Rain (The Paper Gods) by Amanda Sun

Author:Amanda Sun
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Published: 2014-06-06T21:00:00+00:00

He had been painted in coils of serpentlike scales, his eyes never leaving me as I moved around the room. Clouds of shadow swirled around him, flecks of gold glinting inside them.

“It’s him,” I said quietly. My body shivered like ice had trickled over me.

“Who?” Tanaka said.

Crap. Had I said it out loud?

“The dragon who saved this shrine,” I said. “It wasn’t the gold one at all, was it?”

Niichan laughed as he led us out of the building.

“Tokugawa’s hardworking servants did that. Dragons cause trouble.”

Of course, because the ink dragon wouldn’t put out a fire. He was ready to eat me when Tomo had drawn him in the field. He wasn’t exactly a do-gooder.

That’s when I realized what Niichan was telling me.

The ink dragon had started the fire. Maybe he’d knocked over some candles, maybe he’d even breathed fire. I didn’t know, but I was certain of one thing—he’d tried to kill Tokugawa, just like he’d tried to kill Tomohiro. They’d both drawn him.

I felt hopelessness then. I excused myself from the group and wandered the shrine grounds, the gravel crunching under my feet.

Generation after generation of Kami, hunted by the ink that marked them. It never stopped until it got them in the end. It would never stop until it got Tomohiro. Until it got me.

Why? It didn’t make sense. I rounded a patch of trees, following the path away from the painting of the dragon. I passed a stall filled with omamori, protective charms from the shrine for every possible need—good grades, health, finances, love. The girl behind the table smiled at me, her bright red hakama skirt and white top making her look like a colorful kendouka. I waved a hand at her to tell her I wasn’t interested in buying the charms and kept walking, deep in thought.

I thought Amaterasu had been the protector of Japan. Why would she want to destroy it? Weren’t the Kami her descendants?

The trees broadened here, and there was another building, almost forgotten. An elaborate phoenix painted in rainbow colors perched on the doorway, and the nearby trees were wrapped with thick Shinto rope hanging with white paper thunderbolts.

I sat down, leaning my back against the tree. I felt so lost. Tomohiro was cursed. The Kami hadn’t found a way out in centuries. What hope did he have?

I had to stay away from him. At least that way, he’d have a long life before the ink got him.

Shit! Why did I have to think like that? Why did it have to be so difficult? Why did I have to lose everything, too?

“Katie?” Niichan’s gentle voice came from the trees. I looked over and started to get to my feet, but he waved at me to stay where I was.

“Where are Yuki and Tanaka?” I asked.

“Wandering around the grounds looking for you,” he said. “I told them I was going to eat my sandwich. Mind if I sit?”

“Why are you telling me these stories, Niichan? I thought you didn’t want me to think about the Kami.

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