Taking no time to second-guess herself, Jinji leapt off the side of the ship and into the icy waters below, cursing as soon as the cold flooded her veins.
This better get me closer to destroying the shadow.
A moment later, Rhen jumped in behind her.
"The gods!" he shouted as his head broke the surface. Jinji smiled. He was already sounding more like himself. With that thought pushing her forward, Jinji pumped her arms, dipping her head below the waves as her muscles burned with exertion.
"Jin, wait," Rhen shouted.
Bouncing up and down with the swaying surf, she treaded water until her prince caught up.
"We have to time this just right," he said between gulps of air. "See how the waves crash upon the rock, if we go now, we'll be crushed. We need to wait for a break in the set."
"Tell me when," she said, and then added, "I trust you."
A smile passed over his lips, quickly fading back to a frown. But it was there—she saw it. And Jinji smiled too.
Under the water, Rhen gripped her hand, a spot of fire in the ice sending heat into her cold skin. Swaying below the surface, moving with the current, their fingers danced hidden from the world.
Jinji was so distracted by the warmth of his touch that she almost missed it when he said, "Go!" But Rhen shoved her in the back, pushing her forward, and the next instant they were racing toward the rocks.
Fighting to find a hold, Jinji shifted her hands across the moist stone, shuffling her feet. But there was nothing. Her fingers slipped and slid over the slimy rocks, speckled with green algae that made it impossible to grip. And then she sailed forward as water shoved against her back, slamming her cheek against the wall and she lost all control. A moment later, Jinji was sucked backward, hands reaching for the stones but falling farther and farther away.
"Jin!" Rhen shouted.
He was on the wall, a few feet above her, out of reach.
Jinji swam with all her strength toward his call, knowing that at any moment a wave would hit her, sending her flying deadly fast into the rocks.
"Rhen!" she screamed, voice high in fear as she blindly held out her hand. The water started to recede, preparing for a fatal blow, when his hand found hers. The next moment, Jin was flying through the air.
"Grab on," Rhen told her and she did, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as he climbed for the both of them.
Afraid to open them, Jinji crushed her lids closed, blocking out the rock, blocking out the water, the very world, focusing only on the clenching and coiling of Rhen's muscles the higher and higher they moved. Cheek pressed against his shoulder, Jinji listened to his breath grow more labored, felt the pulse below her arms run faster, but he did not protest, didn't tell her to make her own way.
"We're here," he finally said what seemed like a year later. "You have to climb over the top by yourself, but I promise, I won't let anything happened to you."
True to her word, Jinji trusted him.
The hardest part was opening her eyes. In fact, she couldn’t, not until Rhen's body began to tremble with effort, and she knew there was no time left.
Don't look down.
Don't look down.
Jinji slid her lids open, holding onto the blue sky above, to the tops of trees visible just over the edge, to the phantom waiting a few feet away. Unlatching her hands, Jinji gripped Rhen's shoulders fiercely, using her legs to shimmy as high as possible. When her body was as close as it could get, Jinji reached for the top of the rock, pulling with all of her strength toward the ledge.
"Use your feet," Rhen grunted and she listened, stepping on his back, then on the top of his head, to push herself over the edge.
The moment her knees touched the top, Jinji collapsed forward, shivering as the fear slowly slipped out of her bones. Rhen landed heavily by her side, gulping in deep breaths, chest heaving up and down. Turning slowly, Jinji met his stare, and instantly they both began to laugh.
At first, it was pure adrenaline. Followed by pure relief. And then it was something else—happiness. Jinji kept laughing just to keep watching the fire spark behind his eyes, joy flashing like shooting stars across a night sky, dazzling as the friend she had so dearly missed came back to life.
Rhen reached forward, sliding his hand to the base of her neck, pulling her forward until their foreheads touched. Running his thumb along the curve of her jaw, Rhen's laughter died away. But the flames in his emerald irises flared even stronger.
Kiss me.
Jinji trembled. Every nerve in her body tingled as the thought grew stronger in her mind. She had never wanted a man to touch her before, not like this, not as she yearned for now.
Kiss me.
Rhen shifted slightly closer, breath tickling her lips, making her heart pound like thunder in her chest.
And then he stopped.
Blinked.
Pulled away.
Stood.
Cold and alone on the ground, Jinji could hardly breathe. Hurt pulsed down her veins, making her lips wobble, her throat burn. Unsure of where to go, what to do, Jinji jumped to her feet and ran.
Straight into the phantom.
"Jin!" Rhen shouted.
But as soon as her body passed through the gray mist, she was lost, pulled back into the void, back into the memories waiting at the corner of her mind…
She stood on the ledge, staring out at the cloudless sky, waiting, searching the infinite blue. Every bird made her heart stop. Every windy roar made her ears perk.
A dark speck sprung into life at the far edge of her vision.
Growing.
Growing.
A smile widened her lips as she stepped back, settled into the ground. It was him. Every second that passed, every second that brought him closer, made her soul soar just a little higher. As if it were possible. Never in all of her lives had she ever felt so happy.
As the distance closed, her creation shifted into view. The black speck grew more distinct, more like the body she recognized—a body molded after her true form, a form she could only take on in the place between worlds, the ether.
Wide wings pumped gracefully through the air. Scales the color of molten lava streaked with black rock flared to life, flashing a fiery red in the sunlight, as though a ball of flames hurtled toward her.
But she was not afraid.
Why would she be?
The dragon was her child, her creation. It would never harm her.
No—the dragon was not what closed her throat in excitement, raced her pulse in anticipation. It was the man riding the dragon. The man she loved. The man whose blue eyes were filling her vision as she drank him in, willingly drowned in his gaze.
Sweeping in an arc overhead, the dragon landed and he slipped from its back, smiling widely, opening his arms to catch her as she ran toward him.
Without pausing to exchange words, he lifted her off the ground, hugging her close as his lips landed on hers. Fire raced down her body, scorching her every nerve until the world disappeared and the feel of his skin was all that remained. Gripping his head, she pulled him closer, wanting more, needing more. An eternity could pass in his arms and it would never be enough, would never satisfy the thirst, so she held on, refused to let him go, refused—
No! No! No!
The voice screamed, cutting the memory short, pitch like glass shards slicing Jinji's head apart, tearing her thoughts to shreds.
That memory is not for you! It is mine and mine alone.
The voice spat, venomous, furious. And then it was gone, snapping out of Jinji's mind so fast that it stung, leaving her dazed.
But Jinji's lips still burned from the kiss, from an experience she had never had but desperately wanted. Her veins still raced, alive, tingling with desire. Her skin was on fire. As a hand cupped her cheek, Jinji gasped, burning, and her eyes flew open.
It was Rhen.
Rhen who saved her.
Rhen who rejected her.
"Are you a
ll right?" He stared into her eyes, passion and worry crashing together in the depths of his irises as he leaned over her. Somehow, Jinji was on the floor, lying on her back. But she didn't care why.
All she knew was that she was tired of living someone else's life. After Janu passed, Jinji had been forced to adopt his role as future leader of the tribe, her freedom limited to stolen moments in the clearing where she could truly be herself. After her people were destroyed, Jinji was forced to hide behind the face of a boy, the only way to survive in a foreign world. And even when her true face had been revealed, Jinji had woken to find herself forced into a new identity, that of court maiden. And a voice in her head whispered that her life had never been her own, sent her visions of a past she did not remember.
Jinji was done.
She was sick of pretending.
And for once, she wanted to be herself, to listen to her instincts, to do exactly what she wanted to do—consequences be damned.
So Jinji reached up, fingers shaking, and grabbed the back of Rhen's neck, digging her fingers into his curly red hairs before pulling him down.
Down.
Down.
Until his velvet lips brushed her skin, sending a new wave of heat across her nerves, and she kissed him.
For a moment, Jinji feared he might pull away, might protest, but after a slight pause, he groaned, sliding his hand to the back of her head, drawing her closer.
And then he was kissing her too.
12
RHEN
~ HILLS OF AIREDALE ~
Rhen hauled himself over the ledge, limbs shaking, breath coming short as the wound in his stomach flared. Jinji had already fallen against the ground, dizzy with relief, and Rhen quickly followed, landing hard beside her as he tried to gulp as much air as possible into his chest.
The gods, he was exhausted.
Yet somehow, a smile pulled at his cheeks. Somehow, he was having fun for the first time in days. And he knew exactly who was responsible for that.
Slipping his head to the side, Rhen met Jinji's eyes and instantly laughter bubbled under his skin, escaping his hold. Once it began, it was impossible to stop, infectious. The sound of her warm giggles only pushed Rhen further, making joy burst forth from his lips. Heat spread through his veins, waking him up after long days of despair.
But the longer he met her gaze, the longer he watched the gold glitter in her rich brown eyes, the more the laughter died away—replaced by another pleasure, a stronger one. Unable to stop his wayward hand, Rhen reached out, cupping the base of her neck, shivering as his fingers slid along her silky skin. Mesmerized, he ran his thumb along the base of her jaw, searching for the edge of her bottom lip as his head drew closer.
Their foreheads touched.
Then their noses.
Until the barest wall of air stood between their lips, so easy to cross, so easy…
Stop.
Rhen blinked. What was he doing?
Stop.
Rhen pulled away as his mind began to race. For weeks, she had hid herself under the guise of boy—was that the act of an interested woman? Was that the act of someone who wanted to be kissed?
No.
Turning his head, Rhen stood slowly, afraid to look at her, afraid to see if he'd destroyed everything. Jinji was his best friend, the only person he had left in the world. If he kissed her, everything would change. Everything. And Rhen couldn't afford to lose her, not now, not like this. He couldn’t ruin it. He refused to put her in such a horrible position.
A blur ran past his glassy eyes. It took him a second to realize who it must be.
Jin.
And she was running.
Running from him.
Running from what he had almost forced her to do.
Apologies burned his lips, but what could he say? How could he make it better? After so long as perfect friends, had a moment of weakness truly destroyed it all?
Helpless, Rhen watched as she raced away. And then panic clogged his throat, painful, as she sprinted directly through the phantom, dispersing the mist. In an instant, her entire body froze and she landed like a plank of wood on the ground.
"Jin!" Rhen cried, running to her, falling on his knees beside her still body. Those eyes he loved so much had rolled into the back of her head.
"Jin," Rhen repeated, softer this time as he stroked her cheek, listened to the strong heartbeat in her chest, the strong pulse circulating through her veins.
He remembered his interaction with the phantom, how his body filled with ice, growing impossibly still. In a few moments, she would wake. In a few moments, she would be fine, just like he had been.
Then her body twitched violently.
Rhen placed his hand on Jinji's cheek, trying to soothe, but with a gasp her eyes flew open, wide, filled with something Rhen had never seen.
"Are you all right?" he asked, stroking her skin, unable to stop himself.
Jinji didn’t respond. Her dark eyes grew determined. And the next thing Rhen knew, her hands were gripping his neck, pulling him down until their lips brushed ever so softly against each other.
Rhen froze.
Jinji was kissing him.
Did that mean she wanted to? Did she like him? Was she delirious? Was he forcing her? Would everything change? Would they be okay?
Stop. You idiot.
Rhen groaned, shoving the questions from his overactive mind, and gave in.
They were kissing.
Everything else in the world could wait until later.
Sliding his hand behind her head, digging his fingers into her short black hair, Rhen pulled Jinji closer, sinking into the kiss as his chest swelled with warmth. Her lips were full, luscious against his, as he pulled away only to come greedily back for more. Every time she sighed, a shiver raced down his spine. As her hands gripped his arms, fire flared against his skin.
Never in his life had Rhen felt so much in just one kiss—so much passion, so much honesty, so much love. He wondered for a moment if it were all a dream, if this could possibly be real, because the world had never felt so perfect, so right. But that was how everything always seemed to feel around her—brighter, better than before, magical.
Rhen shifted his lips, exploring the feel of her cheeks, her jaw, her neck, smiling with every sharp exhale that left her body. But as his chin felt the coarse scratch of fabric, he paused, lifting his head, blood boiling, and knew he had to stop now before he lost all control.
Breathing heavily, Rhen let his eyes wander, taking in the pink flush of her copper skin, the slight swell of her rosy lips, the crooked curve around the edge of her eyes, framed with dark, thick lashes.
Was there truly a time in his life when he mistook her for a boy? Illusions or not, it seemed impossible to make such an error. He had never seen anyone more beautiful than Jinji, eyes sparkling like the sun itself as she watched him watching her.
Then she bit her lip, as though suddenly aware of what had happened, but a smile tugged at the edges, threatening to break through her nervousness. Unable to stop himself, Rhen placed his finger on those lips, tracing them, enthralled.
Jinji's body stiffened beneath him.
Confused, Rhen met her stare, but she wasn't looking at him anymore. She was looking past him. Cautious, Rhen turned his head slowly, afraid of what he might find. A fox? A bear? A person?
But it was just the phantom.
Arms crossed. Staring down. If a cloud of gray mist could emote, Rhen would have guessed fury to be the most appropriate term—though he couldn't understand why. Still, greeted with such hostility he jumped back, releasing Jinji as though caught breaking some unknown rule.
And it pointed aggressively behind them.
Oh, right…
Rhen had completely forgotten why they had even climbed the cliff in the first place—to follow the phantom, to see what it needed to show them, to hunt for more clues about the ever-elusive shadow plaguing the land. And something more, something Rhen didn’t really
want to admit to himself—the hope that maybe, just maybe, he had found the answer to saving his family.
That hope was the only thing keeping him going. That hope, and now this—the woman smiling below him, the woman he wanted desperately to kiss again.
But before he could react, she slid out from underneath him, sparing a quick glance in his direction. Brushing the grass off her pants, unknowingly calling Rhen's attention to the barely concealed curves of her body, Jinji stood. Holding back a frustrated scream, Rhen hurried to do the same.
The phantom started floating forward, not waiting to see if they were ready, just assuming they would follow. Rhen and Jinji looked at each other for a moment, stuck as an awkward silence filled the air. An urgent need to speak pinched his gut, but what was there to say—thank you? That was amazing? Let's do it again? Right now…maybe… Instead, he sighed heavily.
Jinji leaned forward, stretching up on the tips of her toes to kiss his lips softly, gone before he had time to respond. Then she nudged her head, and said, "Come on."
Unable to find his voice, Rhen trudged after her. How had someone with the reputation of irrefutable rake turned into such a bumbling boy? He'd seduced a thousand women across the kingdom, so how had this one brought him to his knees?
And then Rhen realized something. With everyone he had ever kissed before, he had been playing a part—the philandering prince, the irresponsible third son of the king, the irresistible scoundrel.
But Jinji?
She knew who he really was—knew him better than anyone else in the kingdom. When she kissed him, she wasn't kissing a prince, she wasn't kissing a name or a reputation. She was kissing him. The real Rhen. And that made all the difference.
"Rhen?"
He flinched, pulled from his thoughts only to realize that Jinji and the phantom had come to a stop a few feet behind him next to what appeared to be some sort of ivy covered boulder. But as he stepped closer, Rhen could make out patchwork lines, deep grooves in the stones, the sort of work that could only be manmade.
"What do you think it is?" Jinji asked.
"Ruins?" Rhen shrugged, running his fingers along the vines. Curious, he began to circle the stones, searching for an entrance, some clue to what it might be, but he found none. The shape was cylindrical, only ten feet high, almost like the top of a tower. But there were no windows, no doors. How could a tower be buried under so much soil?
The Spirit Heir (Book 2) Page 14
