Page 35 of Never Ever After

“I rarely am.” Jin shrugs. “All I ask is that you be careful; nothing is as it seems here. We can help each other.”

A sliver of fear darts through me, but I bury it. “You want my help? Is that why you’re trying to turn me against His Highness?”

He shakes his head, drawing me swiftly to a quiet corner of the hall, behind a brace of candles. “I know you’re here because you want your ring, the one kept in the Royal Treasury.”

“Did you hear that from your spies?” I hiss, pulling away from him.

“I don’t need spies for that. There were plenty of witnesses.” He adds, “I can get it back for you.”

Jin is cunning, he’s trying to sway me—yet I don’t refuse as I should. I rub the mark on my finger, throbbing harder now. While it hasn’t worsened, it’s grown more tender. It would be foolish to cast away his offer of aid when there is no other.

“How?” I ask, almost reluctantly.

“The treasury is closely guarded. Fortunately, I have someone in place who can secure it.” He stares at me as though prying out my vulnerabilities. “This ring of yours must be precious.”

“It isn’t made of starfire, if that’s what you’re wondering. It’s a wooden band—”

“The one you wore when we first met?” he asks, sounding puzzled.

Of course he’d noticed. Fortunately, it was before I met the carp and received the flower. “The ring is the only thing I have left from my family; it is precious to me.” I look at him directly. “If you do this favor for me, what do you want in return?”

The candlelight casts a gold sheen over his eyes. “This would make it the second time you’re in my debt, and I have yet to collect the first.”

“Then collect it all at once.” I turn the question back to him. “What do you want of me? Why were you lurking in a remote village when we met?”

As his smile widens, a passing attendant pauses to stare at him, her face reddening. My insides twist, an impulse seizing me to warn her that people like Jin are good to look at but good for no one.

“Searching for something, as I said. Like you, an item of great importance was taken from us. We’ve scoured the villages and towns across the Iron Mountains, but now believe it can only be here—in the palace.”

“What are you looking for?”

“Can I trust you?” he asks. “Can you do this?”

“His Highness has given me permission to explore the palace as I wish. I won’t share what you tell me with anyone, but it doesn’t mean I’ll agree.” I ask then, “Is it dangerous?”

“There’s danger everywhere. Doesn’t it make life more interesting?”

“No. I’d rather be alive.”

“There is a little danger, just as there is danger in retrieving your ring.” His voice drops, his eyes flicking around to make sure no one is close by. “We’ve heard rumors of a hidden area within the palace—the Shadow Wing—but haven’t been able to learn more. They watch us too closely. What we seek is likely kept there, where we can’t go, that only someone high in royal favor might.”

“Why can’t you bribe an attendant? Hire more spies? If you have someone in the Royal Treasury, why can’t you get someone in this other place?”

“Because whatever is kept there is far more valuable than any gold or jewels in the treasury. We’ve been trying to get a foothold for years without success. Those who know anything keep their mouths shut—maybe they’re paid too well, or maybe they’re afraid.” He stops to let each word sink in. “Let us help each other.”

Tempting. But he’s most definitely not a friend—and he’d be a dangerous ally, one I could never be entirely sure of. Yet I need what he offers; my life depends on it. “What are you searching for?”

“A creature—a small one, with scales the color of fire.” His words come slowly like he’s choosing them carefully, like he’s hiding something.

“A pet?” I ask curiously. “What creature is this?”

“One of my realm.”

Another evasive answer, but I don’t pry. I’m not certain I’ll accept his offer. What he’s asking sounds simple, yet if this creature is so closely guarded that Jin can’t reach it, it must be greatly prized—even dangerous. While I’m not loyal to my kingdom, I don’t want to make an enemy of the Prince of the Iron Mountains. If thieves get sent to the mines, I dare not think what they do with spies.

“All I ask for is information; nothing else,” Jin assures me. “You won’t need to secure the creature, just tell me where it is. My people will handle the rest.”

“I need time to decide.”