The offer is tempting. It has been my dream ever since I was a child to rejoin my family here in the capital. I would no longer have to live life in the periphery of the king’s attention, but front and center where I might flourish.
Then I think it over. Yes, it would be lovely to live in a palace where my meals are provided for me at all hours. To wear lavish clothes and jewelry and want for nothing.
But that isn’t who I am. I have no interest in the internal politicking of the courts or the formality of palace life. Everything I truly want can’t be found within these jade walls. What I want is out there—beneath the jungle canopy, the endless skies, and the soft grass beneath my feet.
“I must thank you for such a generous offer,” I say slowly. “But I cannot accept it.”
Father nods, as if expecting this answer. “Then I must ask you to continue your hard work, Hunter of Jian. Have you been informed of the demons who escaped?”
“I have. Rest assured, I’ll deal with every last one.”
“Every last one?” he asks, glancing out the latticed window toward a pair of pointed white ears poking out just above the windowsill. They twitch at his words. I wouldn’t be surprised if Yue’s been listening this entire time.
“Maybe noteverylast one,” I say.
He places a hand on my shoulder and nods with approval. “Then I hereby task you with ridding our kingdom of its plight, though the Jade Palace will always welcome you, should you require rest.”
I dip my head in lieu of a proper bow. “Thank you, Father.”
The king stands and turns to leave, sliding the door open himself to step outside. He looks to his right at someone just out of view. “Take care of him,” he says before walking away altogether.
Yue rounds the corner, padding across the wooden floor at a leisurely pace. There’s a bounce in her step and a wag to her tails. She makes her way to my bedside and allows me to reach out, lifting her mask to place it gingerly upon her face. Once she’s transformed, Yue takes a seat on the edge of my bed with a mischievous smile.
“How much of that did you hear?” I ask her.
“Only all of it,” she replies coyly. “Personally, I think you’re a fool to pass up an opportunity to live in the palace.”
I laugh softly. “Between you and me, I’ve seen enough jade to last a lifetime.”
“So, you’re rather attached to me, hmm?” she says softly.
“Eavesdropping is rude, I’ll have you know,” I say, though my words lack any real heat.
Yue snorts. “To be fair, you were speaking very loudly.”
“Was I? I can hardly hear myself beneath all these bandages.” I reach up to touch the linen covering the right side of my face. It’s terribly itchy. “We should call for a doctor to change them.”
“Allow me,” she says.
Yue moves with grace, unwrapping the bandages with an intense concentration. Little by little, the pressure eases. I can finally open both my eyes, and though there’s a noticeable tenderness to my skin, there’s no pain. The heavy smell of ointment and herbs hits my nose. The palace doctors must have tried their best to heal the burns, but to no avail. I don’t have to look in a mirror to know the true extent of my injuries, but that doesn’t stop my morbid curiosity.
“Is it terrible?” I ask her with a grimace.
She stares at me for much too long. I can’t discern what she’s thinking. After a while, she brings her fingers to the line of my jaw, making sure not to touch the burn itself. Yue doesn’t seem alarmed or disgusted by what she sees. Instead, she slowly breaks into a smile.
“We match,” she whispers.
Two simple words, and yet they mean more than the entire world. She sees what I am, just as I see her—despite our flaws, or perhaps even because of them. I comb my fingers through her hair and let her lean in close, kissing her as tenderly as I dare. It isn’t long, however, before things give way to an uncontrollable heat.
She kisses like she fights. Fast. Aggressive. I can’t say that I mind. I enjoy it, in fact, because it means I can be just as rough and greedy in return. My hand roams, coming to rest at the nape of her neck as she nips at my bottom lip. Too hard. I pull back with a hiss, the taste of iron coating my tongue.
“Sorry,” Yue says quickly, her eyes wide in mortification. She shakes her head, begins to pull away. “I’m so sorry, I—”
“Do it again.”
She stares at me, stunned. Her smile returns, delightfully mischievous, before she hooks her arm around my neck and pulls me back to her.
Logic might dictate that this is hardly the time nor place forsuch a passionate embrace, but I might argue that it is, in fact, perfect. I was foolish for not kissing her sooner.
