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“We don’t question the Elders’ decisions,” Father says firmly, though his eyes flick down.

“Why not? No one is infallible. The Elders aren’t always right—Dian, you defied them to find me.”

“This is different, Yining,” she says somberly. “Back then I only risked myself, and I also obtained their permission. While these matters risk us all. We cannot disregard the Elders’ wisdom, to question their leadership now.”

In the silence, Shenming asks me, “Will you attend the Moon Festival?”

“I don’t know,” I say evasively. There are far more vital matters at stake.

“Join us, Yining,” Dian urges. “Your absence will be conspicuous. If you don’t feel like smiling, you’ll be wearing a mask anyway. Shenming gave you one for your naming ceremony.”

The one with gold ribbons. “Why must we be masked?”

“It’s part of the festival. For this night, we wear the masks to discard our identities—a celebration of unity beneath the light of the moon.”

“Does everyone attend?” I ask intently. “The guards? The Elders?”

“Almost everyone,” Shenming confirms. “Young and old, from every station in life. It’s one of the few occasions the Elders attend.”

A vital opportunity to search their pavilion. “Then I will go.” As I smile, Dian frowns—growing to know me well.

“I will escort you,” Shenming offers. “This fits our arrangement.”

It would ruin my plans to have him trailing my every move. Moreover, I don’t want to implicate him in my schemes. Not only is he the captain of the guard, but a friend to my family… and to me.

“Very well,” I agree reluctantly. “But we should hint to the Elders soon of a rift between us. It will come as less of a surprise when we end things.”

After Shenming leaves, my father and Ruilin head to the kitchen. Dian watches me speculatively. “I know you’re planning to help Lord Jin-Yong,” she says in an undertone. “There is only one thing the Queen of the Iron Mountains would accept for someone as valuable as him: starfire.”

“Yet the last remaining piece is in the Elders’ keeping,” I reply without wavering.

“And there it will stay.” Her gaze is chilling, like she sees into the murky workings of my mind. “Don’t be reckless, Yining.”

“I don’t intend to give the queen the starfire.” A lie, and the truth. While I cannot surrender this power to the Queen of the Iron Mountains, I won’t abandon Jin.

“Then tell me your plan.”

It’s not easy to keep this from her. I can’t tell Dian about the starfire; I won’t make her choose between her loyalty to the Elders and to me. But I can tell her something else.

“The Ancient Grove in Thorn Valley is succumbing to the wintergrass, the decay worsening. I believe this is also why the Moon Dragon’s strength is waning. Don’t you feel it? Our island is different… less ‘perfect.’ Even the Elders appear strained. We must restore the grove to protect the Moon Dragon, perhaps the only way to stop the Queen of the Iron Mountains. The dragons destroyed the starfire once—we need their help to do it again. But we’re running out of time.”

“What will you do?”

Each dragon’s blood is different. Where one heals, another can destroy. “I need the Moon Dragon’s advice.”

“She is under close watch,” Dian says. “It is unlikely she will attend the Moon Festival, but you could find her in the north forests. Although she will not want company while she’s in mourning.”

I nod slowly. “You mentioned an elixir to destroy the wintergrass. Would this be with the Elders?”

Her eyes widen. “You would steal from them?”

“Would they give it to me if I told them the truth?” I ask. “Would they yield it to anyone?”

She gnaws her lip before replying. “The treasury is in the Elders’ private quarters, beside the pavilion.”

I recall Lord Zhu using his waist ornament to lock the door after him. “I must obtain one of the Elders’ talismans.”

“You’ll need more than that,” she warns me. “One is enough to get you into their quarters, but to access the treasury you will need all three—and Father’s talisman.”