The Spirit Heir (9 page)

Rhen coughed. "No, of course I'm not courting you."

In his disbelieving tone, Jinji realized the truth—the words he would not say. How had she not seen them before? An invisible fist punched her gut, releasing all of the air from her stomach, emptying her lungs.

Breathy, she whispered, "A Son of Whyl would never court an Arpapajo."

Rhen scrunched his brows, wincing, but remained silent. He would not deny her words. The meaning behind the hostile stares became so clear. Thoughts rose toward the ceiling, filling the room with a judgmental haze only Jinji's eyes could see. That was what they were all so afraid of—that the prince would want an oldworlder. That was why the queen had sought her out, had questioned her—not because she was afraid Jinji would reveal her secret. Not really. No, she had been afraid that an Arpapajo girl had grown too close to her son, too close to royalty.

Jinji's eyes flicked to her skin, barely visible beyond the hem of her sleeve—a deep copper beside the golden silks. Rhen's coloring had never seemed so pale, even covered with freckles it was undeniably different. A pink flush decorated his cheeks, matching the red highlights in his hair. The opposite of earthy.

Scrunching shaky fingers into a fist, Jinji pulled her hands together and rested them on her lap, trying to contain the fury coiling her muscles.

"I," Rhen started but stopped.

Jinji closed her lids tight, looking away from him before she broke. "Why were you looking for me?" she asked quickly, changing the subject to one less painful.

"What?"

"Before, you said you were looking for me…" Jinji took a long deep breath, clearing her face of any hurt before turning back to Rhen.

Rhen sighed, not at all trying to hide the pain from his features. But Jinji ignored it, not wanting to deal with the questions circling her mind, all melding together and boiling down to one—why?

"I was looking for you, but I can't talk about it here, not with so many people around." His shoulders hunched, falling with defeat.

"Can we leave?" Jinji asked. As soon as the words left her lips, hope filled her. Could they escape the scrutiny? Could they be just the two of them again, for a little while? Normal. Friends. Without the stares, the expectations, and the new emotions stirring her heart.

Rhen grinned. "Wonderful idea. Let's go."

As one, they stood, once more grabbing the attention of every noble in the room. Rhen apologized to his brother, quietly this time, murmuring that it was of great importance. But when he turned around, the impish smirk on his face told Jinji something else—that like her, he truly just needed to escape.

It took all of her control to keep her steps steady as they passed through the center aisle of tables. But the heat of Rhen's hand on the small of her back was just comforting enough to make everything okay.

"Are you hungry?" he asked as soon as they exited the dining hall.

The longing in his tone made Jinji realize he was likely starving. But she wanted desperately to hear his news—something told her that the only topic he would be too afraid to mention in public was the shadow. So she shook her head.

"Perfect, I know just the place where we can talk."

Without hesitating, Rhen grabbed her hand and tugged her along. The move felt natural, as though their palms were made to touch. His callused fingers were soft against her skin—large and firm, yet gentle, making Jinji feel delicate under his care. Her chest cringed painfully, but still she held on, wanting to absorb the moment because she was unsure if it would ever happen again.

"This way," Rhen said, dropping her hand and pulling Jinji from her reverie. The heat from his touch slowly faded away, bringing an awareness of her surroundings back to the forefront of her mind.

A winding staircase rested before them, one Rhen was already eagerly climbing. Wanting to keep pace, Jinji lunged to follow, circling round and round, dizzy from keeping her focus on the triangular steps below her feet. The stone was barely worn, making her wonder if this was another of Rhen's sanctuaries, just like the crow's nest on the ships.

He's obsessed with heights
. She sighed as her breath started to grow more labored and her thighs began to burn. But she would not slow down. Judging by the fleeting glances through small windows, the view would be something magical to behold.

A grunt trickled down from above, followed by the scrape of a door.

She was close.

One more turn, and Jinji's breath caught.

Rhen waited, leaning against the frame with a knowing smile, expecting her reaction yet enjoying it all the same. But her eyes glazed past his body, drawn to the scene beyond.

All of Rayfort waited below them, the homes, the walls, the turquoise sea made richer by the soft colors painted across the sky. Deep midnight faded to lavender, brightened to gold, and then popped to a brilliant magenta silver just above the horizon. Far off mountain peaks were made more visible as they sparkled like fire with reflections of the dying sun.

Jinji walked to the edge of the small landing, turning her entire body to catch the magnificent view. From here, she could see every inch of the city, from the green trees of the forest behind to the calm waters before her.

"It's the tallest spire in the castle," Rhen said with a shrug, though a small part of him seemed mesmerized as well. "Mostly it's just used in case of war, so we can see an attack coming from any angle before it strikes. But I've always loved this spot, especially at this time of day."

He leaned his forearms against the stone, and Jinji walked over next to him, careful not to place her body too close. Yet somehow, not touching made it worse, made her even more aware of their nearness. The small distance ate at the back of her mind, stealing her thoughts until all she could concentrate on was the trickle of heat drifting between their skin.

All her instincts yearned to sit and curl into a little ball, to fold her knees into her chest and hide. Instead, she leaned over, brushing her shoulder lightly against his arm. Rhen did not move away. So she relaxed against his frame, suddenly calmer than ever.

"I saw something earlier today, Jin…"

As the name rolled off his tongue, Jinji shivered. Whereas before, the sound only reminded her of her lies, now that Rhen knew she was a woman, the meaning had changed. Now hearing
Jin
was like a small promise of their friendship, a secret the two of them shared. Though so much had changed, their connection hadn't, and wouldn’t—she hoped.

"Was it the shadow?" she asked, almost waiting for the voice to invade her thoughts. But the invisible spirit remained silent.

Rhen shook his head. "I don't know, but I don't think so. More like a phantom, some sort of soul come back to life." He sighed, long and heavy. "It sounds ridiculous when I say it aloud."

"You can tell me," she urged. Rhen glanced across the small space, meeting her gaze briefly. His eyes were open, honest—vulnerable in a way he had only been with Jin the boy. But now he was letting Jinji inside, he was trusting her, and this time Jinji promised she would live up to the faith he bestowed.

"I was talking with Cal," he began, letting the words fall out, telling his story. The gray mist. The journey underneath the castle. The drawings on the wall. The way his body froze at its touch.

Jinji absorbed everything, passing no judgment, letting him finish. When his shoulders fell and a long breath escaped his lips, she nudged his arm, eliciting a barely there lopsided smile.

"I believe you," she said, "and I agree, it's not the shadow, it can't be. The shadow tried to kill you, the last thing it would do is expend energy trying to send you a message."

"That's what I thought too." Subconsciously, Rhen's hand fell to his stomach. Jinji's gaze followed, imagining the scar that cut through his muscles, wondering what memory now raced through his thoughts. "But then, what is it?"

She shrugged. "Another mystery we must solve together."

"I'm growing tired of those," Rhen added, eyes dancing as a grin broke out on Jinji's lips.

"Me too."

Words passed unspoken between them, memories of their shared adventure and of the long journey ahead. The near-death experience had changed Rhen—Jinji could tell that where he doubted her before, he now believed her fully and understood the threat the shadow posed. Though his people were at war with human forces, he knew something more sinister waited to attack. Something neither of them knew how to fight.

Rhen broke contact first, dropping his head into waiting hands, running his fingers through unruly locks growing curly in the breeze.

Jinji waited for him to speak, sensing the questions burning his tongue. Ticking her thumbs, she counted the moving bodies below. Guards marched across the wall and servants scuttled across the yard. The lords and ladies were still cooped up inside, eating the dinner she was so glad to flee.

"Jin, can I ask…"

She pulled her eyes from grounds far below, back to the private space around them. The sky behind Rhen was growing darker, making Jinji all too aware that their time was almost up. When night fully descended, pushing the last vestiges of the sun out of sight, this moment of sanctuary would be over.

"Why'd you lie?" Rhen muttered, unable to look at her, speaking more to the ground.

Jinji swallowed the lump in her throat back down. She had known the question would come. It had only been a matter of when.

"I never meant to," she confessed, voice as soft as the fading light around them. Her fingers shook with the memory of how they met, the day her entire tribe was killed, the distinct awareness that she had been, and in many ways still was, completely alone. "When you first found me in what was left of my village, I had woven the illusion of my brother's face without realizing—the spirits were listening to a prayer I never even spoke aloud. When I woke beside the stream, I was shocked to see his face and not mine reflecting back at me. And at the time, I didn't know you—didn’t know if I could trust you. Being a boy just seemed easier, safer."

"And later, after we became friends?" A twinge of sadness laced his tone, something Jinji was sure he tried to hide but couldn’t quite erase completely.

She turned away, unable to bear the look on his face, the haunting dark green his irises had become. "I didn’t know how. I didn’t want anything to change. My destiny was the shadow and yours was the war, and I thought we would one day part ways so there was no reason to admit the truth. But then—" Jinji paused, biting her lip. Was she ready for her true confession?

"Then what?"

Breathing deeply, she pressed forward. "Then I ran away. On the morning of the ceremony, I was trying to leave—"

"Without so much as a goodbye?" Rhen interrupted.

"But as I was leaving," Jinji continued, ignoring the waves of anger being sent in her direction, "I came across a little boy who was almost killed by his father, a man possessed by the shadow. And the little boy was a fire spirit, just like you, and I knew in that moment that I couldn't abandon you—that you were in danger. So I ran back as fast as I could, and I tried to save you, but…but, I was too late."

Jinji’s voice cracked as the memory exploded full force in her mind—all of the desperation returned to her veins, making her heart pump with exertion.

Rhen pulled her into his arms, burying her against his chest as her body shook. With soothing murmurs, he ran a hand up and down her back. His other rose to cradle Jinji's head, fingers fiddling with the short hairs at the base of her neck.

Jinji breathed in his smell, fresh leather mixed with salty air, and let the feel of his tight muscles ease her fear.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Rhen’s only response was to squeeze his arms tighter, pressing her body fully against his, but she prayed that it meant he forgave her.

Resting in his arms, Jinji realized a little bit of the lie still remained, sealed behind lips that would never open in confession. Because she couldn’t help but feel as though their bodies molded perfectly together. He was a little too tall, a little too wide, and she was a little too small. Yet, their frames felt made for each other, as though his arms were meant to be around her and her head was meant to fit perfectly into the nook below his neck. They were two halves of one entity, not whole without the other.

That was the real reason why she had never told him the truth.

Warmth awakened in her chest—a fire that was so much easier to ignore when he thought her a boy. Life was easier that way. Because now, there was no denying how her heart burst every time he looked at her. And after their conversation from before, there was no denying that the wish, growing grander with each passing moment, would never, ever come true.

Jinji pulled back, blinking away the water in her eyes, looking out at the horizon, which had almost disappeared. Stars decorated the sky, growing brighter as the last ray of sunlight melted away.

"We should go back inside," she said softly, unable to look at him.

But Rhen leaned against the stone, utterly distracted, eyes peering forcefully out into the distance. Jinji followed his line of sight, noticing for the first time a small line of lights too close to the ground to be stars.

"What is that?" she asked. Fire? The dots were flickering orange and yellow, hard to miss now that night had fully come.

Fury flashed across Rhen's face, followed by determination as he locked his jaw, narrowing his lips into a very thin line. He spoke only three words, but they sent a sense of dread into the pit of her stomach.

"King Razzaq's army."

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