Page 85 of Son of Shadows

Ryuichi missed the surly warrior. More than he thought was possible.

He remembered Keiko. The kitsune who had risked everything to make sure he was safe. She delivered on her promise to his mother. At a great sacrifice.

Please be all right, he whispered to himself. He wasn’t sure what he would do if something happened to his dear Keiko.

And then there was his shadow. He hadn’t had a chance to really know him yet, and honestly he’d been afraid to. The darkness inside Ryuichi-kage had frightened him more than his father at times.

But now, for some reason, Ryuichi was feeling empty inside, like pieces of his heart were slowly being stripped away. Then he felt lightheaded; his vision became blurry.

He sat down, putting his hand on his chest and closing his eyes.

Yumi saw him struggling and came over to check on him. “Ryuichi, are you all right?”

“I don’t know,” he replied.

Whatever was happening to him didn’t feel good.

And it couldn’t have come at a worse possible time.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Masaru was nervous as they sailed into a gloomy fog. There was a grim feeling in the air that had nothing to do with the weather. A feeling he was more than used to, but one he’d never grown comfortable with.

The Ryukage was on the verge of killing again. He always got like this—brooding and quiet—whenever he was angry. Then he would lash out and strike at whomever annoyed him.

Right now, the nearest living thing next to the shadow lord was Masaru.

Why did he always end up in these situations?

“Why are you staring at me, kitsune?” the Ryukage growled.

“Didn’t realize I was.” He should probably take a more respectful tone. Only a fool challenged Ryukage.

Thankfully, he’d always been an idiot and had been bred to challenge authority.

Though, to be honest, the Ryukage didn’t appear very regal at the moment. Instead of a demon king, he looked like a vagabond, with his slovenly posture. It was apparent thinking about his son made him restless. In fact, he looked a bit . . . sorrowful.

Given that Masaru knew the depths of Ryukage’s internal struggle, he wasn’t particularly surprised.

“Speak plainly or die slowly,” Ryukage snarled.

Before Masaru could think better of it, the words in his head blurted out of his mouth. “Would you really have turned your son away and allowed him to fight Orochi by himself?”

Ryukage didn’t answer the question. Rather, he turned his gaze to the fog.

Which only made Masaru more curious. “He’s your son.”

“Don’t remind me.”

That irritability. Ryuichi had certainly inherited it. It was such a problem that Masaru wanted to strangle the boy at times. “So, you actually considered sending him out to die alone.”

The Ryukage shrugged. “We all die alone.”

There was some truth to that. But thanks to Yumi, Masaru knew better. Ryukage wasn’t as heartless as he wanted others to believe. “Do you really feel nothing for him?”

“No, I feel annoyed.”

Clearly, Ryukage didn’t want to get too personal, but Masaru continued pressing him anyway.