Page 68 of Curses & Kitsune

Tamano hangs her head. “He’s vanished. I can no longer see him. He has passed into the afterlife.”

A broken croak escapes me, and I clutch Jinta’s body.

“But there is a way we can save him.”

My broken heart races in my chest. “Don’t lie to me.”

“It’s not a lie,” she insists. “The longer Jinta remains as a spirit, the weaker his connection to the world of the living becomes. You may not feel his bond from your side, but he still feels yours. However, it is decaying. If you want to save him, we must enter Yomi and find him.”

Yomi-no-Kuni. The land of the dead. I have no idea what risks there are to entering such a realm, but I don’t care. “I’ll do it,” I say without hesitation. There’s nothing I won’t do if it means bringing Jinta back to me.

She smiles at my enthusiasm. “You remind me of my Konoe. We were as close as you and Jinta. We must act swiftly. Bring his body.”

“Where are we going?” I have no idea where the entrance to this spirit world might be.

“To Yomotsu Hirasaka, the boundary between our world and the land of the dead. There is said to be an entrance in Shimane Prefecture. But to open the way, you will need the help of someone who can communicate with the dead.”

“A necromancer. I can have Ren look for one while we drive there.” But first, I have to get Jinta out of the hospital without drawing any attention to myself. An idea comes to me. I gently lay Jinta down, then kiss his cold hand. “I’ll be back soon.” I don’t care if he can’t hear me now. His spirit is still out there, and I won’t rest until I’ve brought him home to me.

I’ve got to clear the building. If I can find a fire alarm, that would give me the perfect distraction. I search the halls until I finally spot one. Looking both ways, I wait for a nurse to round the corner, clipboard in her hand. I break the plastic seal and pull. The alarm blares through the hallway as I jog back to Jinta’s room. On my way back, I grab a wheelchair and roll it toward his room.

Once inside, I carefully lift Jinta from the bed and position him in the wheelchair. I wince when his head flops, his chin touching his chest. I yank the sheet off his bed and drape it over his lap. People rush past our room, calling out to evacuate the building. I take in a breath to calm myself, hoping nobody tries to stop us. Then, I roll Jinta along the hallway, keeping a distance from staff, though they all seem preoccupied.

I don’t let myself breathe until we’ve made it outside, and then I rush toward the car. I get Jinta into the passenger seat, then climb in beside him and start up the car. We leave the clinic behind, and at the next light, I quickly tap in our route. Shimane Prefecture is four hours away by car in the Chugoku region of Honshu.

Hang on, Jinta.

I’m bringing you home. I promise.

“I’ve reached out to a necromancer in the region,” Ren says through my phone. “She’ll meet you at Iya Shrine for the ritual.”

I blow out a relieved breath, adjusting my route in the GPS. “Thanks.” It’s really happening. Soon, I’ll be reunited with Jinta.

“Of course. Are you okay?” she asks softly.

I don’t know how I can answer that question when my mate is dead in the seat beside me, his hand ice-cold in mine. A part of me has died with him and won’t ever be whole until we’re together again. “I’ll feel better when I see him again.”

“Promise you’ll come back in one piece. Oh! And take pictures.”

I scoff. “Not happening.”

“And hurry back.” Her voice takes on an urgent note. “There’s something else,” Ren adds, and there’s an intensity to her voice that surprises me.

“What?”

“Don’t freak out, but… one of Takada’s own men came to us.”

I grip the wheel tight. “Did you kill him?”

“No.”

“Why not?” I growl, hoping she has a damn good reason.

“Because it was Hirano Kasamatsu. Saito Takada’s second. He had good information on Takada. Information we can use to bring him down for good. I’ll tell you more when you’re home.”

I wish I cared, but until I get Jinta back, nothing else matters. “Stay safe. Keep everyone on their toes. I’ll be back tonight or early tomorrow. With Jinta.”

Or I won’t come back at all.

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