Prologue

He appeared out of nowhere, a figure whose clothing was the exact shade of midnight that surrounded him. As he approached the entrance to Hikawa Jinja, the only creatures that noticed his presence were the temple's guardians, Phobeos and Deimos. The two ravens, friends of the miko- priestess who lived in and tended the temple, settled one to a shoulder, and left only when he got to the temple doors. Opening them, he went inside, passing unharmed through the wards against evil, and sensed his way to a small, tidy bedroom. Its inhabitant was the only one in the temple, and was the object of his search. He leaned over the edge of the miko's bed and moved her raven hair away from her alabaster face. He bent over to kiss her cheek, and watched delightedly as she rolled over, smiling in her sleep. Once again, he shifted her hair, and this time traced a line across her face and down her arm. He strained to listen as she murmured one, single word. "Jedite." He smiled.