Page 63 of For Ever More

We head eastward on the bridge, leaving the palace behind. The farther we go, the more widely the seven bridges diverge from each other, with smaller offshoots branching off to different islands. The one we’re on stretches beyond the rest, into the ocean, the sun beating down without respite. Shenming is deep in conversation with the general, but remains watchful, inspecting the surrounding islands. There are so many—some hilly and wide, others narrow and flat, a few ringed by cliffs—all beginning to bleed into one another.

“General Suilan, are all the islands inhabited?” Jin asks.

“Not all.” Her expression shifts, growing guarded. “Most of our people dwell on the main shore or the islands connected by the bridges. Those more remote require travel by boat.” She gestures to a pier in the distance, several wooden boats moored there, bobbing among the waves.

“It seems impossible to explore all the islands,” Shenming says.

She turns back to him. “It is an ongoing task that each ruler of the Pearl Ocean undertakes. Lady Shufang has made great progress in mapping several new islands and the paths to reach them, aiding our future exploration.” Her voice cuts off abruptly.

Jin’s eyes brighten but he restrains himself from asking more, the general appearing reticent. Probing further would only rouse her suspicions.

“Lady Shufang sounds like a capable ruler,” Shenming says.

General Suilan nods with enthusiasm. “She works tirelessly, often hosting meetings in her private quarters even late at night. Nor does she shy from hard decisions, always watching over our people.”

Will her resolve hold beneath the Prince of the Iron Mountains’ charm? His ambitions are not aligned with her kingdom’s safety.

“We need to find these maps; it would help us navigate this maze of islands,” Jin says, once the general and Shenming move away. “They will either be in a study or in Lady Shufang’s quarters, kept close by.”

As we pass another cluster of islands, my head begins to throb, a thudding reverberating between my ears—just as when the stars began to move. All around, the glistening waves foam and churn. My ring sears, the root stained with the dragon’s power shining even through the dye. Excitement surges as I grip the railing to steady myself. We’re close.

“Do you sense something?” Jin asks, offering his arm to me.

“The waterfall is near… but I don’t know where.”

He examines our surroundings. “Try to isolate the direction that feels strongest, let your instincts guide you. Walk slower if you must. I’ll tell the others you’re unwell.”

The pounding in my head worsens as I struggle to remain conscious. If I faint, we’ll lose this chance to find the waterfall. Stumbling along the pathway, I plunge myself into the growing sensations—

“Slowly. Don’t rush this,” Jin cautions.

“It feels like I’m breaking apart.”

His arm tightens around me. “Then I’ll find every piece and put you back together again.”

Ahead, a pavilion looms, nestled in the middle of the bridge, the pathways continuing around it. Curtains are draped between the columns, concealing what lies within, the roof covered with the same thick fabric. A metal gate bars the place, guards crowding the entrance.

“This is where the Ice Pearls are harvested,” General Suilan announces.

I nod, not trusting myself to speak—but she looks at me curiously.

“Yining is not feeling well. It might be the sun,” Jin explains. “Could we enter so she can rest?” His hand remains on my back, his power sliding into me to help shield the chaos.

“Don’t,” I whisper, despite the relief he offers. “It dulls my senses.”

At once, his force eases. “A little then, until we’re away from the general’s scrutiny.”

The soldiers unlock the gate to allow us into the pavilion. General Suilan ducks beneath the curtain, the rest of us following after. The chamber within is cloaked in darkness. A wide pool ripples in the center, the water shimmering in vivid colors. I shiver—the cold unexpected here, the stone rim bordering the water speckled in frost.

We crouch to stare into the shifting depths, eerie yet beautiful. The pearls are not in the shells of oysters, but wrapped in silken nests, arranged in rows upon floating nets. Many are as small as my thumbnail, others as large as my fist. Only a handful reach the size of melons, like those in the palace garden, though all possess an ethereal brilliance.

“Why is this place so dark?” Jin asks.

“Sunlight is too harsh for these pearls; it would destroy their innate radiance when they are vulnerable in the cultivation stage,” the general explains. “At night, the curtains around the side and the roof are drawn away, immersing the pearls in the light of the moon and stars. It takes years to kindle the glow even in the smallest pearls; the largest could take decades.”

“They are beautiful.” For a moment, I forget my turmoil. “What is such a thing worth? I’ve never seen these anywhere before.”

“We do not trade our Ice Pearls,” General Suilan replies. “We keep them where they are best appreciated—here, among us. Lady Shufang often opens her gardens to the people, allowing their beauty to be shared instead of hoarded by the privileged few. Some are offered as gifts to those in favor.” General Suilan sweeps her arm across the pearls. “We will harvest one for His Highness. The one gifted to the former King of the Iron Mountains now lies in Queen Chunlei’s possession.” Her tone shifts, a glimmer of unease.