It had been several years since Toshiro had pronounced her ready to take her place in the world and she had used the time as she’d been instructed, traveling and learning. She had grown up considerably in those years, her core toughened and her edge sharpened by what she had seen and done, just like a sword that is tested again and again until it is pronounced ready. Less than a week earlier she had received a message through the special channels that had been set up just for that purpose, a series of dead drops and hidden Internet communications. The message had asked her to travel to Switzerland. Sensei had a new mission for her. The summons had filled her with excitement, had shaken off the lethargy she’d been feeling for the past few months, and she quickly made the necessary arrangements. The address turned out to be a small, private chateau in the Alps, hidden at the end of a long road that she would have missed if she hadn’t known what to look for to find the turnoff from the main road.
