Prince is going to arrive any day now. We should all turn in and get some rest while we can.”
“Agreed,” Broomstick said.
Stingray and Wirecutter yawned again and trudged into the boathouse without protest.
“Should we clean up?” Daemon asked.
“Nah,” Broomstick said. “The warriors will be back soon. Just put a lid on the porridge.”
Daemon left the bowls of dried fish and scallions out for the warriors and covered the pot. Then he and Broomstick headed into the boathouse.
He thought it would be hard to get any rest, knowing that Prince Gin and Sora were coming. But the weight of fatigue pressed in on him, and after being on his feet for twelve hours, the sleeping mat felt like a plush down mattress. Daemon crawled under his blanket, and sleep hit him over the head.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Sora and Fairy emerged from the Field of Illusions and faced the grand fortress walls of the Citadel. Sora made herself visible. The particles lowered Fairy onto the ground before her, and her body also reappeared.
They were home. They were safe. Sora finally let herself breathe.
“Who goes there?” the guards shouted as soon as the moon cast its light upon them.
She bowed to the ground and splayed her fingers flat before her. “It is Spirit. I’ve returned with urgent news for the Council on the Dragon Prince’s imminent return. And I’ve brought Fairy, who’s in a rira-induced coma.”
There was no response for a few moments. All Sora could hear was her pulse pounding in her ears.
A long minute later, the iron gates began to open on their silent hinges. Bullfrog, one of the councilmembers, strode out.
“Your Honor,” Sora said, hurrying forward, “I’m so glad to see you. I came to tell you—”
“Save your breath,” Bullfrog said, drawing his sword.
Sora’s heart leaped into her throat. “I don’t understand.”
Except she could. Everything she’d done with the ryuu could be explained, but the truth was less believable than what it looked like from the outside—that she’d been brainwashed by Prince Gin and sent to deceive the taigas.
Bullfrog advanced.
Sora took several steps backward. But she couldn’t pull a weapon on a councilmember. What was she supposed to do?
“Spirit,” Bullfrog said, “you are under arrest.”
She continued to back away. “No, please. Let me explain. I know how to defeat Prince Gin and his army. I came to report to you.”
“Your allegiance cannot be trusted,” Bullfrog said. “You made an attempt on Empress Aki’s life. You murdered Imperial Guards. You are possibly still under the Dragon Prince’s charm, sent here on his orders to mislead us.”
“It’s not true!” Sora turned, looking for another way out.
But several other taigas had descended from the fortress walls. They came at her from all sides, even behind her. She was surrounded.
“I’m sorry to do this,” Bullfrog said as he stepped so close to her, she could smell the remnants of rice and pickled plum on his breath. “But until we defeat Prince Gin and find a way to undo his spell on our taigas, you must be considered a threat. And neutralized.”
Before Sora could protest more, Bullfrog sheathed his sword, choked off her windpipe, and jabbed a needle into her throat.
For an instant, Sora saw stars. And then the stars burst in a blinding explosion, and her knees gave way, dropping her to the ground and flinging her into unconsciousness.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
At first, Daemon dreamed of clouds and clear blue sky.
Soon, though, the clouds began to melt and come back together again, swirling and sliding and changing from white to silver to green. One morphed from a blotch into a green cat. It was like being in the middle of a hallucination. The sky shifted suddenly to green—in fact, everything looked as if he were dreaming through an emerald-tinted lens—and the clouds billowed and started to funnel into Daemon’s head, tickling his temple as the wisps drifted in through his ear and wafted inside his skull.
What is this? Daemon thought.
Somewhere in the back of his head, a girl giggled. It sounded almost like Sora, if Sora giggled. Which she did not. She laughed, but she didn’t giggle.
Daemon, you’re here! the girl said.
What in all hells—? Daemon blinked and shook himself awake.
Even with his eyes open, though, he didn’t see reality. The green-tinged dream pushed on.
Aren’t the stars pretty? the girl said.
Who are you? What’s happening?
The girl really did sound like Sora, if she were drunk. But again, impossible. Sora didn’t ever drink enough to lose control. Two small cups of sake, and she would cut herself off.
The girl