She stared at the throbbing heart before her. “You’re saying the curse is leaving me, Hana, and all the other taigas and ryuu by returning the magic to Prince Gin’s heart?”

“Yes, that is what he means,” Zomuri growled. “Now give it to me!”

Sora cocked her head. Why was the god asking her for the heart rather than just taking it? Surely he could use his magic to seize it.

Maybe it actually had to be given, like in the Ceremony of Two Hundred Hearts or how Prince Gin had offered up Tsarina Austine’s heart. Whatever the reason was, though, Sora wasn’t going to lose this opportunity.

She cradled the heart to her body. An idea was forming, but it required defying Zomuri—again—and she had to brace herself before she spoke. “I—I’m not giving up the heart yet.”

“What do you mean?” The god’s voice echoed throughout the whole castle.

She stood tall, shoulders proud, trying to channel the confidence she’d seen in Empress Aki. “I mean, you have to agree to my terms first,” Sora said.

“You impudent child! The deal has been struck. Gin owed me a royal heart, so it’s supposed to be mine.” The torrent of ryuu magic had lessened to barely a trickle. The heart was almost done collecting stolen magic from the taigas and ryuu, and the pulse had visibly weakened, barely thumping anymore. “Give it to me now,” Zomuri said, “while the heart still beats! It loses flavor with every pulse.”

Sora smiled smugly. She definitely had leverage now. “I agree that you and Prince Gin had a deal, but that doesn’t involve me. Now I have the heart, and if you want it before it dies, you’ll agree not to punish me or my friends for breaking into your vault and stealing the soul pearl. It will be as if that never happened.”

“But it did!”

“I know. But you’ll agree to treat it like it didn’t. My friends and I are completely innocent.” She pointed a dagger at the heart. She could stop the beating with a single plunge.

Zomuri’s eyes narrowed, but he held out his hand. “All right, all right. You’re innocent and free to go. Just give me the heart before you ruin it!”

Sora dropped the knife and tossed Prince Gin’s heart into the air. Zomuri snatched it, stuffed it into his mouth, and disappeared in a puff of green smoke.

Holy heavens.

The Dragon Prince was dead. Empress Aki was the ruler of the kingdom again. And Zomuri would no longer be the patron god of Kichona.

Sora wouldn’t allow herself to exhale yet, though. There was still a battle raging outside, and she didn’t know if Fairy and Broomstick were alive.

But then the explosions outside came to an abrupt halt. A minute later, a cheer erupted.