Circle of Shadows (Circle of Shadows, #1)(93)

“Sora, do you remember when you spoke to me through the connection and we saw the serpent constellation? And we flew through the stars?”

She opened her eyes and smiled drowsily. “When everything was ryuu emeralds?”

“Um, yeah. That.” Daemon had no idea what she was talking about, but he pressed on. “You and I were seeing the same thing. We didn’t just share feelings; other senses are potentially involved. So I was wondering . . . can you transfer the genka to me through the bond? I mean, not the actual genka, but its effects—the fogginess, the hallucinations, the intoxication?”

“I don’t . . . I don’t understand.”

“It’s all right. Just, uh, close your eyes again and try to reach out to me through our bond.” He hoped allowing her to shut her eyes wouldn’t send her careening back into the dream world and away from the real world.

The room around Daemon began to distort and swirl. He could almost feel the genka dribbling into his veins, if not in actuality, then in essence. Before he slipped away into the hallucination completely, he grabbed onto Broomstick’s arm. Daemon needed something to tether himself to reality so he could communicate coherently with Sora before the drug submerged him.

Daemon?

Hi, Sora.

It worked. He exhaled, both relieved and a bit disbelieving. They could literally communicate through their gemina bond.

You really did come for me, Sora said.

I said I would, and I did. Listen, I’m going to try to draw the delirium from you, all right? And then you need to help Broomstick. You need to promise you’ll leave me and go stop the ryuu.

What will happen to you?

Don’t worry about me. But the Society—and Kichona—needs you. Do you promise?

I promise.

All right.

Broomstick put his hand on Daemon’s. It grounded him. The room around Daemon had already vanished, replaced instead by Sora’s feverish green hallucination, which involved throwing stars flinging themselves every which way at moving targets. They always hit the bull’s-eye.

Daemon smiled.

Then he concentrated on the muddy edges of his vision and on the feeling of being adrift. He collected the random clouds that floated among the throwing stars. He pulled away the giggles that floated in the air.

Give them to me, Sora.

His burden grew heavier, yet it was strangely light, like an ever-growing bundle of cotton on his shoulders and inside his head. Soon his skull cavity would be stuffed full with clouds and nonsensical laughter.

He couldn’t feel Broomstick’s hand anymore, even though it was probably still there. The throwing stars disappeared, replaced instead by a wolf cub, a bunny, and a kangaroo, all made of blue stars. They frolicked among lightning bolts, running to dodge them. Daemon giggled. What a foreign but glorious feeling; it was like being six years old again.

Thank you, Daemon, a girl’s voice said from somewhere that seemed very far away. I won’t let you down. I promise.

Daemon shrugged. He didn’t even know what the girl was promising. Was it something they’d discussed?

The constellation wolf cub bounded toward him. Daemon tossed a meteor out into the dark sky, and the little wolf chased it, leaving a streak of bright blue behind him.

He’s a good pet, Daemon thought as he giggled again. Even if he is a myth.





Chapter Sixty


With ryuu magic, Sora broke the cuffs around her wrists as easily as if they were made of paper. She didn’t want to think about what had just happened with Daemon. In fact, she didn’t remember most of what had happened after Bullfrog injected her with genka, but she had a lingering feeling that something unexpectedly intimate had just taken place. She also knew that Daemon lay on the floor with a childlike grin on his face, and that Broomstick was standing several feet away. Too far for a friend, too close for an enemy.

“Broomstick—”

“Wolf risked everything for you just now,” he said cautiously. “Not only by taking the delirium from you—though I still don’t understand how—but also by rescuing you. You’re under arrest by a councilmember. Freeing you could be grounds for treason.”

Sora stumbled as she closed the distance between them. It seemed that everyone wanted to try her for treason. But that was all the more reason to make sure at least her friends were on her side.

“I know.” Sora steadied herself. She put her hand on Broomstick’s shoulder. “I also know that you’re liable to be tried for treason too by accompanying Wolf. Thank you.”

Broomstick jerked backward. He still had a crazed look in his eyes. “Please tell me we were right to do it, Spirit. Tell me Fairy’s alive. I want to trust you, but my gemina bond feels like a gods-damn cemetery, and if you didn’t keep her safe, I swear I will break you in half.”

Sora nodded carefully. She was a good fighter and she had ryuu magic, but Broomstick was two hundred pounds of muscle, and she didn’t doubt the lengths he’d go to to avenge his gemina, especially if Sora proved to be the enemy. “You can trust me,” she said softly. “I gave Fairy rira to fake her death. I brought her back with me. . . . I don’t know where Bullfrog took her. To the infirmary, I’m guessing.”

He stared intensely at her for another moment as he processed this.

“Broomstick, I promise I’m telling the truth. I love Fairy. I love you and Daemon too. And . . . if we don’t believe in each other, what do we have left?”