The Phoenix Born (A Dance of Dragons #3)

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The Phoenix Born (A Dance of Dragons #3) Page 26

by Kaitlyn Davis


  So he ducked against Firestorm's scales and thought, fire.

  Flames raged toward the woman he loved. For a moment, her skin shone orange then she vanished beneath the inferno, disappearing from sight. For a second, Firestorm resisted, but Rhen held him strong. He forced the blaze to continue, letting his faith in Jinji fill his heart.

  Water, earth, and air met his fire on all sides. The elements merged, exploding against one another, crashing in the center, and dissolving upon contact. They were all equals, no one stronger than the other. And the more they pushed their strength, the brighter the epicenter became. Soon, the point was beaming more intensely than the sun. It pulsed with life, shimmering with a rainbow of colors that all blended to create a pure ivory glow.

  Rhen had to look away.

  Spots filled his vision.

  He looked down toward the mountains, gasping when he noticed they glowed with the same white charge. The Gates were radiant with a light that came from the inside out. The longer Rhen watched, the more luminous they became, until finally, in one single moment, the entire spark went out, vanishing like a candle blown out by the wind.

  Stop.

  The demand reached them all at the same time.

  All four dragons stopped.

  It took a moment for their powers to clear, for the blotches to fade from their eyes. Blinking, each rider gasped as one. Rhen's heart stopped. A pearlescent dragon sat in the center of their circle, wings spread protectively, head bent and wrapped around a body on the ground.

  Jinji.

  Her eyes opened.

  They found him.

  All the air he held in his chest rushed through his lips. All the fear, all the worry, all the heartbreak, every emotion he had pent up for so long exploded out.

  Done.

  It was finally done.

  And Jinji was still there, was still watching him with love.

  The ivory dragon unwound itself, releasing Jinji, no longer needing to protect her. Rhen waited for her to do what he had done when Firestorm had awoken—jump on her dragon's back and join them in the sky. To fly with all of her riders. But Jinji didn't. She looked away. A frown crossed over her lips.

  Rhen followed her gaze to Janu, to his motionless body still resting in a pool of blood. Jinji ran to him, falling by his side, and cupped his head in her hands, watching him intently. She looked as though she were waiting—waiting for something that might never come.

  23

  JINJI

  ~ NORTHMORE FOREST ~

  Weeks had passed since Jinji's reincarnation, weeks of cleaning up after the mess the phantoms had left in their wake, of rebuilding crumbling cities, of reaffirming that the battle was over and won, of reigniting the people's hopes and dreams.

  Jinji was exhausted.

  The maps of Whylkin had become just as familiar as the lines swooping across the palm of her hand. These roads led to these cities led to these families led to these rivers and these mountains and these forests. She had flown across the Dueling Sea, over the Weeping Mountains, up and under and around, all trying to rebuild the spirit realm that was now hers to watch over. Her small fortress at the Gates teemed with life, just as it had a thousand years ago. Spirit affinities were called upon to learn and train. And with her fingers gently caressing the smooth pearlescent scales on her dragon's back, Jinji knew there was so much more to come, too much. The world was bigger than she had ever imagined, and connected to the spirit dragon, truly at one with all of that magic for the first time, Jinji was starting to understand the scope of the task ahead. But for now, only one thing concerned her.

  Jinji hovered in the air, heart beating fast as she looked down over the forest clearing that had once been her home. Before the shadow had killed her family, before Jinji had set fire to their bodies in her grief, this place had once held the last surviving tribe of an ancient culture. But studying it now, that was nearly impossible to believe. The ground was burned and blackened, covered in dirt that seemed stained by gray ash. The once vibrant forest had melted away, leaving ugly charred trunks that jetted harshly into a vacant sky. There were no birds, no animals, and hardly any signs of life.

  The land had died.

  But Jinji had come back to restore it.

  "You're late!" Rhen called.

  Jinji grinned, eyes immediately dropping to the two men stepping out from beneath the branches, staring up at her expectantly.

  Rhen and Janu.

  The two people she loved most in the world.

  Healthy. Alive. Smiling at her happily.

  For a moment, it was hard for Jinji to believe this wasn't a dream, that she wasn't still in the shadow realm imagining a life that was too good to possibly be real.

  But it was.

  Already, the memory of cradling Janu's dead and bleeding body filtered up to the forefront of her thoughts. As she held his cold, unmoving arms in her limbs, she had been convinced he would never return to her, that he had chosen to remain in the shadow's realm, content to live within his dreams. And she couldn't blame him. But just when she was about to give up, his fingers twitched, tightening around hers, and his eyes opened.

  Janu had chosen life. He had chosen the sometimes harsh realities of the spirit realm over the ignorant bliss of the shadow realm. And Jinji would never forget the sacrifice he had made to be reunited with her.

  Without hesitation, she brought the spirit dragon to the ground, landing her bright ivory body starkly in the center of the blackened forest clearing. A riderless Firestorm appeared in the sky a moment later and landed by her side. Janu and Rhen met her in the center of the clearing, pulling an auburn horse stubbornly behind them.

  "Ember," Jinji murmured, reaching out her hand. A wet nose pressed against her fingers as Ember sighed into Jinji's palm, accepting the soft brush of her fingers with a contented neigh.

  "Sure," Rhen commented, snorting, "she forgives you in a heartbeat. But me, I get a glob of spit in my face. You wouldn't believe how fast she turned her back on me. The whip of her tail almost knocked me over." He shook his head. "Women."

  But there was a fire in his eyes that spoke to the humor in his voice—one Jinji matched with a sparkle in her own. "Well, we ladies have to stick together."

  Ember stomped, pressing farther into Jinji's embrace.

  Janu stepped closer, running his hand down the horse's long ruddy mane. "I think her ire is set fiercely upon Rhen. Ember has been patient with me while I've learned how to ride."

  "Yeah, yeah," Rhen remarked, shrugging. "I've been cast aside. Replaced."

  Jinji raised her brows. "You did it to Ember first."

  Rhen dropped his jaw. "Not by choice!"

  To the side, Firestorm lifted his head, blowing a flame through his nostrils as he stared at his rider, annoyed.

  "I didn't mean," Rhen sputtered, head looking from one animal to the other, at a loss for words. Then he threw his hands in the air, turning to Jinji instead, changing the subject. "Are you ready?"

  She turned to Janu, holding out both of her hands. "Are you?"

  Her twin took her palms in his, holding them tight.

  Jinji breathed in the charred scent that still seemed to linger even though months had passed since her Arpapajo home had burned down. Closing her eyes, she imagined the way it used to look. The huts, the people, the fire always burning bright in the center of their home, the heart and soul of the tribe. All around, she felt their spirits woven into the life of the land. Their essences still lingered in the elements. And those memories, those remnants of a forgotten world, they deserved to be honored.

  Jinji reached out for the magic, still in awe at how different her powers had become. Before, she pulled the spirit from the fibers of the world, able to feel it in everything and everyone. Now those powers all came from a single source, a bottomless well located in her dragon's heart. Through their connection, the magic responded to Jinji's plea, bursting from beneath her dragon's scales and swirling out into the world, weaving with
the elements as she commanded.

  Jinji wove.

  The dragon wove with her.

  Two minds connected as one, working together.

  Blackened tree stumps disappeared. In their place, towering emerald stalks regrew. The scent of mossy bark filled her lungs as the rustle of new leaves found her ear. And along the ground, replacing the charred charcoal dirt, emerged a field of vibrant flowers. Reds and blues and yellows and oranges. Each color popped brighter against the next, bringing vibrancy back to the place that used to be so utterly full of life.

  Janu gasped.

  Jinji sighed, content for the first time since she had left this place so many weeks ago. Reaching up with her hand, she ran her fingers over her short, coarsely chopped ebony hair, and wove a long silky braid in its place. There was no more need for mourning. She had her love. She had her brother. She had a home. And eventually she would be with her family in the shadow realm once more.

  Rhen walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

  Jinji leaned back against him, letting her head rest on his chest as her eyes drank in the scene. When she thought of her home, she would no longer think of blood and loss and tears that could have formed a river as they fell. She would think of these flowers. She would think of hope. It was time to let the past fade to a soft, serene memory and to embrace the future, whatever it might be.

  "Where will you go now?" Janu asked, voice more choked up than he wanted to admit. Before Jinji could see the water in his eyes, he knelt down, brushing an indigo petal with his fingers.

  Jinji closed her eyes, remembering the visions her dragons had shown her. "There are lands at the edges of the world, places we've never heard of, places we never guessed existed. The spirit was gone for so long, the elements slipped from her control, especially in those far away kingdoms so distant from the Gates and the magic core it provided. There are people living among rivers of fire, monstrous ocean waves that flow across the land, storms that blow deep-rooted trees from the ground, mountains that quake and divide the earth. Those people need our help. We must restore the balance. I realize now that's why the spirit broke her promise to the shadow, why she risked so much to return to this realm. Her intentions were pure before they got corrupted by the selfishness located deep within her soul. The spirit realm is falling apart, and I must weave it back together."

  "And the riders are going to help," Rhen added, supporting Jinji wholeheartedly.

  But Janu still wouldn't meet her gaze. Softly, he asked, "When will you return?"

  "Soon," Jinji assured, breaking free of Rhen's hold to reach out to Janu and grasp his shoulders gently.

  That small touch was all Janu needed to pull her into a firm hug. "I'll miss you," he whispered fiercely.

  Jinji eased back, brows furrowed in concern. Even though she had no choice, she hated to be leaving him so soon. Guilt gnawed at her heart. "What will you do while I'm gone?"

  Her twin lifted the corner of his mouth, bringing a wide grin to his lips—one that matched the happy, twinkling glow in his eyes. "Live," he answered simply.

  Jinji smiled. The knot in her gut unclenched, and a warm bubbly feeling spread over her because she knew exactly what he meant. For the first time in his life, Janu was free—free to travel, to make mistakes, to try new things, to fall in love, to find himself. He had the chance to live. And that was everything she wanted for him and more.

  "Pajora jinjiajanu," Jinji whispered. Be with the spirits. Be safe. Be happy. Be free. Usually the words were spoken in remembrance, as a final prayer for the dead, but Jinji spoke them as a prayer for life, in anticipation of the wonderful things to come.

  "Pajora jinjiajanu," he whispered back, voice full of hope and love.

  They let go.

  Janu stepped back, tugging Ember with him and lifting his hand in parting.

  Jinji and Rhen mounted their dragons, sweeping up into the sky in a blaze of red and silver flames, fire and spirit swirling in their wake. Their eyes met through the glow, burning just as bright.

  "Where to?" Rhen shouted.

  Jinji bit her lip. "The others will be waiting for us at the Gates."

  Rhen frowned. She couldn't help but smile at his lackluster response. But a moment later, a devilish gleam filled his eyes, making her heart speed rapidly in her chest.

  "Rhen?"

  He didn't answer. Instead, he leaned down, murmuring something into the fire dragon's ear—something that made her own dragon rumble in agreement. Jinji tried to pierce the bond, to break through the sudden wall the spirit dragon had erected between them, but a moment later, the chance was gone. Just as she was about to open her mouth to demand to be clued in to whatever the three of them were planning, her dragon dove into a deep spiral, then shot up and flipped upside down, throwing Jinji from her back.

  Before she could scream, fire licked her cheeks. Jinji landed on Firestorm and Rhen's arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her close. His lips found the soft skin at the base of her neck, kissing her and sending a delicious shiver down her back, one that tingled all the way to her toes.

  "Jin?" he whispered gently, breath tickling her ear.

  Jinji melted into the heat lacing the edges of his voice, passionate and fueled by fire. "Hmm?"

  "Are the others expecting us right now?" he murmured.

  Yes, she thought. But Rhen continued tracing kisses over her skin, and when she opened her mouth to respond, a breathy no was all she could reply. Jinji let herself fall under the spell of his touch, a magic stronger than any she'd ever known, and decided that for once, the world could wait—for a little while, at least.

  ###

  Want more A Dance of Dragons?

  Don’t miss the novellas, following the story of the mysterious Princess Leenaka!

  The first one is free!

  From bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis comes a fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Graceling, and Game of Thrones.

  In the land of Ourthuro, cruelty is a way of life. The king rules with an iron fist and no one dare defy him—no one except his daughter. Princess Leena is keeping a dangerous secret, she has fallen in love with a soldier and it would mean both of their lives if her father ever discovered their affair.

  But Leena will risk it all to be with the man she loves—her heart, her life, her freedom. And when her brother's birthday celebration takes a dangerous turn, Leena is forced to make a decision that will change the fate of her nation and eventually the world.

  Want more from Kaitlyn?

  Don't miss her other series—Once Upon A Curse and Midnight Fire!

  Once Upon A Curse is a series of fairy tale retellings all set in the same dystopian universe! Once Upon A Time meets La Femme Nikita in the first book, Gathering Frost, a romantic dystopian reimagining of Sleeping Beauty!

  Midnight Fire is a bestselling young adult paranormal romance perfect for fans of The Vampire Diaries, Vampire Academy, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

  The first book, Ignite, is free!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie.

  Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found indulging in some puppy videos, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family.

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  KaitlynDavisBooks.com

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