Circle of Shadows (Circle of Shadows, #1)(98)

On the way to the palace, Sora had explained to the empress what she wanted to do with the crystal. Now they emerged from the tunnels through a panel in the floor of the courtyard where Sora and the other Level 12s had performed their exhibition match.

“I thought you could use that slab of crystal,” Empress Aki said, pointing to where her chair had been that night. It was the part of the courtyard wall etched with the imperial family’s crowned tiger and the motto “Dignity. Benevolence. Loyalty.”

“It’s a good size,” Sora said. “But are you sure? I could break down a piece of less significance.”

Empress Aki looked right at the crest. “No. This one sends the right message.”

Yes, it does, Sora thought. She’d already known that these principles were the underpinnings of the kingdom. But now Sora also understood that they were the foundation on which she herself had been made. Dignity, benevolence, and loyalty had molded her and her friends, and if they adhered to them, these same principles would guide them into who they were going to be—people as noble and selfless and good as Empress Aki. Hopefully.

Sora nodded at the crystal wall. “The facets of the etching will also make the light sparkle more, be more unpredictable to the ryuu.”

Four Imperial Guards arrived. They seemed unsurprised to find that the empress had returned to the palace, as if she’d told them it was a possibility all along.

“You should take cover, Your Majesty,” Sora said. “This could get messy.”

“I’ll wait in the tunnel.” She pressed her locket medallion into the secret panel and descended into the courtyard floor. Her Imperial Guards went with her.

Sora stood alone before the wall. She hadn’t mentioned to the empress that she wasn’t sure how or even if she could break off a piece of the palace.

What is the best way to do this?

The fire ryuu had told a story about melting the edges of an iceberg before, but that was no help. Sora wasn’t a master at fire magic, and crystal wouldn’t melt at the kind of temperatures she could manage.

She could try to command the magic to form giant hands and wrench the wall away, but that might cause irreparable damage to the rest of the palace. Sora shuddered thinking of all the cracks she’d create, and how they’d spread, shattering the rest of Rose Palace because of the fractures.

Okay. No wrenching the wall.

What she needed was a clean break.

“A saw.”

Actually, several saws. The kind used to cut diamonds. Gods, please let my imagination be enough to guide the magic to do what I need it to do.

Sora looked for the emerald particles. She called for as many of them as possible, and they rushed in from all over, sparkling streaks through the sky and into the courtyard. She willed the magic into long, sharp, steady blades. She directed them to the top of the wall, one enormous green saw poised over the right side, the other on the left.

Cut, she thought.

They began to slide back and forth, slowly, as if sawing through wood, and spewing splinters as if they were sawing through wood as well. Except these splinters were made of crystal. Sharp crystal.

Sora leaped as far as she could and covered her head under the shower of needles. Stop! she commanded the saws.

They ceased their motion. But some of the particles started to dissipate as she lost control over them, because she was looking at the blood seeping into her uniform from the many places her skin had been pierced.

Deal with the wounds later, she told herself. They’re just splinters.

A hundred or so of them, but still. Just splinters.

Sora turned back to the saws and yelped as she saw them disintegrating back into the air, the particles wandering off because she wasn’t paying attention to them.

No! Back into formation.

The magic hesitated, as if momentarily confused. Then most of the particles began to drift back into the shape of their saws.

She exhaled.

All right. Cutting back and forth on crystal was dangerous. Perhaps she had to approach this more like chopping vegetables.

Slice straight down, she willed the magic.

At first, she couldn’t see anything happening. But then she noticed a thin line appear on either side of the wall where it was separating from the rest of the palace. Her green knives worked slowly but steadily.

The floor panel on the far side of the courtyard opened. Empress Aki stuck out her head. “Everything all right?”

“It is now,” Sora said. “You can come out from the tunnel, although you should probably stay on that side of the courtyard, just in case.”

Empress Aki and her Imperial Guards emerged. One of them noticed Sora was injured. “I’ll get her some bandages,” he said.

He returned a few minutes later and dressed her wounds. Sora breathed into his touch. It was actually helpful to have someone else with her, grounding her as she focused intensely on the saws.

She began again. The wall trembled, and the Ora crest glinted in the faint light of the impending sunrise.

The saws neared the bottom. Sora’s eyes began to cross; the concentration was taxing.

And then, the last, final slice.

She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes for a moment. Then she turned to Empress Aki. “Your Majesty, we have our magnifying glass.”

“Excellent. Can you get it down to the Citadel?”

Sora was tired, but she nodded. There would be time for rest later. “I’ll use magic to levitate it down the hill.”