Chapter 3
3
“Are you hurt? I’m coming home right—” My mom’s worried eyes took up most of the face of the crystal. Even through the illusion, her panic was palpable.
I interrupted her. “We’re all okay, Mom, seriously. Don’t worry. Don’t come back. It’s over now.” I strode toward the grand hall, where the cloaked men from Jade Mountain were sequestered for the moment before I could meet with them properly.
“Of course I’m going to worry! It could have been so much worse! What if it had been an actual attack? What if someone had tried to harm you?”
“I know,” I said, rubbing my sore eyes. I was so tired. “But they didn’t. It’s all under control. Elias is taking good care of us.”
By now the whole palace had heard about Nix’s attempted kidnapping. Guards had come to the scene shortly after to escort us back inside, and Elias ordered the rest to search the grounds for any more trouble. The moment I set foot back inside the palace, a footman shoved the crystal in my hands to talk with my frantic mother, who had been the first to be informed. Strangely enough, her freaking out made me calmer.
Mom frowned at me, her eyebrows scrunched, and shook her head, but she didn’t argue. She trusted Elias, too. If anyone could watch out for me while she wasn’t around, it was him.
“I’m going to talk with the prince from Jade Mountain now,” I said, and stopped in front of the doors to the grand hall, flanked by two of my guards. “I’ve got this. I’ll see you when you get back from your trip, okay?”
My mom sighed. “Fine. But if I catch so much as a whiff of trouble—”
“I know,” I said, smiling. “I love you.”
Her brow softened a little, and she said, “I love you, too. Be good.”
“I will.” I hung up and took a deep breath. I slipped the crystal into my pajama pocket and pushed through the double doors only to walk into an argument.
“—go back there, you can’t make me!” shouted Nix. She was standing at the round table, her elbows locked as she braced herself against it, looking the angriest I’d ever seen her.
She was glaring at Prince Qian, who was sitting on one of the chairs on the opposite side, holding ice wrapped in a towel to his nose. He had shrugged off his cloak and was now down to a tight-fitting black T-shirt. He was shaking his head like he was frustrated.
The rest of Qian’s entourage stood at the back of the room, masks lowered, arms folded across their chests like proper bodyguards. I wished I had an entourage like that. I was feeling vulnerable and unprotected despite the guards at the door. Qian’s own guards looked around the room, though, taking in the decor and—specifically—me.
Qian’s gaze darted to me with a raised eyebrow, and Nix turned in my direction.
“MJ,” she said, her face pale. “I’m so sorry.”
“ You’re sorry?” I scoffed. “I thought you were being kidnapped. They’re the ones who should be sorry.” I glared at Qian.
Qian shifted in his chair and lowered the ice. His nose was red, some blood still smeared on his upper lip. “Is it kidnapping if my little sister is being held captive here?”
“Captive? What are you talking about?”
Qian waved his hand. “Why else would a princess of Jade Mountain be so hard to find?”
“Because I didn’t want to be found,” Nix snapped. “And if you’d asked me before your general snatched me up, you might have known that.”
“Heng was operating in your best interest,” Qian said, tipping his head to the man scowling behind him. “Now, can you please fix my nose before we go home?”
“No!” Nix straightened up and folded her arms over her chest. “I swore to do no harm when I became a healer, but you can sit with that pain until you start to listen to me.”
“?‘Do no harm’?” Qian laughed. It surprised me. He seemed a lot more at ease now despite everything that had gone down, and his eyes sparkled. He and Nix looked so much alike. “Tell that to Heng.”
The general, Heng, stood behind Qian’s chair and massaged his lower back, the spot where Nix had seized up his muscles. He was older than us, probably in his twenties or so, but who really knew when it came to encantos? He could have been four hundred. Like Qian and the rest of the kidnapping party, Heng was dressed in all black, like a soldier, with combat boots and a tight T-shirt. Heng’s dark hair was cropped short, revealing pointed ears that looked as sharp as the line of his jaw. He didn’t look like someone I’d want to mess with, but then again, he had been no match against Nix. Something like pride warmed my chest. She had foiled their plan.
“Your Highness…” Heng started. He leaned down and spoke quietly in Qian’s ear, too low for me to hear, but Qian hardly moved to turn his head; he was still watching me. Heat rushed up my face.
If Qian and his guards really had been assassins, if they really had been here to kill Nix, she would be dead by now. My power still failed me at the worst possible time. It was only luck that no one had gotten seriously hurt. I glanced at Nix, but she couldn’t meet my gaze.
Qian said, “Heng seems to be of the opinion that Biringan has an odd method of diplomacy, and I can’t help but agree.” He dropped the ice on the table and sniffed, idly wiping away the remainder of blood that had dried on his lip. “Where does a queen learn such a right hook?”
“I could do much worse to protect my friend,” I said through my teeth.
Qian, to my surprise, lifted an eyebrow again, and I swore his eyes lit up. It was almost like he was pleased. My stomach felt like it swarmed with butterflies for some reason.
The double doors burst open, and Elias strode in, followed closely by two dwendes, who had to sprint to keep up. Elias looked flustered but composed himself, one hand on his sword, standing equidistant between us.
Elias looked at Qian and then at me. Enunciating so I knew he was furious, he asked, “What. Happened.”
Qian and I stared at each other for a long moment, waiting for the other to speak. In doing so, I took in the rest of his appearance. The features of his face combined in a way that reminded me of a deer, in a handsome, sort of otherworldly way. He had a long face with soft, dark eyes that were surprisingly warm but keen at the same time, clear and penetrating. His straight, shiny hair flopped down the middle, just barely brushing the top of his pointed ears.
I knew I’d been staring at him for a little too long when his full lips quirked up into a smile before he addressed Elias.
“I am here to rescue my sister and bring her back to Jade Mountain,” Qian said. “We thought she was here against her will.”
Nix tensed up when Elias turned to her. This was news to him. “You’re from Jade Mountain?”
Nix’s eyes shone and her mouth set in a line, but all she could do was nod. I spoke up for her because I knew she would have a hard time. “Nix and I were in the astronomy tower when they swooped in out of nowhere,” I said. “They scared us. I fought back.”
Qian bowed his head, gesturing to his nose. “And fought back you did. This is a royal gift.”
I hated how hot my face felt, and I looked at Elias again. “I thought we were in danger,” I said, then glared at Qian. “I thought we were under attack.”
Elias asked me, “Why didn’t I know a member of the Jade Mountain royal family was in this palace?”
“Is that a problem?”
Elias huffed, shoulders sagging, but didn’t answer me.
“I’m not going home,” Nix said. “I won’t .”
“Unfortunately, you do not get a choice,” Qian said. For our sake, he addressed the rest of us. “We have very strict rules when it comes to the emperor’s daughters. They are not to leave the kingdom unless they are married. It is for their own protection and our people’s, should anyone try to use his daughters against him for political leverage.”
“So she’s a pawn,” I said.
Qian’s eyes flashed briefly before settling on me. “She’s my blood. My kin. If that’s what you consider a pawn .”
“Then what happens if Nix doesn’t go back to Jade Mountain?” I asked.
Qian tipped his hand, palm up, as if offering it on a platter. “War.”
Everyone in the room fell silent. The idea alone sent a shiver down my spine.
Elias broke the silence. “That is a bold statement from a person who, may I remind you, trespassed on palace grounds in the middle of the night.”
“Drastic measures were required. Phoenix Xing is under my protection. It took us months to figure out where she was. When she fled the mountain, many thought she was dead. But when we discovered her location, we had to act swiftly, fearing for her safety. We had no guarantee of what would be waiting for us when we came. We thought she was a prisoner.”
“This was all a misunderstanding,” I said. “She’s perfectly safe here.”
“I’m more of a captive in Jade Mountain,” Nix said, clenching her fists. “I refuse to go back. Even here you won’t listen to me, and it will be just the same there. I’m not one of your trophies to present to Father.”
Qian sighed loudly through his broken nose. I could tell there was more here than I was clued in on, but I knew this conversation was getting nowhere.
“Is this how you treat all your siblings?” I asked Qian.
He inspected me again, and my chest felt tight when he did. There was a fire in his eyes, but it wasn’t anger. “Forgive me, Your Highness, but I’m afraid we haven’t been formally introduced.”
“Mahalina Jazreel, queen of the Court of Sirena, ruler of the throne of Biringan.”
“Ah, I see,” said Qian. “That’s why Nix calls you MJ.”
“Only my friends call me that.”
Qian nodded, like he’d gotten the message. He inspected me for a moment, his gaze softening. “Forgive me for asking, but…are you hapa?”
His question caught me off guard. I wasn’t ashamed of my hapa identity—being half encanto, half human. When I’d first arrived here, those who were prejudiced against humans, like Amador, saw my half-human parentage as weak, something lower, something to pity. My mother was my whole family, and she made me the person I was. How could I ever be ashamed of that?
“Yes,” I said, lifting my chin. “Is that a problem?”
“Absolutely not. In fact, I find it fascinating.” Qian leaned forward, his eyes bright. “Because I am, too.”
I didn’t have time to ask him more because the door burst open.
Lucas strode in, pink-cheeked and hair a mess, as if he’d run all the way here. No doubt Elias had left him in charge of dispatching the rest of the security detail. His hand rested on the dagger at his belt when he took in the room, eyes lingering on Qian before meeting mine. His very presence sent my heart into my throat.
Lucas gave a quick, apologetic nod to Elias. “Perimeter secured,” he said.
“Thank you, Sir Lucas,” Elias said. “No need for further alarm.”
Qian regarded Lucas with a casual grin and lifted his chin. “No need at all.”
Lucas narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t reply. He bowed and excused himself.
General Heng leaned in again and said something in Qian’s ear, but he didn’t give anything away on his face.
I cleared my throat. “Back to the matter at hand. There’s no need to talk of war,” I said. “But it’s late—er, early.” I had no idea what time it was, but if I had to guess, it was around three in the morning. Exhaustion was going to make me say something I knew I would regret. “I think that we should discuss this later. Get a few hours of sleep, have some breakfast. We can continue later. We’ll speak more with full stomachs and clear heads.”
Qian tipped his head, acquiescing. “As you wish.”
“Elias,” I said, “can you see to it that Qian and his companions have proper accommodations? Baths drawn, more food prepared, beds turned down—”
“Of course,” Elias said.
“ Guests of the palace are never in want of anything,” I said to Qian, proving a point.
Qian met my gaze unwaveringly and smiled.
After that disaster of a first meeting, I excused myself to bed and closed myself in my room. All I wanted was to be alone. I pressed my back against the door. My knees decided to stop working, and my chest tightened so hard, I thought maybe I should call for Nix in case I was having a heart attack. But I knew this was only delayed panic.
My hands trembled and I shook them out, trying to regain feeling in my fingertips as I made my way over to my vanity, still faintly lit with candlelight. I found a pitcher of ice-cold water and drank so much of it, I got brain freeze.
Fearing my legs would give out, I took the glass to the settee and fell into it, practically collapsing into a heap. I rested my forearm across my eyes, blocking out the light. It seemed like the weight of the world was pressing down on me.
Qian thought Nix was a prisoner . It took me totally by surprise. Of course her family had been worried about her, and they wanted her home, but she was adamant that she didn’t want to leave. And I wasn’t about to make the decision for her and force her to go back to Jade Mountain if she didn’t want to. She had disappeared, been missing for months, hid in the human world far away from encantos for as long as she could to escape a life where she felt unseen and unwanted. I would be a terrible friend, not just a terrible queen, to send her back to a life she didn’t want.
But if Nix didn’t return home, it could start a war. It was a looming threat I couldn’t ignore, especially with the fate of the kingdom being my responsibility.
In school, before I moved to Biringan City, I had a mythology class where I read The Iliad and about the Trojan War. It was a war between gods, demigods, and men, all because of one woman, Helen of Troy. The myths had been unkind to Helen. They’d blamed her for the war, when it had been those wanting to control her who had caused all the bloodshed. She was a scapegoat, someone to pin the blame on, when she had been nothing more than a pawn. The Trojan War was a tragedy, ruthless and long and entirely avoidable.
I couldn’t let anything like that happen. I wouldn’t let Nix’s story turn out like Helen’s. I needed to find a way to come to some agreement. If I failed, I could doom us all.
There came a swift knock at my door.
It was probably Elias coming to check on me, but when I opened the door, I took a surprised step back.
“Lucas,” I barely managed to say.
Relief melted his face when he saw me. “Are you hurt?” he asked. Of course—he was here to do his duty as my protector.
“I’m fine,” I said. I looked behind him at the empty hallway, wondering if anyone was nearby. It was a reflex at this point. “I’m okay.” My heart pounded, seeing him in front of me again. Now that we were alone, did he feel like he could finally speak to me? “What are you doing—”
And then he rushed forward and kissed me.