“Our mother asks for you. You should visit her and pay your respects.”
“Mother would rip off my head, if she were to see me.”
Ryugi slides his gaze over to Kirin. “I see you still fight alongside the Silver One. Tell me, does he weep in his dreams, knowing each and every one of his kind has been murdered by ours?”
This question is met with a heavy, weighted silence. I take a peek at Kirin, but his face is expressionless, giving nothing of his thoughts away.
Namgi shrugs. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t sleep with him.”
Ryugi growls before turning back to Shin. “We will deliver this”—he sneers, voice dripping with contempt—“news to the goddess.”
He signals to his companions, and they follow him from the pavilion out onto the bridge. They disappear into the darkness. There’s the powerful sound of wind buffeting against the ground, and the sky fills with the heavy thunder of great beasts. The murmurs of the crowd don’t pick up until the sounds fade into the distance.
I turn to Shin. “A month, you said.”
The significance of the timeframe is not lost on me. If what he said in the Sea God’s hall is true, then after spending thirty days in the Spirit Realm I will become a spirit, too.
“A month for you to figure out how to save the Sea God,” he replies, “and a month for me to figure out how to be rid of you.”
“Lord Shin.” Kirin approaches from behind us. “I offer you my congratulations, though I’ll admit, I find it surprising.”
“Diplomatic as always,” Namgi says. “Just ask him to explain himself.”
Kirin looks more affronted than when Ryugi said the Imugi had killed all of his people. “I would never presume to demand an explanation.”
“Are the priestesses from Fox House still in attendance?” Shin asks, either not hearing or choosing to ignore the bickering of his companions.
“They are,” Kirin says. “Though now that they’ve witnessed the events of the night, I’m sure they’ll be departing soon.”
“Inform them we’ll be joining their convoy,” Shin orders. “I wish to consult with their mistress.”
Kirin appears to want to inquire further but restrains himself. Bowing, he leaves to carry out Shin’s orders.
Namgi, who was watching Kirin with a bemused expression on his face, glances around before lowering his voice. “Is it wise for all of us to travel to Fox House?”
“Fox House is the oldest of the houses, their mistress the wisest,” Shin replies. “She will have the knowledge I seek.”
“Yes. But is it safe to bring Mina there?” Namgi clarifies.
Namgi’s question finally seems to impress upon him, because Shin glances at me, an inscrutable look passing over his features.
“Why not?” I ask, suspicious now. Shin might have agreed to help me, but I don’t yet trust him. “What’s wrong with Fox House?”
“You’re a human,” Namgi says, rather unhelpfully.
“And?”
Namgi’s grin could light a candle. “The head of Fox House is a demon.”
11
Two boats depart from Lotus House, one carrying Shin, Namgi, and myself, the other Kirin and three fierce-looking women, garbed in the red-and-white robes of priestesses.
Already the news of what happened at Lotus House seems to have spread throughout the city. We pass by boats traveling in the opposite direction. Upon catching sight of Shin, their occupants ask if the rumors are true, if he truly is to marry a human girl. And a Sea God’s bride, no less!
Shin ignores them, closing his eyes as he leans against the prow of the boat. Instead, it’s Namgi who answers by lifting one oar. “Lotus House has a lady at last!” he shouts. A cheer goes up.
No one pays me any attention, likely mistaking me for a servant.
“Are the people of the city always so interested in the affairs of the houses?” I ask, watching Namgi struggle to navigate a tight bend in the canal.
He only answers after finally managing to regain our course. “For spirits, when days often seem to blend together, any small change riles them up. That’s why the arrival of the Sea God’s bride is such a momentous occasion, an excuse as good as any for a celebration.”
Earlier, when I walked through the city with Mask, Dai, and Miki, it seemed like the city was in a festive mood, what with all the people out on the streets, the many lanterns, food, and fireworks. Even in Lotus House it was a party.
Not like at home. Is this why the gods have abandoned us? Do they not care about the hardships of the human world because the Spirit Realm suffers no consequences?