Once Every Thousand Years...
Every millennium, one age ends and another age dawns...and whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers holds the power to call the great Kami Dragon from the sea and ask for any one wish. The time is near...and the missing pieces of the scroll will be sought throughout the land of Iwagoto. The holder of the first piece is a humble, unknown peasant girl with a dangerous secret.
Demons have burned the temple Yumeko was raised in to the ground, killing everyone within, including the master who trained her to both use and hide her kitsune shapeshifting powers. Yumeko escapes with the temples greatest treasureone part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Yumeko knows he seeks what she has...and is under orders to kill anything and anyone who stands between him and the scroll.
A WISH WILL BE GRANTED AND A NEW AGE WILL DAWN.
Also by Julie Kagawa:
The Talon Saga
Talon
Rogue
Soldier
Legion
Inferno
Blood of Eden series
The Immortal Rules
The Eternity Cure
The Forever Song
The Iron Fey series
The Iron King
The Iron Daughter
The Iron Queen
The Iron Knight
The Lost Prince
The Iron Traitor
The Iron Warrior
Copyright
An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2018
Copyright © Julie Kagawa 2018
Julie Kagawa asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the authors imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Ebook Edition © October 2018 ISBN: 9781474083164
Version: 2018-09-11
To Misa. Thank you for everything, sensei.
Contents
Cover
Back Cover Text
Booklist
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
PART 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
PART 2
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
PART 3
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Epilogue
Glossary
Extract
About the Publisher
PART 1
1
Beginnings and Endings
It was raining the day Suki came to the Palace of the Sun, and it was raining the night that she died.
Youre the new maid, are you? a woman with a narrow, bony face demanded, looking her up and down. Suki shivered, feeling cold rainwater sliding down her back, dripping from her hair to spatter the fine wood floor. The head housekeeper sniffed. Well, youre no beauty, thats for sure. But, no matterLady Satomis last maid was pretty as a butterfly, with half the wit. She leaned closer, narrowing her eyes. Tell me, girl. They said you were running your fathers shop before you came here. Do you have an intelligent head on your shoulders? Or is it as full of air as the last girls?
Suki chewed her lip and looked at the floor. She had been helping to run her fathers shop within the city for the better part of a year. The only child of a celebrated flute maker, she was often responsible for dealing with the customers when her father was at work, too engrossed in his task to eat or talk to anyone until his latest piece was done. Suki could read and do numbers as well as any boy, but being a girl, she was not allowed to inherit her fathers business or learn his craft. Mura Akihito was still strong, but he was getting old, his once nimble fingers stiffening with age and hard use. Rather than marry Suki off, her father had used his meager influence to get her a job in the Imperial Palace, so she would be well taken care of when he passed away. Suki missed home, and she desperately wondered if her father was all right without her, but she knew this was what he wanted. I dont know, maam, she whispered.
Hmph. Well, well see soon enough. But I would think of something better to say to Lady Satomi. Otherwise your stay will be even shorter than your predecessors. Now, she continued, clean yourself up, then go to the kitchen and fetch Lady Satomis tea. The cook will tell you where to take it.
A few minutes later, Suki walked down the veranda, carrying a full tea tray and trying to remember the directions shed been given. The emperors Palace of the Sun was a miniature city in itself; the main palace, where the emperor and his family lived, loomed over everything, but a labyrinth of walls, structures and fortifications lay between the keep and the inner wall, all designed to protect the emperor and confuse an invading army. Nobles, courtiers and samurai paraded to and fro down the walkways, dressed in robes of brilliant color and design: white silk with delicate sakura petals, or a vivid red with golden chrysanthemum blooms. None of the nobles she passed spared her a second glance. Only the most influential families resided this close to the emperor; the closer you lived to the main keep of the palace, the more important you were.
Suki wandered down the maze of verandas, the knots in her stomach growing tighter as she searched in vain for the right quarters. Everything looked the same. Gray-roofed buildings with bamboo and paper walls, and wooden verandas between them so the nobles wouldnt sully their clothes in the dirt and dew. Blue-tiled turrets towered over her in regal splendor, and dozens of different songbirds trilled from the branches of the perfectly groomed trees, but the tightness in Sukis chest and the churning of her insides made it impossible to appreciate any of it.
A high, clear note cut through the air, rising above the rooftops, making her freeze in her tracks. It wasnt a bird, though a thrush perched in a nearby bush warbled loudly in reply. It was a sound Suki knew instantly, had memorized each and every note. How many times had she heard it, drifting up from her fathers workshop? The sweet, haunting melody of a flute.
Mesmerized, she followed the sound, momentarily forgetting her duties and that her new mistress would almost certainly be very annoyed that her tea was so late. The song drew her forward, a keening, mournful melody, like saying goodbye or watching autumn fade. Suki could tell that whoever was playing the instrument was skilled indeed; so much emotion lay between the notes of the song, it was as if she was hearing someones soul.
So hypnotized was she by the sound of the flute, she forgot to look where she was going. Rounding a corner, Suki squeaked in dismay as a young noble in sky blue robes blocked her path, a bamboo flute held to his lips. The teapot rattled and the cups shook perilously as she swerved to avoid him, desperately trying not to spill the contents. The sound of the flute ceased as the noble, much to her amazement, turned and put out a hand to steady the tray before it toppled to the veranda.
Careful there. His voice was high and clear. Dont want to drop anythingthat would be an awful mess. Are you all right?
Suki stared at him. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen. No, not handsome, she decided. Beautiful. His broad shoulders filled the robe he wore, but his features were graceful and delicate, like a willow tree in the spring. Instead of a samurais topknot, his hair was long and straight, falling well past his shoulders, and was pure white, the color of mountain snow. Even more amazing, he was smiling at hernot the cold, amused smirk of most nobles and samurai, but a real smile that reached the mirthful crescents of his eyes.
Please excuse me, the man said, releasing the tray and taking a quick step back. His expression was calm, not irritated at all. That was my fault, planting myself in the middle of the walk, not thinking anyone could be rushing around the corner with a tea tray. I hope I did not inconvenience you, miss...?
Suki opened her mouth twice before anything came out. Please forgive me, lord. Her voice was a whisper. Nobles did not speak like this to peasants; even she knew that. I am Suki, and I am only a maid. Please dont trouble yourself with the likes of me.
The noble chuckled. It is no trouble, Suki-san, he said. I often forget where I am when I am playing. He raised the flute, making her heart leap. Please do not think any more of it. You may return to your duties.
He stepped aside for her to pass, but Suki didnt move, unable to tear her gaze from the instrument in his slender hand. It was made of polished wood, dark and rich and straighter than an arrow, with a distinctive band of gold around one end. She knew she shouldnt speak to the noble, that he could order her flogged, imprisoned, even executed if he wished it, but words escaped her all the same. You play magnificently, my lord, she whispered. Forgive me. I know it is not my place to say anything, but my father would be proud.