Page 38 of For Ever More

He accepts it and hands it to me. Gingerly I lift the crystal to my eye and look above. Light scatters across the heavens like swirls of white fire—glittering, endless, eternal. I am riveted, a ringing between my ears, growing in force until it drowns out all other sounds. The world is spinning, the heavens bearing down closer… or am I flying toward them? My other hand reaches out instinctively, something tugging me onward, my feet shuffling until I’m headed in a direction that feels right. All around, people are pointing at the sky, whispering urgently.

“The stars are moving!” one declares.

The crowd swells, many pushing for a better view of the phenomenon, their voices merging into a rush. Soldiers call out for order, Shenming stepping forward to shield me.

“Are you all right?” he asks. “You look unwell.”

The throbbing in my head worsens, the ringing between my ears grown thunderous. My knees buckle as I drop to the ground. Shenming crouches beside me, his mouth moving yet I cannot hear him. My head falls to the earth as I stare into the night, heat surging through my body as a dazzling brightness floods my consciousness.

And then, all goes dark.

CHAPTER TWENTY

THE JADE-GREEN WATERS ARE CLEAR, AN INTENSE FRAGRANCE IN THE air like sandalwood entwined with lilies. The shores in the distance possess an iridescent luster. Something tugs me toward it, even beyond… as though a thread binds me there. With each step, a sense of peace steals over me that silences the rush in my blood, soothing the snarl of the dragon’s magic—

“How can the Waterfall of Eternal Night be there?” A woman’s voice pierces my daze, as I drift back to consciousness. “Could there be a mistake in the reading?”

“No, the signs are clear. The waterfall will appear east, in the Three Kingdoms, upon the eighth day—after dark,” Shenming says firmly.

The Three Kingdoms?

My eyes fly open as I push myself up. At once, Shenming bends to inspect my face. “What happened, Yining? You collapsed as the stars shifted.”

I press a hand to my head, dizzy, almost feverish. “I saw green waters, lustrous sands.” As my mind clears, I rebuke myself for drawing attention, many staring at me.

“A premonition?” Shenming asks.

“I’m not gifted that way.”

“Then what could this be?” the captain probes.

My throat closes, afraid to let slip my secret of the dragon’s magic. “I don’t know. Is it because I helped the Sun Dragon escape? He spoke to me in the Palace of Nine Hills.”

“We must inform the Elders.” Shenming helps me to my feet, leading me from the peak.

Our carriage races toward the Pavilion of Elders. My heart pounds, my palms damp as I glance at the dyed root of my ring. But I suppress my fear; I can’t appear as though I’m concealing something.

Shenming is quiet, the discovery of the waterfall weighing on him. As we climb the stairs to the pavilion, its mother-of-pearl pillars gleam like bars of moonlight. The roof sculptures are thrown into shadow, the turquoise tiles illuminated by lanterns. Beyond the guards, only Lady Shila and Lord Hairong sit on their thrones, deep in conversation.

“What brings you here, Captain Shenming?” Lady Shila asks as we approach, the circlet of flowers around her head catching the light.

He bows in greeting. “Forgive the interruption, Honored Elders. We have just learned the location of the Waterfall of Eternal Night.”

Lady Shila smiles as she clasps her hands together. “Well done, Captain Shenming. Strike the gong to summon Lord Zhu.”

A soldier seizes the mallet, hitting the brass gong at the entrance, the sonorous sound reverberating. Shortly after, the door to the adjoining building swings open—the one that leads to the Elders’ chambers and the treasury. Lord Zhu appears, lifting the flower-shaped ornament by his waist to seal the entrance behind him.

“The waterfall has been found,” Lady Shila informs Lord Zhu.

“Where?” He rubs his chin as he settles upon his chair.

“The Three Kingdoms,” Shenming replies.

The Elders exchange concerned glances. Lord Hairong frowns, his white hair falling across his shoulders as he leans forward. “It would be a grave risk to bring the Sun Dragon back to the Three Kingdoms, where the Queen of the Iron Mountains can reach him. Are you certain?”

Shenming straightens beneath his scrutiny. “The path marked by the stars is clear, Honored Elder. All the scholars report the same findings.”

“Where within the Three Kingdoms?” Lord Zhu demands impatiently. “Has there been any other sign?”