The Shattering Waves (The Year of the Dragon, Book 7) (23 page)

“But nobody suspected they could use them as a
weapon,
” said Date.

“Now I understand why storms and typhoons pursued us all the way from Chinzei.” Gensai clenched his fist. “You’d think having the
dorako
on their side would be enough for our enemy.”

“
Enemy
?” protested Atsuko. “I’m sorry, Date-
sama,
but if you’re thinking of joining the rebellion against my husband, I will have to leave at once.”

“What about your father,
hime
?” asked Gensai from under a frowned brow. “
He’s
marching on Edo as we speak!”

“This is a lie. Shimazu-
dono
remains neutral in the conflict in Chinzei. He merely voices his concerns as a loyal subject to the court.”

“If that’s what you believe …” The swordsman shrugged.

“Please, relax,
hime.
” The nobleman put the cup down with a long, studious movement. “The enemy we speak of is not His Highness, but those who we believe to be really pulling all the strings at the court.”

She looked at him sharply. “You mean Hotta. It’s all his fault.”

“Hotta is the chief of them, as far as we know, yes …” Lord Date massaged his neck and exchanged glances with Gensai. “My lady,” he said with a sigh of uncertainty, “there is something you must know about the Chief Councillor.”

“I know he’s a traitor,” she said. “I know it was his machinations that brought the Grey Hoods to Yamato.”

Lord Date winced. Gensai’s muscles tensed.
There’s more …?

“The problem with Chief Councillor Hotta is that he’s …” The nobleman made a grasping gesture in the air, as if searching for meaning. “… not quite human.”

She scoffed, unable to help herself. The palpable tension made his words sound even more ridiculous, like a bad joke. But his face was deadly serious, and Gensai’s eyes remained dark and grim.

“What — what do you mean? Is he a
Yōkai
?”

“He’s an Abomination,” spoke Gensai, spitting out the word through clenched teeth. “A living dead, a demon in man’s clothes. And he’s not the only one. There are many at the court and in the
fudai
households throughout the city. Me and my men have been hunting them down for weeks.”

“You’re one of the assassins!” She raised an accusing finger. “Were you the one who killed Sakuma Zōzan?”

“With this very sword,” he replied, touching the hilt on his back. There was not a trace of remorse in his voice. “He was on his way to becoming one of the
creatures
and had to be stopped.”

“What creatures? What are you talking about?”

The air in the room grew cold and the light appeared to have dimmed as the two samurai explained to her what they knew. There wasn’t much of it: they didn’t know where they had come from, or what their ultimate plan was. “We know they have existed at least since the days of the first
Taikun,
” said Gensai. “Perhaps they came to life after the Yōkai War — as a way to avenge the fallen spirits … Or maybe the barbarians brought them from beyond the ocean.”

“And you say you’ve met one of them?”

“One who calls himself a Renegade,” replied Gensai. “He purported to work for my master, and for your father.”

My father, in league with one of these … monsters?

She didn’t ask for proof. After all, Lord Date was a nobleman of utmost trust and integrity, and she knew Gensai enough to see he strongly believed in truth. It was as good an explanation as any these days. A foul and sinister aura always surrounded the Chief Councillor. But why would a human want to ally himself with an undead demon?

“What I don’t understand is what they would need the Divine Winds for,” said Lord Date. “They already hold a tight grip on the government, and the rebels are no threat to the
Taikun’s
navy at sea.”

Gensai rubbed his chin in thought. “I did hear some strange rumours lately from my network. The merchants and fishermen say the Winds are nearer than they ever were. It wreaks havoc with the wind patterns, they say, and the fishing grounds.”

“That’s what I saw in the orb, too, ” said Atsuko, “the black ribbon was almost touching the land in places. I remembered it seemed strange at the time. What could it mean?”

Lord Date took a long sip of
cha.
“I think I know.” He turned to the princess. “You said Iesada-
dono
has been using the orb repeatedly over the past weeks?” Atsuko nodded. “And that when you tried the same, it seemed as if you ripped a gust of wind and cloud from the band of storms?” She nodded again.

He finished the
cha
and
put it upside down on the tray. He
then called for the servant to bring a piece of silk ribbon and a pair of tailor’s scissors. He tied the ends of the ribbon and laid it around an upturned cup.

“What are you doing?” asked Gensai. “This is no time for games.”

“Imagine this band is the Divine Winds. See how far it is from the rim of the cup?” Lord Date said, then snipped about an inch from the ribbon, then tied it together again. “What about now?”

Gensai rolled his eyes. “Yes, it’s closer, of course. We’re not children, Date-
dono
. You should’ve just said what you meant, without these playground tricks.”

“I merely wanted to illustrate my point, Kawakami-
dono
,” Lord Date answered in a conciliatory tone.

“What
is
your point, Date-
dono
?” asked Atsuko. “I think I understand, but …”

“It seems to me the Divine Winds, whatever their provenance, are a finite resource. Every time Chief Councillor Hotta convinces His Highness to use their power, the band shortens, and comes closer to our shores.”

“And if he’s not stopped, soon it will swallow Yamato whole,” added Gensai grimly. “I thought he wanted to rule the country, not destroy it.”

“I’m not sure he’s aware of this … side effect. Or cares. Maybe he thinks he can stop before the storms get too dangerous.”

Gensai stroked the handle of his sword. “If only I could get my hands on that monster—”

“Patience, Kawakami-
dono
.” Lord Date’s voice had the smoothness of honey. “We cannot strike too early. Not before we know for certain exactly what we are dealing with, where these Abominations come from, and how many of them there are.”

Gensai scowled. “I know what you mean. We cut one head off, two more grow in its place.”

Atsuko straightened her back and brushed an invisible speck of dust from her housewife’s robe.
I was prepared to deal with complex politics,
she thought.
I was taught how to play off clans against each other, how to placate and distract the courtiers, how to best protect the interests of Satsuma and my father. What I was not prepared for was having to face monsters and demons.

But she should have known her mission would take her to strange places. After all, it had started with meeting the Western boy and his
dorako
at Kirishima
.
By the time she reached Edo, the Black Wings were already a dark presence in the city, assassins terrorized the streets at night, and the north and south were torn by rebellions unprecedented in scale since Shimabara and the Civil War. An undead demon running the Council? Compared to everything else, it didn’t sound all that outlandish.

“I can give him to you,” she said quietly.

“I’m sorry?” asked Lord Date. “I’m not sure I heard right—”

“I am the
Taikun’s
wife. I can arrange for the Chief Councillor to be wherever you want and whenever you want him to be there.”

“We wouldn’t dream of risking your—” the nobleman started, but Gensai interrupted him.

The swordsman leaned forward. “How soon do you think you could organize this?”

“I need to find out the details of the court schedule for the upcoming weeks. Give me a few days to prepare. I don’t mind the danger. I despised this man even before you told me who —
what
– he is. Now I want him destroyed just as much as you do.”

Gensai’s eyes glinted in a mischievous smile. He leaned back. “What do you think, Date-
dono
? This is not a chance we can afford to waste.”

“It’s dangerous. It could put everything we’ve worked for in jeopardy.” Lord Date stared into the empty cup. “We will have to consult it with the others.”

How many others are there?

The gong in the garden started ringing out the hour. “You should probably be going back to the palace,
hime,
” said Lord Date. “We’ve taken up enough of your time.”

She stood up. The gong continued ringing. “That’s not the clock,” said Gensai, jumping to his feet. “That’s the alarm. We’ve been breached!”

“Get the princess out of here,” ordered Lord Date. “Not a hair on her head must be harmed.”

Breached? Who would dare …?

“What about you?” Atsuko asked the nobleman.

“Don’t worry,
hime.
I have survived more attempts on my life than I care to remember.”

He moved the flower vase in the alcove. With a grind, one of the daubed walls opened, revealing a secret passage, its floor covered with noise-dampening cloth. The swordsman rushed inside, urging the princess to follow. Barefoot, she ran down the corridor. She cast one last glance over her shoulder — Lord Date was already gone by the time the wall closed behind them.

“He’s right,
hime,
” said Gensai, his breath not affected by the chase in the slightest. “I’ve seen Date-
dono
come out of worse scraps unharmed. It’s almost like he’s a demon himself,” he added with a wry smile.

“Who attacked us? Why?” she asked between gasps. Her clothes made running difficult, though she was thankful she didn’t have to wear her official robe.

They reached another door. Gensai pushed it open and they ran out onto a concealed garden path leading to the stone wall of the residence. The wall was built in the Qin style, with a dragon built of clay tiles coiling along the top. The swordsman pressed the dragon’s nose. A flight of narrow, slippery steps popped out from among the stones.

“There is a secret war going on in Edo under your nose,
hime,
” he said, helping her up the first step.
“And you’ve only glimpsed a moment of it
.
You didn’t think our side is the only one using assassins?”

Dried-up tears glued Azumi’s eyelids together. She cursed the power that did not let her sleep away her despair. Her mind was exhausted, but her body was still rested. Lying on her back all through the night, peering into darkness, she saw stars blinking through the gap between the ceiling boards.

She dreamed awake. The first dream was bright, and filled with white haze. The mist parted, revealing Ozun as she remembered him, naked and glistening with sweat. He touched her cheek. His hand was warm and soft. He smiled, sadly.

“
Farewell, love
.”

“Don’t leave me,” she pleaded.

“
You must move on
,” he said. “
You must live for me
.” He kissed her and receded into the mist.

The fog grew dark, and blood-red, cold and horrid. Another silhouette appeared in the darkness. Ozun leapt out at her, pinned her to the ground, his face half-rotten, ash-coloured. He snarled and slobbered at her and pierced her flesh with long, sharp claws.

“You abandoned me! Left me to die! And you want to betray me — and for whom? That monster and his band. The people who killed
me.
My spirit howls in the Otherworld unavenged!”

She woke up from the visions, shivering with exhaustion. Dōraku stood over her with a curious look.

“Please,” she said, “I’m so tired. Grant me sleep.”

The Renegade touched her forehead. The power streamed out of her body and into his hand in a purple glow. Blood slowed down in her veins, her senses grew weak, muddled. The footsteps of the sailors, lapping water, the squeaking mice in the rice hold next door — all these sounds vanished. Hunger and thirst returned in painful pangs. Her muscles and sinews loosened. The chains fell off her limbs with a clang, but she was too weak to move.

She closed her eyes.

CHAPTER XV

The final hex brought Satō and the Fanged to the bottom of a vast bowl-shaped valley on the southern slope of an immense volcano. Rows of sharp, shattered lava boulders spiralled from the centre towards the edges of the bowl. In the middle of the valley stood a shed built of flat boulders, with a crooked stone gate in front. She looked up, towards the near-perfect cone of a distant summit, its tip hidden in a disc-shaped cloud. There was only one mountain like this in all Yamato: Mount Fuji.

Lady Yodo pushed Satō back against a tall, narrow rock outside the stone shed, and chained her arms around it. Yui approached the wizardess and put his hand on her head. His golden eyes seethed with fury.

“Your
friends,
” he hissed. “I will make you forget about them.” A dark energy began to seep from his fingers.