With the skeleton troops destroyed and Tidepool captured, Sora and the others were able to make quick work of the remaining ryuu stationed near Dera Falls. There hadn’t been many, as Prince Gin had assumed that stationing his most powerful ryuu—Hana, Tidepool, Skullcrusher, and Skeleton—along with a navy of corpses would be enough.

But making assumptions about the League of Rogues was a grave mistake.

Still, Sora decided to move, and once they were on another of the islands in the tiger’s paw, they hunkered down in the hollow of an enormous tree that must have been thousands of years old. It was broad enough to fit them all, and on top of that, Hana kept everyone invisible. Her ability to do so, like Sora’s, was limited to proximity, but she’d been using ryuu magic for longer and could hide people even if they weren’t right next to her. It would come in handy when they snuck back into the Imperial City.

“Congratulations,” Sora said, once everyone was settled. “We rescued Empress Aki, and we have Prince Gin’s soul.”

Daemon, Fairy, and Broomstick cheered. Hana and Papa looked a little confused. Empress Aki smiled serenely. Tidepool probably would have glared, but Fairy had drugged her, so the ryuu lay asleep against the roots of the tree.

“But we’re not done yet,” Sora said. “Hana and I are still damned, as well as every taiga and ryuu. And our family, friends, and the whole kingdom remain in danger. Prince Gin will continue to pursue the Evermore and bring death and destruction to Kichona. So we have a few things we need to accomplish. One, we have to get to the gods to beg them for the purification ritual. Two, we need reinforcements, because after those skeletons, it’s painfully obvious to me that I underestimated his ryuu’s abilities, and we can’t fight them on our own. And three, we have to . . .”

Sora trailed off. She’d just seen her own mother killed and couldn’t bring herself to talk in front of Prince Gin’s sister about assassinating him. But she did touch her collar, where the soul pearl was safely stashed again.

Empress Aki sighed. “It’s all right. I know it has to be done. We let my brother go after the Blood Rift, and look where that got us. I wish I had the opportunity like you did to see your sister return to our side, but I don’t. Gin has to be killed, for Kichona’s sake.”

Papa bowed his head. “Your Majesty, what if he repented as Hana did?”

“Then I would give him a chance. But I don’t think he will.” She looked to Sora. “Please continue with your plans.”