Page 77 of Between Ghosts and Gods

Arun bristled.

“I don’t trust this broad man! He smells odd and he speaks too softly!” Ruo protested. Arun was glad that at least someone agreed with him.

A mortified Kasu shushed them. Ruo fell back into querulous silence.

“Where are you taking us?” Arun demanded.

“To the heavens, of course,” General Shusa replied calmly. “Fear not. Though ghosts you may be, you will all be treated with courtesy.”

Arun’s face reddened. “That’s—”

“Thank you for your generosity.” Kasu cut him off. She shot him a withering glare. “We would be honoured to accompany you back to the heavens.”

Arun opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything Kasu stepped towards the glowing circle and let it pull her through.

Chapter Thirty-Nine Kasu

As she STEPPED from the darkness of the tunnel into the glowing circle, Kasu fought the urge to fall to her knees.

The next thing she knew, she was standing in the most lavish room she had ever seen. Not even the private dining rooms at the most exclusive teahouses in the under-realm could compare. The large chamber was sparsely decorated, yet it did not feel barren. Leafy plants occupied white vases in the corners, and the tiled floors were so clean she could see her reflection in them. In the distance, she could hear birdsong and the soothing trickle of running water.

The same symbols the guards had etched onto the ground were carved into the marble floor. General Shusa smiled kindly and let go of her hand just as Arun appeared in the middle of the circle. Ruo came next, nose wrinkled as if smelling something foul, followed by the two guards.

“General Shusa, you’re back!” Maids flocked to him, stopping only when they laid eyes on Kasu and Ruo.

The general held up a hand. “Peace. Do not be afraid. These three are my guests. They have fought bravely for what is just and right and have earned my respect.”

Kasu tried to ignore the flutter of happiness in her stomach. General Shusa had said that he respected them. The guardian god of the south, one of the highest and most virtuous members of the heavens. He respected her!

The general turned back to them with a sweeping bow. “This is my home, the great southern palace. Have you eaten? You must be thirsty and tired. I have to report what has happened to her majesty the Celestial Empress, but in the meantime, allow my servants to take care of you. Orro!”

At his command, a thin man with greying hair stepped forward.

“Please see that my guests are fed.” General Shusa directed the man and his maids to take Kasu and the others to the dining hall, then gestured for his guards to follow him out of the room. His servants stared at Kasu and her companions hesitantly before ushering them through wide, airy hallways of white stone.

The palace smelled pleasantly floral – so unlike the stale, musty scent of the under-realm. Kasu took a deep breath and drank in her first lungful of fresh air in years.

“This place reminds me of my father’s palace,” Arun murmured.

Ruo snorted. A sentiment Kasu would have mimicked if she were as crude. Of course Arun would liken his father’s abode to the hallways of a god.

The maids were always careful to remain a good ten steps ahead as they led Kasu and the others through to the inner courtyard. Only the servant Orro stuck close, though Kasu had the impression that he was only doing so to make sure they didn’t steal anything.

“Ghosts. How unusual. I dare say you must be the first ever to step foot in the heavens.” He had a thin, nasal voice that made him sound like he always had something stuck at the back of his throat.

“It’s an honour,” said Kasu, but Orro was not as pleased with her response as she thought he would be.

“Yes, well, try not to get in the way.” He coughed and ushered them along.

Kasu’s brows furrowed. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something about the servant struck her as odd. Like a chord with a single note out of key.

“Are you the person in charge of General Shusa’s estate?”

Orro shook his head. “Not at all. I only began serving General Shusa a few months ago. Before, I was a mere human monk from the Kingdom of Utuin.”

“I know Utuin! My father went to war against them four or five times!” Arun exclaimed.

The servant cleared his throat, clearly annoyed by Arun’s enthusiasm.