“Yeah . . . ,” Fairy said.

Sora wrapped her arms around her knees, as if that would help settle her. She’d been so focused on the Evermore as the ultimate evil that she hadn’t really thought about why it was atrocious.

It wasn’t the striving for paradise on earth that was inherently bad. It was every ruthless thing that would be done in order to get it. This war wasn’t just about conquering the mainland. It was a war on Kichona itself. Prince Gin and the ryuu were the invading horde, and the people were their targets. The terrible irony was, if the prince murdered and brainwashed enough and Zomuri made the Evermore a reality, there would be no Kichonans left to enjoy it.

But this was why Sora had to fight back. She took a deep breath to compose herself, then turned to Broomstick. “Please tell me you have a better report.”

He shook his head. “What I saw was just as horrible, in a different way.” He looked a little green as he reported watching Blade, Quicksand, Philosopher, and other apprentices they knew training with ryuu magic.

“Stars, even the kids like Quicksand?” Daemon asked. “Did you see any of our mentees?”

Broomstick nodded sadly. “Yours. I didn’t see Fairy’s or Spirit’s, but that doesn’t mean they’re not being trained. Anyone who was a taiga apprentice is learning ryuu magic. That means kids as young as seven. Who knows? Maybe even the little tenderfoots in the nursery.”

Daemon punched the tree nearest him.

“I also spent some time in Warrior Meeting Hall.” Broomstick recounted what he’d seen there.

Sora curled into herself even more. And yet she couldn’t stay like that for long, because then it was her turn to tell Fairy and Broomstick what she and Daemon had discovered in the castle.

“Do you want to give them the bad news, or should I?” Sora asked Daemon.

Fairy let out an involuntary cry. “How can it get worse?”

“The Dragon Prince gave up his soul,” Daemon said, cutting quickly to the point.

“What do you mean?” Broomstick said, his deep voice cracking.

“He struck a deal with Zomuri,” Sora said. “He gave up his soul in exchange for being invincible.”

Fairy opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Broomstick was equally speechless.

“Don’t resign yourself,” Sora said. “This isn’t over until we say it is.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Daemon said. He picked up a twig from the ground and speared it through a hapless mushroom.

“It isn’t over yet.” Sora glared at him and sent a stab of displeasure through their gemina bond.

He cringed but didn’t retract his dismay.