Page 111 of Never Ever After

I unsling the dragon carefully, placing him in Dian’s hands. “Go with them. Take Ruilin and the Sun Dragon to safety.”

“You must come with us.”

“Not yet. I need to help.” If I didn’t have my magic, maybe I’d flee too. But now there’s the added weight of knowing I might shift the odds. And more than that, I won’t abandon Jin.

He calls out for his soldiers, several breaking away to ride to us. Dian seizes my arm. “Don’t use your magic again, not unless you must.” Her warning falls out in a rush. “You summoned fire… power that belongs to the Sun Dragon. Such magic is stronger than anything we channel, far harder to leash, especially when you’re already exhausted. If untethered, it could hurt you—it could break you. You won’t know friend from enemy; you’ll endanger everyone, most of all, yourself.”

Fear knots in my gut, but I nod. Dian releases me as Jin’s soldiers pull her and Ruilin onto their mounts. They ride swiftly from the hall, galloping through the entrance. I breathe easier then, though a part of me envies their freedom.

“We have to hurry,” Jin urges, holding his hand out to me.

Ahead, Prince Zixin is still fighting the soldiers. His movements are slowing, growing sluggish. Not all are attacking him yet—perhaps nervous to strike one of his stature. But the rest will cut him down soon, my chest constricting at the thought.

I hesitate. “What about Prince Zixin?”

A beat of silence, Jin’s eyes narrowing. “The Prince of the Iron Mountains is our enemy. I came to save you from him.”

He’s right. Yet everything has been turned inside out, villains of the past eclipsed by those of the present. “Queen Chunlei is behind everything, even the attack on Mist Island. She bonded her brother to the dragon to steal his magic and blood, fusing the starfire together. If we leave the prince here, he will die.” And she will win.

“We owe him nothing.” Jin bends down, swinging me effortlessly onto his horse in front of him.

I struggle, pushing at his chest, his arm tightening around my waist to hold me steady. “Prince Zixin and I struck a deal. He gave me the Sun Dragon and Dian’s ring—and I promised to bring him with us.”

“He took those things from you and your sister,” Jin reminds me scathingly, yanking the reins as he guides his horse toward the entrance. “Promises are meaningless when coerced.”

It echoes what I thought before. The prince is our enemy, regardless of his sister’s villainy. But while I’ve broken a lot of promises, this one is different. I didn’t give it to the Prince of the Iron Mountains… but to the boy who’d saved me.

“I gave him my word. That means something to me even if it’s nothing to you.”

“It means something to me too,” he replies tightly. “But I won’t risk us for him, nor will I risk any of my soldiers.”

“We must go!” one of Jin’s soldiers calls out, a woman, her face covered.

The Thorn Valley warriors are battling General Xilu’s forces, keeping them away from us. Light gleams around them, deflecting most of the blows that rain down, like a protective barrier. Is this Jin’s power—how he protected me from Dian before she knew who I was? If he erected these shields across so many, it would be a great strain.

“We are outnumbered, we have to flee. Now,” he says through gritted teeth. “Our mounts can outpace theirs, but it won’t matter if we’re dead.”

I shake my head, though I’m cursing myself too. “Take Prince Zixin with us—I’ll help keep your soldiers safe. The dragon yielded me a little of his magic.” A rash offer. After Dian’s warning, I’m afraid to use it again, even as I crave the freedom of unfettered power.

A brief pause. “You broke the doors to the Grand Hall?”

“Yes. But it’s dangerous for me to channel it. Dian said it’s easier to lose control because this magic is greater than we usually wield—”

“Don’t do this for him,” he interjects. “He’s not worth it.”

A soldier thrusts a spear at us, narrowly missing the side of my head. Jin slams it away with his sword, urging his horse toward the entrance. I grip his hand tightly, a current pulsing through me.

“Help me, Jin. Shield me.” The idea is forming as I speak. “Like how you protect your warriors here—except shield me from my power within. Keep me safe.”

I twist around to look at him, his eyes ablaze as he stares back at me. Jin leans forward, his breath sliding into my ear. “I will try.”

“Thank you—”

“Don’t thank me.” He tugs the reins to slow his horse. “I wouldn’t ask for anything to save you. But to save the Prince of the Iron Mountains? I’ll need something more.”

I curse him inwardly—then, aloud. “What do you want?”

“Help me restore Thorn Valley. We have need of the magic that was denied to us.”