Page 104 of Son of Shadows

Masaru shrugged. “I guess you’re right. That’s good news too.”

EPILOGUE

“A message for you, Ryuichi-san! It’s from your father.”

Ryuichi looked up from his studies to see a small yōkai holding out a note for him.

Koichi tsked. “Can this not wait?”

“It might be important.”

“So are your studies.”

True, but he hadn’t seen his father in months, and he was curious about what was going on in the spirit world.

The yōkai turned into Shima, who offered him a scary smile.

“Why didn’t you say it was you?” Ryuichi asked.

“I like to pretend to be something I’m not. You should try it.”

Ryuichi screwed his face up. “I did for a while, and I didn’t like the feeling.”

Shima handed him the note, then glanced around. “Where’s Masaru? I thought he’d be here with you.”

“He’s with Keiko. They’ll be back later today.” Ever since they reunited in the human world, the two of them had been exceptionally cordial.

Something that both thrilled and scared Ryuichi.

Masaru was almost becoming . . . a real person.

“Are you planning to come to the wedding?” Ryuichi asked Shima.

Shima grinned. “Wouldn’t miss it. It’s not every day a goddess marries a human. Poor Koichi.”

Ryuichi might agree, if Koichi wasn’t so in love with his fiancée.

Shima’s gaze went to Katsu. He no longer served his old lord. He was now Ryuichi’s retainer.

As the guardian of the gates, he needed one. While the gates were mostly controlled, every now and again a few yōkai managed to sneak out and run amok.

That was when he and his friends hunted them down.

Ryuichi glanced at his monkey patch. They were still the Kai-dan. Only they weren’t broken.

Not anymore. They’d become their own family. An annoyingly loud one, but a family nonetheless.

And speaking of . . .

He opened his father’s letter and began to read:

My dearest chounan,

Next month, we’ll be having our winter festival. Nothing would give me greater pride than having you here at my side for the celebrations.

But given our past, I’ll understand if you prefer to stay on the human side of things. Though, to be honest, Shima tells me that I’m more and more human every day.

I don’t believe him, but the fact that I continue to let him live gives some credence to his idiocy.