Table Of ContentM A Y A S N O W
JOURNEY THROUGH FIRE
To Amanda
Contents
Prologue
We had become a family without a home, creeping from… 1
Chapter One
The battle raged around me. My hand went for the… 2
Chapter Two
I could hear my brother whispering a prayer as we… 12
Chapter Three
Prepare to die,” the soldier hissed. Rivers of sweat poured… 20
Chapter Four
I let Moriyasu’s hand fall and lifted my fingers to… 29
Chapter Five
Kimi!” 38
Chapter Six
With food in my stomach, I slept well that night. 53
Chapter Seven
The blind monk slowly circled around until
he stood before… 61
Chapter Eight
The gravel crunched beneath our feet as
we cautiously stepped… 74
Chapter Nine
In Hana’s room, Mother and Moriyasu were preparing
to retire… 86
Chapter Ten
Sunlight poured over me and teased me awake. I opened… 96
Chapter Eleven
What’s happened?” I asked as I turned my head from… 108
Chapter Twelve
Days later, the ointment for Hana’s wounds
was ready. That… 120
Chapter Thirteen
I ran to a corner of the courtyard, where the… 132
Chapter Fourteen
Our journey to Kamakura took us through dense,
sloping forests. 142
Chapter Fifteen
I glanced around the room, looking for Hana. She was… 152
Chapter Sixteen
The sound of marching feet rang off the floorboards, and… 165
Chapter Seventeen
The next morning was spent quietly in our apartment. In… 176
Chapter Eighteen
I tore down the walkways, pushing past the ladies in… 189
Chapter Nineteen
As the days passed, I worked with a new resolve… 200
Chapter Twenty
The next day was close and muggy. I had barely… 215
Chapter Twenty-One
A servant nodded once and hurried out of the room. 227
Chapter Twenty-Two
I scrambled back in my cell, just as more lamps… 243
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hana rushed to Tatsuya’s side. 253
Chapter Twenty-Four
I took my place beside my mother. Across from us… 262
Chapter Twenty-Five
Stop!” I called out. 270
Epilogue
With my mother’s last breath, something inside of me died. 278
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Other Books by Maya Snow
Credits
Cover
Copyright
About the Publisher
P R O L O G U E
W
e had become a family without a home,
creeping from place to place. Uncle Hide-
hira still roamed free, spreading death
across the land. Our battle with him had forced us
underground, and we had become prisoners hiding
from the sun. We lived by the light of the moon now,
moving under cover of darkness when one of our
hideaways grew too dangerous. We were shadowless
and invisible, like oni ghost spirits.
I could not have known it then, but that period in
hiding sowed the seeds of something much worse than
bloodshed. My family was reunited, but those days
drove us apart, as we each found different ways of meet-
ing the world that waited for us when we emerged.
My anger almost consumed me, and my struggle
would leave Hana and me with scars we would carry
forever. But in the end we found out just how strong
our scars had made us.
We would need that strength like never before.
1
C H A P T E R O N E
T
he battle raged around me. My hand went for the hilt
of my sword but closed on empty space. Where was
it? I staggered back as samurai soldiers swarmed
past. Angry faces shouted curses from behind their kabuto
helmets, and blood-smeared swords were raised against the
blue sky. A horse galloped up. In the saddle sat an archer,
his longbow held aloft. He looked down the shaft, pointing
the arrowhead through the fighting crowds. As I watched,
the soldier pulled back the strings and released an arrow. It
sliced through the air, smooth and fluid. I twisted to watch
its flight—and saw the face of our loyal friend, Tatsuya.
No! I tried to cry out but no sound escaped me. Tatsuya’s
eyes opened wide in shock as the arrow found its home in
his chest. He brought up a trembling hand and tried to yank
out the arrow from between his ribs, but the shaft snapped
in two. I wanted to help him, but it was too late.
A soldier in glittering samurai armor appeared and pushed
my dying friend to the ground. The man and I gazed at each
other across Tatsuya’s bloody corpse. I recognized the eyes of
2
my uncle, staring back at me. His lip curled in a sneer.
“It should have been you,” he said, stepping over Tat-
suya. And I knew his words were true. “Some say you’re too
young to die. But I say you’re too dangerous to live.”
I heard the hiss of metal as Uncle drew his sword and
rested its point against my throat. The blade felt cool against
my skin. Then with a single, rapid movement Uncle sliced
my neck and blood ran down my chest, hot and sticky. My
hands clutched at my throat, and I fell to my knees. I tried
to cry out, but the only sound I could hear was the throaty
laugh of my uncle as he watched my blood pool in the dirt.
“Good-bye, Kimi,” he said. “It’s time to join your
father. . . .”
My eyes snapped open. I sat up sharply, my hands
at my throat. Two hanging bamboo screens batted
against each other, and a mosquito hovered in the air
above me, droning. In a corner of the room a stand-
ing torch burned low.
I was nowhere near the battlefield. I was in the
small village inn where I was hiding with my family. I
didn’t know whether to feel relief or regret as I sank
back onto the thin mattress. I pulled the linen bed
covering over my body.
Hana was lying on the floorboards beside me
in the private room of the innkeeper, her face as
peaceful as a baby’s. Beyond her lay Mother and
3
