“With the wakwak disposed of, I think it’s only fitting we celebrate with a game,” Qian said. “Talking about Xiaolong with you stirred something inside me. I was hoping you’d like to join us.”
At her brother’s name, Nix’s eyebrows rose. She might not have expected Qian to share his story with me. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “More hunting?” I guessed.
The corner of Qian’s mouth lifted. “Not quite. Today, we’re doing a scavenger hunt.”
“Ooh!” Amador’s voice chimed loudly across the lawn, and I turned to see her fluttering over, dressed like a bird of paradise in her rainbow-colored sundress with flowers in her hair. Lucas, I noted, trailed behind her looking somewhat annoyed. His eyes met mine briefly before he occupied them on the horizon. Guilt about our secret kiss in the cave churned in my gut, but I swallowed thickly and bit my tongue.
“May we join you?” Amador asked.
“Fantastic, Duchess,” Qian said. “Make it a friendly match between kingdoms. Good sportsmanship and all. How about we split into teams of two, and whichever kingdom finds the prize first wins?”
“Sounds fun!” Amador said, glancing my way. “Will Her Majesty be joining us, too?”
My first instinct was not to play. I was worrying so much about becoming a manananggal, I could hardly think about anything else.But if I didn’t play, it wouldn’t help Nix stay in Biringan City. I needed to keep playing host, make it seem like I was a good queen, that I had everything under control. Qian needed to be assured that Nix was safe in our kingdom, that she didn’t need to go back to Jade Mountain. So, for the sake of diplomacy, I nodded. At least it would be a temporary distraction from the chaos swarming in my head.
“I’m staying here,” Lucas said.
That seemed to take Amador by surprise, because she whipped around. “Why?”
“I don’t want to play,” he said. “I’ve got work to do.”
I realized that if Romulo had dropped off the book to my room, maybe he had come through with whatever Lucas needed from him, too.
“Come on, Sir Lucas,” Qian goaded. “You can afford to take some time off.”
Lucas narrowed his eyes so slightly, it almost went unnoticed. “I’ve made up my mind. Excuse me.” He left without a glance back.
If Qian was disappointed, he didn’t show it. “That leaves Her Highness and the grand duchess,” Qian said.
“What about Nix?” I asked.
“Nix is with Jade Mountain,” said Qian. “Or is that going to be a problem?”
I bit my tongue. “She can join whichever team she likes.”
But Nix stepped away from the group. “I’m not playing, either,” she said. “I’m busy, too. I’m going back to study in the infirmary.” She gave me an apologetic look before she, too, left.
“The teams are unfair,” Amador said, her voice bordering on whining. “Jade Mountain has the advantage.”
“I think having the queen herself on your team is more than enough to even the odds,” Qian said, giving me a charming smile.
I didn’t have the energy to tell if he was flirting with me or not.
“What are we looking for, exactly?” I asked. My thoughts were cloudy, and the only thing I could think about was getting away from here.
“Rumor has it that there’s a pink azalea that grows in these jungles, a rare flower that feeds off the magical springs and smells like your one true love. Find one and bring it back here before nightfall to win…a kiss.”
His eyes danced when he said it.
True love…Yara’s words came back to me. A vow of true love could break the curse. But was it enough? Lucas had kissed me in the cave, and I was still cursed. Had that kiss not been a vow? Or did he really not love me enough for it to work?
“So if we lose, we have to kiss you?” Amador said with a sneer.
“If you win, we get to kiss you, too.”
If I had been less sleep-deprived and distracted, I might have said no, but I nodded before I could stop myself. I didn’t care about a kiss. Yara’s words still haunted me.
Qian’s smile widened.
