Cloak of Night (Circle of Shadows #2) - Evelyn Skye Page 0,38

look at the way Sora’s shoulders drooped and he offered her a horse and turned them around, heading away from food and rest, going back down the mountain.

“Were they like the dumpling maker?” Broomstick asked.

Sora nodded, lips pressed tightly together. She’d held her emotions together in front of her parents, but now that she’d left them, it began to sink in how bad the situation was. How her parents’ goodness was being eaten away, like a worm nibbling through an apple. If the worm got to the core, would Mama and Papa rot for good? Sora stifled a sob.

“With Kichona dedicated to Zomuri,” Sora said, “I think the kingdom will only get darker. We have to get that soul and kill Prince Gin before it’s too late. Kichona needs Empress Aki and Sola.”

Sora wiped away the tears threatening to overflow. She wouldn’t cry. Not yet. She was a fighter. A warrior. The last of the protectors of Kichona. She would not let her parents succumb to Zomuri and the Dragon Prince’s rule.

She pulled her shoulders back. “No more stops,” she said. Partly because she couldn’t bear to see other people influenced like Mama, Papa, and Mr. Zaki and partly because she wanted to get to Naimo Ice Caves as quickly as possible.

“We’re going to find Prince Gin’s soul,” Sora said. “And we’re going to destroy him, no matter what the cost.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Fairy held tightly to one of the ridges on Liga’s back as they flew through the moon-shadowed sky. She’d thought sitting on an alligator would be a lot less comfortable, but because Liga was in constellation form—albeit with his sparks dimmed to keep them concealed—his hide was strangely ethereal, buttery smooth yet light as stardust. Combined with the fact that Wolf was pressed warmly behind her, Fairy was quite content as they glided toward their nightly mission to keep tabs on Prince Gin and look for any clues about Empress Aki’s whereabouts.

“How do we engage in subversion?” Liga asked in his typical awkward way as they approached the Citadel. He’d offered to come not only because it would be easier for Fairy and Wolf if he flew them but also because he was fascinated by the human conflict unfolding before him.

Wolf spoke up to answer Liga’s question. “We sneak very quietly, make sure we don’t get caught, and throw wrenches in the ryuu’s gears.”

“I didn’t bring any wrenches,” Liga said.

“Not literal wrenches,” Fairy said. “It’s just a saying—”

But Liga wasn’t listening, because at the same time he said, “Ah, but I can conjure them when you need them!”

She just let that one go.

They landed in the Citadel in the middle of the outdoor amphitheater with its broad black stage and rows of benches set into the grass, where the apprentices had watched many years of graduation ceremonies before them. After a quick pass, they confirmed there was nothing suspicious there.

Next was the sparring arena, where they’d spent countless hours with the taiga weapons master throwing knives, dueling with swords, and fighting with bare hands. Like when Broomstick had last been here, there were a few ryuu practicing their skills, even this late at night. Fairy refused to look into the center of the arena; she didn’t want to see if any of the girls from her dormitory or other classmates were there. And it seemed like business as usual—at least, business of the ryuu variety—so she, Wolf, and Liga quickly moved on.

They snuck through the warrior enclave, a neighborhood of black wood-framed homes for Councilmembers, teachers, and other taiga warriors who lived at the Citadel. Then the apprentice portion of the campus, with its dorms and the tall building where they had classes. Fairy could almost smell the chalk and hear their teachers’ voices. Seeing all this at once—and knowing what was going on inside these fortress walls—was even harder than the last time she’d spied here.

“Perhaps we should take to the air again,” Liga said after they’d almost been caught several times.

“Agreed,” Fairy said. “It’ll be good to get a bird’s-eye view to see if there’s any unusual activity.”

“You mean an alligator’s-eye view,” Liga said.

Fairy groaned.

“I understand that is what mortals call a joke.”

Wolf chuckled under his breath, although Fairy was pretty sure he was mostly laughing at his brother, not with him.

They climbed onto Liga’s back again, and he soared upward, doing an aerial pass over the Citadel.

Near the far edge of the fortress, Liga made a guttural noise in his throat. “I may not know much