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His soldiers are staring at us, many of whom I do not recognize. “Who is she? How does she possess magic?” a young man asks, before being silenced by another.
“A friend of Thorn Valley who prefers not to reveal her identity,” Jin says sternly. “Treat her with the same respect that you show me. We do not harm those who help us.”
The soldiers nod, raising their joined hands to me in a gesture of thanks. As I pull away from Jin, they part to form a path, Captain Hong riding toward us. He dismounts swiftly, his broad face contrite. “Lord Jin-Yong, I came as soon as I could. I should have sent more soldiers to escort you.”
“This is no fault of yours, Captain Hong,” Jin replies. “These corrupted creatures never dared to attack so close to our manor before. They’ve grown bolder. More dangerous.”
A tall soldier with gray eyes and long hair strides forward—Shiji—my insides twisting as I greet her. “Have many of the creatures here been corrupted?” I ask.
“More with each day, both large and small,” Jin replies.
“Could it be linked to the starfire? The queen merging them at her coronation?” I ask.
“Perhaps, though we don’t know for certain. The urgency is to halt the decay, or to slow it. To prevent more harm from befalling my people and these creatures.”
“Did you explain this to the Elders? Did you show them evidence—”
“My uncle and I sent countless messages requesting aid, seeking an audience with the Elders. All were denied.” His voice drops. “We are running out of time.”
Silence follows, many of his soldiers appearing weary and grim. The mistrust my people bear to Thorn Valley runs deep, hearing deceit in every word. But when I imagine the nightmare unfurling—the scrape of fangs against bone, the bloodthirsty thorns puncturing flesh—a shiver ripples down my spine. My people are wrong to ignore the corruption here. If it spreads so quickly, it will undoubtedly emerge as a threat to us too… it will not leave us unscathed.
CHAPTER TWELVE
WILL YOU HELP US?” JIN ASKS LIKE IT MATTERS TO HIM that I want to, not only that I must.
“I promised I would,” I say cautiously. It’s new to me, this feeling of loyalty to my home. I won’t set myself against my people or bind myself to those they distrust.
His lips press thin. “Come with me, then.”
“Where?” I ask, following him to a pair of horses.
“Does it matter when you’re bound to help?” His eyebrows arch in a way that makes my hands fist. “You want to suspect me, to force a divide between us—yet resent it when I do the same.” He steps closer, my feet digging into the ground, refusing to give way. “Perhaps you don’t know yourself as well as you think. Or you don’t know what you want.”
As he reaches for me, I recoil—but his hands wrap around my waist to lift me upon the horse. She remains steady, a gentle creature, as I stroke her shining mane.
“We’re going to the Ancient Grove,” Jin tells me as he swings himself upon the other horse.
“Lord Jin-Yong, let us accompany you,” Captain Hong suggests. “What if you’re attacked? Who knows which other beasts have succumbed to the decay?”
Jin nods my way. “She will protect me.”
Right now, I’m more inclined to drive a fist into his gut.
“The Ancient Grove will be safe,” he assures Captain Hong more seriously. “It hasn’t fully succumbed to the corruption yet. Moreover, outsiders cannot enter, beyond those my uncle and I permit within.” As Jin taps his mount’s shoulder, it gallops swiftly away—mine following without a single command.
We ride deeper into the forest, passing several villages set in wide clearings among the trees. The people here seem to keep later hours than on my island, and are dressed simpler: more women wearing long pants than skirts, their clothes lacking ornamentation yet possessing a lustrous sheen. Those we pass smile and call out greetings as they bow to Jin, devoid of the stiff obligation shown to the nobles back in the Iron Mountains. His care for them is evident, as is his frustration when his eyes fall upon the vast stretches of barren farmland between the houses.
Despite the signs of wear, the buildings are beautiful with intricate carvings on the windows and pillars, sculptures of animals adorning the roofs. No walls ring them, though dozens of guards patrol the grounds. Some ride horses as we do, a few upon larger creatures akin to tigers with black fur and violet eyes. These creatures appear calm, prowling gracefully, yet their claws glint, arched fangs protruding from their jaws. My stomach churns as I imagine them rending flesh.
“How many villages are here?” I ask.
“Almost as many as in the Iron Mountains. What you’ve seen is only a glimpse of our land; the south remains unexplored with its mountains and ravines. Most people dwell in the towns farther in the forest where it is better protected.”
“Yet your manor lies nearer the border, easier for the enemy to reach,” I observe with surprise. “In the Iron Mountains, the palace is the most secured, fortified by the villages around it. Because if the king falls, so does the kingdom.”
“If the kingdom falls, there is no king,” Jin replies. “Here, our first duty is to protect our people.”
There are many types of rulers, and few deserving of their crowns. Such devotion draws me closer, except this also keeps us apart. Our people are in conflict. To help his own, will he hurt mine?
