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“Would you like to visit the gardens of my home?” Jin asks as we leave. “You may take anything you wish.”
A tempting offer. Rare plants trade for more, but I must be careful with bringing anything back from Thorn Valley in case it’s recognized. Yet my curiosity is stirred; I might find something of use to Dian… and I’m not ready to leave.
“Thank you, I would like to see them,” I tell him.
A short distance ahead, a troop of soldiers rides out to meet us, led by Captain Hong. “Lord Jin-Yong, several forest tigers have been corrupted; they are heading this way. Three soldiers have been killed. We came to ensure your safety. Should we attack first, while we have the element of surprise?”
Jin’s face is stricken. “I don’t want to hurt them. We should avoid a confrontation if we can.”
“They are close,” Captain Hong warns.
Remembering the slain horses, my insides constrict. Opening my pouch, I dig out the reddish strands of night-root, which I used to drug Jin once.
His eyebrows lift as he stares at them. “Are you intending to ‘cook’ again?”
I thrust the herbs into his hand. “This night-root has been dried. Dian says its effects are more potent when ground into powder. Use this to put the tigers to sleep.”
He nods, taking them from me. “You should go ahead, where it’s safe. The guards will escort you,” he says, as Captain Hong prepares to protest.
“I’m staying.” I repress my usual impulse to flee from danger. “You need everyone here. What if something goes wrong, if the herbs don’t work?”
Jin instructs a pair of soldiers to crush the night-root, as Captain Hong retrieves the throwing darts some carry. Working swiftly, Jin and I dip their tips into a sticky sap from a nearby tree, before coating them in the night-root powder.
Jin hands a dart to me, then takes another—giving the rest to Captain Hong. “Distribute these among the soldiers. Aim the darts to incapacitate the tigers, not to kill. Once they are asleep, bring them to a secure place to keep them from trouble.”
“How long should we hold them?” Captain Hong asks.
“Until we find a cure,” Jin replies. When the soldiers leave to assume their positions, he turns to me. “Try not to use your magic. It might kill them unintentionally, also identifying you as the key threat. The tigers’ predatory instincts are sharper.” He adds intently, “But if you’re in danger—don’t hesitate either.”
As ferocious howls ring out, my stomach roils; I almost regret my decision to stay. Jin’s horse weaves in front of mine as the beasts prowl toward us—over a dozen with midnight fur, fangs glistening, their violet eyes streaked with red, claws arched from the earth. Our horses skitter nervously, but hold their ground. As a tiger lunges toward us, Jin swings his sword, forcing it back—then swiftly drives the dart into its body. More attack, one creature’s fangs scraping Captain Hong’s arm before he plunges a dart into its neck.
A soldier runs forward, flinging another dart that burrows into a tiger ahead, blood trickling over its dark fur. One prowls closer from the side, its eyes shining. Sick with terror, I back away, reaching instinctively for my magic—my eyes colliding with the creature’s: churning with violence, threaded with confusion, even hurt… like it doesn’t understand the force that compels it. But then, a growl shudders from its throat as it springs toward me. I shove my magic away, hurling my dart at the creature, sinking into its shoulder as it collapses. Another leaps at me, its weight knocking me to the ground. Jin’s sword flashes past my head, driving into my attacker’s flank—avoiding a fatal blow—as one of his soldiers thrusts a dart at the tiger.
The fight is intense but over quickly, the night-root working rapidly as slumber claims the stricken creatures. More soldiers arrive to help bear them away. I’m breathing hard, my terror slowly unraveling. These tigers did not choose this—just as the Thorn Valley soldiers didn’t deserve to die. We must stop this decay from spreading before more innocent lives are lost.
“Are you hurt?” Jin asks, wiping the blood from a cut on his neck. When I shake my head, he commands the soldiers to head back to the manor, the mood somber.
Lord Chao is waiting by the entrance. Despite his warm greeting, his assessing gaze stirs unease. “I would like a word with you, Nephew,” he says.
“Yes, Uncle.” Jin gestures toward an attendant behind us. “Bring Miss Yining to the garden. Show her every hospitality.”
I nod, feigning agreement, already plotting to follow Jin and his uncle as they head toward the study. While the attendant waits for me, I sink upon a chair. “I’m hungry,” I tell him with a smile. “Could you bring me some food? A favorite dish of Lord Jin-Yong’s?”
The young man’s face brightens. “At once, Miss Yining. I will inform the kitchen to prepare it.”
The moment he leaves, I stalk toward the study. How quickly my mind bends to suspicion that I’m now trailing Jin like a thief. I avoid the guards by the entrance, climbing over the wall to drop into the garden. Lanterns dangle from the trees, plants with fernlike fronds flanking the path to the building. I skirt closer to a half-open window, peering in to find Jin and his uncle. At once, I flatten myself against the wall, keeping to the shadows.
“You did well to bring Miss Yining to the Ancient Grove again,” Lord Chao is saying.
“Who has been carrying tales to you, Uncle?” Jin’s tone is dangerously quiet.
His uncle huffs. “Little goes on here that I don’t know about. You should keep the girl here. Don’t let her return to Mist Island.”
My stomach twists to be spoken about this way, like a possession.
“How do you propose I do that, Uncle? Chain her to a chair?” Jin asks caustically.
Lord Chao snorts, his staff striking the floor. “I hardly think I need to teach you that, Jin. Girls have been chasing you since you left childhood behind. Smile at her, charm her, tell her what she wants to hear.”
