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“Is there trouble?” Shenming asks quietly.
Her face is solemn. “Queen Chunlei issued a command late last night for Her Ladyship to relinquish her starfire, to swear fealty to the Iron Mountains. Even her father never dared to make such an arrogant demand. The Amber Forest is forced to bend to them, led by that cowardly Duke Yuan with his weak army. But our kingdom is comprised of warriors. If the Iron Mountains tries to assert their unearned dominance, we will make them regret it.”
“You would be wise not to trust the Iron Mountains under the new queen,” Jin cautions, seeding doubt in the general’s mind. “To claim her crown, she betrayed a beloved brother.”
“Imagine how she would treat others not of her blood,” Shenming adds. “Just as she treated her loyal ally, Duke Yuan.”
General Suilan nods gravely. “A treacherous ally is worse than an enemy. The events of the coronation reveal a deep corruption at the Iron Mountains court. Though Queen Chunlei suppresses news of it, guarding her reputation well.”
“It’s how she rose to power; I was acquainted with her in the Palace of Nine Hills,” I say. “Once she secures all the kingdoms, she might no longer care what others think of her.”
“Fortunately, Prince Zixin escaped,” the general says. “Lady Shufang is grateful for your help. The prince is our best hope to restore the precarious balance in the Three Kingdoms, a counterweight to the queen’s might—else we will soon become ‘One Kingdom.’”
In the silence, General Suilan points at a pearl in the highest row, closest to the surface. “We can take this for His Highness. It is ready to be harvested, though the procedure will take a while.” She gestures toward a table by the corner. “Refreshments will be sent here.”
Jin nods at Shenming, flicking his eyes to me. “Are you still unwell, Yining?” Shenming asks aloud. “You look pale.”
“It’s cold.” I wrap my arms around myself. “My head is spinning.”
“The change in temperature might affect those more delicate,” General Suilan says.
I manage a weak nod, trying not to think of the harsh winters in the Iron Mountains when I wore little more than a thin robe.
“I’ll bring Yining outside where it’s warmer,” Jin offers. “We’ll return to the palace. Shenming, why don’t you wait with General Suilan for the pearl to be harvested?”
He joins her at the table. “Perhaps you could send for a chessboard for the match you promised me earlier?”
She smiles. “Very well, Captain. Fair warning that I’ve been playing since I was six.”
“As have I,” he admits. “We shall be adequately matched.”
While the general is distracted, Jin swiftly draws me through the other entrance at the back of the pavilion, before she can offer us an escort. The sudden brightness is startling, the warmth welcome. There are no guards here on the other side of the gate, all at the front. Yet the bridge extends beyond, glittering waves undulating on the horizon.
“I will remove my shield from you,” he warns as we stride quickly along the bridge, wary of discovery. “To find the waterfall, your senses can’t be blunted.”
As his power vanishes from my body, chaos rears once more, my hands gripping the railing. Slowly, I push myself onward through the discomfort… unsure where, except that it feels right. And then something snaps into place within: instinct merging into impulse, forming an irrevocable sense of knowing.
A force grows, straining at its tethers. My arm is yanked up against my will as a single spark hurtles from my finger, arcing across the waves like a shooting star—almost indiscernible against the clear sky unless one was searching for it. As Jin and I stare, the fleck of light plummets toward a solitary island in the distance—unconnected by any bridge, too far to swim.
“Thirteen trees, a rocky outcrop to the side, a ridge of hills in the middle.” Jin examines it intently. “It fell south of the island. We’ll need a boat.”
A pair of soldiers approaches from behind as I slump down, exhausted as though I’ve run a long way. “Does she need help?” a young soldier asks, glancing at me. “General Suilan sent us to accompany you back to the palace. It’s easy to get lost here.”
“We would be glad if you could show us the way,” Jin says smoothly. “We came out the wrong side of the pavilion.”
I follow the soldiers, trying to match their pace, but my knees buckle—Jin catching me, swinging me into his arms.
“I can walk.”
“I know,” he tells me. “But let me bear you, this once. You don’t always have to be strong.”
My head drops against his chest, the steady beat of his heart calming my nerves. Unused to relying on another, I feel like a burden, an encumbrance. Yet as he carries me effortlessly across the bridge, I have never felt so light.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
WHEN WE RETURN TO THE PALACE, IT IS LATE IN THE afternoon. Jin stops a passing attendant near my room, holding out several pieces of silver. “Could you send a meal to us? We’ve had a long day and my friend is unwell.”
The attendant’s eyes light up as he rushes to the kitchens—soon arriving in my room with a tray of food: chunks of pork stewed with whole eggs, bean sprouts with salted fish, shrimp braised with peas. These dishes lack the delicacy of those served at the banquets, yet they smell delicious, reminding me of the meals my aunt used to make in the Iron Mountains.
