Keiko released his hand and met his gaze. “Meaning that wisdom must prevail in war. A sword is nothing but a frail instrument that can easily shatter and break. It’s the mind that will always be a warrior’s greatest weapon. It must be kept sharper and clearer than anything else you wield. If you let your emotions override your sense, you’ve already lost. What good will your honor be then?”

He wanted to argue that, too, but she was right. And a part of him hated her for it.

Ryuichi glanced around the small, windowless room as her words and warnings echoed in his mind. So much to think about. To remember.

To forget.

He’d never felt so lost before, which, given his background, said a lot.

His only family had been an old woman who turned out to be a shape-shifting guardian. And the handful of friends he’d made at this school.

If he was still at the school . . .

“What happened to Koichi-san? How did I get here?” Actually, where was he? The last thing he recalled was being at the merchant’s house.

Keiko handed him a cup of tea. “He brought you here to be cared for after you almost exposed yourself to a very powerful shadow demon.”

“Where’s ‘here’?”

Keiko held up her hand, and the wall in front of him became a window where he could look out and see the school’s infirmary.

Ryuichi gasped as he saw one patient in particular. “Kato!”

As he scrambled from the bed, Keiko caught him and urged him back before he spilled his tea. “He’s fine, child. Like you, he needs his rest.”

“But—”

“No buts. You caused a frightful show tonight, and you’re lucky Haruki didn’t find you because of it. Or one of the other demons your father has out scouring the countryside for you.”

He sat back down. “I don’t understand.”

“There’s a price on your head, child. Steep and heavy. Whoever can deliver you back to the kage-tenchi will be rewarded beyond comprehension. Which I, personally, think means death for whomever returns you, but most demons aren’t that bright.” She snorted at her pun.

Ryuichi wasn’t amused. Mostly because he was still trying to process all of this as he sipped his tea. “What do I need to do?”

“At the moment? Stay hidden.” She indicated the bed where he sat with a gracious gesture. “Rest.”

And with that, she handed him a platter of food she manifested from thin air, then vanished out of the mirror, which returned to a solid wall as soon as she was through it.

It was only then that Ryuichi realized the room had no other door.

There were no windows here either. He was trapped.

Panic rose up inside him. He’d never liked the feeling of being locked in one place. It made him feel as if he were suffocating.