Page 28 of Old Secrets

“Hindsight is ever perfect,” I muttered.

For a while, we sat in silence, and I wondered where Jake’s thoughts wandered. Mine had worn ruts through the same loop of regret, something Mellisa had promised would ease over time. No matter how resilient I often was, everyone fell sometimes. Everyone struggled.

I’d fallen apart, but according to her, my ability to pick myself up and dust off would prove to be why I emerged stronger for the darkness I had faced and conquered. She thought Jake’s struggles had helped me heal.

He needed me to be strong while he battled his personal demons.

I thrived when helping someone else.

That Jake was the someone else who needed to be helped had bothered me until Mellisa had pointed out the entire point of a partnership was to support each other.

One day, Jake would be back to being a rock I could rely on—and climb should I need to reach a high shelf. Until then, I would try my best to be what he needed until he could stand on his own.

“I wish it were. Then we could get to the end of this case without having to use you as bait.”

“Hindsight doesn’t work on things before I’d been born, Jake.”

He huffed.

I checked the time. “They expect us to shop and dine soon, so I better receive sufficient affection to convince the Japanese Fenerec we’re not going to destroy their country.”

“I don’t think we have enough time for that, but I think I can at least spare Tokyo for one night.”

SEVEN

Many wanted to offer thanks.

While dinner had been marked on our itinerary, we did not go to a restaurant. Instead, we ventured out into the city. A festival brought Tokyo to life at night, and dressed in a black furisode kimono, I wandered around with Jake, who’d likewise been tossed into a kimono, although his was plainer than mine. I questioned the differences in our attire, but rather than ask, I marveled at the lanterns strung up around the city, the myriad of stalls, and the jovial atmosphere. Aiko served as our guide, and she took us to the best places to view the fireworks, try as much street food as we could stomach, and purchase all the trinkets my heart desired.

There would be proper shopping later, for clothing for both of us and other things, done at a few select shops owned by the families of the Inquisition.

Many wanted to offer thanks, and opening their businesses after hours for us, according to Aiko, went a long way towards balancing the scales.

A little shrine near the stalls offered patrons ofuda, fashioned from either paper, wood, cloth, or metal. A wooden one painted with white, red, and black letters drew my attention. Aiko observed until she determined which ofuda drew my interest. With a gentle laugh, she said, “This is an interesting one, well suited for your spirit. It is both a ward against evil and a plea for the favor of the kitsune.” She gestured to the placard nearby, which declared a price. “It is made of mahogany, and it is meant to protect and to cultivate good luck and prosperity.”

I pulled out the hakoseko I’d been given to carry my money while wearing the kimono, and I eyed the sign, guessed it would be one of the more expensive of the ofuda on offer, and pulled out the appropriate bills. Aiko nodded, and she guided me through making the purchase, translating as needed. The shrine maiden, whom Aiko introduced as a miko of the shrine, was dressed in red and white, and she took the time to explain how I should hang the ofuda in my home along with the steps I needed to take to maintain its sanctity. She wrapped it in cloth and placed it within a box, which she offered to me while bowing.

I returned her bow, accepting the ofuda with both hands.

According to Jake’s scent, the whole process amused him.

When we escaped the shrine, I pondered how to carry my prize. With a smile, Aiko instructed me on how I might store the box in the sleeve of my kimono in such a way it would not escape. To my delight, the method worked. “These are amazing, Jake.”

Chuckling, he nodded in the direction of a nearby food stall. “That one has gyozas. You seem to quite enjoy those.”

It took me a moment to realize he wanted the takoyaki next door but pretended to cater to me. I nodded. “You better get those little balls, too. It wouldn’t do if you starved to death.”

Aiko giggled, and she guided us through the crowd to the food stalls. “Our hosts for the later part of our evening will all be providing some refreshments for your enjoyment as well. Neither of you will starve, I promise. Of course, we are doing this to make it appear as though the shop owners are hosting celebrations to prevent unwanted attention from falling upon us. While the hour is later than typical, anyone who wanders by the shops will believe what their eyes tell them.”

While I wished I understood more about Japanese customs, I accepted her words at face value. “Thank you, Aiko-san.”

“We are honored to be of service, Karma-sama.” She spared us from the bowing ritual, although I suspected she fought the urge to grace us with one of her deep bows, which she tended to hold long enough my back ached in sympathy. “There are over four thousand shrines and temples in Tokyo, and every one serves a purpose. The one you acquired your ofuda from is small. It is more general in nature, and it is meant to blend our customs with the interests of tourists. What you selected is something guests to our country would typically pass by in favor of other trinkets or souvenirs.”

As the Japanese had a strong dislike of when people walked and ate, we stood between the two stalls to enjoy our snack. Once we finished, Aiko guided us to another nearby shrine, one popular with the tourists. Like the smaller shrine, there were ofuda available for sale, but other trinkets, including luck cats, were the star of the show. A painting of a nine-tailed kitsune waited above the ofuda, and according to the placard beneath it, it cost several hundred dollars once I converted the currency.

I stared at the painting, which appeared to be on some form of silky cloth, and then I turned my gaze to my husband and waited.

Jake eyed me, considered the painting, and sighed. “I have no idea how we’re going to get that home without damaging it, Karma.”