Page 28 of Between Ghosts and Gods

“The ball of star silk,” said Kasu.

“No! It’s mine now,” Ruo hissed.

Kasu squatted in front of the cat and scratched just behind their ears, over the spot she knew made Ruo melt into a puddle of limp muscle and fur. “If you let us borrow it, I’ll buy you some more eyeballs.”

Grudgingly, Ruo warped away in a wisp of smoke.

“They can teleport?” Arun asked, stunned.

“Only in open spaces and only to places they’ve been before,” said Kasu. “Don’t look so impressed. It’s a skill unique to Ruo and they’ll brag about it all day if they catch you looking like that.”

Arun quickly schooled his expression as, a moment later, Ruo reappeared with the ball of star silk gripped between their fangs. Like a petulant child told to share their toys, they spat it out at the fortune teller’s feet and stalked off with a huff.

The demon grabbed the ball and rubbed her hands over it.

“Ah, yes. Yes, I see now!”

“What do you see?” Arun leaned closer.

“The person you’re looking for is close. Very close.”

Kasu glanced at their surroundings. “How close?”

All she could see were other ghosts and demons. There was a three-legged crow lingering on the sea-green rooftop of an old teahouse and a pair of headless horses pulling carts along the road, but no one who looked like they might be from the heavens.

Her gaze brushed over tall, thin demons swaying like branches, over muscled demons carrying iron clubs and dressed in nothing more than loincloths, over a woman covered in snake-like scales and a masked demon with long, black hair and four arms that hung in a manner that reminded her of a praying mantis.

“Oh, hey, isn’t that the Sage of Ten Paces?” Ruo said just as the demon turned Kasu’s way.

Across opposite ends of the street, their eyes met.

“YOU! YOU’RE THE THIEF WHO STOLE MY MASK!”

Kasu was far too familiar with the red snarling face barrelling towards her.

The crowd parted like an ocean split in two. At first, Kasu thought they were trying to get out of the Sage’s way, but no – the crowd was splitting in a different direction.

A large white wolf tore along the busy street. Where Ruo was nothing but darkness, this creature’s fur was a blinding white, like sunshine reflecting against the snow. Its body was covered in eyes like cuts. Red pupils peered through the slits in its body. As it came closer, Kasu felt every muscle in her body stiffen.

The creature was not a demon, but a curse.

Chapter Fifteen Kasu

The curse sprinted towards them like a bolt of lightning, snatching the ball of star silk from the fortune teller’s hand and leaping away.

“Hey!” Arun and Ruo shouted in outrage as the curse disappeared down the street.

Kasu was so distracted, she did not notice how close the Sage of a Thousand Faces was until he was almost on top of her, ready to wring the life from her neck.

“GIVE ME BACK MY MASK, YOU LITTLE WORM!”

“Go after that wolf!” Kasu shoved Arun away.

“But—!” Arun stumbled. His hand flew to the hilt of his sword.

The last thing Kasu wanted was for this to become a battle. “Go on! We need the star silk to track down your mother!”

Arun hesitated for a moment before taking off, pushing through the crowds without care for the ghosts who swore at him or the demons who snapped at his legs.