The harbor spread below, ships rocking gently at anchor.
And beyond that—
The slave market.
I should turn back, should avoid this place and the memories it holds.
But something pulled me forward. I needed to see it, to prove to myself I had moved beyond it, that I was more than the terrified boy who had stood on that platform and waited for others to decide his fate. So I crossed to a rooftop overlooking the square.
The platform stood empty in the cloudy night, little more than wooden boards and benches. The stage appeared so innocent, giving no hint of the horror it supported in the light of day.
I lay there, stretched on my stomach, staring down at the place where I had been sold, where Momoko had purchased me, where my life had changed forever. I soaked in the setting, allowing its horror—and the quiet of night—to wash over me. I remained there until stars peeked through the clouds, and my ribs ached from the discomfort of lying too long on rough tiles. Only then, did I rise to—
Voices.
Below, in the square. Two men clung to shadows at the far edge.
Every muscle in my body tensed.
I forced myself to control my breathing as Sakurai had taught me, to become part of the rooftop.
The men spoke in hushed, urgent tones.
I strained to hear.
“. . . certain it will work?” One voice sounded very nervous.
“The craftsman . . . the bolts are . . . added poison . . . sure . . .” The second voice dropped too low. I missed the words.
Bolts?Crossbow bolts.
My heart rate spiked. This was not idle conversation. This was planning. A conspiracy.
“. . . the Prince?” The first man again.
Prince?
Gods. This was it. This wasreal. Some kind of attack or . . . an assassination plot.
But against which prince?
There were only a few princes, but the Imperial family was large. A plot to take out a royal could mean death to any number of people. I needed to know more, to know who.
And when? And where?
I scooted forward, careful to remain well away from the roof’s edge.
“. . . won’t know until it’s too late. The angle will be . . . thick woods . . . mountain pass . . .”
Frustration burned through me as the wind carried their words away. I was so close, right there by chance, and I couldn’t hear the details.
Think. What did I know?
Crossbow bolts. That meant distance, but not that of a longbow. An archer’s position. Somewhere elevated? A rooftop? A tower? But they said thick woods and something about a mountain pass. That could be anywhere. The whole damned mainland was covered in woods and mountains. Hells, all the islands were.
And a prince. Butwhichprince?
The way they said it—casual, with no name—suggested they’d discussed this before, that they both knew who they meant. Haru was now the second prince, behind his oldest brother, Kioshi, the Crown Prince. For most of Haru’s life, he’d been third in line to the Jade Throne, but his second brother had died of some disease a few years earlier, advancing Haru’s claim to the throne despite his complete lack of desire to rule. He spent more time dicing and drinking than serving a useful purpose inside the palace. Killing him might send a message, but it would do littleto impact the Emperor or any plans he might have to battle the rebels.
