Circle of Shadows (Circle of Shadows, #1)(54)
Prince Gin nodded at the warrior to acknowledge the report. Then he strode to the center of the deck and scowled at Sora. “I hear you were attempting to poison me and my warriors. Do you know who I am?”
Sora swallowed and nodded, keenly aware again that she kneeled before the man at the helm of the Blood Rift slaughter.
“Then you understand that an assassination attempt against me is an act of treason. I could have you beheaded right here on this deck.”
She took a deep breath and tried to steady herself. Pushing aside her feelings—her fear—might help. Glass Lady would tell her to focus on logic.
What Prince Gin says isn’t true, she reasoned. Trying to kill someone who is a known traitor probably isn’t treason. Sure, he was born into the Ora family, but after he tried to murder his own sister, was he still considered part of the imperial line?
But Sora kept her smart remark to herself, because she did know one thing for sure—the Dragon Prince could take off her head right now if he chose.
“Where’s your gemina?” Prince Gin asked. “Surely you didn’t board my ship alone?”
“I did,” Sora lied. “I took extended leave after the Autumn Festival. My gemina is at the Citadel with the rest of the apprentices.”
Behind her, Hana cleared her throat. “I don’t believe that. You and Wolf were always inseparable.”
Sora winced. Was that another reference to the fact that she’d ditched Hana the night of the Blood Rift because Daemon and their other friends were going to ride on the dirigible? I’m sorry I left you behind, Sora thought. But I promise I’ll make this right. Somehow. I just need time to figure it out.
“Hmm,” Prince Gin said. “Lying to me, in addition to trying to poison me. The charges of treason are racking up. You know, I haven’t killed anyone in a long time. I returned to Kichona with a plan to spare as many of our taigas’ and citizens’ lives as possible, since they will constitute my army. But one life won’t matter in the long run. Besides, the legend says Zomuri requires blood.”
Sora tried to muster some bravery, but all she could feel was how fragile her neck was. She was used to believing she was strong—so much muscle from years of training—but in reality, it was just flesh and bone that could be sliced through with a blade or snapped with whatever ryuu magic struck the prince’s fancy.
“Your Highness, wait!” Hana stepped forward.
Sora frowned. What was she up to? She had seemed ready to cast Sora into the sea not long ago.
“This taiga is my sister,” Hana said.
Sora blinked. Hana was coming to her aid?
Prince Gin arched his brow. “You didn’t tell me this before.”
“I’d disavowed my family. For the past ten years, Spirit didn’t exist for me.”
It felt as if Hana were stomping on Sora’s heart, which already lay at the bottom of the ocean.
“However,” Hana said, “because we share blood, she probably has the same ryuu power that I do, just like how Skullcrusher and Skeleton both excel at controlling bones.”
The Dragon Prince considered this new information. Every ryuu on the ship was silent, waiting for his verdict.
Sora was the only one looking at Hana. What was her special power that made it tempting enough for Prince Gin to commute Sora’s sentence in order to have one more soldier?
A slow smile crept across his face. “Spirit, you’ve been trained by the Society and spent the last decade under my sister’s rule. I know there are some things about my past that may have been . . . skewed. I wasn’t here to offer my side of the story. But as you can see, there are many smart and accomplished warriors who support me, including your sister. I hope you’ll let me share my perspective.”
That warm, mushy porridge sense of calm she’d felt at the Kaede City outpost began to fill her. For a split second, she was aware that he was casting his hypnotic spell on her, but it was too fleeting a moment for her to do anything about it. Not that she’d be able to fight off his magic anyway. No one could, except Daemon.
Prince Gin told her what had happened after his warriors fled Kichona a decade ago. It was the same version he’d given the taigas in Kaede City. Sora nodded along, rapt. “I can give you access to our new magic,” he said. “Would you like that?”
Yes yes yes. Giddiness welled up in Sora’s eyes as the feeling of security and conviction inside of her warmed even more. There was a niggling in the back of her mind, as if Daemon would disapprove, but she couldn’t figure out why. And the tickle of wrongness was soon subsumed by the rightness of what the Dragon Prince offered. “Yes, Your Highness. I’d like to be a ryuu, more than anything. I’d like to be reunited with my sister, who up until today, I had believed lost to me forever. It would be an honor to serve you.”
She took a deep breath, knowing from Kaede City that the next part of becoming a ryuu required Prince Gin doing something that might hurt. Daemon had told her about the surprised cries from the taigas on that rooftop. But no matter what the Dragon Prince was going to do, it would be worth it. Everything was worth it for Prince Gin.
He smashed his fingertips to Sora’s eyes. She barely managed to close them in time so that he didn’t gouge her eyeballs directly. It felt as if his nails were drilling through Sora’s lids, and then as if hot iron was burning right through them. But even though it hurt, she didn’t care. The sound of magic whooshed around her like a small dust storm, and Sora smiled as she lost herself in the chaotic melody.