“I don’t know how she’d react to being in your dream,” Lan mused, playing with his hand. She pressed her palm to his, tipping her head to watch their fingers interlace. “ButIam pleased.” She flipped over and kissed him, speaking against his lips. “I command you to dream of me every day from now on.”
He smiled into her kiss. “I promise.”
The words had no sooner fallen from his lips than a colossal crack of qì rolled over the desert sky.
They flung on their páos and ran outside. A harsh windhad picked up, howling through the dunes; within it came the threads of demonic qì. Not just any demonic qì—the energies of a Demon God. Hand in hand, Zen and Lan turned to face the eastern sky.
“It’s coming from that way.” Lan’s voice was tight.
Zen gazed into the east. These energies did not feel like the burning qì of the Crimson Phoenix they had fought just yesterday. Which left only one Demon God to which this power could belong.
Dread crept up Zen’s throat, and for a moment, he found himself unable to speak.No, not yet,he thought, and his grip tightened on Lan’s hand.
The last time Lan had conjured the star maps, coerced by Erascius atop Öshangma Light Mountain, he had roughly derived the location of the Azure Tiger. It had been east: somewhere close to Skies’ End, where the masters had chosen to set it free rather than to let it fall into the hands of the Elantians.
That night, Erascius had escaped, likely in pursuit of the Tiger.
“This qì…,” Lan whispered.
“The Azure Tiger,” he said hoarsely.
They shared a look. There was only one reason a Demon God might suddenly erupt with such fierce demonic energies. He recognized the pattern in those energies from the night he had bound the Black Tortoise.
“Erascius found it,” Lan said with dull finality.
Without another word, she took out her ocarina and began to play the familiar tune that would conjure the star maps. With the wind rattling the silver grasses and the demonic qì rolling over them, the four star maps began to appear in the sky: crimson and azure, black and silver. Phoenix and Tiger, Tortoise and Dragon.
Briefly, Zen studied the quadrant the Crimson Phoenixoccupied, hoping to glean some clues as to its whereabouts, but it was no use: like this, it was only a jumble of stars. Neither of them were well enough trained in the Art of Geomancy to read a star map on the spot.
When Zen looked at the Tiger’s map, he noticed something. He placed a hand on Lan’s shoulder and pointed. “The Tiger—it appears to be moving.”
He couldn’t pinpoint its exact location, but he could tell that it was moving eastward; the constellations behind its form spun, very slowly, in the opposite direction.
The music stopped.
“Keep playing,” Zen said. “Please. We need to pinpoint its whereabouts.”
“It’ll take us days to read the star maps,” she replied. “You remember the last time.”
He couldn’t think of that without his stomach sinking with guilt. “Yes.”
“But we don’t need to know exactly.” Lan turned to him, her mouth a firm line. “Judging from the way the stars were rotating, the Tiger appears to be moving east. What is at the easternmost point of this kingdom? A place where, if you were a Royal Magician who had just achieved your lifetime goal of binding one of the most powerful beings in this land, you would immediately go?”
Zen exhaled sharply. “Tian’jing.” The Heavenly Capital.
Lan gave a single nod. “Erascius has sought the Demon Gods for his entire duration here. You heard him, how he wants them so he can have complete power. How he envied us Hin for being connected to all branches of qì.” She frowned, a shadow crossing her face. “If I know him at all…I think he is going to present the Tiger to the high governor in the Heavenly Palace, and that they’re going to write to their king across the sea.”
Zen nodded, his throat suddenly tight. They had considered this—Erascius binding the Azure Tiger—in their plans. They simply hadn’t anticipated that it would happen so soon.
He was seized by a sudden desire to reach for Lan’s hand. To wrap his fingers around hers and hold her by his side for as many more heartbeats as possible.
Instead, Zen swallowed and closed his fingers into a fist.
“Listen to me very carefully.” He didn’t know how he managed to speak in a moment like this, but he continued. If he thought of anything else, he might begin to regret his choice. “There is a group of disciples and masters—Master Nur and the Nameless Master—back at my base in the Northern Steppes. I will send them to you.” She began to speak, but he cut her off. “Some of the older disciples may be able to fight, but many are young. They need somewhere safe to stay. Can you promise me to take care of them?”
She was looking at him in a way that might break his heart. Tears gathered in her eyes; she blinked, refusing to acknowledge them. Instead, Lan pressed her lips together and nodded. “We must leave, too. Hóng’yì will have felt this binding. He’ll make his move not long after. It won’t be safe here anymore.”
“It won’t,” he agreed.
