Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

Author:Emiko Jean
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Chapter 25

Akira

Late in the afternoon, Akira cut through the streets of the second and third wards. The sun blazed, and heat skulked even in the shadows. Humans moved sluggishly, but Akira’s movements were quick and sure.

The clock had just rung one hour past noon when Hanako had approached Akira, a note clutched between her see-through fingers. The shine of her collar caught the light streaming through the clock-tower window. The Snow Girl clearly still polished her chains while plotting a revolution. “Take this to the palace temple,” she said. “A girl will be waiting there. Make sure you put it in her hands only, and don’t let anyone else see you. Be the wind you promised me, Son of Nightmares.”

Akira slipped the note inside his surcoat, secured a rag over the bottom half of his face, and went. The geezers escorted him as far as the eighth ward, but beyond that, yōkai were forbidden except with a human escort. “The temple is located on the far-most corner of the palace, the eastern corner. You’ll have to hop the palace wall and avoid the samurai patrols. Don’t be seen in any of the wards. If a priest catches you, you’ll be collared. The Weapons Master will have no use for you then.” With a laugh and a hard pat on the back, the geezers left.

Silence was second nature to Akira. He cloaked his movements easily, moving from shadow to shadow when humans turned their heads. The sharp corner of the envelope poked Akira’s chest as he stepped into the first ward. Though lavender lined the streets, smoke choked the air, making it rancid.

Spying a group of priests, Akira ducked into an alley. Though the first ward was dedicated to housing, samurai and priests were in abundance. Traveling on the ground level was no longer safe, even for him. Akira followed the alleyway all the way back, seeking alternative modes. He located a drainpipe. Perfect. He shimmied up, alighting on the blue tiled roof. There he perched, surveying the city.

The golden palace rose nearby, almost within reach. The Palace of Illusions was surrounded by a moat. “It is bottomless,” Hanako had said. “Hope you can swim.” He spied the temple, recognized it by its five stories, one for each element: earth, water, fire, wind, and sky. The temple was exactly where the geezers had said it would be. As he looked closer, he saw that one didn’t need to cross the moat to gain access to the temple. It lay outside the main structure of the palace, with only a section of wall to fortify it.

Akira jumped from rooftop to rooftop, landing with the grace of a cat. I am the wind. His mask rippled in the breeze as he leaped onto the wall. He paid the price for overconfidence. A metal spike stabbed into his foot. He clamped his mouth shut from yowling in pain and fell from the wall, landing in a heap within the temple confines.

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