Red Winter Quotes
"Somewhere among the trees was the shrine where she would spend her last two months as a mere mortal."
"My lady, I am Fujimoto Hideyoshi, kannushi of the Shirayuri Shrine."
"It was only mid-autumn but the wind had the cold taste of winter."
"She trailed off, at a loss to explain away Akio’s humiliatingly abrupt departure."
"Emi attempted another smile, but Nanako merely nodded, the motion jerky and her brown eyes unfriendly."
"A familiar structure emerged from the shadows and another notch of tension released from her spine."
"She wasn’t sure how long she’d stood frozen in place before she realized Katsuo was beside her."
"Fujimoto wrung his hands as his face reddened. 'Minoru, good man, fetch the lady’s bags, would you?'"
"In two months, she would be gone, and the enmity of a miko, or any human for that matter, would no longer concern her."
"The yokai might have killed Hana, but Emi’s weakness, her stupidity and selfishness, were the true reasons her best friend was gone forever."
"Nanako would not be pleased if she ever got her hands on the journal."
"She watched the pond as she patiently waited for Miyako to speak."
"Giving up on meditation, Emi pulled her wooden box out of her luggage and retrieved her journal."
"Emi suppressed a grimace. She’d hoped Rina would forget that line of questioning."
"She suppressed the urge to check that the ofuda she always carried were tucked in the hidden pockets in her sleeves."
"Her heart sank. She backtracked until she found a page with an image splashed across it: The carefully painted lines depicted a perfect illustration of Amaterasu’s mark—the very mark emblazoned over Emi’s heart."
"Ki, as referenced by the book’s author, meant spiritual energy or life force."
"Most humans couldn’t do anything special with their ki, but kannushi, sohei, and miko were trained to tap into their ki."
"Purity of heart and mind, as well as a focused will, made ki more powerful."
"Of all the elements of her miko training, ki was Emi’s only real weakness."
"A protection ofuda wouldn’t do a thing unless someone truly intended her harm."
"Her eyes jerked to a stop on the passage at the bottom of the page."
"The words spun and twisted and burrowed deep, repeating over and over until she couldn’t draw a breath."
"She’d taken the kannushi manual back to her room and refused to leave, sending Nanako away."
"The manual described her life so perfectly that she was certain Ishida had his own identical copy."
"Her own parents had encouraged her to seek this path."
"What kind of life had she lived? Day after day, devoted to miko studies and prayer, to staying pure."
"She’d made so many sacrifices, and soon, she would make the ultimate one."
"Was this her life? Would it be over in a few short weeks?"
"I recommend warm clothing. It will be a bit of a walk."
"Shall we go, or would you rather meet again in the spring so we can enjoy more pleasant weather?"
"You’re no trouble, Emi. Minus the oni, it’s actually been a lot of fun."
"With a grimace, he tried to wiggle his legs free so he could stand."
"You didn’t trust me. And yokai know not to trust the goodwill of humans either."
"A man is betrayed by his friend and kills him. Another man covets his friend’s wife and kills him. Which killer is more wicked?"
"For yokai, neither man is wicked. To be killed for an act of betrayal is your due recompense."
"The most specific preference she could come up with was the outdoors. How pathetic was that?"
"You’re thinking like a kami, little miko. I told you the Kunitsukami don’t rule us like the Amatsukami rule."
"I’ve dedicated my entire life to Amaterasu, even before I became the kamigakari."
"Despite what he’d said, Shiro likely knew the Tengu would be around. Another lie, though she saw no purpose in pointing it out."
"The greater your spiritual power, the more ‘other’ you are."
"You have always been the weakest and most foolish of the Amatsukami."
"As soon as I realized he wasn’t Izanami, I should have left."
"A kami murdering miko? This doesn’t arouse your curiosity at all?"
"Who had that kind of will, that drive to fight no matter what?"
"The future of this world, of thousands of lives that Amaterasu could change, is in your hands."
"Her whole body throbbed with painful numbness."
"The air grew heavy and difficult to breathe."
"Do not gloat, Koyane," Izanami replied, her voice soft but so, so cold.
"Her gaze darted to Shiro, as lifeless as the bodies of the kami he’d killed."
"Kill them?" Koyane echoed in scathing disbelief.
"Her heart pounded, adrenaline rushing through her arteries."
"An honorable death," Izanami repeated, "though perhaps it is undeserved."
"What if I do remember and it’s… what if I can’t…"
"I told you: the kamigakari mark cannot be removed once it is tied to your ki. Your death is the only way to ensure Amaterasu cannot descend and interfere."
"I will hold you to that promise, little miko."
"How long it has been since a worthy opponent tested my strength!"