“What’s your plan?” Anshi shouted through the mayhem.
“I don’t have one,” I yelled back, struggling to retain my control over the skeletons while also dodging flying weapons and falling men. “Only find the prince and—”
“—kill him?” Anshi finished for me. “Are you sure you can do that?”
“I will.” I clenched the peach staff in my hand, the only thing left of my father. “I must.”
Anshi said nothing more as we raced up the long flight ofstairs toward the hall. We were halfway there when a robed figure appeared at the top landing and rushed down to meet us, followed on both sides by heavily armed guards.
As we drew close, I recognized the sneering, whiskered face of Official Yi, the man who’d sent me on this journey just three weeks ago. Looking to be in his sixties, he was dressed in a belted deep-violet pao with a silver crane emblazoned on his chest. He didn’t even glance at the battle at the bottom of the stairs.
“Mistress Kang,” he greeted, looking down his nose at me. “You shouldn’t be here.”
I gave him a daggered smile. “You haven’t paid me the remaining balance of your debt.”
“It will be sent to your home.”
“I’ve decided I want something other than money.”
He tucked his hands into his flowing sleeves, scowling. “And what is that?”
“I’ll tell you after I’ve seen Prince Liqin. It’s something only he can give.”
“The prince is currently in a meeting with his ministers. You’ll have to come back another time.”
“A meeting?” I exchanged a look with Anshi. Surely this meeting had something to do with the royal seal and Liqin’s claim to the throne. “Is the king there as well?”
“The king recently suffered a stroke and has been confined to bedrest,” said the official, not looking very concerned. “Prince Liqin has temporarily taken on his duties. As I said, he is very busy and has no time to see you.”
A stroke? Had Liqin gone so far as to poison his own father too?
I was no fan of the king, but if he wasn’t strong enough tocontrol his eldest son, what might Liqin do? If the officials accepted him as heir, the states of Sian and Wen would both suffer. We couldn’t let that happen.
“He must be in that hall,” Anshi murmured, gesturing with her head at the grand building behind Official Yi. “We have to get insidenow.”
I nodded, taking another step up. “My apologies, Official Yi, but the prince’s meeting will have to wait.”
“Ah-ah.” The official held up a hand, which prompted his guards to raise their weapons. “Are you sure you want to go barging in on the prince when there’s another matter that requires your attention?”
I halted. “What matter?”
He smirked. “Let’s just say the item you were meant to deliver is here now, in this very palace. Unfortunately, it’s not in the best condition, and I fear I must dispose of it soon.”
“What item? I never—”
I stiffened as I realized what he meant. Ren was here. I’d told him to run away and live freely, but he’d somehow ended up back at the palace. And judging by Official Yi’s veiled threat, he was no longer safe in his former home.
“He must’ve followed his brother too,” Anshi muttered, reading my mind.
My hand fisted at my side. The fool. Why had he done something so reckless? Had he intended to steal back the royal seal? To confront Liqin for his crimes?
Knowing Ren, the answer was yes to both questions. And as for why he’d wanted to do it—my chest twinged at the truth.I’m falling in love with you, he’d said. And I’d accused him of being a liar.
But he hadn’t been lying about that.
What an absolute fool.
I glowered at the official’s smug face. “Where is he?”
