Surrender to Darkness by Annette McCleave Read Free Book Online Page A

the guards with a critical eye. Although none of them flinched, Kiyoko could sense their shame. “Did you object to our invitation, Mr. Murdoch?”
    “No,” the big man said, his voice a dry rumble of Scottish brogue. “We simply had a miscommunication.”
    He looked at her while he spoke, his gaze trailing over her face in leisurely detail before slipping lower to study her clothing. Considering that he stood five feet away, it was an amazingly intimate experience. Kiyoko’s heartbeat sped up and goose bumps rose on the back of her neck. She felt claimed .
    “Over what?” she asked.
    “My boots.”
    She glanced at his feet, which were bare.
    “Aye,” Murdoch said drily. “I removed them. But it would have saved everyone a lot of grief if they had asked instead of demanding. My collection of possessions is small, but what I own, I keep.”
    Sora nodded. “We shall endeavor to better explain our requests. Have you anticipated why we insisted on your presence here today, Mr. Murdoch?”
    “You want to talk about what happened yesterday.”
    “Yes,” Sora agreed. “But I also wish to know more about what you are. You are clearly no ordinary man.”
    Murdoch shrugged. “I’m a large fellow with an anger-management problem.”
    The master turned and, with a quick word, dismissed the warriors.
    Kiyoko frowned as the senshi bowed as a unit and stepped away. Respect for her mentor demanded that she remain quiet about any misgivings, but a ripple of alarm ran down her spine. Murdoch had already proven himself a very dangerous man.
    “I wish you to speak freely,” Sora said gravely. “Kiyoko-san and I will keep your confidence, Mr. Murdoch, I assure you. But you must be open and honest if we are to truly understand what occurred.”
    “What can I say? I grew up in a rough neighborhood.”
    The note of amusement in his voice was faint, but Kiyoko caught it. He was toying with them, assuming them uneducated. “I am aware that Lena Sharpe is a Soul Gatherer, Mr. Murdoch. That she is a disciple of Death tasked with protecting the souls of the dead from demons.”
    His brown gaze found hers once more. “Lena Sharpe has a big mouth.”
    Kiyoko shook her head. “I can accuse her of many things, but not of compromising secrets. I tracked a demon to a bridge overpass one night and stumbled upon her battling the creature.”
    His brow furrowed. “ You tracked a demon?”
    She waved a hand at the loosely knit groups of warriors eating breakfast at the collection of tables behind them. “That’s what we do. We are disciples of the great onmyōji wizard Abe no Seimei. Since the last days of the Heian Period, we have blended the divination and calendar arts with the way of the warrior, slaying demons by whatever means we can. Our purpose is to right the balance of the world.”
    Murdoch crossed his arms over his huge chest.
    Sora added, “There are small bands of onmyōji warriors spread across Asia and disciples around the globe. As the demons surface, so do we. Surely you can see how a group such as ours might be needed, Mr. Murdoch? These are difficult and turbulent times, and the devil must be fought on every level.”
    “I didn’t think Buddhists believed in the devil.”
    “The philosophy of onmyōjō predates the teachings of Buddha,” Sora replied, smiling lightly. “While the two philosophies have gained much from each other over the centuries, onmyōjō differs from the practices of traditional Buddhism. More mystical. Less formal. Do I believe that darkness can rise up inside of men, influenced by external forces? Yes, I do. Just as I believe that keeping dark and light in proper balance is, and must remain, a constant battle.”
    “Our beliefs,” Kiyoko added, “encourage us to seek our salvation from within, not without. Ultimately, to win, it is mortal man who must resist the spread of evil, not immortal man.” She met Murdoch’s gaze again. “Are you a Soul Gatherer like Lena-san?”
    He returned