Circle of Shadows (Circle of Shadows, #1)(101)

She nodded slowly. “And what, exactly, is your plan?”

Broomstick explained how Sora was going to use a crystal wall as a magnifying glass to blind the ryuu when they approached the Imperial City. If they didn’t have Sight, they wouldn’t be able to access their magic. The taigas would have to be ready to pounce on the ryuu before they regained their ability to see. “It might only be a matter of seconds,” he said.

Glass Lady fingered the throwing stars on her belt. “Yes, but before the ryuu showed up, taigas were the most formidable warriors in the world. If the ryuu don’t have their magic, we only need a few seconds to neutralize them.”

“Exactly,” Broomstick said. “And we outnumber them.”

Thanks to Wolf, he thought. It was because of his reconnaissance that Empress Aki could interrupt her brother’s strategy to secretly amass an army. Prince Gin had managed to put together only a couple hundred ryuu on his way here. In comparison, there were now over five thousand taigas at the Citadel.

“They won’t all come to the front gates,” Glass Lady said.

“Most probably will,” Broomstick said. “Even though Spirit brought Fairy back here, the ryuu still don’t know that she wasn’t the empress. Prince Gin will likely march here as planned, believing he is the new emperor.”

“I think that’s right,” Glass Lady said, beginning to walk toward the armory’s exit and gesturing for Broomstick to follow her. “We’ll assemble most of our troops at the main gates, but we’ll leave in place some forces on the perimeters. Spirit’s crystal will have to do the brunt of the work. But I’ll order mirrors stripped from bedrooms for the patrols on the other edges of the fortress walls, in case they also need to blind ryuu incursions.”

Broomstick couldn’t help the stupid grin that plastered itself across his face. She’d really listened to him. His crew was back and safe. They had a plan. And Glass Lady had actually heard what he had to say. “Thank you, Commander.”

She glanced over at him as they left the armory and veered toward Warrior Meeting Hall. “For what?”

“For believing in me. For believing in us.”

Glass Lady shrugged as if it meant nothing. But then she gave Broomstick a small wink, so quick, he almost thought he imagined it.

“I always knew you and your friends had the potential to be great taigas,” she said. “I was just waiting for you to believe in it yourselves.”





Chapter Sixty-Six


Hana woke to the sky purpling with the dawn. She should have been excited about the march to the Imperial City. This was going to be a watershed moment in the dream Prince Gin had plotted for years.

Instead, there was a heaviness in her chest, like a ball of iron right beneath her sternum. Today was also supposed to be the day when she and Sora fought against the taigas, a sister ryuu team.

But that day would never be.

Hana lay on her sleeping mat for a few more minutes, the first morning in a long time that she hadn’t jumped out of bed. Had she made a mistake in letting Sora go?

Why do I care? I gave her a choice, and she chose the taigas over me.

The iron ball in Hana’s chest grew heavier, though. Love was an unwelcome guest in her heart.

And then she thought of something that made a dreadful morning even worse—if Sora had chosen the taigas over the ryuu, it also meant she’d chosen Empress Aki over Prince Gin.

“The body!”

Hana tore out of the tent and sprinted toward the cart at the edge of camp that held Empress Aki’s corpse.

Please let everything be where it’s supposed to be.

The ryuu who were supposed to be guarding the body were dead or unconscious.

“Gods dammit!” she screamed. “You fools! How could you let her past you? How could you allow her to steal the empress from right under your nose?”

The ryuu lay on the ground, unmoving.

But Hana’s questions were really directed at herself anyway. She had trusted too easily. She should have known. Sora’s priority had always been the Society and her friends.

Hana’s anger ripped the cart apart. The wooden frame that held the canvas cover broke into pieces and flew into the air, then rocketed straight down, spearing themselves just inches from each of the ryuu.

She stormed back into the main part of camp.

“Pack up now!” she yelled at the ryuu.

“B-but we haven’t had breakfast yet,” one of them dared to say.

Hana glared at him. Her fury could burn a hole straight through his head.

“I don’t care. Pack up camp and be ready to move out in thirty minutes. Today, we destroy my sister and her precious Society, and we put Emperor Gin on the throne.”





Chapter Sixty-Seven


Inside the Citadel, Sora commanded the ryuu particles to set her massive magnifying glass against the inside of the fortress wall. Sweat poured down her temples from the effort of floating and steering the crystal from Rose Palace. It had taken longer than she wanted, not only from being careful, but also because she’d decided it would be safest if she and the magnifying glass were invisible. Doing so drained nearly everything Sora had in her.

But the commotion of gathering troops at the main gates roused Sora. She hurried over, pushing past squadrons who were still assembling, ignoring the surprised calls of apprentices who hadn’t known that she was back home. She stopped only when she found Broomstick.