My gaze lingered on the scarlet ribbon, but I pointed at the blue. It was the color of the Bushian crest, and it matched the collar and cuffs of the dress Megari was wearing.
“I thought so too. Here, why don’t you have this one, then?”
Megari wove the scarlet ribbon into my hair. “Red looks pretty on you. You should wear more of it.”
It had been my favorite color once. Now I could hardly see it without thinking of my brothers, the six crimson crowns they were cursed to wear.
“Are you excited about tonight?” she asked, dragging me to the window. “It’s going to be spectacular. The best yet.”
I’d never thought much of the Winter Festival before. In Gindara it was such a minor event that we tended to combine it with our New Year celebrations. But I could imagine why Megari loved it so. Even from the castle, I could see the hundreds of lanterns bobbing from Iro’s rooftops.
“The ice sculptures are my favorite,” Megari went on. “You can’t see them from here, but they’re beautiful. Last year, there were dragons and boats and entire gardens made of ice! They’ll last until the New Year, if we’re lucky. Then it’ll finally be spring, and I can take you to see the rabbits on the mountain.”
I swallowed, reaching into my satchel for my writing book to show her the farewell message I’d prepared.
Megari, I’m leav—
The pounding of drums made my hands jolt, and the page ripped as a horn blared from behind the fortress.
What’s happening?I mimed.
Megari let out a disapproving sigh. “Everyone’s off on the hunt.” A beat later, horses galloped and the gates opened.
The hunt?
“It’s tradition.” Megari turned to her moon lute, making a face when she pulled a string that was grossly out of tune. “How many arrows it takes to shoot their target predicts how many days of snow there will be next year. Silly, I know. Takkan hates it, but since Father’s not here, he has to lead. He’s the best marksman, after all. Even better than Hasege.”
Something in my stomach began to curdle. I lurched for Megari’s desk, my hand writing furiously.
“ ‘What do they hunt?’ ” Megari read over my shoulder. “Usually an elk or a deer, but at breakfast, Hasege said he saw wild cranes circling the forest—”
I didn’t wait for her to finish. Ink splattered my robes as I dropped the brush and ran for the door.
I wished I had wings. The snow was to my knees, and plowing down the hill into the forest was a battle in itself. As the wind howled, biting my ears, it seemed to taunt:You won’t reach your brothers in time.
Arrows exploded into the clouds every few minutes, a shot of terror rippling down my spine as I watched my brothers circle the trees, their crimson crowns stark against the graysky.
Fly away from here, Brothers!I screeched in my mind.Flee!
But they could not hear me.
Finally, I saw hoofprints in the snow, a trampled path leading through the forest. I followed it, my pulse thundering in my ears as I stepped into the tracks to hasten my pace. There they were—Takkan and his sentinels. Pao had his arrow pointed to the sky—at my brothers! I threw myself in front of his horse.
“Halt!” Takkan shouted as the horses reared, their hooves so close they flicked snow into my face.
“What the—” Hasege spluttered, recognizing me. “Are you mad, girl? How dare you interrupt the hunt!”
Takkan was already dismounting, but I couldn’t wait for him. I jumped, seizing Pao’s bow and flinging it into the snow.
Before anyone could stop me, I went from horse to horse, frantically emptying the sentinels’ quivers. With an armful of arrows, I ran.
Brothers! Brothers!
They saw me. Hasho soared closer, the rest descending carefully into the forest. Kiki found them first, in a grove of snowcapped firs.
I was breathing hard, dizzied by white everywhere I looked. I didn’t realize that I was freezing until Hasho brushed a wing against my cheek and I felt nothing. Gently my brothers cocooned me in their feathers, bringing warmth back to my blood.
I dropped the arrows and hugged each of them, even Reiji. Had it really been two months since I’d seen them? We had a thousand questions for each other, but I was most worried about their safety. Quickly I drew them all behind the trees so the hunters wouldn’t see us.
