Page 41 of Son of Shadows

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Orochi let out a gruesome roar that shook the ground, the trees, and even the locked gate that stood before him.

“How did this happen?” he screamed. “I thought you had that boy cornered!”

All of Orochi’s yōkai underlings slinked back in terror.

They had every right to be afraid. He was furious, and seven of his brothers were starving after that raucous battle.

Venom lashed out and bit the oni closest to them.

That caused several to flee, and Venom spat at them, killing them off with his poisonous saliva.

“Stop!” Orochi commanded.

“Why? We don’t need these fools to fight for us,” Venom said.

“Yes. We are getting stronger every day,” Earth agreed.

Orochi growled. “We cannot rule both realms alone. Our dominion requires the loyalty of subjects who will serve us.”

That explanation seemed to satisfy the rest for the moment.

Orochi turned back to his soldiers.

“Find me that boy and your rewards will be greater than anything you can imagine.”

“Do you think his shadow can open the gate?” Darkness whispered in his ear.

His brother had a valid point. “I will also reward anyone who brings me his shadow.”

Either way, Orochi was determined to get everything he wanted.

It was only a matter of patience.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

In the snap of a finger, Ryuichi was no longer about to die on a battlefield.

Instead, he was standing in front of the broken and faded sign that marked the outskirts of a town that had definitely seen better days.

And he had Lord Hayasaka to thank for the change of location.

With an arrow in his shoulder, Lord Hayasaka was covered in soot and ash. He had teleported them both to this mysterious location, far away from the bloody chaos surrounding the gate. Katsu emerged from a blur of gray mist a moment later, with Masaru and the kitsune in tow.

“Traitor!” Masaru ran toward Hayasaka, ready to deliver some nasty blows. “You’re lucky this kitsune could follow you and your henchman here!”

Katsu blocked Masaru from reaching his target.

“You’re despicable!” Masaru growled. “Abandoning everyone when things got tough.”

Lord Hayasaka scowled at him. “I apologize. There was a . . . slight change in plans.”

“I see.” Ryuichi reached over and pulled the arrow from the tengu’s shoulder. “Apologies. I hadn’t planned to do that either.”

Hayasaka screamed out in agony. It ended in a choked-off cry as Ryuichi handed him the bloodied arrow. “Wouldn’t want you to get an infection or anything.”

Masaru chuckled and clapped Ryuichi on the back. “I didn’t know you had that in you. I’ve never been prouder!”