My lotus sword pulses in my hands. When I look down at the blade, I have to blink several times before I believe what I’m seeing.
Lady Shi’ya’s face gazes out at me, her eyes gentle and soft, exuding an ageless wisdom. By her side, smiling up at me with the black eyes and sharp, strong features I inherited…is my father.
The blade shimmers gently, and again, a voice—a mixture of their voices—speaks in my mind.
You began on the path we set out for you, yet you have accomplished and become so much more. Walk your own path, Àn’ying, and remember that we are always with you in your heart.
With another ripple, they vanish, and I’m left staring at my own reflection.
I lower the sword and lift my gaze to my mother’s battalion.
Mybattalion.
And I hold up a hand.
The warriors fall silent, hundreds of sets of eyes coming to focus on me. I draw a deep breath.
“Warriors of the Kingdom of Sky,” I begin. “My name is Hé Àn’ying. I am the daughter of the immortal Yi’lín Shi’ya and the mortal general Hé Zhàn.”
A murmur of interest—and confusion—rises in the battalion of immortals.
“My birth parents are dead, killed in the war that the Kingdom of Night inflicted first upon the mortal realm and now upon yours. Lady Shi’ya bequeathed her title, position, and spirit weapon to me before departing our world.” I sweep my gaze across the crowd as I lift my lotus sword as proof. More chatter hums through the crowd. “And today, I am calling for your help to retaliate in the war against the Kingdom of Night by allying with the Kingdom of Rivers, whose heir Hào’yáng, the son of the late emperor and empress and prince to the mortal throne, awaits us with an army of his own in the mortal realm.
“For ten years, the mó have been gaining ground and gaining power with the gateway they opened into the Kingdom of Rivers. They leach the life energies from my realm, pulling it into night. This fuels their strength, enabling them to progress farther into the Kingdom of Sky with every passing day.
“I know how to stop them.” I tighten my grip on the hilt of my sword. “I know the source of the gateway the mó use to keep their grasp on the mortal realm. And I know how to break it. The key to doing so lies in the mortal realm’s Imperial City, where a gateway can be opened to connect the Kingdomof Rivers to the Kingdom of Night. This gateway can only be created by a halfling born of the last mortal emperor and the demon queen. The blood that flows through his veins can join the two realms together permanently.” My hands are fisted. “We kill him and we sever the gateway once and for all, crippling the Kingdom of Night’s power.”
A stillness has befallen my audience. Every eye is on me, every face focused with rapt attention.
Emboldened, I step up onto a table fashioned from an old tree trunk in the front of the open-air pavilion. “But the Kingdom of Night now controls your wards. The only way out from here is through the Temple of Dawn.” I straighten slightly, glancing down at the flat of my blade where Bà’s face appeared to me only moments ago. “My father was a general of the Kingdom of Rivers’ armies before he died in the war. My strategy follows a principle of war he once taught me:Lure the tiger away from the mountain and strike.
“We gather all our forces for a battle at the Temple of Dawn. We force the Kingdom of Night to summon all their forces to this battle, weakening their guard back in the Imperial City.
“That is where I will go with Prince Hào’yáng and his army to sever the Kingdom of Night’s gateway.
“When that is complete, Prince Hào’yáng will ascend the mortal throne to claim his rightful title as emperor. We will have the allegiance of the dragon realm, and the mortal army will join forces with yours to finish this war.”
I end my speech, and a long silence stretches out. In the distance, the clouds stir, covering the sun.
“How do we know your words are to be trusted?” a general asks, her voice slicing through the air like a sword. I recognize her as General Shè’sheng, commander of the SongShooters—legendary archers whose arrows travel faster than sound and song.
I’m not certain how to answer, for the truth is, I have no proof of what I’ve said. No proof that I am Lady Shi’ya’s daughter but for the lotus sword in my hand.
“Because we of the Eight Immortals stand with her and testify that she speaks true,” comes a familiar voice that rumbles like a thunderclap. A sharp wind rises, and in the next moment, Dòng’bin alights on a wisp of iridescent cloud, his somber scholar’s robes billowing, his red-tasseled sword hanging by his waist.
“Because Honorable Immortal Shi’ya’s vessel has accepted her and summoned you to follow her in this war,” says Cai’hé, appearing in a flourish of peach blossoms by my side. They throw me a wink.
“And because Hé Àn’ying has rightfully ascended to the position of the Eighth Immortal,” says Jing’xiù, who alights from his red-crowned crane, bamboo scepter magically amplifying his lofty announcer’s voice. “And today, those of us gathered here pledge our allegiance to her.” He gives me a raised-eyebrow look, as though to say,Surprised?
That would be an understatement.
Xiang’zi follows with a trill of his magic flute; last to arrive is Guo’lao, with light taps of his fish drum. Missing are Zhong’lì and Tie’guai, whose stances against my claiming my title seem not to have changed.
Yet as five of the Eight come to stand by my side, a rush of gratitude sweeps through me. Though none but Cai’hé show any trace of friendliness, their support has made allies of us, and we are united in our respect for Lady Shi’ya and our common goal in this war.
I turn to them and incline my head.
And before the eyes of hundreds of immortal generals and warriors, Dòng’bin meets my gaze and bows back.
