The air in the East Palace was thick with the scent of ozone and drying ink. While the rest of the capital was buzzing with excitement for the Spring Purification Regatta, our pavilion had become a war room.
"It's not just a boat," Yua whispered, spreading a piece of stained, damp parchment across the cedar table. "My sister had to crawl into the Imperial Mage's disposal bin to find this. It's the schematic for the lead barge, The Golden Crane."
I leaned over the table, my eyes scanning the drawing. It looked like a standard ceremonial vessel, but the lower hull was cross-hatched with lines of red ink that made my skin crawl just looking at them.
"Yuki?" I called out.
The cat-boy didn't even bother transforming. He just trotted onto the table, sniffed the parchment, and let out a sharp, jagged hiss.
