“He had none. He was an orphan begging in the streets of the capital before the monks found him. But monastic life didn’t suit him, and he joined the army instead. The head monk of the Floating Lotus Temple was the one who hired me to bring his body home.”
The lies slipped easily from my tongue.
The soldier returned the papers without a response.
“May we pass now?” I asked.
“I’d like to examine the corpse first.”
My grip on my staff tightened. “Doing so may bring you misfortune.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
I glanced at the other guards, silently pleading for them to protest. But they only stared at the ground, clearly wanting nothing to do with corpses and bad luck.
“Why do you insist on doing this?” I asked as the fearless soldier took a step forward. “Is the governor paying you that much?”
The soldier’s glare was evident, even with her eyes concealed in shadow. “I serve the governor not for personal gain but out of loyalty. I believe in his cause, and I’ll do anything to protect it—to protect Wen. Now move aside, priestess.”
I held out my staff, instinctively, to prevent the soldier from getting any closer. At the same time, I felt a hand clutch my collar and wrench me backward—saving me from the sword aimed at my throat.
I stared at the silver blade glinting in the moonlight, mind racing to understand what had just occurred. There was the armored soldier, wielding the sword she’d drawn in response to my movement. There were the frozen guards, mouths gaping as they stared past me.
And then there was Ren, who’d revealed himself by pulling me away from danger.
I muttered a curse.
“He’s alive,” the soldier whispered, glancing between me and Ren. “I knew something was off about you. Tell me:Who is he?”
My hand found Ren’s, my gaze never leaving the officer. Ourpalms were equally hot and clammy. I murmured, “Remember what I told you in Jing Mansion?”
“Yes,” Ren said.
“Do you still trust me?”
“Of course.”
I held the female soldier’s stare. “Then run.”
“Halt!” the soldier yelled as I handed Ren my staff and yanked him toward the fields across the watchtower. This time I didn’t release my hold on his hand, knowing the consequence of losing him again.
Long, thin strands of grass whipped my face as we pounded through the field. I could hear the Wen soldiers rustling from behind us, drawing closer with every step. My sharp breaths blended with Ren’s as we picked up speed and pushed on through the field. We dashed over rocks and dented earth, steadying each other when we stumbled.
The crinkle of dried grass was soon replaced by the rumbling rush of water. The ground beneath our feet slanted and sucked against our soles. We were approaching the river.
“What’s your plan exactly?” Ren panted.
“Escape.”
“Yes, but how? We can’t keep running forever.”
He wasn’t wrong. But for once, I had no plan.
The grass thinned and eventually gave way to the riverbank, which was littered with rocks and boulders. A widespread pine on our right bowed its branches toward the water. The temperature was several degrees cooler this close to the river, chilling my sweat-coated skin. Still grasping Ren’s hand, I picked my way through the terrain softly lit by the waning moon.
My eyes latched on to a ledge looming over the wide,unforgiving river. A terrible idea began forming in my head, making me shiver harder.
“Can you swim?” I asked Ren.
