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“Why are you telling me this?” I ask.
“Because there is a lot you don’t know about me.” His eyes flash as he speaks. “Don’t just listen to others; judge for yourself. You don’t know me, but you think you do, which is worse.”
He leans away from me, his expression shuttering. “What will you tell Prince Zixin? You’ll need a good story to convince him you want to be back when you fought his general to get away.”
“He offered me a deal before I left. He thinks I’m afraid to be with him, that I don’t feel worthy of the ‘great honor.’” I grimace as I say this, needing more practice to give it the ring of truth.
“He’s arrogant enough to believe all that.” His face is somber. “Remember, you defeated his general, you rescued the duke’s daughter. He’ll have to treat you with respect.”
“I will, and I’ll tell him everything he wants to hear.”
He pauses. “I don’t want to see you smiling at him, to let him touch you.”
“I don’t want that either.” His honesty pries mine loose. “But he may not even want me that way anymore—”
“He’ll want you.”
“Then it will be easier to play him. I know how to read people; I made my living off it,” I remind him.
“Telling a bunch of lies?” The thinnest thread of humor in his voice, one abruptly snapped. “If he forces you—”
“He won’t; he’ll want me willing.” Somehow that aggravates Jin more, his jaw clenching. “Promise me, you won’t interfere.”
“No,” he says fiercely. “If you’re in danger, I will intervene, and His Highness will not like it.”
“I won’t let it get to that,” I try to assure him. “I’ll send for you if I need help.”
“Send for me even if you don’t.”
He pulls me into his arms roughly, almost as roughly as when he seized me when I tried to flee—except this time, it feels good. I push aside Dian’s suspicions, her warnings and my caution, leaning against him, my face pressed to his chest as I inhale his clean scent of rain, grass, and pine. His arms tighten, his touch making me want things I can’t have—that probably aren’t good for me. But just for this moment, I let myself fall… because I know this can’t last.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
N ight has fallen when we halt in the forest, close enough to the palace to see the archers stationed along the wall. Jin’s soldiers from Thorn Valley have rejoined us, finally caught up from the swamp. Fortunately, none of the trapped warriors had seen Dian’s face, all just relieved to be released.
We dismount here as it’s safer to proceed on foot—a barren strip of land is all that lies between us and the Palace of Nine Hills. The iron wall around the palace glints menacingly. As the wind shifts, that stale metallic scent wafts in the air. My stomach roils, the urge to gag rising.
“If in doubt, say nothing,” Ruilin advises me, maybe catching my expression. “Silence is more forgiving than ill-fitting lies.”
I know these tricks and more. But I notice the quiver in her hand as she brushes the hair from her face, how pale she looks. She is brave to come with us, to risk her safety after escaping her father and the unwanted betrothal. I’m not sure I would have, if my life weren’t at stake.
“Are you worried about meeting Prince Zixin?” I ask.
She smiles, a little more herself now. “I knew him and his sister as children. As long as I don’t cross them, I’ll be safe. To avoid his company, I’ll just appear dull, vapid, and dim-witted.”
“He will have to treat you well, regardless,” I assure her. “Your father is powerful.”
Her smile vanishes. “Prince Zixin holds the power that matters. Once we’re in his palace, surrounded by his guards, we are all shackled to his will.”
I won’t let myself think about that. “Ask for a courtyard close to mine. Prince Zixin is more likely to accommodate a request from you—an honored guest. Otherwise, I’m not sure how often we’ll get a chance to speak.”
The rumbling of hooves carries to our ears. The doors to the palace are flung open. We’ve been seen. The Iron Mountains soldiers ride out, their armor as bright as their weapons, glittering with that revolting sheen—suffused with the dragon’s stolen magic.
One of the riders breaks away from the rest, his robe of white and gold caught in the wind. The moon slips out from behind a cloud, its light falling upon his face. His beauty is dazzling but it leaves me cold.
Prince Zixin gallops toward me, his soldiers following closely, the tips of their weapons angled our way. As he halts, he regards me in cool silence, his eyes appraising. As Jin warned, he’s suspicious given how I’d left in the company of his not-quite-ally, not-quite-enemy.
I sink into a deep bow. “Your Highness, I am glad to be back.” My soft voice is infused with emotion, my dread buried beneath.
