But he didn’t want to dwell on that.

Right now he had a much more important question he wanted answered. “Who was my mother?”

“Lady Haruka. She was the Goddess of the Gates and, in particular, the Kimon. It was her honor to hold back all the evil she could from this world.”

Ryuichi’s eyes widened as he digested the last thing he expected to hear. And here he’d thought the greatest thing his mother could be was a warrior.

I’m descended from the kami.

The kami . . .

Him! And here he’d thought himself worthless. He was so far beyond that, that it staggered his mind.

“And my father?”

Keiko flinched.

“The Ryukage,” Masaru answered. “He was bewitched by your mother’s sister Haruki, an evil⁠—”

“Masaru!” Keiko cut him off before he said what he intended.

“Witch,” he said smoothly. “She was jealous of your mother and of Ryu’s love for her. So with the help of her rotten little buddy, kegare, they corrupted your father.”

“How?”

Masaru scoffed. “How does anyone get corrupted? They pinpointed his weaknesses, exploited them, and then catered to his ego.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” They were kami. How could anyone corrupt them?

Keiko brushed the hair back from Ryuichi’s face. “Your father’s worst fear was losing your mother. She was his sole weakness.”

Masaru scoffed. “Be careful where you lay your trust, little one. Seldom do we choose to give it to those who accord it the honor it deserves.” He drew closer. “Haruki told your father that if he were more powerful, he could keep Haruka by his side and never lose her. She convinced him that all he needed was to control the dark forces Haruka held back from the world.”

Keiko’s eyes turned sad. “What she didn’t tell him was that the shadows he courted would devour his heart and soul. The price for controlling evil was to become evil.”

How terrifying. “What did my mother do?”

Sighing, Keiko looked away. “At first she fought against those trying to turn your father evil, but they teamed up against her and used their powers to enchant her instead.” Tears welled in her eyes. “They used her shadow to overcome her goodness and replace her with a hollow shell who was incapable of feeling anything for anyone.”

“Until you were born.” Masaru knelt so that he could study Ryuichi’s features. “It’s said that the moment she first saw your face and held you in her arms you returned her heart to its purity. You sent her shadow back into the darkness and allowed her soul to return to her.”

Keiko nodded. “I was there. The moment she saw you, she remembered why it was so important to keep the Kimon locked away. To stop the Ryukage and her sister from contaminating everything pure in this world.”