A million thoughts race through my mind. What is she doing in Khitan? She wouldn’t have run with Daysum being held by my father. So she must have been sent there.
“She’s been in danger since she was nine years old,” Hana says. “And now she has to steal the Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord or she will die.”
She has to take the Golden Ring of Khitan?
“Why?”
I barely get the word out before pain knocks the air from my chest and my stomach revolts. I groan, dropping my last piece of cured meat.
Hana smiles as I grip my sides. “You of all people should know what men are willing to do for power.”
Pain like I’ve never felt before courses through my body. Poison.
I collapse onto the floor, sweating and shaking, rolling onto my side. I moan like the iku, unable to stop myself.
Hana takes the lantern, steps over me, and leaves.
I wait for death.
Chapter Eighteen
Aeri
City of Quu, Khitan
Sora and I make it back to the inn, but what do I do now? I tip the coachman and thank him for his discretion, which meanskeep your mouth shut about this.But I’m so exhausted that it’s hard to think straight. I drag my battered body into the inn. Sora wanders in after me.
All I want to do is flop onto my bed and sleep, but I need to take care of Sora. I need a plan. So, even though I can barely move, I bring her to my room.
As I unlock my door, I force my mind to focus. Seok knows Sora is in Quu, and I’m sure it won’t be hard to figure out where we’re staying. This isn’t his country, but money and power have a way of transcending borders. He already tried to have Sora detained in the armory—I doubt he’ll just sayoh never mindnow.
We can’t stay.
But I want to. I’m so tired, and I’m not sure where everyone else is. I know they’re going to Lake Cerome, but there’s no telling how far they’ve gotten. Maybe we should stay put and wait for them as planned.
No. I pace as Sora drops into an armchair. The more I think about it, the more certain I am that we need to leave. At a minimum, Seok will try to have Sora arrested. The only reason to stay at the inn is because I’m tired.
I sigh to myself. We need to leave tonight and meet Royo, Mikail, and Euyn at the lake or along the way.
Now I need to relay the plan to Sora, which is easier said than done. Seok broke her completely. She’s in no shape for a journey.
“Did you know there’s an owl on your windowsill?” Sora stares out the window and gestures with a limp hand.
“Oh, um, yeah… I did,” I say. “I’m not sure if she fell out of her nest or got abandoned or what, but when we checked in, this tiny moon owl was already living there. I gave her fabric for a nest, and I’ve been feeding her. I named her Dia.”
Honestly, I don’t know if the owl is female or not, but in my head she is. She is snowy white with big amber eyes.
“That’s sweet,” Sora says. Because even though she’s in shambles, she still thinks to compliment me.
I reach into the pocket of my dress and pull out a napkin. I hid some food for Dia during the banquet. Moon owls are always small, but this one is tiny—the size of a sparrow. I think they eat moths and maybe baby mice or worms. But I don’t have those, so some shreds of wild boar and crusts of bread will have to do.
Dia cautiously hops to the other side of the sill when I open the window, but I lay down the napkin and she dives right in.
Sora smiles slightly.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?” I ask.
She shakes her head and takes a deep breath, trying to brace herself. “Se-ok… He… He sold…Daysum.”
