“Present company excepted,” Fairy said. “I promise I don’t manipulate you at all.”

Broomstick jogged over, snickering. “You manipulate everyone at least a little. You can’t help it. You’re just so little and cute, and they can’t resist you.” He pinched her cheek.

“Shut up.” She swatted him away and made a face, the two of them as usual teasing each other.

Meanwhile, Sora had been contemplating Fairy’s suggestion. “Tempting a god sounds like trouble,” Sora said.

“I know what I’m doing,” Fairy said. “You just have to trust that I can take care of myself. You do, don’t you?” She looked at Daemon.

He grumbled but gave in. “I trust you.”

Fairy hugged him and, at the same time, gave him her best puppy-eyed look.

“All right,” Sora said. “That leaves me and Daemon. I’ll try the earnest approach with Vespre, laying out what’s at stake and why we need him. And Daemon—”

“I know,” he said. “Tap into the fact that he’s my dad. Well, might be.”

“Only if you’re comfortable with it,” Sora said. “If you need to sit out—”

“I’m fine. But what if this doesn’t work?”

“Then we’ll try again tomorrow night,” Sora said. “Getting Vespre to help us is our best hope right now.”

They were quiet as they set up their prayer stations, because they knew what she’d said wasn’t entirely true. The god of night was not just their best hope; he was their only one. They couldn’t find the soul pearl without Vespre’s knowledge; if Zomuri’s vault was in Celestae, they would even need to ask Vespre to get it for them or take them there. And without the soul pearl, they had no path forward. There was no way a novice ryuu, a sometime-wolf/sometime-boy, and two taiga apprentices could defeat the Dragon Prince and an entire army of ryuu.

This had to work.

Sora lit a twig and put it in the small pile of sand in front of her. It burned more quickly than an actual incense stick, and she rushed to kneel on the sleeping mat so she could get a prayer off before the twig incinerated completely.

Vespre, my lord, please hear us, Sora thought. I’m here with a boy who I believe is your son, the constellation wolf, and we need your help. Our beloved kingdom is under siege. Gin Ora has usurped the throne and pledged himself to Zomuri. Prince Gin has already murdered innocents in the Ceremony of Two Hundred Hearts, taken over the entire Society of Taigas, and is on the brink of beginning a world war. We need to know where Zomuri’s vault is because there is something in there that could prevent the destruction of Kichona. Please, please help. Our kingdom needs you. Your son needs you.