Book Six: Chapter 43

“It is Christmas day,” the spirit corrected her. “I do not require celebration to reach through the past, only that the requirements be met. Today is the 25th day of December, it counts.”

She was about to argue, but a small figure slipped past her, clutching a bundle against their chest. Thick blankets parted to reveal a fox tail streaked with dirt and snow.

“Stop her!” An older man in a thick coat charged around the corner with a knife in his hand. He was panting hard with exertion, each breath billowing out from him in giant plumes of fog. Down the road, a figure in thick furs stepped around the corner and kicked the fleeing fox demon.

She grunted when she hit the ground, her hood popping off her head to reveal pointed ears. It was a much younger Yuki, her features lean and her eyes desperate. When she scrambled to her feet, another villager stepped out of their home and smacked her in the head with an oar.

With a grunt, she hit the ground and dropped her b