Janu released her, flinching.
Without another word, they both raced after the riders. All three of them were already sitting on the backs of their dragons, awaiting orders.
"We make for Roninhythe at once," Jinji called out as she and Janu approached. "The shadow is sending the phantoms there, and we must do what we can to stop them."
"What can we do without the last rider?" Bran asked, eyes shaded with doubt.
"I have a plan," was all Jinji replied.
Because, yes, she did have a plan. Not to defeat the phantoms but to find the last rider without the shadow knowing, without him being able to find a way to stop her. There would be no more cut throats. No more people with ties to the elements dying on her account. In the last minute, running through those empty halls of the castle of Brython with Janu by her side, Jinji had a moment of clarity. Though she trusted her brother with all of her heart, she didn't trust the shadow at all. And so even if he was Janu right now, open eyes and honest heart, the shadow could be listening. She needed to act alone. She needed the shadow to believe she was falling into his hands, that the dragons were racing for Roninhythe as he suggested rather than searching for the final rider, as she knew he feared.
Janu stepped inside the cage she wove, waiting for a dragon to carry him. And Rhen, noticing she didn't follow her brother, let his lip rise in a smile. He shifted forward, making room for her on Firestorm's back. Oh, how she wanted to go to him. To wrap her arms around him. To hold on tight and fly, pretending for a little while to leave her worries on the ground.
But Jinji couldn't. Rhen was the leader. He would soar at the front of the pack—too visible to Janu and to the shadow. And if she was being completely honest with herself, he would ask too many questions—questions she wouldn't be able to answer.
Instead, she turned to Leena and the icy dragon. Lightening her now usually grave tone, Jinji commented, "I'm tired of being surrounded by so many men."
The princess grinned, scooting forward. "Tempest and I would be happy to have you."
"Tempest, eh?" Rhen called, voice a notch too jovial, covering his disappointment. A guilty pit formed in Jinji's gut—she had disappointed him too many times of late. And deep down, she knew there would be more disappointments to come.
But Leena didn't notice. She ran her hand over her dragon's cool, reflective body, watching the scales ripple like the surface of the sea. "It fits her." And then she paused before continuing. "It fits us."
"Well, let's see if you ladies can keep up," Rhen shouted over his shoulder, already lifting into the air. Bran took off next, gripping the cage holding Janu in his claws, following Rhen. Jinji took her time climbing onto the water dragon's back and wrapping her arms around Leena's thin waist, not nearly as sturdy to hold on to as Rhen. She shivered slightly against the icy scales, so much colder than those of the fire dragon, but her body adjusted as she knew it would.
"Ready?" Leena asked, voice eager for flight.
Jinji nodded. But as the water dragon shot into the air as smooth as a swiftly moving current, faster than a racing river, Jinji's grip tightened.
"She's fast, isn't she?" Leena teased.
Too fast, Jinji thought, noticing that Bran and his bulky earth dragon were already quickly approaching, despite the head start they'd had. And the fiery blaze of Rhen up ahead burned brighter every second.
"I need you to stay back," she whispered, afraid that even now with the open air rushing by, the shadow might somehow be listening.
Leena heard. Tempest slowed, moving her wings like a rolling wave rather than an ocean storm. But the princess couldn't help but look over her shoulder, turning a curious eye on Jinji, silently questioning her with those beautifully dark umber irises.
"What are you planning?" she asked.
"There is something I must do alone, and I don't want Rhen to see because I fear he would be worried. The dragons are needed in Roninhythe, and I do not want to be the cause of your delay."
Leena kept her eyes on Jinji for a moment longer, locking their gazes. Her olive skin seemed to darken a shade, mirroring the seriousness of her features. "Jinji?"
She nodded, apprehensive. But Leena deserved her attention. After all they had been through, she deserved whatever explanation Jinji could provide.
"I know you have more on your shoulders than any of us could understand, that the presence of this spirit gives you great power but also great responsibility. You have saved my life on more than one occasion, bringing my body back from the dead, giving my soul the freedom and purpose it always yearned for, connecting me to my dragon." Leena paused, swallowing, searching for the right words. Her voice was deep with meaning. "But please do not lie to me. I trust you when you say you cannot tell me something. You've earned that trust. And I believe all of us have earned the truth. When you are ready, we will be there to listen, to help carry the burden you for some reason feel the need to carry all by yourself."
Without another word, the princess turned back around, leading Tempest in a lazy flight path, swerving left and then right in wide sweeps. Her words sunk in, hitting Jinji deep in her core. And she thought of them for a long time, stuck in her own head as they gradually lost sight of Rhen and Bran, flying close enough to follow but far enough that they were nothing more than spots on the horizon.
Time passed quickly, and the mountains soon smoothed into a lush green landscape. Northmore Forest. Her home. Jinji ached to dive deep into those woods and lose herself in the twisting vines and towering trees. But at the same time, her throat began to close and a fist tightened over her heart. When she had left weeks ago, she never expected to return. And even now, just the idea of finding that little clearing she called home for her entire life was too painful to bear.
Jinji closed her eyes, trying to block out the hurt.
But behind those lids, she saw images she hadn't allowed herself to see for quite some time. The face of Maniuk, the person she was to be joined with, as he pulled the knife across his neck, eyes clearing in death and widening in horror as he realized what the shadow had made him do. Leoa, her dearest friend, still on the ground as blood spilled from the arrow wound in her heart. Her mother and father still in their hut, bodies sliced open. And Jinji, alone, surrounded by the dead.
But those weren't even the most painful memories.
The worst was remembering the little things she would never experience again. The music of Leoa's laugh. The silky touch of her mother's hands. The loving warmth of her father's gaze. The minty taste of the tribal tea. The scent of burning wood that filled the clearing as the eternal fire was replenished. The thud of wind pressing against their sleeping quarters at night. The beauty of a life she would never have again. The simplicity of it.
Jinji shifted behind Leena, opening her eyes.
The urgent need to leave filled her gut.
She had to get away before the memories overwhelmed her. Before she let them flood her senses. Before she forgot that the forest was no longer her life, and she had more important plans to follow.
"I must go," she said, louder than she meant, slightly panicked.
"Now?" Leena asked, turning. "Should I land Tempest? Where should we go?"
"No," Jinji shook her head. This had been the plan all along anyway, to make a quick and sudden exit. The timing was just coming sooner than she planned.
Jinji brought her feet in, gripping Leena by the shoulders, and tried to stand. Her small body was crunched compactly, fighting the pressure of the wind, crouching down as her muscles flexed, getting ready for movement. Adrenaline punched through her veins, alighting her every sense on fire, until a giddy excitement filled her chest and raced across her limbs.
"Jinji, what are you doing?" Leena called, alarmed, guttural Ourthuri pitch rising an octave. She tried to turn around, to see what Jinji was preparing to do. But with Jinji putting so much weight on her shoulders, the princess couldn't move at all.
"Don't let them see I'm gone until you are al
ready in Roninhythe."
"Jinji!" Leena hissed.
"Stay calm," Jinji ordered. "And stay close. The other dragons can still sense your presence. You are all connected, especially while in flight."
"Stay safe," Leena said back.
Jinji squeezed her friend's shoulder, a silent thank you. "I'll meet you in Roninhythe soon."
And then she jumped.
Wind whipped and her stomach flew into her throat as she fought the urge to scream as loud as she could. Fear clogged her mind, slowed it. The ground approached quickly. The forest was no longer a large green blanket. Individual trees poked through the top. The blue of the sky was quickly fading from the edges of her vision.
Think!
Jinji screamed at herself, fighting the fear.
Act!
She closed her eyes and wove the elements, squeezing her lids shut and depending on her powers to keep her safe.
A moment later, Jinji landed against a soft body. She ran her hands over the silky feathers, breathing a sigh of relief as the wind rushed around her, sliding over her body. And then she opened her eyes, smiling at the giant eagle that had caught her. Its golden brown feathers shimmered in the sun. To either side, wings outstretched, gliding through the breeze. And in front, its head ticked back and forth before finally swiveling far enough for one fiery eye to land directly on her.
"To the Gates," she whispered, grinning.
Just because she didn't have a dragon didn't mean she couldn't fly. And as the eagle soared below her, pumping its wings, racing through the sky, Jinji couldn't believe she hadn't thought of this before.
The pearly mountain peaks of the Gates arrived too soon. Almost regretfully, Jinji steered the eagle closer, circling the top of the tallest summit. Looking down, her eyes traveled over the steep cliffs, searching for the cavern where the air dragon slumbered. A translucent yellow form slipped in and out of view, camouflaged against the rock, but it was enough for Jinji. The elements called to her. The eagle dropped down, coming to a soft landing beside the sleeping dragon.
You cannot wake him yourself, the voice said, suddenly returning. Her tone was doubtful as Jinji slid from the eagle's back, stepping over to the nearly invisible dragon whose body was almost as clear as the wind, blending into its surroundings.
"I'm not trying to wake him," Jinji said, pushing the spirit away. She wasn't welcome in her head anymore. The voice sighed, but retreated, leaving her alone.
Jinji stretched out her hand, running her fingers over the soft scales at the tip of the air dragon's snout. His breath landed against her arm, gentle and warm. His eyes didn’t open at her touch. He didn't move. But deep in her heart, Jinji felt a connection form, the familiar embrace of two souls rejoining after so many ages apart.
"I need your help," she whispered. "Somewhere out there, your rider waits. A boy or a girl. A woman or a man. I do not know. All I know is that whoever it is, he is in grave danger. I know you can hear me. Have you felt that your rider is alive? You must sense his soul. You must feel the connection. Please, tell me where to go. Tell me who it is. And I will find him for you. I will bring him back. You'll fly once more."
Jinji waited, holding her breath.
The dragon didn't move. The only change was the shifting pressure of air blowing in and then out of its mouth.
And then an awareness blossomed in the back of her mind, a foreign one. Jinji welcomed the dragon's vision. Clearing all other thoughts, she tugged that single image forward until it took over, drew her in, and made the world fall away.
He thrived on panic.
The streets around him pulsed with alarm. Word had come from Rayfort, from Fayfall, word of dragons brought to life and a girl with unimaginable powers. They said the sky had blazed with flames. They said the rebels were crushed before the war even began. That the Ourthuri would soon come to enact King Razzaq's revenge. That the ghosts of the fallen would return with vengeance in their hearts. People whispered that the world was ending.
Nonsense.
People would believe anything, the more absurd the better. A Son of Whyl that could breathe fire? That rumor stayed around for ages. But this, this was something else entirely. The city of Lothlian was going crazy. And for someone like him, that meant it was time to get to work. So he walked the streets, searching for easy prey.
There.
A lord up ahead, fat and lazy, struggling to stay upright on his horse. But that wasn't what had caught his eye. No, what drew his attention was the hint of gold flashing from the pocket of the saddle. Coins like that could keep him fed for days, for weeks. And he was fast—quicker than any other thief on the streets. The Ghost. That's what they called him because he could be in and out of someone's pocket quicker than the wind.
The horse was strolling toward him.
The lord was focused on holding the reins, on trying to keep the animal straight.
He paused, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. His eyes caught a puddle in the street. His reflection glimmered in the water.
Jinji pulled out of the vision as soon as she caught sight of his face. Brown hair. Sandy eyes. Overall arrogant attitude that rolled off of him in waves.
"This is your rider?" she asked the dragon, dubious. "A thief?" The beast remained silent. She could almost sense it shrug in the corner of her mind. "Okay," Jinji said with a sigh, relenting. "Stay connected to me. Guide me toward him. We'll return soon."
The air dragon stayed with her as she climbed back onto the eagle and took off into the sky, headed toward the streets of Lothlian and the pickpocket whose destiny was drastically about to change.
12
RHEN
~ RONINHYTHE ~
"Where'd she go?" Rhen asked gruffly as soon as Leena landed beside him and Bran in the open fields outside the city of Roninhythe. The Great Road leading through the city wall teemed with activity—tradesmen, farmers delivering goods, beggars, and guards attempting to keep the peace. And too many fingers were already pointed in their direction. Too many faces gaped at the dragons. Shouts drifted over on the wind, shouts of fear and of awe. But he ignored them—those reactions were becoming all too familiar to him. As long as the guards on the wall didn't start volleying arrows in his direction, Rhen had bigger concerns on his mind.
Like where exactly Jinji had disappeared to.
But Leena slid off the water dragon and shrugged with a clear face, giving nothing away. "She said she would return soon."
"How did she even leave?" Rhen asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "You never stopped flying, I would have felt it. And last I knew, Jinji couldn't grow wings." Then again, he thought, stranger things have happened.
Leena raised her brows and widened her eyes, a look of pure innocence. But the twinkle in her irises told a different story.
Rhen crossed his arms, frustrated. Behind him, Firestorm breathed out a low growl, blowing a cloud of dark smoke into the air.
Rider and dragon, disgruntled as one.
Jinji couldn't just run off without telling them what she was up to. He didn't care if she was all-powerful, that the world bent to her touch, that some immortal spirit was alive inside of her mind. None of that was enough to convince him of her safety, not when she was out of sight doing the gods knew what. Normally Rhen was the one acting rashly, running off into dangerous situations without a second thought. This role reversal was difficult to swallow.
Feeling as though steam was escaping from his ears, Rhen turned to Janu, hoping to find at least one ally. Jinji's brother was also scowling, eyes narrowed as they gazed up at the open sky, flicking across the clouds, searching for his sister.
"Janu," Rhen said, hoping to gain his attention.
But the oldworlder didn’t move, almost as though he didn’t recognize the sound of his own name. Or his mind was just somewhere else entirely.
"Janu?" Rhen tried again.
Nothing.
Concerned, he stepped forward, walking over and placing a hand on his shoul
der.
Janu recoiled, glaring at Rhen with flared nostrils, fury filling his gaze.
Rhen stepped back, shocked.
Time paused. They examined one another, neither moving. Rhen had never seen Janu like this, so angry, so venomous. His personality seemed altered. Gone was the normally meek and somber man who spoke almost exclusively to his sister. This was someone else entirely.
"Janu? Are you all right?"
His only response was a smile that made Rhen's skin crawl. But before Rhen could decipher what it meant, a scream filled the air.
"Rhen!" Leena called. He turned to her, eager to look away from Janu and the grin he couldn't comprehend. But before his eyes landed on the princess, they found the source of the panic in her voice.
The mist was back.
Black fog oozed from the earth, as though the grass and dirt were smoking. Ebony coils reached overhead, slowly pulsing wider and wider, stretching until the whole field outside of Roninhythe was blanketed in darkness. Slowly, the mist shifted forward, closing in on the city.
On the main road, the people began to run, fleeing for safe haven behind the wall. The guards of Roninhythe moved quickly, their sky-blue vests running into position. Arrows flew, soaring uselessly into the vapors. The gate was sealed shut, abandoning whoever didn't make it inside to his own fate. Men tried to scale the rocks, women cried to let their children in to safety.
But Rhen knew the harsh truth.
Wall or not—nothing could save them. Not even him.
But that didn't mean he wouldn't try.
"Let's go," Rhen shouted to the riders. But just as he finished speaking, something stirred in the back of his mind—a bond forming, a circle sealing shut. There was a new presence awakening deep in his heart, wild and carefree, laughing with the wind. A presence that seemed to complete him, to complete all of them.
A new rider.
The last rider.
The Phoenix Born (A Dance of Dragons #3) Page 14