The Phoenix Born (A Dance of Dragons #3)

by Kaitlyn Davis

  The scene felt so familiar. Leena, Bran, Jasper, and their dragons were circled around a fire, peacefully fast asleep. Rhen stood far off to the side, feet submerged in the pulsing waves, eyes watching his dragon drift over the sea.

  As though sensing her, he turned.

  Jinji inhaled sharply.

  So did Rhen.

  All the doubts fled from her mind, all the worries.

  She ran.

  He did too.

  Somewhere in the middle, Jinji jumped into his embrace, letting Rhen lift her. His arms wrapped tightly, catching her, and she buried her head into his chest, breathing in the burned charcoal scent that always hung around him.

  "Rhen."

  "Jin."

  Each voice held as much joy as it did sorrow, as much relief as it did fear, as though they both knew they had almost come to the end.

  Rhen released his hold just enough to let her smaller frame slip slowly to the floor. Jinji's feet hit the sand, digging in just slightly, and Rhen held her steady, keeping his hands firmly on her waist, refusing to let her go. Jinji met his smoldering evergreen eyes. Her hands found his blazing red hair. Her fingers touched the burning heat of his skin. She wanted so much to kiss him.

  So she did.

  The space between them was filled with unanswered questions, with conversations they both had to have, with words that needed to be said before the night was through. Jinji had to tell him of the shadow, of the battle the morning would bring, of the choice she had already decided to make. But as his lips pressed against hers, gently at first, all will to talk vanished. Jinji pressed firmer against him, removing the space between them and everything it represented.

  In the morning, they would speak.

  In the morning, they would face the decisions that awaited them.

  In the morning, they would wake to the harsh light of day, unable to avoid anything any longer.

  But tonight was for them.

  Tonight, there were no words left.

  Tonight, Jinji and Rhen held each other close, not coming up for air as their bodies found their way to the sand. Jinji's back pressed into the soft curves of the ground as Rhen leaned down over her, sighing into her ear. A delicious shiver curled down her spine, making her whole body tingle as Rhen's hands followed the path. She drank in his lips, his taste, his touch.

  Tomorrow, Jinji didn’t know if she would live or die.

  Tomorrow, she would choose the only option left.

  Tomorrow, Jinji would give in to the shadow's wishes and would place all of her trust in a deal she had made with the enemy. A deal that had no details and no terms save one—it would keep her brother with her, it would keep them both alive.

  Tomorrow, good or bad, her fate would find its fruition.

  So right now, Jinji forgot everything and everyone else. She stole these last few hours of life that still belonged wholly to her and bestowed them to the one person who mattered most—Rhen. Jinji wove their love the same way she would the spirits, cocooning them in a place free of time, free of duty, free of everything except each other.

  Hidden in their private world, Jinji held on tight to Rhen. He held on tight to her. And they fought the rising sun together.

  18

  RHEN

  ~ RONINHYTHE ~

  Rhen didn't want to open his eyes.

  The world behind his closed lids was washed in orange, bright from the light of day. His skin prickled with the heat of the sun's rays. Birds chirped in his ears.

  The morning was undeniable.

  But Rhen wasn't at all ready to face it.

  The woman in his arms shifted, groaning softly in frustration. Without looking, Rhen pulled her close, sighing as her head fell on his chest, as her lips pressed softly into his shoulder, hot even through the fabric of his shirt.

  "Are you awake?" she whispered.

  "No," Rhen growled.

  "Me neither." She sighed, wriggling against his body to find a comfortable position. But in the exact moment that Jinji relaxed into her spot, water rushed over their feet, rolling up Rhen's legs, soaking his skin and clothes. They both jumped up, throwing their eyes open, a rude awakening. The sand beneath them grew soft and squishy. Rhen's toes sank into the soaked beach. He watched the wave retreat back to the ocean, staring at it accusingly as he shook the water from his skin.

  Jinji didn't look over at him.

  Rhen didn't glance at her.

  The air between them was charged with mutual avoidance. The longer they took to meet each other's eyes, the longer the inevitable would be delayed. Last night was the prelude to goodbye. They both knew it. They both wanted to deny it as long as they could.

  So Rhen's gaze flickered over everything except for the woman by his side. The sun that had seemed so forebodingly bright against his closed eyes had really barely risen. The sky was a soft lavender. Morning had barely even begun. The riders on the other side of the beach still slept. Firestorm rested with them, but his eyes were on Rhen. Even from this distance, there was concern in the dragon's gaze. As Rhen ran his hands over his clothes, shaking the sand and sea from the silks, his fingers found something else. The vial in his pocket. The one the spirit had given him along with the promise that Jinji would be safe, the world would be safe, and the war would be over. But only if Rhen could do one thing—betray the woman he loved.

  Just like that, he couldn't deny the choice he had to make any longer. The sun was rising, the morning had started, and the spirit had been adamant that today was the only chance they all had to defeat the shadow.

  Against his will, Rhen's eyes found Jinji.

  Sensing his attention, she turned slowly, head spinning far enough to meet his gaze out of the corner of her eye. Shoulders dropping, she wilted just slightly before turning fully to face him.

  "Rhen."

  "Jin."

  They both paused.

  "The shadow is calling forth his phantoms today," Jinji said softly.

  Rhen's heart began to pound in his chest. That's what the spirit had told him Jinji would say—that the phantoms were coming, that a great battle was about to begin. It was the cue he was waiting for, the signal that it was time for him to trick the woman he loved into taking an elixir that would strip her of all control—an elixir that would allow the spirit to gain ownership of their shared body in order to meet with the shadow and end this war once and for all.

  His fingers trembled.

  Rhen took a shaky breath.

  The moment had come too soon, and all he could think to do was prolong what little time they had left. Trying to act surprised so Jinji wouldn't realize he'd been expecting those words and had been dreading them, he infused shock into his tone, quickly responding, "When? How?"

  Jinji bit her lip. Her aura oozed with unease, with indecision. "The shadow spoke to me yesterday, he told me his plan. The phantoms will appear outside of the cities of Rayfort, Da'astiku, Fayfall, and Lothlian. And they will not relent until the world is destroyed."

  Rhen inhaled sharply as the image of a black cloud descending over his home filled his vision. Whyllem. Whyllean. His mother. Everyone else he knew in the world, everyone he loved. And then the names of the other cities sunk in. "One for each rider?"

  Jinji nodded solemnly.

  "What will we do? What can we?" he questioned, voice raw.

  Jinji shook her head, plump lips pulled thin. "I don't know. Each rider will have to choose for themselves and decide whether it is best to stay together or part ways to protect your homes and your families as best you can."

  But they both knew that the riders alone would be helpless against the carnage. Rhen swallowed, trying to clear the tightness from his throat. "And what will you do?"

  Jinji collapsed as her legs gave out. She sank silently to the sand, landing softly on her bum, not even aware of the cold, wet beach beneath her. "I don't know," she said, voice utterly hollow.

  Rhen followed her down, bringing his arm around her and pulling her against his
side. She melted into him.

  "The shadow gave me three choices," she confessed. "The first is to try my best to fight with the dragons and save at least one city from destruction, but he says there will be no retreating today. The phantoms will kill everyone on this earth."

  "Jin—"

  "I know," she interrupted, already anticipating Rhen's words. "I won't let that happen. My second option is to murder my own brother, but the shadow assures me he will only return. And next time, vengeance will be that much stronger in his heart."

  Jinji looked up at Rhen, waiting for an immediate denial, waiting for him to say the choice wasn't a viable option. But Rhen kept his eyes on the horizon, hating himself for the emotionless words that sprouted from his lips. "Where is Janu?"

  Immediately, she glanced away, releasing a disappointed breath, a sound completely devoid of hope. "I don't know. The shadow caught me unaware. He knocked me unconscious and then ran away. I can't sense his presence anywhere. I don't know where to even begin to look."

  Instead of pressing the point, Rhen let it go. "What's the third option?"

  "To give the spirit control," Jinji admitted.

  Rhen didn’t know what to say. Those were the exact words he expected, the exact words he feared. When the spirit had come to him in the dead of the night, she confessed her plan to take control of Jinji's body in order to meet with the shadow to finalize their deal and save her world. In fact, she confessed to needing Rhen's help to do it. The vial she had given him still rested in his pocket, and it suddenly began to weigh a hundred pounds, bringing an ache to his heart, a hunch to his back. The inevitability of betrayal left a bitter taste on his tongue.

  She judged his silence as a sign to continue. "The shadow says he has made a deal with the spirit, one that will save the world. I don't know if I can trust him. I don't know if I can trust the spirit. I'm not sure I have faith that this compromise will not kill us all, will not leave the dragons destroyed and the riders struggling for life, will not leave Janu and me with daggers in our hearts, will not leave you and me on different paths, moving in opposite directions, traveling toward places the other cannot follow."

  "Do you have faith in us?" Rhen questioned softly.

  Jinji met his gaze. "We are the only thing I have faith in."

  He kissed her forehead, remembering the spirit's promise that if Rhen did what she asked and gave the elixir to Jinji, the woman he loved wouldn't be harmed. She might hate him, but she would be safe.

  Speaking almost to himself, Rhen whispered, "Then have faith that whatever you decide, we'll find our way back to each other. We always do. We always will."

  Jinji nodded but remained silent, as though unwilling to say her next words out loud.

  But Rhen needed to hear them. "It sounds as though you've already made your decision."

  A statement, not a question.

  Jinji licked her lips. "I have."

  "And what is it?"

  "The first option would bring utter destruction to the world. The second would remove any possible chance of my brother surviving. So there is only one option left, one option that provides at least the slightest hint of hope, to give myself over to the spirit as she has longed for, to give the shadow exactly what he wants." Jinji paused, breathing deeply. "I must trust in someone I'm deathly afraid will betray me."

  "She won't," Rhen assured.

  "Mhmm…" Jinji murmured, staring off into the distance, mind somewhere else.

  "The spirit," Rhen said, squeezing her arm encouragingly, "she's led us this far. She's shown us the dragons. She's shown you your powers. Why would she lead us astray now? Why would she betray you?"

  Why would she betray us? he added silently, all too aware of the vial in his pocket and the choice he still had to make. A choice that was starting to seem like the only option left.

  Jinji shook her head, not saying anything. Then she pulled her legs into her chest and rested her chin atop her knees. Goose bumps rose along the exposed skin of her arms. Trembling, she whispered, "I'm frightened."

  "Me too," Rhen admitted, feeling his own heart skip a beat, fluttering erratically in his chest.

  Jinji shifted her head, peering at him. "What are you afraid of?"

  "Losing you," he said without hesitation. Losing you by trying to save you. Losing your forgiveness, losing your heart. "What are you afraid of?"

  "Not being strong enough to give you up," she whispered.

  Rhen knotted his brows. "Why would you have to give me up?"

  "Why would you have to lose me?" she retorted solemnly.

  Neither answered.

  But the silence was answer enough.

  They were both keeping secrets. Yet Rhen couldn't press Jinji for the truth, not when he knew in his heart that he couldn't tell her the truth about the doubts that plagued his mind. Even after hearing from her own lips that she intended to give the spirit control of her body, Rhen wasn't sure what to do. But he couldn't ask for her help or her opinion. The spirit had been adamant—the elixir had to be a surprise, Jinji couldn't know about it, couldn't have any opportunity to fight it. Would it still be a betrayal? Or now, knowing Jinji's choice, would Rhen be helping her? Would she welcome the aid?

  "What do you think will happen when you give the spirit control?" he asked, more for himself, to convince himself that there was no other choice.

  "The shadow will be waiting for her," Jinji said, squeezing her knees tighter against her chest. Anxiously, she began to dig her toes in the sand, burying her feet in the moist beach. "Somehow, without my knowing, they've spoken, they've made a deal with each other."

  Rhen swallowed, sealing his lips shut. He knew how the spirit had spoken to the shadow, he knew the spirit's dirty little secret—in the dead of the night, she could take control of Jinji's body and have whatever conversations she wanted to. But he bit his tongue.

  Jinji continued talking, eyes on the water lapping around her toes, unaware of Rhen's pursed mouth. "I'm not sure what their arrangement is, but I know deep down I won't be entirely happy with it. Which is my fear. I worry that when the time comes, I won't be able to stop myself from fighting—for Janu, for myself, for you. I'll give the spirit control, for now. But it's not in my nature to sit idle. It's not in my nature to give up. I'm not sure I know how."

  Rhen clenched his fist, digging his free hand into the sand and squeezing it dry. What else did he need to hear before he would act? What else did Jinji need to confess? She wanted to give the spirit control. She wanted the world to be saved. And he could help her. If he gave her the elixir, Jinji wouldn't be able to fight. He could make her guiltless. The choice to kill Janu would belong only to him and to the spirit—Jinji could fight with all of her heart. She could resist until the end. She could come out the other side knowing she tried whatever she could to save him, knowing there was nothing else she could have done to keep her brother alive.

  "Will you be safe?" he whispered, forcing the words up his tense throat. All of his muscles were coiled tight, waiting. This was the last assurance he needed to hear. The last piece of the puzzle.

  Jinji broke her far-off stare and turned to look at him, feeling the sudden firmness of his clenching muscles. "Would that change anything?" she murmured. "We still need to save the world."

  Rhen gritted his teeth, shaking his head. "It would change everything if I thought for one moment you wouldn't come back to me."

  And it would.

  Because there was another option he was willing to consider even if Jinji wasn't—sending Janu from this earth before the compromise could be made. Sure, the shadow would return. But they would be ready when he did. They would find him. They would kill him again. On and on for as long as they had to. Rhen would fight that battle for the rest of his life if it were the only way to keep Jinji safe. All of the riders would.

  Sensing his darkening mood, Jinji shifted, placing her palms on his cheeks, forcing Rhen to meet her golden eyes. They were soft and loving, regarding him with an
outpouring of affection. And deep in those irises, there was understanding, as though she could read every thought racing through his mind. And maybe she could.

  "Rhen," Jinji cooed, holding his gaze.

  At the sound, his entire body relaxed. The pent up tension released.

  Her gaze ticked back and forth, jumping from his left eye to his right, trying to uncover all of his secrets. "I'll be all right," she said softly. "I promise."

  Rhen released a long breath.

  That assurance from her lips was all he needed to hear.

  There was no avoiding his fate any longer.

  Before she could move, he leaned forward, pressing their lips together for a quick kiss. And then he jumped up, stretching his muscles, trying to change the mood of the morning. The more jovial he seemed, the less she would expect anything and the easier it would be to fool himself into believing it was just another day.

  "Are you thirsty? Hungry?" he said, speaking lightly, trying to ease the strain from his voice. "We deserve one last meal together before the battle begins. The morning is too beautiful to be wasted with so much worry."

  Jinji shrugged and a small smile graced her lips. But dark thoughts still swirled in her golden irises. "What do you want? I can weave it for you."

  He shook his head quickly…too quickly. But Jinji was still deep within her own thoughts, in another world entirely, and she didn’t notice his growing panic. "No," he answered evenly, clearing the anxiety from his tone. "Let me bring you something. Let me do this the old-fashioned way."

  Jinji peered at him for a moment, eyes glistening with amusement. Then she lifted her brows in defeat. "Okay."

  "Stay here," he instructed, backing away.

  After a few steps, when he was certain she was no longer paying attention to him, Rhen turned and marched back to the rest of the riders to search through the meager bit of supplies they had managed to scrounge together. Moving as quietly as possible, trying not to wake the others, he dug through their bags, pulling free some of the fruits Leena had gathered on her trip to Roninhythe, some of the berries they had plucked from nearby bushes, some of the bread they still had from their short stay in Brython. It was a little hard, but it would do. Lastly, Rhen grabbed the empty pot, wincing just slightly, guilt filling his empty chest. But he forced his grip to remain firm as he walked over to Tempest and nudged the water dragon awake.