The Phoenix Born (A Dance of Dragons #3) Read online

  "Firestorm!" Rhen yelled, laughing, unable to contain the adrenaline pumping through his system.

  When they broke through the bubbling cloud of fire, he saw Rayfort on the horizon. Immediately, his mood deteriorated. The city was a reminder of a memory he wanted to escape. No more than an hour or two had passed since Rhen had left Rayfort behind, and he had hoped it would be longer before he would return. But there was nothing to do but face it—face the damage he had forced Firestorm to do. The grass around the city walls was scorched black. The sea was littered with ships that had been burned apart, melted away to almost nothing. Bodies blackened and charred were everywhere, and Rhen's skin crawled knowing his actions had killed them all. He would spend the rest of his life trying to make up for that fact.

  "Let's land, boy," Rhen whispered, patting Firestorm's coarse side.

  They came to a stop next to something Rhen never thought he would see, a small boat resting in the courtyard of the castle, far away from the water.

  Jinji.

  He knew there was no other explanation. She was here. She was the only person in the world who could carry a boat so far from the harbor. And that wasn't all. Rhen had spent almost two weeks on that very boat, aware that every gust of wind against the sail carried him farther from his family, from his people, leaving them to their doom as the Ourthuri surrounded the city. He would recognize that boat anywhere.

  "Prince Whylrhen," a guard called.

  "Lord of Fire," another shouted.

  Rhen closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. He could no longer be the savior his people believed he was. Soon enough, they would come to realize that too.

  "Just Rhen," he said back, turning to the men as Firestorm dropped to his belly and laid his head on the soft grass. "He means you no harm," Rhen called, noticing how they stared at the dragon with fear in their eyes. "Just leave him be. He will cause no trouble. I've come to find Lady Jinji and to speak with my brother."

  "They're in the throne room, sire. They have been for over an hour."

  Rhen needed no other prompting. He ran through the halls, stopping outside the throne room just long enough to realize it no longer had a door. Strange. But then he took in the scene inside. Two women were collapsed against each other, a heap on the ground, and Rhen knew exactly who one of them was.

  "Jin!" he shouted, racing forward, dropping to her side and placing a hand to her head. It was feverishly warm and, behind closed lids, her eyes shifted back and forth, ticking rapidly.

  "She's been like this for quite some time," a familiar voice muttered with concern. Rhen glanced up, noticing Cal for the first time. The man was one of his dearest friends, yet he was hardly recognizable. Cal, who always followed the rules. Cal, who always looked proper and put together. That same Cal was now covered in grime, cheeks stained with long dried tears, and his eyes were filled only with concern. But not concern for Jinji, Rhen realized, following the line of Cal's arm to the fingers holding a womanly hand, preciously cradling her burned skin.

  I did that. Rhen shuddered. His concern for Jinji had tunneled his vision, but now his eyes were wide open. The woman Jinji held in her arms was barely recognizable. All of her skin was bubbled red and raw, burned black in certain places, angry and scarred. And Rhen's fire had done it.

  He wanted to throw up.

  Then he noticed her olive skin and long onyx hair, the faint remains of tattoos on her burned arms.

  "The princess?" he whispered.

  "I found her floating in the water," Cal murmured, voice scratchy and sore.

  Rhen glanced at his friend. What had happened in Rayfort while he was gone? Cal had never even met the princess, and now he was watching her like his life would go with hers if she died, like the fate of his heart depended on her large eyes opening once more. But watching his friend, Rhen knew it was not the time to ask.

  "Lady Jinji said she could heal her," Cal continued, voice growing more hollow. "She held her and for a few minutes it looked like she was getting better, but then Lady Jinji collapsed, and the two of them have been like this for longer than I care to admit."

  "Where did you disappear to, brother?" another voice called. Whyllem. Rhen watched as his older brother stood from his spot on the throne, a smile spreading over his cheeks. "I thought you of all people would want to stay to celebrate the victory. After all, you're the one who won us the war."

  "This was no victory," Rhen said harshly, running his hand over the princess's burned arm. How many others looked like her? How many others were in pain, dying from his flames?

  "Our enemies are dead. I would call that a victory," Whyllem said, peering at Rhen strangely, with concern.

  Rhen just shook his head, brows pulling together. "They weren't our enemies, Whyllem, not really. You don't understand, not yet. But you will. You all will."

  "Rhen—"

  "Stop," he interrupted, sensing Jinji stir beneath his palm. A small sigh escaped her lips, and her hand clutched the princess's tighter, as though she was struggling to hold on. Rhen cupped her cheek, unable to stop himself. Her features relaxed as though sensing his presence. The wrinkles in her forehead smoothed, and her full lips unpursed. "Leave us," Rhen continued, speaking to Whyllem alone. "Bring the baby and the women back to their rooms, celebrate victory with the men if you must, and then go out and assure the city that their king is alive and well, that the family of Whyl has survived. It will give them hope to see your face—it will help the healing process begin."

  Whyllem paused. Rhen felt his brother's eyes boring into the side of his head, and he could guess what he was thinking. That Whyllem and not Rhen was the king regent. That he was the one who was supposed to give the orders. That father and Tarin would be disappointed to see Rhen act this way. That the people of Rayfort would want to see their Lord of Fire too. But Whyllem didn't need to say a word. Rhen knew all of that already. And for the first time in his life, he didn't care. All of the concerns that normally would have filled his head were gone, burned away by the fire. He had far more to worry about now.

  Instead of speaking, Whyllem left, and the rest of Rhen's family followed behind—his mother, the queen mother, his baby nephew. He watched them go, knowing that the divide perpetually separating him from his family had just grown that much wider.

  And with his eyes near the door, Rhen finally noticed another person in the room. A person whose face Rhen never thought he would see again. Older. More bedraggled. But the same—Jin the boy, somewhat grown up.

  Rhen jerked back, brows coming together in confusion.

  If Jinji was in his arms, Jinji the woman, how could she also be standing over there, hidden behind her magic?

  "Who are you?" he said darkly.

  The man watched Rhen with an equal amount of distrust, and his eyes fell to the spot where Rhen still held Jinji's cheek. "I'm Janu."

  Rhen's gaze narrowed further. "Who are you really? Janu is dead. The Lady Jinji told me the story of his death herself."

  "She is not the Lady Jinji. She is Jinji of the Arpapajo people. And she was misinformed."

  But before Rhen could answer, Jinji sat up, wide-eyed and gasping for breath. He brought his arms around her, pulling her close. And without truly realizing it was him, she sensed it, curling into his side, breath calming the longer he held her.

  "I'm here," he whispered, "you're safe."

  He kissed her forehead, still sensing the eyes of her alleged brother watching them in fury.

  "Rhen," she said weakly. But then her eyes closed once more, and she fell over Leena's body.

  "Jin." He shook her shoulder gently.

  "Wait!" Cal exclaimed, hand clutching Rhen's arm to halt his actions. Rhen followed his friend's eyes, noticing for the first time that the princess's skin was transforming. The heat blisters were shrinking. The ripples of melted skin were smoothing out, returning to their normal tan olive color. The tattoos encircling her arms were being painted back on. Different this time, Rhen couldn't help b
ut notice, as the image of a dragon with wide wings appeared on her bicep, followed by crashing ocean waves. Rhen's brows drew close together, and then he smiled as the realization hit. Leena was the next rider—she had to be. Why else would Jinji be drawing dragons across her skin, branding her as such? Their fates had always been mysteriously tied with this woman, and it made perfect sense that she would be the next one called forth to wake a dragon—the water dragon, judging by the tattoos Jinji spun. Within minutes, the princess was transformed back to the beautiful woman he remembered her to be.

  Jinji sat up, wearily this time, completely exhausted, blinking with some confusion. In her lap, the princess opened her eyes and rolled to a seated position, far more energetic than the woman who had just healed her. Leena ran her fingers up the smooth skin of her arm, marveling, before looking at Jinji with awe.

  "Thank you," the princess said, nearly breathless. Before Jinji could respond, Leena noticed the fourth person in their small circle. In a heartbeat, her arms flew around Cal's shoulders, hugging him tight. Without any hesitation, he reciprocated, pulling her close, eyelids crushed together with emotion.

  Rhen glanced at Jinji, smirking. She shrugged, unable to contain a little smile of her own. And then it was her turn to fling herself into the arms of a man she loved, and Rhen responded whole-heartedly, bringing his arms fully around her thin frame, enveloping her completely. Her lips pressed gently to a soft spot on his neck, bringing a sigh to his lips, and he stood without letting go, so her whole body pressed tightly against him.

  Before Rhen could place the kiss he so eagerly desired against her lips, a cough broke her attention. Jinji shoved herself away, turning with wide eyes.

  "Jinji?"

  "Jin?"

  Both men spoke at the same time. She cringed, shoulders bending just slightly inward, but enough for Rhen to notice.

  "Rhen, my brother Janu. Janu, the friend I told you about, Rhen." Neither man offered a hand, but instead eyed each other warily. The use of the word friend hung in the air, unsatisfactory.

  "So it's true. He's really your brother?" Rhen asked. Jinji bit her lip and nodded but didn't say more. "How?" he prompted.

  Almost immediately, he saw the wheels in her head begin to spin, and it put Rhen on edge. He remembered that calculating stare, the one she used to use as Jin the boy, full of mysteries. But since finding out she was really a woman, he hadn't ever seen Jinji so careful with an answer. They never lied to each other, not anymore. But maybe they did now. And only one thing had changed—Janu.

  "I'll explain later," was all she said. And then she hurried to Leena, pulling her away from Cal and ushering her from the room. Over her shoulder, she yelled, "Follow me."

  The three men had no choice but to listen or be left behind. They listened—Cal first, then Rhen, then Janu trailing behind. In silence, they traversed the castle, not stopping until they were back through the front door, a few feet from the dragon slumbering on the grass. Rhen stepped forward, placing a hand to Firestorm's snout. Immediately, his red eyes opened with curiosity.

  "What do you need us to do?" Rhen asked, already suspicious.

  Jinji ignored him, turning instead to the princess. "Leena, this might sound crazy, but I think deep down you've always known you were meant for something more. And this is it. Rhen can explain when you get there, but a war is coming, and you will be on the first line of defense. We need you to become a rider, we need you to wake your dragon, we need you to help save the world."

  Through the entire speech, the princess never lost her serene expression, her royal composure. Instead, her eyes darkened with excitement. "I dreamed of this," she spoke softly. "I thought I was dying. I thought it was the end. But then I had a vision of a molten dragon made of crystal ice and flowing ocean waves, and I knew somehow I would be saved. You saved me. I'm ready for what comes next."

  Jinji wasted no time. She nodded, pleased with the response, and turned to an open spot beside Firestorm. Holding up her palms, the air before them all wavered, rippling with unseen currents, and a moment later, a large birdcage appeared, made of solid stone, something that couldn't be burned by fire.

  Rhen watched with surprise. They had barely been apart for a day, but it seemed like Jinji had aged far more than that—her powers were much stronger than he remembered, and her confidence at wielding them was complete. Who was this woman standing before him? What was she hiding?

  "Rhen," she said, spinning, golden flecks sparkling in her irises.

  "I'll take her," he answered, not needing Jinji to actually ask the question.

  She stepped closer, bringing her hands to his biceps, holding on tight while her beautiful brown eyes stared up at him, wide and trusting. "Take her to the water dragon, tell her what to do, and then come back to me. There is so much I need to tell you, so much that needs to be done."

  "I have much to tell you too," he responded, mind thinking back to the vision his dragon had shared, to the army of phantoms that would rage across the land. Did Jinji know what the future held? He knew without asking that she did. He could sense the fear in the back of her mind, the urgency associated with the dragons. For now, he would listen without complaint, would help, but when he returned he needed some answers.

  Jinji held his eyes a moment longer before glancing toward her brother. She looked back at Rhen. Back at her brother. Wavering, biting her lip. And then she acted before Rhen could even respond, jumping up to press a quick kiss to his lips, over before he knew it had begun.

  But even after Rhen had climbed onto Firestorm's back, after the princess had nestled into a comfortable spot in the cage, after he lifted her into the air to make for the Gates, he couldn't rid his thoughts of Jinji's short kiss. He couldn't fight the nagging sense that her goodbye held something deeper, something more permanent. The warmth of her touch stayed on his skin, haunting him with an unspoken farewell.

  3

  JINJI

  ~ RAYFORT ~

  Jinji watched Rhen fly away, unable to tear her eyes from the sky until the dragon, his rider, and the passenger underneath had disappeared completely from sight. Something about their kiss had felt different. While all the others had been infused with hope and promise, the lingering sense on Jinji's lips now spoke only of doom.

  So she turned, trying to ignore the pit forming deep in her stomach, knowing there were more important things to be concerned with. But at the moment, she was at a loss for what those things were.

  "Lady Jinji," a voice murmured next to her.

  She looked over to Cal, meeting his nervous gaze. "Leena will be fine. More than fine."

  He nodded, brows furrowed, and then looked up, clouds not completely gone from his eyes. "Will she still be herself?"

  Jinji turned back to the sky, now empty, but the memory of Rhen and his dragon riding away came easily enough. Was Rhen the same? His arms felt just as sturdy as they held her close. His lips against her forehead were just as silky, just as comforting, just as warm. His voice held the same timbre. It still softened when he spoke to her. And her soul still smiled at the sight of him. Yet something about Rhen was different. Something she couldn't quite place.

  Jinji glanced back to Cal, speaking more from the heart than the mind. "Yes, Cal. She'll no longer be a princess—she will be a rider. But she will still be Leena. She will still be the girl you have so clearly come to care for."

  He blushed, cheeks turning pink behind the dirt smattering his skin. Jinji slid her gaze over his shoulder to the spot where her brother watched on, lips drawn thin. But she could do little to ease his concerns now. The world was much different than he remembered, and it would take more time than she could afford to lose to explain the changes to him now. Shifting her eyes to the left, Jinji peered through the front entrance of the castle wall, taking in the scene beyond.

  Rayfort.

  Somewhere out there, another rider might wait. Another rider might be injured. And Jinji didn't have much time left. The shadow had been so close
to claiming Leena's life, dangerously close. No one was safe, not if they had an elemental affinity, not if they had the potential to wake the last two dragons—air and earth. And Jinji knew that in the fight ahead, the dragons were the only hope of victory. It was the only reason the shadow had not called his phantoms forth already. He was waiting. He was concentrating on finding all of her possible allies and destroying them. And when hope was gone, that's when the phantoms would come, that's when they would destroy whatever was left of the world.

  Unless Jinji could stop him.

  "What should we do now?" Cal asked, watching her closely, following her eyes.

  "You stay here," she said, blinking, turning back to the two men beside her. "Wait for Rhen and Leena to return, stay with them in the castle until I'm back. We'll all need to meet with the king. I have some requests Whyllem will not want to hear, and I will need your help to make sure he does." Jinji paused, turning to Janu. "You can come with me. We are going out to the city, and we are helping."

  If he had any protests about helping a newworlder city, Janu didn't voice them. He remained stoic, stone-faced, reminding her so much of their father. He followed silently as Jinji stepped through the front gate, and for the moment, she was content to let him stew. Her mind was already focused on the task ahead, and the spirits thrummed with anticipation.

  The noble section of the city was mostly untouched. A fallen stone here. A broken window there. Discarded weapons littered the ground, but few bodies. The real destruction came after they passed through the next gate, entering the common area of the city. Almost immediately, the street became impassable. Fallen rock and debris covered the roads. Homes had collapsed. Boulders thrown from catapults had knocked clear paths through buildings. Bodies were crushed under the weight. A hand poked through a mound of crumbled stone, a foot, a leg. People walked lifeless through the city, unable to comprehend the devastation. All caused by human hands—there was not a trace of Rhen's fire here.