“The Sanguines have been recruiting new members for a heist in San Cirilo—keep claiming they have an in that guarantees success. No information on what they’re stealing, only that it’s in the Flying Palace.”
“You overheard this in a bookstore?” Risa asked, unable to tamp down her curiosity.
“Yes,” Paulo answered. “Even mercenaries need information from trusted sources. Quiet spaces are ideal for planning when criminals don’t have a secret lair. Booksellers and librarians are also huge gossips.”
Javi gave a pensive nod. “That definitely makes sense.”
“What could they want in San Cirilo?” Amina asked Javi.
He shrugged. “All I can think of are the blueprints. The Regent and my father have been estranged for years. We’ve had difficulty getting ahold of any information about the city since it’s an autonomous region.”
“Could the Sanguines have overheard us speaking about going to San Cirilo while we were in Spearbelly?” Risa asked Amina.
“I don’t see how—Eto has terrible hearing, and he’s the only one with half a brain.”
“Unless Bella was there,” Paulo said. “Beautiful woman with a wonderful set of—” He stopped, glanced at Amina, and cleared his throat. “Eyes. Definitely smarter than El Gib.”
“No, she wasn’t in Spearbelly,” Risa spat. She jerked her chin at the prince. “Hehad the pleasure of running into her here.”
“Then it’s a coincidence,” Amina decided.
But Risa didn’t believe in coincidences. Not with her curse being the way it was.
Amina tapped a finger against the side of her cheek, where her scar looked angry and fresh. “Blueprints… I suppose they could sell them to the highest bidder.”
“Or they already have an interested buyer,” Paulo added.
“Imagine if anyone could build an airship.” Amina shivered in disgust.
It was well known that the Regent had sealed the airship formula and blueprints away and refused to sell the knowledge. Most of Risa’s tutors had been outright suspicious of the autonomous region, and she was sure other Kheadish citizens felt the same. Noone knew anything about the mechanics, the logistics, or the city at large. Risa wouldn’t have been surprised if any of the engineers from the palace who tried to leave went mysteriously missing.
“Or destroy them,” Paulo suggested, pensive. “Still, it is a risky endeavor. It is unlike them to advertise so indiscriminately. El Gib might be a fool, but he isn’tthatstupid. Such an attempt would result in multiple casualties.”
“I need to warn my uncle.” Javi scrambled onto his knees. “Cousin?”
Risa shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look at her. “Do you not find it suspicious that you cannot recall who sits as Regent?”
Javi glanced at her hand and she quickly dropped it, burned by his gaze.
“I told you. We’ve been estranged.”
“Have you never met them?”
He scowled. “I have. It’s just been five years—”
Risa and Javi both turned to look at Amina as something sank in the pit of Risa’s stomach.
Five years. The same amount of time that had passed since the Madrosian royal family was killed.
Another connection Risa refused to chalk up to coincidence. Amina’s curse was linked to something bigger, something that rendered her kingdom forgettable—and perhaps made thoughts around San Cirilo murky as well.
The autonomous city was allied with no one and was the sole target of the Anti-Airship Federation. What better way for General Sur to slowly take over the world than by hiding in plain sight, cursingeveryone to forget what he’d done to get where he was, and convincing several nations to conspire against his greatest opposition while forcing that opposition to slowly lose allies?
“We will stick to the plan,” Amina determined. “We go to San Cirilo and warn your cousin—”
“Aunt,” Javi corrected.
“—and hopefully they can repay the favor by helping us cross the desert. Assuming the Sanguines are planning to steal from San Cirilo, there is no point in the Regent keeping the peace.”
