“The feeling is mutual.”
We both eye Hell’s Jade Palace in the distance. It’s as good a starting point as any. Surely its jarring green glow must be some measure of its significance.
“Let’s head over there,” I say.
He takes the lead without discussion, his long strides making it difficult to keep pace. Something tells me that our reluctant alliance will test every ounce of my limited patience.
“Don’t fall behind, Fox,” Sonam calls over his shoulder. “Don’t expect me to carry you.”
I bite my tongue and swallow my growing anger.
Oh, I cannot wait to eat him.
9Yue
Hunting Log #375:
If what it says about being born of human suffering is true, this could explain the increased demon sightings after every flood, famine, and battle. I’ll have to corroborate my findings with the palace historians upon my return.
A troubling thought, this. Could it be that my work may never truly be done?
The captain and I havebeen wandering for hours, venturing through the narrow streets of this empty city in bitter silence. Even in the gloomy green glow of the Jade Palace, I can see that every building, canal, and bridge stands as they do above. The path forward lies unobstructed, our destination clear. It’s almost identical to the one on the mortal plane.
Almost.
No matter how many turns we take and roads we follow, we always seem to find ourselves back where we started. Something strange is going on. What, precisely, I cannot say.
Sonam reaches for something in one of the pouches attached to his belt. Is he trying for a weapon? One of those blasted needles coated in poison? I’d rather not deal with one of those again.
To my surprise, he pulls out a thick notebook bound between two pressed covers of bamboo, its spine tied precisely with twine. He flips open to one of the pages, his brows furrowing as he studies its contents before shutting it once more.
“What is that?” I ask.
“None of your business, Fox.”
His tone is the cold, sharp edge of broken glass. Striking me across my face would be more polite. Prying information out of him is going to be like pulling teeth. I suppose I should be content with his standoffishness. I’m going to kill him sooner or later, so getting to know him serves no purpose.
I want to make a mess of him. Will I be satisfied tearing him limb from limb? Maybe I should make him scream first. What pleasure can I find clawing pathetic cries from his lungs and scraping tears from his eyes? I’ll make him regret everything—every injury, every nasty word.
Turning toward the rickety wooden hut to my left, I tilt my head back to inspect the roof tiles. They look sturdy enough. The question is if I have the strength remaining to pull myself up. Even when I jump, I’m two heads too short of grabbing the ledge.
“What do you think you’re doing?” the captain asks gruffly.
“Dancing—what does it look like?” I reply dryly. “I need a better look, so give me a lift.”
“No.”
I take a deep breath and swallow my simmering fury. Is this what insanity feels like? “Heaven forbid you should break a nail.” When the captain once again meets me with silence, I roll my eyes. “I’m not going to run off, if that’s what you’re worried about. You’ve trapped me in a blood oath, remember?”
The muscles in his jaw tick, but he makes no move to help me. I turn away with a huff and try again, this time giving myself a running start. It’s no small accomplishment when I clamber onto theroof of the building, my new vantage point offering a much better sense of the labyrinthine layout of the city.
That’s when I notice something most curious.
The walls move of their own volition like a nest of gray snakes, or perhaps a knot of ashen worms, slithering and shifting as one giant creature. The roof tilesclick-click-clackas they rearrange themselves, terra-cotta vertebrae snapping back into alignment. No wonder we haven’t been making any progress. There’s magic here. Magic that’s actively conspiring against us, keeping us trapped in an endless loop. It would have driven me to madness, had I not discovered the truth.
“What do you see?” Sonam shouts up at me.
I glower at him. What I wouldn’t give to run off on my own. Dragging a human everywhere is only going to slow me down. It’s such a shame that blood oaths are unbreakable. There is no loophole, no clever wording to sway things to my favor. This magic is absolute and binding. The one I have with the Maskmaker has yet to release its hold, in fact.
