“There was no deception. Yiran hasn’t been able to do magic since he was a kid.”
“I believe that is what you believe. Regardless, it’s now clear the boy is dangerous. We traced the deviant eruption of spiritual energy at the teahouse back to him. He’s responsible for the explosion, the destruction to property and any casualties. He is a hazard to our society, especially if he’s with the Hybrids.”
“Again, respectfully,” Ash said, barely controlling his tone, “my brother would never join the Hybrids.”
“Since you think he’s innocent, will you locate him and bring him in?” the Councilwoman said. “We can grant you the resources you need. Our main objective is to find Song Yiran. Rescuing the hostages is of secondary importance, but should it happen simultaneously with the successful capture of the boy, the Council will be satisfied. When we have him, we shall have the truth. If he is innocent, as you say he is, don’t you think it would be good for him to have the Council’s support?”
Ash could hear the triumph in her voice. She’d trapped him. He’d walked into the room with a goal to win, and he would walk out seemingly having achieved it. A rescue mission had been authorized, but there were strings attached.
“Understood. My thanks to the Council,” he said, cursing them in his head.
The smooth voice of the hulking Council member called out as Ash turned to leave. “One last question, Captain.”
Ash felt the Council’s eyes on him as he faced them again.
The Council member continued. “Can we trust you to be impartial on the matter of your brother, should things go awry?”
Were they asking if he would take Yiran out of the equation if the situation called for it?
“My loyalty is to the Guild,” he lied effortlessly, without missing a beat.
53
Rui
Rui’s throat was painfully dry and her head full of cobwebs when she woke from what felt like an extremely long nap. She remembered crossing Naihe Bridge but nothing else after.
Weird.
Unfolding her stiff limbs, she stretched out on the familiar-looking armchair. The well-worn leather was soft, molding to her shape like she’d been curled up on it for some time. She was wearing a pajama top two sizes too big. It had blue and white stripes and tiny hearts printed on it—something she was positive she would never put on herself.
This wasn’t Madam Meng’s tearoom in The Reverie. Where was she?
She blinked dully in the bright sunshine, finding herself in the parlor of an interesting shophouse instead. Light streamed through the skywell above, and the glistening water in the stone fountain in the middle of the room gurgled happily. Wind chimes tinkled, and a soothing scent of lemongrass incense and fresh coffee beans drifted in the air. There were stacks of funeral paraphernalia on the bookshelves, a short flight of steps in the corner leading to the second level, and paintings on the wall.
Rui flinched when she saw an illustration of a woman crawling out of a crab with her limbs bleeding. It reminded her too much of the murals in the frightening underworld temple. Her heart raced. But sheknewshe had escaped and that she was back in the mortal realm.
She tensed. She wasn’t alone.
Someone was whistling.
Quietly, she drew a sword from her bag. The whistling grew louder, accompanied by the lazy sound of flip-flops slapping the ground.
A lean, broad-shouldered boy with silvery-white streaks in his dark hair entered the parlor. He was wearing a pair of pajamas pants thatmatched Rui’s shirt, a white tank top, and a black bat-winged cardigan that looked familiar. Rings shone on his fingers, and there was a short silver chain with a plastic figurine of a cute cartoon ghost with pink dots on its cheeks dangling from his ear.
But it was the boy’s eyes that caught her attention. They were lovely, framed by dark lashes. His right iris was a beautiful wintry blue, but his left had a large blot of black.
Giving her an overly friendly wink, he said, “The sleeping beauty is awake at last.”
Rui tightened her grip on her sword.
“You’ve been out like a light for the last two days. I guess the journey across the bridge was pretty taxing.” He laughed to himself. “I’m still amazed that you made it through the Forest and the bridge in one piece—I guess you truly have been touched by the light of stars and it gave you protection somehow.” When she said nothing, the boy teased, “Don’t worry, you didn’t snore at all. I brought you back here from my grandmother’s—” He frowned briefly. “She’s not my grandmother anymore, but you know...” He shrugged.
“No, I don’t know. That’s the problem,” Rui said sharply. Who was this inconveniently attractive boy? And why was he acting like they knew each other well? Or worse,intimately?
The boy looked puzzled, making her more confused in turn. “I hope you’re hungry. I made breakfast. Buttered toast and eggs—over easy, right? I got some berries too; antioxidants are good for human bodies. I should probably make a fresh cup of coffee. You look like you need—”
“Stop talking, juststop!” Fully exasperated, Rui got to her feet. The boy’s endless prattling, the fact that she was wearinghisclothes, the presumptuous way he was speaking to her... It all implied adomesticitybetween them that was baffling.
