It’s interesting that he has chosen this type of decor for his private chambers. The books and scrolls tucked in his bookshelves, the lacquered-wood furniture with inlaid gold and mother-of-pearl patterns, even the pale-blue sheen to the gauze drapes…we could be enjoying a twilight meal in the Kingdom of Rivers.
I help myself to pickled fish and steamed egg. Perhaps it is the light from the lamps hanging overhead—real candles lit within—or perhaps it is something else, but I feel warmer than I have in a long time. “You should do this more often,” I say, gesturing around. “It chases away the cold and the dark.”
“I didn’t have a way to replace the candles after using them. The fires in my realm burn from magic, not wax, and I’m not permitted in the mortal realm without reason.” Yù’chén pauses, glancing at me over the rim of his teacup. “Perhaps once I claim the mortal throne and stabilize the gateway between the two, we could have meals in the mortal realm.”
Suddenly, I’m not hungry anymore.
“Àn’ying.” Yù’chén places his teacup down on the table. “I wanted to ask you about what you said last night. About our alliance.”
My hands automatically go to my crescent blades. They’ve been strapped to the inside of my wrists ever since I rescued them from Xisenyin last night.
“Àn’ying,” Yù’chén repeats, and I look up at him. A wry smile curves his lips as he glances at my hands. “Are you wishing you stabbed me last night while you had the chance?”
My grip tightens. I must admit, last night, sitting in the dark with him wounded and weakened, it briefly occurred to me that I could overpower him and escape the Kingdom of Night.
But that thought was fleeting, born from an old instinct. I spent the rest of the night listening to make sure he was still breathing. Hoping that the healing talisman and spirit energies I poured into him were enough.
“That would have been rather foolish of me,” I say, holding his gaze. “I’d have ended our alliance before it truly began.”
Yù’chén falls very still. Only his finger twitches against his teacup. “Then are you officially agreeing to work with me?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Well. You could still stab me and run for it.”
“And get eaten alive by Xisenyin and your fellow mó? No, thanks.” I sigh and loosen my fingers from the hilts of my blades, setting my hands on the table again. “I’m working with you only so that I can protect the Kingdom of Rivers. And if I find you’re deceiving me in any way,thenI’ll stab you.”
He lets out a startled chuckle and covers his mouth with his hand, but then he’s leaning back against his chair and holding his stomach as he laughs.
I stare at him. “What’s so funny? I meant it.”
Yù’chén purses his lips. “I know,” he says, and he’s grinning at me. I haven’t seen him smile like this in a long time—since our days in the immortal realm together. “That’s why.”
I roll my eyes and take a bite of a glutinous rice ball.
“I’m glad you have your stinger back, little scorpion,” Yù’chén says.
I raise an eyebrow. “You mean you enjoy threats and attitude?”
His smile fades slightly. “When you first arrived, you were a shell of yourself. I didn’t know what to do, so I figured I would try to check on you, even if you hated me. Having you react angrily to me was better than having no reaction from you at all.”
I draw a sharp breath. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
“I’m sorry.” He laces his fingers together. “I’m sorry that I can’t change everything, Àn’ying. But I swear to you, I’ll do everything in my power to give you what I can of the world you wanted.”
“Then make the covenant with me,” I say. “Before we meet Sansiran tonight. And in front of your entire court, announce the four conditions we discussed.” I pause and draw a deep, swift breath before I finish. “Then I’ll tell you the method to ascending the mortal throne and being accepted by the land of the Kingdom of Rivers.”
Yù’chén is watching me with an intensity that burns. “So you do know the secret to claiming the throne,” he says quietly.
I hold his gaze, all but confirming with my silence.
Yù’chén’s gaze is brighter than I have seen in a long time. “I accept,” he says softly. Starlight dances across his face as he reaches beneath the table and draws out a lacquered-wood box. “A formal token of appreciation for our alliance,” he says, and there’s a teasing drawl to his tone. “Let us first prepare for our appearance tonight in the Court of the Aurora. Take your time. Whenever you’re ready to make the covenant, come find me outside.”
—
Yù’chén has gifted me a gown. It’s an ethereal thing: rippling fabric of shifting blues with small, glittering diamonds sewn in. It fits effortlessly over me, spilling down my curves in layers ofsilks and gauzes so that I look like I’m dressed in the colors of a midnight sea. Stitched throughout are cherry blossoms, and when I move, it is as though the flowers are carried by star-strewn tides.
And inside my sleeves are three slots, one for each of my remaining crescent blades.
