The Fox's Shadow

London fog pressed against the glass.

Lady Yuki Tanaka stood before the window of her Mayfair townhouse, watching the grey swirl around Berkeley Square's gas lamps. The silver fox pendant at her throat felt cold against her skin. A reminder of the spirit within her that she must hide.

Behind her, the house remained silent. Her servants had long since retired. The porcelain kimonos displayed in glass cases caught the dim light, arranged for English taste as curios rather than culture. A tea ceremony set sat on its stand, never having known tea.

Something heavy struck the door.

Yuki turned. Her measured steps carried her across the Persian rug. No one called at this hour. The kitsune spirit beneath her skin stirred, sensing something beyond the ordinary.

She opened the door.

A tengu messenger collapsed at her feet.

Feathers matted with what looked like iron filings. One wing bent at an unnatural angle. The creature's breath came in ragged gasps, smelling of ozone and dried blood.

Yuki glanced at the street. Empty. The fog swallowed everything.

She dragged the tengu inside. Floorboards creaked beneath her steps. The creature was heavier than it looked, all wiry muscle and supernatural weight.

The tengu's eyes fluttered open. Dark as polished obsidian. They fixed on her face.

"Hunters," it rasped. "Cold iron weapons."

Yuki closed the door. Locked it. Her fingers trembled against the latch.

She could send this creature away. Maintain her carefully constructed anonymity. Preserve the life she had built in London, separate from both worlds.

The tengu coughed. Black fluid spotted her pristine floor.

"They target those who bridge worlds," it whispered. "Like you."

Yuki knelt. Her hand hovered over the creature's heaving chest. The silver fox pendant glowed faintly against her throat, responding to the nearby supernatural presence.

She touched the pendant to the tengu's forehead.

Healing energy flowed through her. The kitsune spirit stirred beneath her skin, eager to manifest. Yuki held it back, channeling only what was needed.

The tengu's breathing steadied.

Yuki sat back on her heels. The disappearances Mei Lin had mentioned were no longer distant rumors. They had arrived at her door.

The tengu shifted, testing its wing. Still bent, but the bleeding had stopped.

"Thank you," it said. "But they will come for you next."

Yuki stood. She walked to the window and looked out at the fog-shrouded square. The time for hiding was ending. She would need answers.

"Rest," she said. "Then we find Mei Lin."