Page 83 of For Ever More

My gut knots at her reaction. “This grass grows in the Ancient Grove here. Long ago, the Radiant Sky Trees thrived there, just as they do in our home. Except the trees in the grove died, which is why the dragons moved away from Thorn Valley—”

Her mouth curls. “Has Lord Jin-Yong been telling you old fairy tales?”

“Don’t make this about Jin,” I rebuke her. “He didn’t tell me this—maybe because he knew how you’d react, that without proof it might turn me against him.”

Her eyes pinch. “Then who did you hear it from?”

“A dragon, the half-formed spirit of one. The carp who brought the flower of my ring from Mother—whom I trust.” I look at her. “Why are you afraid of this grass?”

“Little wonder that the Radiant Sky Trees here died if this grew among them.” She drops the bundle of grass in my hand, her expression somber. “Wintergrass is poisonous to most plants, causing them to rot and decay; it would even affect the creatures who feed on the afflicted plants. But it is especially lethal to the Radiant Sky Trees.” She frowns. “I didn’t think this grass was native to Thorn Valley.”

“It isn’t. Do you know where it originated from?”

A pause before she replies. “Our home.”

Shock erupts, for a moment I cannot speak. “I haven’t seen this anywhere on our island before,” I say at last.

“Because it is forbidden from our shores, we aren’t allowed to even mention it,” Dian says in hushed tones. “Few among our people know of this—only Father and me, because of his position. We study all rare plants, the living and the dead. Especially those perilous, so we can guard against them, to ensure they never threaten us again.” She stares at the wintergrass like it’s a scorpion. “This grass appears innocuous at first, but as its toxin strengthens, the tips turn pale, then the white spreads throughout… as it is now. Its reach then is vast, far beyond what you see on the surface, reaching deep to taint even water and soil.”

I suppress the urge to hurl it away. “This killed the trees, it is killing their land. Only one Radiant Sky Tree remains in the Ancient Grove now, and the decay has spread across Thorn Valley. When you rode through here, didn’t you see it? We cannot let this worsen.” I add purposefully, “Jin saved us. In his absence, we must help his people.”

“What can we do?” she asks.

“The Radiant Sky Trees thrive on our island. How was the wintergrass cleared away before?” I probe.

“The Elders saved us,” she says. “According to the texts in Father’s possession, our island was barren before. The Elders discovered the lethal effects of wintergrass after the Radiant Sky Trees that were planted failed to thrive. The wintergrass could not be easily destroyed, their poison reaching unseen places—if yanked out or burned away, hundreds more seeds scatter. Fortunately, through their research, the Elders developed an elixir that destroyed the wintergrass, removing its toxins.”

I grasp her hand eagerly. “Where is this elixir?”

“Only the Elders know. Its formulation is a secret that not even Father is privy to.”

“Why?” I ask. “Shouldn’t this cure be made widely available for the protection of our land?”

“I don’t know,” she replies after a pause. “But the Elders must have their reasons.”

Silence falls, neither of us speaking. Finally, Dian raises her hand to summon the lotuses to bring us home. As we glide upon their luminous petals, the seagrass gleams in the distance, the familiar fog threading the horizon.

When we arrive, climbing upon the remains of the bridge, Captain Shenming is waiting for us by the gate. “Where have you been? I should have stayed to help you,” he says, concerned.

Dian shakes her head. “You needed to ensure your soldiers returned safely, to inform the Elders.”

“We must go to them now,” he tells us. “They were in meditation when we arrived, and it is safer that we meet them together—so they don’t know you both remained in Thorn Valley.”

He was protecting us. Dian and I return home briefly to bathe and change. Father and Ruilin are still asleep at this hour, neither of us wanting to wake them. I hide the starfire in my room beneath a floorboard that I pried loose. I won’t bring it to the Elders, afraid of losing it.

Shenming summons a carriage to bear us to their pavilion. After these days away, I find myself marveling at the beauty of my home once more, the wonders magic has wrought—of flawless pathways and shining tiles, elegant buildings and lush gardens. Except fine cracks appear in the stone now, a dullness to the buildings as though covered in dust. Is the Moon Dragon struggling with the burden of protecting our island alone? Is she weakened after the destruction of the waterfall? Does she know of her companion’s death? My heart sinks to imagine her grief.

Dawn breaks as we arrive, the turquoise roof of the Pavilion of Elders illuminated by the rising sun, the mother-of-pearl pillars gleaming. Soldiers guard the entrance, Mistress Weining already inside, deep in conversation with the Elders. They sit on their thrones, dressed in silver, their matching talismans dangling from their waists, circlets of flowers crowning their shining hair. Closer, fine lines appear at the corners of their mouths, a slight cloudiness to their once clear gazes… as though the magic that sustained their long lives has already begun to wane.

The Elders turn to us as we enter, their expressions somber. Dian and I follow Shenming’s lead to bow deeply.

“Mistress Weining has informed us the Sun Dragon’s presence can no longer be felt.” Lord Hairong’s hands are clenched on the armrests of his throne. “The Moon Dragon has gone into seclusion.”

Shenming lowers his head, tension emanating from his body. “The Sun Dragon is dead, the Waterfall of Eternal Night has been destroyed.” In measured tones, he recites all that transpired: from when we found the waterfall to its destruction, the discovery of the last starfire, Lady Shufang’s alliance with Queen Chunlei, and Jin’s capture.

As a rigid silence falls, Shenming bows again. “I failed your trust, Honored Elders. I failed the Sun Dragon. I will bear any punishment you wish.”

“Captain Shenming did everything he could,” I protest. “No one could have foreseen the ambush, the Lady of the Pearl Ocean’s swift capitulation, or Queen Chunlei’s unexpected arrival.”