“Lian,” Heng said softly.
Leander stopped, caught in some distant past where he’d heard that voice whisper his name from the other side of the bed.But the name had been different then, as had Leander.Their time was over.He remembered an old saying he’d heard once.Distance tested a horse’s strength; time tested a person’s character.His character had significant cracks, and he couldn’t afford to indulge in the fantasy that he and Heng could rekindle a relationship.Heng’s pity and Leander’s regrets were a pitiable foundation for a relationship.
“I am making a life for myself and my son.I must do that without you because your path is at the school.”The state of the house made it clear that Heng never came to the village.
“I asked Master Teacher Wang to test you for admission.”
“You know how unlikely it is that an outsider could join.”Their sifu in Chongqing had never given either of them his name because he considered teaching outsiders shameful.He had been dismissed from some sect, or that was the rumor, and he taught outsiders because the alternative was to starve.However, a reputable sect would never accept Leander as a member.
“I know how unlikely it is that an outsider possesses enough magic for Master Teacher Wang to notice him as he meditated in the hills,” Heng countered.
Leander sighed.“Do not risk your reputation by endorsing me.You have done enough, and I can create a life for myself and my son, without bringing shame to you.”Leander turned to the donkey’s reins.A few plants were close enough for him to gather as he walked toward the stream he had felt.There would be reeds there, and he needed to replace the worn basket Yang’s surly servant had given him.
“Leander,” Heng whispered, the old name caught on the air between them.They stood so close their breath mingled.
Leander smiled sadly.“I will always appreciate what you have done for me.You’ve given me a chance at life, and I will do everything I can to repay that.”He retreated, and Heng let him go.It hurt, but Leander turned his back on his old friend, his old lover, and walked the donkey away.
The stream was easy to find.It was a slow-moving snake winding around trees and spilling over rocks.Leander gathered his robes and held them close so he could squat and touch the tender reeds standing at the edge of the water.
Why had he been such a fool as a young man?What made him think he could change the world?Leander tangled his magic with the reeds, causing them to weave around each other.The work was simpler than he’d expected.When Heng had first offered him sanctuary, Leander had taken offense.He planned to go home and make the mundanes respect magic users.Druwolf would lead a revolution, and together they would save the country.
Even without stepping foot in America, Heng had seen a truth Leander had been blind to.The reeds twisted into a circle before curling into a complex weave for the bottom.Where would his life have gone if he had chosen better back then?The sides of the basket coiled into wings and then crane bodies.Leander hadn’t intentionally chosen the pattern, but it mirrored the wings on Heng’s hair crown.
“I’m pathetic,” Leander whispered.He wanted to burn Master Yang’s house down just because he was in a bad mood.Instead, he moved several feet downstream and started a new basket, guiding the reeds into a wider base before weaving the sides with dragons that could destroy villages.No.Countries.Leander’s fantasy dragons could destroy entire continents.They would swallow them whole, erasing them from history so completely that all the mistakes, all the regrets, all the memories vanished too.
Chapter Nine
Leander stopped atthe house to unload an ungodly number of baskets from the obstreperous donkey.Maybe Leander was pitiful and without a future, but at least he poured his despondency into weaving baskets and not chasing chemical highs.He found Auntie Daiyu squatting nearby, watching his house.
Leander bowed.“Auntie Daiyu, I hope you have not waited for me.”
“It is nothing.I am curious how Yang Xiangren, the old cheapskate, has treated you today.”
She had definitely gotten a report from someone in Yang’s household.Leander untied the finest of the baskets he had woven in his little self-pity session.It was round and tall with straight sides and phoenixes woven into the pattern.He had made it near the end of his crafty freak out when he’d been trying to convince himself that he was making better choices now.“Thank you, Auntie Daiyu, for helping me obtain a job.”He held it out.“I hope you can accept my simple gift.”
She took the basket, running her fingers along the largest phoenix with reverence.“This is beautiful work.”
