Page 68 of Never Ever After

The witch undoes a pouch from her waist, plucking out a gold chain with a glittering stone, as luminous as Prince Zixin’s though half its size.

My heart sinks. I’d been prepared to steal the starfire from Jin, but to steal it from her, the one who’d turned those warriors to stone? I’d be stupid to try… or desperate.

“Why do you want the starfire?” I ask them, part of me hoping Jin will tell me this time.

The witch frowns. “Lord Jin-Yong, be wary of what you share. Isn’t this girl from the Iron Mountains? She reeks of their accursed metal, she carries one of their daggers.”

“You can trust her. She is trying to escape from Prince Zixin—”

“The prince wants to keep her?” As her gaze swings back to me, I shrink away before I stop myself. “She could be useful—”

“No,” Jin says forcefully. “She isn’t a hostage.”

“Lord Jin-Yong, you’re cleverer than this. Here is a valuable pawn.”

“Don’t cross me in this.” The threat in his tone silences her. “Don’t hurt her; you won’t like the outcome.”

The witch draws back, lifting her chin. “Whatever you think, you can’t share secrets that don’t belong to you.”

Jin nods tersely. “I’m bound to keep this secret,” he tells me. “Rest assured, it has nothing to do with you, it won’t endanger you in any way.”

His assurances ring hollow but I nod. Let them keep their secrets; it will make what I must do easier.

“We should bring the starfire to Mist Island, before Prince Zixin realizes it’s in our possession,” Jin says to the witch.

I round on him. “What about our quest for the Iron Mountains? What about your promise to me?” My voice is raised, the witch staring at me like she’s tempted to drive one of her knives through my chest.

“The quest was always for the starfire. Now we have it, we can’t let it fall into Prince Zixin’s grasp.” Jin’s expression shutters. “I’m sorry, Yining, but you must come with us. We’ll keep you safe.”

I lean toward him, wanting him to see me—wanting a reason to trust him again. “This isn’t our deal.”

“I will get back what you need. Give me time,” he tells me intently.

I say nothing, my hand fisting, concealing the mark under my finger. Jin doesn’t know that I can’t do as he asks, I can’t let them take the starfire away. I’m almost out of time. And right now, there is only one way forward—if I want to live.

CHAPTER THIRTY

T he black-petaled flowers Lady Ruilin mentioned have been harvested from the garden, the kitchen crowded with stone bowls of them. The witch runs her fingers through the blossoms, wilting beneath her touch, the fragrance of citrus and spice wafting through the air. Only then does she pour scented oil into each bowl, using a pestle to churn a thick paste, scattering a glittering powder over it. The mixture is pressed into coils, then set into small bronze censers.

“Place them around the courtyard, close to the statues,” she instructs us. “The smoke will free them.”

“Are you certain this will work?” Jin asks.

“I don’t lie,” she replies curtly. “We will leave after the incense is lit.”

I glower at Jin, still furious he’s making me do this. “I don’t want to go to Mist Island.”

“You don’t have a choice,” the witch snaps, and I suppress the urge to hurl one of the bronze censers at her.

As Jin reaches for me, I pull back. “It will only be for a short while,” he tries to assure me. “No harm will come to you. If you wish, you can stay in Thorn Valley with me.”

“Thank you, Lord Jin-Yong,” I say bitingly. “Your kingdom has an even worse reputation than that of Mist Island. I’m not keen to be one of the bodies you toss over the border.”

“It’s not like the stories you’ve heard,” he tells me. “We’ve spread many of these rumors, allowed them to flourish to deter trespassers and spies. There is beauty and wonder there, like our horses. And once it’s safe, once things have settled down, I’ll bring you anywhere you wish to go.”

I’ll be dead.

“Another empty promise?” My smile is brittle. “If we abandon Prince Zixin’s quest and steal the prize, he will hunt us down. You might not care, but I can never return to the Iron Mountains.” Regardless of whether I want to, I don’t like having the decision snatched from me, to be swept up in these dangerous affairs I have no interest in.