the circle.
The light sputtered out and Shiro crumpled to the ground. Emi whirled away. The wind gathered under her, throwing her into the air as dozens of thick roots tore apart the spot where she’d been standing. She landed in the snow as Izanami raced for her, black katana at the ready. Power swelled within Emi, glowing through her skin.
Izanami slammed into her, driving her back. The trees croaked and groaned, and their branches whipped down at the same time as their roots reared up. Emi spun away, struggling to evade the attacks as Izanami struck again and again with her sword. The ground heaved under her feet, cracking and tearing apart to throw her off balance. Only the swirling, dancing wind kept her alive as she fought.
A tree root as thick as her waist swung for her. She sprang into the air, the wind pushing her up to avoid it. Branches snapped down to meet her, coiling around her wrists and yanking her arms out. She summoned the wind to cut them down but more branches grabbed her, pulling her limbs in every direction. Izanami sprang upward and a root shot out of the ground to create a platform from which she leaped again, blade aimed at Emi’s heart.
Out of nowhere, fire exploded in Izanami’s face.
Izanami jerked back, twisting roots diving beneath her feet to keep her from falling. She turned and barely caught Shiro’s dual blades as he bowled into her. Fire raced over his arms and down his swords and his three fiery tails danced behind him for balance. Kitsunebi orbs spun around him.
Ki surged through Emi and a spiraling gust tore her free. The wind gathered under her feet and she ran across air.
Izanami flung her sword up and unleashed a wave of power that hurled Emi and Shiro back. Shiro fell through the air but landed on one of the thrashing roots. He sprang off it and used Izanami’s own weapon as a makeshift staircase to dart after her again. Fiery orbs shot at Izanami but her flailing roots smashed them into pieces. The kitsunebi burst apart only to instantly reform from the embers.
Emi sprinted on the wind to attack Izanami’s other side. Her black sword sung through the air as trees and roots attacked them, holding Emi and Shiro at bay. The earth heaved and a geyser of dirt shot into the sky. Shiro sprang away just in time. As he dropped, a kitsunebi appeared beneath him and he landed on it with one foot before hopping upward. His orbs of flame rushed ahead of him and he sprang from one to the other as though they were floating stepping stones.
Lifting her hand, Emi called on the wind. It came howling down, whipping golden leaves from the trees as the screaming tornado enclosed all three of them. Shiro cast his kitsunebi into the cyclone and they erupted into a wall of fire. Emi pointed her blade and the blazing whirlwind surged toward Izanami.
At a gesture from Izanami, a hundred thick tree roots erupted, closing over her in a protective dome. The firestorm struck the barrier, sending wood splinters flying in every direction.
The dome of roots opened again and Izanami rose from within, lifted by a pillar of earth. She raised her hands, her power crackling in the air as she prepared another attack.
In a silent rush of darkness, the giant raven plunged out of the sky for Izanami’s back.
She sprang off the pillar of earth at the last second. The raven struck it in an explosion of dirt and rock. Emi launched downward alongside Shiro, racing toward the ground as Izanami fell, her long hair streaming above her. The earth heaved and with a boom, the ground wrenched open into a gaping chasm. Izanami plummeted into the darkness.
Amaterasu’s fear rushed through Emi. She grabbed Shiro’s arm and the wind swept beneath them, flinging them skyward just as the crevasse snapped closed with the force of an earthquake. She and Shiro hit the ground as the world bucked and shuddered before finally stilling.
Emi rolled to her feet, her eyes on the jagged crack in the ground. Shiro stood beside her and the raven landed nearby, shaking the dirt from his wings. The three of them stared at the fissure as they waited to see if their adversary would reappear.
“Izanami has fled,” she finally murmured. “Three opponents were too many for an easy victory.”
The words came from Emi’s mouth, but she no longer knew who was speaking. The edges between her thoughts and the Amatsukami’s had blurred until she didn’t know where she ended and Amaterasu began. Ki burned inside her, an agony she’d almost forgotten.
Heat rushed through her and power flowed with it—but this time it flowed out instead of in. It hurt just as much, the fiery torment scorching her every nerve.
I must leave before I destroy you, Amaterasu whispered urgently, the kami’s thoughts peeling away from hers. You must free the Kunitsukami, Emi. Do you understand? You must find them and free them. Only they can stop Izanami. Before the solstice, you must …
Amaterasu’s voice faded, the words slurring in her head. She swayed on her feet, confused to see Shiro staring at her and backing away. She lifted her arm and saw her skin was glowing white. Her vision blurred.
Hold on, Emi. Amaterasu’s soft words sounded a thousand miles away. Soon I will be gone.
“How am I supposed to find them?” she mumbled aloud, swaying like a sapling in the wind.
They are trapped by … signs of … cannot escape without …
The kami’s voice faded away again. Or maybe Emi was fading, disappearing along with Amaterasu’s ki. As the kami withdrew from her body, she pulled Emi with her. They were too connected, their minds and ki too entwined.
Tears trickled down her cheeks as she met Shiro’s wide eyes. She lifted a trembling hand toward him, terrified that this was her last moment on Earth, that when Amaterasu left, her own mind would fade to nothing as well.
The world darkened, shadows closing over her. The last thing she remembered was falling toward Shiro and his arms reaching out to catch her.
Chapter 24
Someone was poking her arm.
Her brow wrinkled as sleep tried to drag her back down. Poke, poke, poke. Her fuzzy brain halfheartedly attempted to resume conscious thought. She was lying on her back on a hard bed. The air was cool on her face but the rest of her was comfortably warm.
Poke, poke. Then something sharp jabbed her shoulder and she yelped.
“I told you to leave her alone.”
Footsteps vibrated the floor, then a thud and a squeal sounded.
“But she smells good,” a croaky voice whined.
“Touch her again and I’ll eat
you.”
Another whine and scuttling steps on the floor. Opening her eyes, she squinted in the dim light. Shiro’s face appeared above her, ruby eyes bright and fluffy fox ears pricked toward her.
“Finally awake, little miko?”
“I think so,” she said, her voice rusty and her mouth unpleasantly dry. She swallowed with effort. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Almost two days.”
She shot upright. The blood rushed out of her head and she swayed, clutching the floor as it rolled under her. “Two days?”
Shiro sat cross-legged beside her. The round walls of Yumei’s oak-tree home shone softly in the flickering candlelight. She was sitting on the same pile of blankets Shiro had been sleeping on when she first visited this place. They were alone except for a cluster of grumpy-looking crow yokai sitting on the boxes. One of them was rubbing his ear and glowering at Shiro.
“Amaterasu’s possession almost killed you,” Shiro said casually. “But judging by the amount of blood we found on the shrine floor, you would have died without her help. So there’s that.”
She pressed a hand to her belly. No pain. As she stared at her abdomen, she belatedly noticed she was wearing an unfamiliar white cotton kimono instead of her own clothes. Heat rushed to her face.
“You undressed me?” she gasped.
“I didn’t,” he said, mouth curving in a crooked grin. “Yumei said I wasn’t trustworthy. You were filthy with dirt and blood, so he didn’t have much choice.”
She hunched her shoulders and looked away, unable to banish her blush. She prodded her stomach again.
“Your wound is gone,” he said. “Completely healed, not even a scar.”
Her gaze shot back to him.
He held up his hands in surrender. “Yumei told me. I didn’t see for myself. I told you he kicked me out, remember?”
She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, then shook her head. “How is that possible?”
“He’s stronger than me.”
“Not that. How is it possible that my wound is gone?”
He smirked at having successfully annoyed her. “Amaterasu is the only Amatsukami with the healing gift. Uzume has a similar ability. They are the only two who could have saved you.”
Her stomach churned with nerves; how narrowly she had escaped with her life. “Izanami said she was giving me an honorable death so I could reflect on my life before I died.”
“Charming.”
“Did you and Yumei find any sign of people in the shrine?” she asked, her stomach clenching harder at the thought of what might have happened to Katsuo and the others when Izanami and Koyane descended on the shrine.
“We took a quick look around. It looks like they packed up in a hurry and left. No signs of a struggle.” He shrugged. “It seems they left on their own. If Izanami told them to get lost, they wouldn’t have had any choice but to obey.”
She deflated in a long, relieved sigh. “Izanami acted like she knew you. What she said about you being loyal to your lord … do you think she meant Inari?”
“I guess so. I don’t remember. She really wanted me out of the way, though, so maybe I do know something important.” His mouth twisted. “If I could remember it.”
“Well, I can fix that,” she said, pushing the blankets aside. “Give me your arm.”
“What?” He pulled his arm away. “You’re recovering, Emi. It can wait a few days.”
“Maybe it can’t,” she said tersely. “Amaterasu told me we have to find the Kunitsukami and free them before the solstice. Izanami has imprisoned them somehow.”
He stiffened. “Imprisoned them? All of them? How did she manage that?”
“I don’t know, but Amaterasu said only the Kunitsukami can stop Izanami, and they have to do it before the solstice.”
“Stop her from what?” he asked warily.
Anxiety rolled through her. “Amaterasu said Izanami wants to destroy the world, but I don’t know what that means.”
Shiro stared at her and something dangerous flashed in his eyes. Then he tipped his head back to look at the ceiling, his gaze unfocused.
After a minute, he muttered, “I almost remembered … something. When you said that, I felt … I think Amaterasu is right.”
She grabbed his right hand and pulled it toward her. “Then let’s get this off you so you can remember what you need to know.”
He snatched his arm back and shot to his feet. “You need to recover.”
“I’m fine,” she snapped, standing up and tugging her kimono into place. “Don’t you want them off? I can at least try.”
She reached for him again and his ears flattened against his head. He backed away from her, holding his onenju-wrapped arm behind him.
“Shiro,” she began angrily, but the words died in her throat as she studied his face. Her anger evaporated. “Shiro … are you afraid?”
Taking another half step back, he turned away. “You shouldn’t push yourself yet.”
Sympathy welled inside her. “Shiro …”
They stood in silence for a long minute. He stared at the wall, his jaw flexing. She waited, knowing that pushing him would accomplish nothing, though she wasn’t sure what else to do.
“What if you take them off,” he mumbled, “and I don’t remember anything?”
Her heart squeezed. She intertwined her fingers to keep from reaching for him.
His hand closed over his opposite arm, just above the onenju. “What if I do remember and it’s … what if I can’t …”
She stepped closer and placed her hand lightly over his where he gripped his arm. “You won’t know until we remove it. It can’t be worse than not knowing who you are, can it?”
His eyes slid to her, full of shadows. “What if you take them off and I forget everything?”
Her hand tightened over his. “Do you think you could ever forget me?” she asked with feigned haughtiness and a teasing smile. “After all we’ve been through?”
His brow furrowed, then he grinned. “It would be hard to forget how annoying it is to have to carry you everywhere.”
“And save my life all the time.”
He let out a long breath and extended his arm to her. “Do it.”
She slid her fingers under the bottom loop. Gripping his arm, she inhaled deeply and held the breath. Her fingers tightened around the beads as power licked at her skin. She met his ruby eyes and pulled.
The beads clamped onto his arm, refusing to budge. She dragged at them, throwing her weight into it. Power crackled over her skin and ki seared her arm. Gritting her teeth, she pulled harder. Lightning crackled over the unmoving onenju—and then exploded in her face.
She flew backward and crashed onto the table, shattering a tea cup and almost impaling herself on a broken sword. Gasping and wincing, she pushed herself up.
The release of power had thrown Shiro into the wall of wooden crates and chests. They’d tumbled down on him, half burying him. The crow yokai had transformed in a panic and were flapping around the ceiling in a flurry of black feathers, cawing loudly.
Emi scrambled off the table, sending more stuff crashing to the floor, and dashed to Shiro’s side. She flung three crates out of the way to unbury him and dropped to her knees beside him. She patted his face, feeling the heat emanating off his skin, same as when Yumei had tried—and failed—to pull a loop of beads off.
His eyelids flickered and opened. He squinted at her blurrily.
“Didn’t work?” he mumbled.
“I’m sorry.” Unwanted tears stung her eyes and she quickly rubbed a hand over her face. “I’m so sorry, Shiro. I couldn’t get it off. I don’t know why.”
He sat up with a wince and pushed his hair out of his eyes. “I told you your ki hadn’t recovered yet. Amaterasu took almost all her power when she left you.”
“So I don’t have enough Amatsukami ki to remove it?”
“At the moment, it would seem not.”
“Her ki will come back t
hough,” she said, urgency creeping into her voice. “It will start filtering into me again so she can take my body on the solstice. I’ll be able to remove it soon.”
He nodded, not quite meeting her gaze. A flicker of doubt touched her as she remembered how, even fully charged with Amaterasu’s power, she’d barely managed to pull the second loop off. What if she wasn’t strong enough to remove the third binding?
“Shiro.” She gripped his shoulder until he looked at her. “I will get the onenju off you. No matter what happens, I promise I’ll free you from the curse.”
His stare bored into her, taking her very soul captive. His hand rose and he touched her jaw with two fingers, sliding them up to her ear. Her skin tingled in the wake of his touch.
“I will hold you to that promise, little miko.”
The crows burst out in a chorus of excited cawing, making her and Shiro jump. The darkness in the doorway rippled and Yumei stepped out of it. His eyes slid over the room, widening.
“What did you do?” he snarled. “I leave for a few hours and you destroy my home?”
Emi flinched and slipped away from Shiro as she glanced at the trashed room. Shiro rose to his feet, stretching his back.
“Calm down, Yumei,” he drawled. “Emi tried to remove the onenju and it blasted us. She needs to recover more strength.”
“Of course she does,” he snapped. “I told you that. Why did you allow her to try?”
He shrugged. Emi flinched again. Maybe she should have listened to Shiro.
“Is that food?” Shiro asked, pointing at the large paper bag in Yumei’s hand.
Emi blinked at the bag. “Is that a takeout bag? How did you order takeout?”
“I stole it. I have no idea what it contains.”
“It smells good, at least,” Shiro said optimistically. As he crossed the room, his arm brushed hers, sending a little warm shiver through her. Relieving Yumei of the bag, he dropped down at the table and shoved the broken teacup out of the way.