Page 53 of Circle of Shadows
Lionshead Pass, 622
Gorudo Hills, 1,100
Red Harbor, 1,810
Toredo, 2,000
They were cities and other landmarks throughout Kichona, but what did the numbers mean? Daemon studied them some more.
He gasped. There had been five councilmembers at Isle of the Moon over Autumn Festival, when the typhoon hit. Twenty-six taigas had come from Paro Village. And he and Sora had seen fifty-some taigas hypnotized at Kaede City.
These must be the number of taigas posted at each target. The number of new ryuu that Prince Gin plans to recruit.
It dawned on Daemon that if the prince had been successful at Isle of the Moon, the rest of this list might have been moot. The Dragon Prince would have captured Glass Lady and the other councilmembers and made them hispuppets. They would have been able to command the Society to overthrow Empress Aki, and then Prince Gin could seize the throne.
Daemon felt a wisp of relief.
But that quickly passed, because it only meant that Prince Gin had been forced to a backup plan—all these other targets around Kichona. It looked like he was starting at smaller outposts, which he could easily overwhelm with his existing ryuu. Then, as the ryuu ranks swelled, he would begin to take on bigger targets to grow his army and collection of Hearts even faster.
Other than that, though, the ribbon traced an unpredictable path around the kingdom, such that it would not only take the Society a little while to catch on to what he was doing but also make it impossible for the taigas to know where he would strike next.
Finally, the ribbon ended at the Imperial City. The Citadel and Rose Palace would be the biggest prizes of all.
“Stars. If we don’t stop him soon, he’ll have so much momentum and power, we’ll be as good as dead.” Daemon sank into Prince Gin’s chair. “We have to poison him and every ryuu on this ship. And we have to get the list of targets to the Citadel, just in case Sora and I fail.” Saying the plan out loud somehow made him feel better. It gave him a bit of confidence—however unjustified—in the face of this daunting enemy.
There was a knock on the door.
Daemon jumped out of the chair. Then he hastily stuffed the false bottom of the drawer back in place, closed up the desk, and dove under the futon.
Gods dammit. His lock picks were still on the desk chair.
Whoever it was knocked again a minute later. Maybe this was the ryuu who had actually been sent to inquire of the Dragon Prince’s dinner preferences.
After no response, however, the person left. Daemon exhaled.
Time for me to go too.He’d lingered too long anyway. Prince Gin might come back any second.
Daemon grabbed his lock picks and slipped out the captain’s quarters door. He had just stepped back into the dark corner nearby when he saw legs descending the ladder. Daemon dove behind some boxes and buried himself beneath the coils of rope on the floor.
“Your Highness?” someone above said.
The prince stopped on the ladder. “What is it?”
“I was sent to ask what you would like for dinner.”
“Do we have fresh fish?”
“Yes, Tidepool swept up a section of ocean and had the waves deposit a school of mackerel for us.”
“I’ll have that then,” Prince Gin said. “Oh, and wine. Not just for me, but for everyone on the ship. You’ve all worked hard today. We deserve to celebrate.”
“Thank you, Your Highness!” the ryuu hurried off to report to the galley.
Daemon waited until the prince went inside his cabin. Then he ran for the ladder and scrambled several levels down to Sora in the bottom hold.
Their grumbling stomachs would have to wait.
Chapter Thirty
