Jade Fire Gold(81)

“How resourceful,” I remark.

“When you’re the bastard child of a marquis, you learn to be,” he says dryly.

“None of this makes sense. If Altan wasn’t getting paid by you, why would he go to the trouble of getting the ship?”

“Why indeed,” Leiye muses, tracing the lines on his mask with a slender finger.

I’m almost certain he was sent here by my father; this must be some complicated scheme of his. I refuse to believe that Altan lied to me. But Leiye did help me escape the dungeon, so I owe him a chance to explain.

“Back in the dungeon, you said I needed to find the sword of light. Getting on that ship is my only chance to do so. Why the change of mind?”

For the first time since I’ve known him, Leiye’s confidence wavers. “I’ve been studying the archives and historical records in the Forbidden Library—something doesn’t add up. There’s missing information. Pages that were duplicated, pages that seem forged.”

“Is this about the book you stole from my father’s study?”

“Yes and no.” He takes a step closer; I take a step back. “Have you felt the pull? Has the sword called out to you?”

“No,” I admit. “What doesn’t add up? What have you found?”

“I’m not sure yet. Just . . . trust me.”

“Trust you?” I say, scornful. “How do I know you’re not here on my father’s orders pretending to be concerned? How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

“Think about it, Ahn,” he says with exceeding calm. But from the set of his jaw, I can tell he’s getting irritated by my stubbornness. “Your father wants you to find the sword of light. I’m telling you not to.”

“Do you know what my father’s planning to do?”

He shoots me a perplexed look. “Why else would I be trying to stop him?”

“Maybe you—”

“Is that you, Ahn? Who are you talking to?”

Altan appears from the copse of bamboo, dead pheasant in one hand, dagger in the other. A dagger he seems to want to throw at Leiye when he catches sight of him.

“What are you doing here?”

Leiye’s slate-gray eyes flash dangerously. “Spoiling your plans, Jin.”

The dagger flies. Leiye catches it, almost lazily. Altan drops the pheasant and unsheathes his sabers.

“Wait!” I shout at Altan. “Stop!”

He hesitates.

“You—stay where you are and don’t move a muscle,” I say to Leiye who does as he’s told. I turn back to Altan.

“Why did he call you Jin?”

He doesn’t look at me. Doesn’t say a word.

I falter. “Altan?”

“Yes, Altan. Why don’t you tell her what your real name is?” Leiye lets the dagger loose.

I yelp but Altan doesn’t even flinch. The blade misses his ear by an inch. Leiye grabs him by the collar and shakes him hard, not caring that Altan has his sabers out.

“Doesn’t feel good to be betrayed, does it? We had an agreement. Like I said, stick to the plan and I won’t spill your secrets.” He lets go of Altan and pivots to me. “Why don’t you ask him who he really is? Ask him what he wants from you, Life Stealer?”

Be careful who you trust.

A caustic taste burns my tongue. My stomach flips. It feels like I’m falling into a deep, dark hole.

“By the way,” Leiye continues. “Tai Shun was terribly upset when he finally recovered from his hangover. He was so sure he’d seen his dead cousin in the flesh, so certain his beloved Jin was still alive.” He grins, eyes cold, voice full of poison. “I didn’t have the heart to tell him he was right.”

Altan ices over with rage. “You bastard—”

“I thought the true heir to the Dragon Throne was dead, that’s why Tai Shun is next in line.” I stare at Altan, uncertain. “Who exactly are you?”

The look on his face tells me everything I need to know.

“You!” I slam my palms into his chest, and he stumbles back.

“After everything we’ve been through. You lied to me.”

“There was never a good time to tell you.”

“Liar!” I scream into his face. Something clicks in my head. “You are using me to get your throne back, aren’t you? That’s why you haven’t told me the truth.”

“Ahn.”

He approaches, looking distraught. I’m too furious to care. On the verge of tears, I shove him away.

“I trusted you—” I choke out.

“Ahn!” Tang Wei bursts through the foliage. “Get on a horse and go!”

The rest of us are too stunned to react. Daggers ready, she stands her ground.

Magic is in the air.

The bamboo forest splits. Pole by pole, the world falls apart.

Clad in robes of rust orange, four figures wave their hands in unison, walking steadily through the green. How did the priests find us? Did Leiye betray me? I look around.

He has vanished.

The female priest draws her sword and rushes at Altan, kicking up a storm of dead leaves behind her. They spring up in the air, each bending a bamboo pole with their feet for support, continuing their fight high above us.