1.

In Which the Mainland’s Newest Commander Has a Secret Mission

Arvin Greene slowed his horse, some twenty paces from a vast meadow. In the distance, dark hills marked the border between the Char District and the Mountain District. The moon hung high and bright, but even still, the secrets of the meadow lay hidden from view. The grass stirred slightly, rippling in the breeze.

“All right, Commander Greene?”

Arvin shivered as Kaviya pulled up her horse next to him. “Ugh, don’t call me that.”

“It is your title.”

“Don’t remind me,” he grunted. The promotion from junior commander had been a frustrating political ploy—­something he’d only accepted to make his mother happy.

Everything he did was to make his mother happy.

After he’d returned from Cudek’s terrible attack on the Dragon Growers, Arvin had taken the matter to the military council, claiming he had reports of war crimes. He’d been all ready to testify when, the morning of the trial, Chancellor Cuddles had promoted him to commander. Because commanders were barred from testifying in court due to their classified military status.

Since then, Arvin had been thrust into a slew of new duties and boring military meetings with grown-­ups twice his age. And now Cudek had saddled him with a new secret mission—­one not even the five generals knew about.

“Come on, let’s get this over with,” huffed Arvin, dismounting from his horse.

Kaviya nodded swiftly, sliding out of the saddle and landing without a sound. Seriously, Kaviya’s sneaky spy skills were on point.

Together, they walked toward the seemingly empty meadow.

“What do you think they do all day out here?” Arvin whispered.

“Whatever they want.”

“It’s so peaceful. I wish I could hide away too.”

Kaviya arched a brow at him. “Why?”

Arvin shrugged, hating the stiffness of his new maroon military jacket. “Don’t you ever wish you could be free of it? All the expectations the adults put on us? My whole life is mapped out by grown-­ups. My mom and Cudek use me like a puppet.”

“You and I have an important role to play,” said Kaviya, raising her chin. “It is an honor.”

“An honor,” Arvin repeated. “Who taught you to talk like that, anyway? Like your whole life is about your duty to some kind of prewritten destiny?”

Kaviya turned to face him, her bright blue eyes sharp. “My mother. She’s made me who I am.”

“Oh? And who are you, exactly?” Arvin didn’t even know Kaviya’s last name.

“I am one who’s been chosen for a great purpose. Ever since I was little, I’ve known of the prophecy written about me.”

“A prophecy? Like the Havensong thingy?”

Kaviya scoffed. “Not that prophecy.”

“And you believe in all that stuff? I know Cudek’s obsessed with it, especially when it comes to Shenli—­”

“Ugh. Shenli Zhao is highly overrated.”

Arvin laughed. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were jealous.”

Kaviya’s eyes hardened. “Everyone believes the four Heroes will save the world. What they don’t know is that they will ultimately bring about the destruction of Haven.”

“Wow. That’s quite the plot twist.”

“Make all the jokes you want, Commander. But you’re in this too. You’ve put yourself right at the center of all of it.”

Arvin looked at the girl walking next to him. Kaviya was sixteen, same as him, and yet she’d been given immense responsibility, which had always puzzled him. There were hundreds of castle servants, but for some reason it was Kaviya, a maidservant, who’d been assigned to accompany Cudek and Symerus on their trip to meet Elyana. And she was always lurking against the wall in military meetings. Even now, she’d been selected to accompany Arvin on a supersecret mission that not even the top-­ranking military personnel knew about.

Why? What made her so special?

“What was your prophecy about?” he asked quietly.

“I am meant to bring about the undoing of the Four Heroes.”

Arvin stopped walking. “Um. Sorry, what?”

“I am meant to stop the Heroes of Havensong.”

“Stop them . . . from what?”

“From fulfilling their prophecy.”

Arvin winced. “So, you’re going to stop them from saving the world?”

“In order to save Haven, yes.”

“That seems . . . counterproductive.”

“Be glad it isn’t your destiny, then.”

Arvin didn’t know what to say to that. They walked quietly a few moments longer before he turned to her. “How are you going to stop them, exactly?”

“You let me worry about that.”

“Okay, well, now I’m worried about it too.”

One of Kaviya’s eyebrows quirked. “Because of Shenli? You’ve grown quite fond of him.”

Arvin shrugged. “He’s like a kid brother to me.”

“Which would have nothing to do with the fact that Yuli is his actual brother, would it?”

Arvin’s chest tightened.

“It’s no secret that you and Yuli were close.”

Arvin swallowed hard, rubbing the small arrow tattoo on his right wrist that lay hidden underneath his sleeve. “Yuli was . . . my best friend.”

He was more than that. But snoopy Spy Maid didn’t need details.

“Which must make your job spying on Shenli very complicated,” said Kaviya.

Arvin’s heart pounded hard against his ribs, but he fought to keep his face composed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know that Cudek ordered you to become Shenli’s friend to win him over to the chancellor’s cause.” Kaviya tilted her head. “Just like I know that your mother has you spying on Cudek.”

Arvin dug his fingertips into his palms. He could deny it, but what was the point? What other secrets did she hold? And more importantly, could he use this to his advantage? She would be a valuable ally if they worked together.

“How do you know so much, anyway?” he asked her.

“It is my job to know.”

“Why? On whose orders?”

Kaviya pressed her lips together.

“It’s Symerus, isn’t it?” Arvin guessed. Kaviya’s steely gaze faltered as the pieces finally clicked together in Arvin’s mind. “Cudek doesn’t pay much attention to you, but the old Mage does. And he believes in all that magic and prophecy stuff. In fact . . . doesn’t he receive visions? Like a Meraki Seer?”

“He . . . used to.”

Arvin leaned in closer. “He’s the one who told you your prophecy, isn’t he?”

Kaviya looked away, but her silence was enough of an answer.

“I get it now,” said Arvin quietly. “You’re like Sym’s little chosen-­one hero, the way that Shenli is Cudek’s. Only nobody knows about you. Shenli’s got the celebrity status, while you hide in the shadows.”

Kaviya’s pale cheeks darkened under the moonlight. “And what about Shenli? Does he know you’re only pretending to be his friend?”

Arvin straightened. “It’s . . . not like that.”

“Really? So when he finds out you’re just playing the part of goofy big brother because Cuddles told you to—­”

“I said it’s not like that.”

“Only it is. You think I don’t know about what happened on the ship?” Kaviya took a step forward. “All of your charm and jokes and teaching Shenli how to use a sword—­all of it was to get him to trust you. And then you’d report back to Cudek everything you learned.”

Arvin’s insides heated with shame. He hated that she wasn’t wrong. But it was far more complicated than Spy Maid could ever imagine.

Kaviya’s face softened. “You did nothing wrong, Commander. You were given an assignment and you followed orders. You did what you were supposed to do.”

“Sometimes orders are ridiculous, though.”

Kaviya sighed. “You might be right about the grown-­ups using us as puppets. But what they don’t know is that I use them too. And you can also. It’s all about knowing what you want in life.”

Arvin frowned. He was so used to following orders he had no idea what he wanted for himself. Did he even have the freedom to want things, with the military might of his mom lurking over his shoulder, critiquing his every move?

What did it even feel like to want things?

It seemed like a life for someone else. But not Arvin.

“You just need to find your purpose, Commander Greene.”

“Ugh. I told you not to call me that.”

“I absolutely will.”

Arvin rolled his eyes. “Let’s just get one thing straight. No matter why things started with Shenli, I do care about him.”

“Obviously.”

“And I swear, if you try to hurt him—­”

“Let’s not say anything we’re going to regret, Commander,” Kaviya cut in, her eyes flashing with warning. “Both Symerus and Cudek want Shenli alive, so he’s under double protection—­for now.”

Arvin’s eyes narrowed. “For now?”

“He has nothing to worry about, as long as he cooperates.” The not-­so-­veiled threat hung in the air for a beat. Then Kaviya nodded toward the meadow. “Best get on with our mission.”

Arvin sighed. Right. He’d almost forgotten. The two started walking through the meadow again, and Arvin took out a small dagger. He held it out and rubbed his thumb across the ruby encrusted in the silver hilt. At once, a faint golden shimmer appeared in front of him. It stretched out like an enormous glittery bubble dome. Carefully, he sliced downward and across, cutting a rectangle out of the bubble. The severed piece fell away, revealing a hole in the shimmery wall.

And through the hole, two enormous golden eyes, surrounded by dark purple dragon scales, stared back at him.

“Hi there. You must be Kado,” said Arvin. “Glad to see you made it here safely.”