The old lady observed her. “The yang in your weapons can work against the yin in the realm of the dead, but using them exposes your presence. And because your soul belongs to the land of the living, the ritual will strip most of your yangqi so that your soul can exist in the underworld for a time. That means your weapons may fail to work. Would you still go to the realm of the dead if I said you had to go unarmed?”
Rui met her gaze. “Yes.” It wasn’t just Zizi she was trying to save. Ash, her father and friends, her city and all the innocent lives—they were all relying on her.
Madam Meng seemed satisfied with her answer. “If the ritual goes as planned, ordinary souls will not be able to sense that your soul is still living, but the Kings and Guardians can,” she warned.
“You haven’t told me how to get to Naihe Bridge,” Rui said pointedly.
“Follow the river. It winds through the capital and all ten kingdoms. Go north, and where the river ends, you will find the bridge.”
“Can you draw me a map?”
Madam Meng shook her head. “I have already revealed more than I should. You are a clever mortal. I am sure you will find your way... eventually.”
Rui frowned. Everything Madam Meng said seemed to have a double meaning.
“Remember,” Madam Meng added, “this will not be a vision. It is a visit to the underworld by youractualsoul. Your mortal essence will start to deplete from the moment you arrive. Do notsleep, however tempting,for it will be a slumber you will not rise from. You have twelve hours to accomplish your goal. The Lady of the Pavilion will be waiting at Naihe Bridge to usher your soul safely back to the mortal realm. If you are late, you will not be able to cross it.”
And if I don’t make it across, my soul will be trapped in the underworld.Rui swallowed hard. “I’ve two more questions. Why are you helping me?”
“Do my reasons matter?”
“I suppose not, but indulge me since, you know”—Rui finger-gunned humorlessly—“I might die or whatever.”
“It may surprise you, but I do know how it feels to lose someone you love,” Madam Meng said almost haughtily. “I understand what it means to fight and sacrifice for them.”
It wasn’t an answer Rui had expected. Who exactlywasMadam Meng? “Second question,” she said, scraping at her ragged fingernails. “Is there a chance I could meet my mother’s soul?”
Madam Meng’s expression softened. “I do not think so. The underworld is a vast place. Souls who have led unremarkable mortal lives do not stay long in the underworld, for there is no need for prolonged judgment. It is likely that her soul has already been reborn.”
Rui hid her disappointment. “Any last words of advice?”
The old lady pushed the teacup forward. “Not advice, but cautionary wisdom. Fate is a loom, and the lives of mortals are its threads. Two souls may be fated to meet, but it does not mean they are destined to be together.”
An image flashed in Rui’s mind: a boy and a girl laughing in a room filled with books, staring up at a ceiling of false stars.
You fool. To hell with fate.
To hell with fate.
It had sounded like a promise.
“I’ll make my own fate,” she said. Feeling oddly unafraid, she picked up the cup and drank. The warm tea went down smoothly. It didn’t taste like anything at all, not even water.
Without warning, the tearoom vanished. She felt herself dropping from a great height. A scream caught in her throat, but she was falling so fast it became a gurgle.
Seconds later, she landed with a thud.
Oddly, it didn’t hurt as much as she would’ve assumed. She ran a hand across the ground. Carpet—something thick and luxurious that cushioned her fall. A bespoke scent that felt like it had the wordsambergrisandorrisandoudin its ingredient list wafted in the air. It was what she imagined an extravagant five-star hotel on an exclusive invitation-only island would smell like.
Rui got to her feet, relieved she wasn’t just a phantom this time. She was solid, and her body worked the same way it did in the human realm. And while she didn’t have her swords with her, she felt their presence.
She scanned her surroundings. The long corridor stretched on forever, and a row of doors lined both sides. Each door was made of a different material, and each had a curiouser design than the last. Subtle backlighting ran across the edges of the ceiling, and the sconces on the walls shone as if they were polished daily. There was even peaceful piano music piped in from somewhere. This wasn’t the terrifying cavern where Zizi was imprisoned. Had her soul gone off course during the tea ritual? She had to get back on track, but how?
She could try one of the doors, but there were so many. Choosing one was like playing roulette; none of them looked like they would lead to the dungeon where Zizi was kept. In the end, she settled on a simple, nondescript one, but before she could open it, the doorknob turned by itself.
A woman strode out. She had an air of efficiency, and she was dressed in a navy-blue suit and sensible shoes. She smiled brightly at Rui.
“You must be the new soul assigned to serve the King of the Fourth Court. Welcome! I wasn’t expecting you yet, but I guess it’s good you’re early. We’re shorthanded, so things have been hectic. I’m afraid I’ll need you to start right after our orientation tour. The Inner Court isverydifferent from the rest of the kingdom—lots of doors, lots of passages,different routes to different parts of the kingdom and the rest of the underworld. But don’t worry, you’ll mostly be stationed here. A map will also be uploaded to your tablet once we get you registered for one. Mind you, though, we’re expected to have all the routes memorized, so you’re only allowed the map during your two-week probation period.”
