Gods, no. If it was the latter, that meant the lake’s enchantment had infiltrated something deeper inside him. Maybe Daemon had been able to protect Sora through their gemina bond because he was a demigod, like how he’d kept her tethered and therefore shielded from the Dragon Prince’s powers of hypnosis. But Fairy had only taiga magic for Broomstick to latch on to, plus he’d been unprepared for falling into the lake.

“We need to get out of here,” Sora said. “Maybe Liga will be able to help.”

Broomstick broke into a cold sweat. “You should leave me here. Then I can’t hurt anyone.”

“No! Don’t you see? The fact that you’re worried about hurting others proves that you’re good. The evil is only in your head. It’s not real. You have to fight it.”

“I can’t.” Broomstick let out a sob. “I saw what I’m going to do to those people. I can’t let it happen. I can’t make all those people love me, watch them get dressed up for the best night of their lives, and then murder them. I can’t. I won’t.” He sprinted for the water, determined to throw himself in.

Sora threw a net of ryuu particles at him. It tangled Broomstick’s feet, tripping him. She pounced and hit him in the back of the head with a chunk of ice.

Broomstick slumped to the ground.

“I’m sorry.” Sora looked at him. “I said you wouldn’t die today, and I meant it.”

She packed up their bags, then asked the ryuu magic to find her a path out of the caverns. It took a few moments, but soon enough, an emerald trail glittered against the ice.

Her gemina bond sparked as if Daemon were reaching out, asking if she needed help.

“Yes,” she said softly.

She wrote a message to Daemon and Fairy explaining what had happened. She could get Broomstick out of here, probably as far as Paro Village, the nearest town in this southern part of the kingdom. If Daemon could fly, they could come to meet them. Sora created another miniature eagle ray and sent the letter off to Jade Forest.

Then she placed the soul pearl in a small silk pouch, tightened the drawstring, and secured it in the interior pocket of her tunic.

Levitate Broomstick, she said to the ryuu particles. It would cost Sora a great deal of energy to float him all the way to Paro Village. But she would do what she had to do to get them out of here.

She slung their bags over her shoulders and motioned for the emerald dust to carry Broomstick out of the tunnels.

“Let’s get out of these caves,” she said, “and never, ever come back.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Zomuri looked into the saucer of blood in front of him and chuckled.