A bright searing light had exploded when the Revenant touched her that night. The force flung her against a fence, driving a piece of barbed wire into her leg. She’d passed out. When she finally woke, the Revenant was nowhere to be seen. She was lying on the street, weak and in pain, the blood from her leg seeping into the cracks on the ground, every muscle in her body hurting as if she’d been rammed by a truck. Too distraught to move or call for help, she had lain there, staring numbly at her mother’s cold body.
A pair of eyes appeared. Light in the darkness. A boy her age. Scrawny, dark-haired, wearing checkered pajamas and that off-kilter grin.
Don’t be afraid. I’m here, he whispered, and took her hand.
Rui thought she was hallucinating from blood loss. But the boy was real, and he saved her.
Present-day Zizi cleared his throat loudly. He was taller now, his frame filled in with sinewy muscle. But he was still the same boy she had met four years ago: his head tilting at an angle whenever he looked at her, his eyes alit with curiosity as if he’d stumbled into a wondrous new world.
He brushed his earlobe with his fingers. It was an unsubtle gesture.
Rui cracked a reluctant smile. Instead of his usual silver hoop earrings, he was wearing the ones she’d gotten him as a joke. They were plastic cartoon ghosts dangling from short silver chains. The ghosts had pink dotson their cheeks—blushingghosts. He’d called them childish, but he wore them from time to time.
Rui sighed to herself. She was wrong. He wasn’t a charming serial killer. More like a Doberman puppy that had grown too large to be cute. Trained to be a guard dog but one that still loved playing fetch with an old squeaky toy.
Beaming, Zizi spread his arms.
Rui ignored him. She turned and went back into the shophouse, listening to the lazy flapping sound of Zizi’s flip-flops as he followed her.
“No hug?” he called from behind as they entered the kitchen.
Rui heard his pout. “We don’t hug.”
Zizi swiveled in front of her. “Did I agree to that?”
She elbowed him away. He laughed and leaned against the kitchen island, stretching languidly. She tried not to stare as his pajama top rode up, exposing a strip of smooth skin above his hip.
“You’re extra grouchy today,” Zizi said. “Did something happen at school?”
“You should’ve left the windows open,” Rui said, looking around. “Where’s Mao? Please don’t tell me you kept her inside with all that incense smoke.”
“Is that what you’re unhappy about?” Zizi called out in a higher register. “Mah-aaooo.”
There was a tinkling sound.
A dark ball of fur bounded into the kitchen. Mao jumped onto the marble island, purring as she headbutted Zizi’s arm. He scratched the black cat’s head affectionately. “See? She’s absolutely fine. Does my favorite apprentice feel better now?”
Rui cradled Mao in her arms. “I’m not your apprentice. I’m a Xingshan cadet.”
“It’s tragic that those knuckleheads got to you.” Zizi never failed to remind her of his disappointment that she had joined the Academy.
Burying her face into Mao’s warm fur, Rui grumbled, “Why do you keep mocking the Academy?”
“You know why,” Zizi retorted, ticking off his fingers as he spoke. “First, the Academy is connected to the Guild, and those elitist jerks think they’re better than everyone else because the normies depend on them for security. Second, the Guild wants to control how magic is used, so they force kids to join the Academy, where they get indoctrinated and molded into mindless little soldiers. Magic should be free; magic should be explored. We need to experiment and forge a new way forward if we want to get rid of the Revenants for good and—”
“Wedon’t knowif we can ever get rid of the Revenants for good,” Rui interrupted. “They exist because of the Blight, and no one knows what it is exactly or how to stop it from spreading. The fact is, everyone does depend on Exorcists to keep them safe, and I’m far from a mindless little soldier. The Academy doesn’t force us to do anything. You would know this if you’d bothered to enroll.”
Their eyes met. The darker pair challenging, the lighter ones amused.
Life for people with high yangqi was full of danger. Rui didn’t have to say it. Zizi knew that. Revenants were drawn to him the same way they were drawn to her. If he didn’t know how to defend himself, he’d be a sitting duck.
There were two ways to learn magic: the Academy or the underground magic community. The Academy and the Guild promised glory and respectability—and vengeance—everything Rui craved. She had made her choice, and Zizi had made his a long time ago.
Zizi ticked off another finger. “Lastly, the Academy uniforms are an eyesore.”
“Then why are you hanging out with me?” Rui muttered, setting the cat on the floor.
“You’re useful.”
