by Evelyn Skye
Except Beetle would never get to do that. His eyes were blank, seeing nothing.
The ryuu must have raised the dead from the last battle. And as for the skeletons—could it be that they raided the Society of Taigas’ cemetery? It would explain why the skeletons moved with the grace and strength of warriors.
Sora looked at Beetle again. Her heart ached, but she couldn’t make the mistake of thinking this was the same boy she’d known. He was only an empty shell, reanimated.
Still, she couldn’t tear herself away from him. Sora watched as he marched by, and she kept tabs on him as he disappeared along his path into the night, then circled back again. She lost track of time.
Fairy and Broomstick returned from the beach. “There are skeletons on a ship,” they reported.
Sora shook herself out of her trance. “More skeletons?”
“You can’t see them from up here because they’re tucked into a shadowy alcove at the base of the island. But yes, there’s a ship crewed by skeleton sailors.”
“If this is what they have just to guard a single prisoner,” Broomstick said, “I hate to imagine what kind of forces Prince Gin will send to attack Thoma.”
“Oh gods.” Fairy’s face fell.
Sora could see her mentally tabulating all the different ryuu who could be unleashed. Ironside, whose hands were magnets that could steal away swords and other weapons. Ash, who filled the air with smoke so thick you couldn’t see six inches in front of you. Carmine, who could make blood boil inside a person’s body. Just to name a few.
“Don’t think about Thoma,” Sora said, because it would paralyze them and make it impossible to focus on the task at hand. “Let’s face one horror at a time.”
At that moment, Daemon landed on the cliffs and transformed into boy form. They forced themselves to set thoughts of Thoma aside and instead caught him up on what they’d seen.
“It’s similar on the other side where Dera Falls is,” Daemon said, “except it’s even more fortified. An entire fleet of the skeleton navy, plus several troops around the waterfall.”
There went the last of Sora’s hope that they could sneak the empress out without being detected.
“There are only four of us,” Broomstick pointed out, “and way too many of them. How is this even going to be possible?”
But then Sora thought of Beetle again—how he wasn’t really himself anymore—and clarity hit her. “We defeat them by remembering they’re not alive.”
Daemon, Fairy, and Broomstick looked at Sora as if she’d lost her mind.
“How is that different from knowing that they’re dead?” Fairy asked.
“I know it sounds the same,” Sora said, “but what I mean is, if we think of them as actual creatures, we make the mistake of focusing on killing them. They aren’t alive, though. They’re just bones being controlled by two ryuu—Skullcrusher and Skeleton.”
“So we should find those two,” Daemon said, catching on.
“Right,” Sora said. “If we eliminate Skullcrusher and Skeleton, the entire army and navy of dead will fall like marionettes who’ve lost their puppeteers.”
Fairy scrunched up her nose as she thought about this. “Yeah, but what do we do about the marionettes before their strings are cut?”
Broomstick flexed his fingers and started to smile. “Even the undead can’t fight if they don’t have bodies.”
“You’re going to blow them up? Can I help?” Fairy’s eyes brightened.
“Absolutely. Wolf can fly with Spirit to look for the two ryuu controlling everything. In the meantime, you blast apart the warriors on land, and I’ll blow up the ships in the sea. If we can’t stop Skullcrusher and Skeleton, we’ll make sure they have nothing to use their magic on.”
“Whoa,” Daemon said. “I think that’s a great plan, but Sora shouldn’t be out there.”
“What? Why not?” Sora asked.
“Because if you die, you’re doomed,” he said. “You should stay here and keep safe.”
“I’m not going to hide while you all fight.”
“The general of an army sends troops into battle,” Daemon argued. “She doesn’t dive into the fight herself.”
Sora crossed her arms. “I don’t know what generals you’ve been studying, but that’s not the kind of leader I want to be. Besides, I’m a taiga. And that means I do what needs to be done to protect our kingdom, even if it means my own death and damnation. I think you all understand that.”
There was silence for a moment, but she could read the thoughts on their faces. Fairy had disguised herself as the empress and walked straight into what she knew was an assassination attempt. Broomstick had barged into a god’s lair to help steal his treasure. And Daemon had stood by Sora’s side from the very beginning, risking everything to go undercover on the Dragon Prince’s ship, to save Sora from the grips of genka, and train with his newfound powers to beat back the biggest threat Kichona had ever seen.
All three of them understood what it meant to be a taiga.
“We’re agreed, then?” Sora asked.
They all nodded, even Daemon.
“Good.” She stacked her fists over her heart. “Then I think the League of Rogues has a plan.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Let’s go,” Sora said.
Daemon shifted into his wolf form. She climbed onto his back and held out her hand for Fairy.
He tensed when Fairy touched his fur, but it was a little less obvious than earlier. Maybe Daemon was starting to make peace with the way things had ended between them? Sora could only hope. She needed the League of Rogues as strong as possible.
When all three of them were on board, Daemon took a running start and hurtled into the sky. He kept his sparks muted so they could approach Dera Falls surreptitiously, but it didn’t douse the thrill of soaring through the cold night air. Sora smiled as they picked up altitude, the wind gusting through her hair.
Her nerves came back, though, as they neared the eastern side of the island.
“I’ll land just past the waterfall,” Daemon said.
“No need,” Broomstick said. “Dip down briefly, and Fairy and I can jump off.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. Don’t lose your momentum. Every second is going to count once we begin our attacks.” They unfastened themselves from the harness.
“All right. Then here we go.” Daemon veered around the waterfall, arcing out wide enough that the skeletons wouldn’t notice him, then curved back inland. He slowed a little but not much as he flew close to the ground. “Jump in three, two, . . .”
Fairy and Broomstick leaped like acrobats and tucked themselves into their bodies. They hit the ground in somersaults, rolling rather than hitting the rock face hard.
“Beautiful,” Sora said as she and Daemon rose back into the sky.
She watched as Fairy sprinted toward Dera Falls and Broomstick scaled the side of the rocky island to a vantage point where he could see the ships.
“They’ll be in place soon,” she said.
“Let me know when,” Daemon said. “They’ll need some light, and so will we, to find Skeleton and Skullcrusher.”
They circled above for a few more minutes. Fairy found a cluster of bushes to hide behind at the top of the waterfall.
“Fairy’s ready,” Sora said.
“Broomstick?” Daemon asked.
“Not yet.” Sora squinted at where she’d last seen him and caught movement along a rocky outcropping. Not long after, there was a flash. Broomstick had set off a very small explosion.
“Now!” Sora said.
A deep rumble resonated through Daemon’s body, and adrenaline surged through their bond. Daemon stopped dimming his power, and bright blue electricity lit all around him and Sora as they tore through the air, leaving a streak behind them like lightning, the rumble in his chest bursting out and shaking the sky with his thunder.
The skeletons below froze at the light and the noise.
Fairy wh
ipped into action, running through the nearest troop of warriors with her swords out, decapitating some and hacking at others at the ribs and knees. Another troop charged at her from farther out, and she launched a grenade at them. Bones flew everywhere, splashing into the water and careening over the edge of the falls.
Below, Broomstick set off an explosion in the helm of one of the ships. A few more blasts followed. The skeleton sailors on board scurried around in confusion.
“Now it’s our turn,” Sora said. “Let’s find Skullcrusher and Skeleton.”
Daemon swooped over the top of the island, his electric glow lighting the ground as if it were midday.
“There’s one of them!” Sora shouted, leaning so far off Daemon’s back she would have tumbled off but for the harness.
Skullcrusher was running from the other side of Dera Falls, yelling furiously at his warriors. Daemon charged down at him.
Sora commanded the ryuu particles around her to form stakes. She aimed them at Skullcrusher’s eyes and threw.
He flung up a shield of his own particles. The stakes bounced off and disintegrated back into emerald dust.
Fairy blew up another group of skeletons. Meanwhile, a loud blast sounded in the ocean. Broomstick had managed to sink one of the ships, and the skeletons fell overboard.
Skullcrusher stood immobile, looking from the waterfall to the edge of the island.
Where is his brother? Sora wondered.
But the fact that he was alone benefitted her. Skullcrusher’s indecisiveness allowed Fairy to destroy a few more warriors, and some of the skeletons in the water began to sink, since they weren’t given commands to swim.
Suddenly, though, the corpses on land began to fight back. They coordinated themselves and came at Fairy all at once, rather than in haphazard attacks. As they closed in, they eliminated her ability to use Broomstick’s bombs; if she threw a grenade, it would kill her as well as them.
Skullcrusher sneered up at Sora and Daemon. “Is that all you’ve got?”
“We have to try something new,” Sora said. “He’s onto our methods. Can you use your other powers while flying?”
“I’ll try.” Daemon growled. “I’d be a pretty pathetic demigod if I couldn’t.”
He hovered to a halt in the air. Sora held her breath, the adrenaline like wildfire in their bond now.
“Let’s see how well you can fight when the rules of gravity no longer apply.” Daemon let loose a howl that made the stars cringe. Then the earth beneath them shook, and the skeletons began to rise into the air.
Skullcrusher’s mouth hung open. But he quickly gathered himself and tried to regain control of his army.
They flailed their limbs, though, unable to find purchase anywhere. Daemon lifted them higher.
Then he slammed them down onto the rocky face of the island. Most of the skeletons shattered. Their bones flew in shards and splinters everywhere.
Broomstick sank another ship.
“Gods-damn you!” Skullcrusher shouted. He retreated toward Dera Falls.
Making herself invisible, Sora unbuckled from the harness, leaped off Daemon’s back, and sprinted after Skullcrusher.
Daemon sped around and landed in front of Skullcrusher. The ryuu scowled as Daemon advanced, teeth bared.
“I’m not scared of an animal,” Skullcrusher said, although he took several steps back.
“That’s fine,” Daemon said. “I’m not insulted. Because there’s something else you should be more scared of.”
Skullcrusher shivered but shook his head defiantly. “What?”
“You should be scared of me.” Sora materialized behind him, neutralized him with a choke hold, and jammed a knife into his rib cage through his heart.
The ryuu gasped as blood bloomed from his chest. “Traitor,” he whispered.
“I don’t think you quite understand the meaning of the word,” Sora said, dropping him to the ground. “You and the Dragon Prince are the traitors, not me.”
Skullcrusher glowered at her, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out except his last breath. She was sure he didn’t have anything worthwhile to say anyway.
Fairy ran over to rejoin her and Daemon. Sora looked around at the ruined skeletons on the ground. The navy was still active—probably controlled by Skullcrusher’s brother—but from the sounds coming from the sea, Broomstick was blowing up a fair portion of them. Sora allowed herself a moment to feel triumphant anyway.
“Phase one complete,” she said.
“That was so much fun!” Fairy said. “Wolf, you were incredible.”
Daemon smiled, and even though his teeth were frightening, the effect was somehow still bashful. “Thanks. You were really impressive, too.”
Sora kept her own smile buttoned up, but this was definitely progress between the two.
“Want to bet Empress Aki is inside Dera Falls where Skullcrusher was headed? Let’s go.”
“On the contrary,” a man behind them said. “No one is going anywhere.”
Chills ran up Sora’s spine, and the soul pearl in her collar rolled insistently—almost maniacally—against the fabric, as if yearning to be reunited with the body it belonged to. She knew that poison-laced voice.
She hoped he wouldn’t notice the pearl trying to escape her pocket.
Sora turned slowly. But the Dragon Prince wasn’t the only one standing there. Sora let out a cry.
Prince Gin floated in a green orb at the top of Dera Falls. Tidepool was with him, and there were two people kneeling in front of them, their faces portraits of terror.
Mama and Papa.
No . . .
Then someone appeared a few feet behind them, visible only to Sora because they shared the same kind of magic: Hana, wide eyed as if she was a lost little girl instead of the Dragon Prince’s second-in-command.
Sora’s gaze met her sister’s for an instant.
But then Prince Gin pulled out his knives.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Hana trembled as she watched Emperor Gin push the blades against her parents’ throats. She hadn’t seen them since she was six—something inside her had resisted visiting them before this moment, as if she was afraid of what they’d say when they found out she was no longer a taiga, even though she had good reason for helping the ryuu pursue the Evermore. But now her parents were here, and they could die any minute, and she’d never had a chance to say hello to them before she had to say goodbye.
“Let them go,” Sora said to Emperor Gin, her voice shaking.
It was more than Hana could do. She’d never been more petrified since the Blood Rift raid on the tenderfoot nursery—not in the middle of battle, not when she was fighting her sister, not when she found out that her own soul was damned. All those things were terrifying, but Hana was a warrior; she was supposed to be in the path of danger.
But Mama and Papa weren’t. They were innocents. Hana should have thought to protect them. She should have taken them away from Samara Mountain and hidden them somewhere safe.
The emperor’s orb transported Mama and Papa to the rocks beside the waterfall, and the sphere vanished. He pressed the blades harder against their throats as he sneered at Sora. “You’ve dismantled more than half my skeleton army, Spirit. I’m very unhappy about that and think I should be recompensed.”
“You don’t need my parents,” Sora said, shaking even harder than before. “Please, I’m begging you. Let them go. We’ll do whatever you want.”
“You coward,” Mama sneered at Sora. “Grow a backbone.” Hana knew it was Zomuri’s influence tainting her words, yet it still made her flinch. But she understood that her mother wanted Sora to stand up to Prince Gin.
How could her sister do that, though? She wouldn’t risk her parents’ lives.
Emperor Gin’s lip curled at Daemon. “Spirit, tell your pet to release his electric shield around you and your fairy friend.”
Daemon snarled. “I’m not a pet.”
“No . . . ,” the empero
r said thoughtfully. “You’re something more, aren’t you? If you join me, you could go down in history. Imagine it—the Dragon Emperor riding a magical flying wolf to victory as they bring the Evermore to earth. There will be songs sung in your name and myths passed on for centuries. We would be glorified for eternity.”
“I’d rather die now than be associated with you for even a day, let alone an eternity.”
Hana didn’t know what to do. Daemon and Sora were standing up for their principles. But what did Hana believe in? She’d thought she’d known, but now, with her parents at Emperor Gin’s mercy, all her previous doubts weighed more heavily than before.
“Don’t give in,” Daemon said to Sora.
But wasn’t a huge part of saving the kingdom about protecting the ones they loved?
Sora leaned close to Daemon’s ear and whispered something.
Then she jumped off his back.
“Spirit.” Fairy gasped. Hana almost did, too, but she managed to restrain herself, to stay invisible as she tried to understand what she was supposed to do.
Sora bowed to Emperor Gin, and there was no deception in her movement. “I surrender. Just don’t hurt Mama and Papa.”
He laughed. “I suspected you’d give in. Your heart is too soft. Glass Lady didn’t train the sentimentality out of you well enough.”
Shackles made of ryuu particles clamped around Sora’s wrists and hands, connected by glowing green chains. Whatever spell the emperor had used to make them, it was stronger than Sora knew how to fight. It didn’t matter, though. Hana could see that Sora had meant it when she made the bargain to surrender, and it pained her to see her sister so beaten. Sora had always been full of fight. But now she was just . . . deflated.
But Sora still shouted at Daemon, “Go!”
It was too late, though. Chains bound him, and Fairy, too. They rattled as Daemon tried to shake them off, to no avail.