Page 60

“Do you promise?”

A heartbeat of hesitation before I nodded. I hated lying to him, but if the governor found this place deserted, he might leave before we could apprehend him. Every moment I bought with this farce increased our chance of capturing him.

My heart thudded as I watched Prince Yanming and the soldiers slip through the back of the tent, disappearing into the safety of the forest. Only then did a little of my tension ease. I sat down to wait, agitated at doing nothing while outside, blood soaked the sand. We had hoped to trap Governor Renyu, but he had caught us unaware by the ferocity of his attack and the sea monsters under his command.

Tossing off my sodden coat, I pulled out a bow and quiver, placing them on the table within reach. Part of me wanted to clap my palms over my ears to drown the clash of steel, the screams, and groans. How much longer could I bear this? When a loud cry pierced the air, I dashed to the entrance—stumbling to a stop as the silhouette of a limp form slumped against the tent walls.

The flap lifted. A figure loomed in the entrance. I took a step back, my body stiff with anxiety.

“You must be Lady Anmei.” Governor Renyu greeted me with a mockingly low bow. “Rumors of your charms were not exaggerated.”

His aura filled the air, pressing around me in the confined space; strong, to be sure, yet wavering as an inconstant tide. Was his grip on his power unsteady? I had no time to ponder as he entered, towering above me, the parts of his body I could see corded with muscle. His cold stare sent a shudder through me as did the cruel slant of his mouth and the blood sprayed across his cheek.

I darted for the bow on the table, but he swept it out of my reach and tossed it outside with a bark of laughter. “Do you know how to use it?”

I shook my head, shrinking away as my fingers inched toward the concealed dagger. If I had the bow, there would already be an arrow through his chest. But as he had the advantage for now, I would not drop my disguise. As long as he believed I was Lady Anmei, he might not harm me.

“Who are you?” I asked, trying to draw his attention from my hands.

“You have nothing to fear. All I want is the little prince. Help me and you will be well rewarded.” His gaze slid across the tent. “Where is he?”

His voice was rich, deep, melodious—the most beautiful one I had ever heard. My suspicion of him melted away, replaced by warm admiration. Governor Renyu appeared honorable and kind. Why had he been so viciously maligned? The disc around his neck gleamed brighter, like the eyes of a serpent aglow in the dark.

The image jarred me, my instincts prickling in warning. I blinked, tearing myself from the tantalizing promise of his words, forcing myself to listen to the screams outside. In a flash, it struck me—how he held such sway over the merfolk. There was magic in his voice which compelled others to believe him. Had it come from the shining pendant around his neck? Whatever it was, it had almost worked on me, even overcoming my hostility. Little wonder that the merfolk were so loyal to him, willing to risk themselves to protect him, to fight for him on the mere promise of his words and illusion of his honor. I had never encountered such power before, though. Was he a Demon? One of the dreaded Mind Talents?

I dared not let my fear show. He expected my admiration, my obedience. That I would yield to his will as a blade of grass to the wind. Widening my eyes to appear guileless, I gestured to the bed where Prince Yanming had napped earlier. The covers were bunched up over the top, giving the semblance of a small body beneath.

“He’s sleeping,” I said.

His mouth curved into a vicious smile. “Once the Eastern Sea is mine, I’ll dispose of the brat and we’ll rule together. The other kingdoms will fall to me, too, and you’ll be the Queen of the Four Seas.” He stretched out his hand, promising what he believed I wished to hear.

Anger flared in me, to hear him speak so of Prince Yanming and his despicable plans—yet I was glad for it to bolster my wavering will. I stared at the yellow gem against his chest. This close, a strange power emanated from it, raising the hairs on my skin.

“What makes you think you’ll win?”

“The merfolk obey my every command, as do the sea creatures. You have nothing to fear with me by your side.”

His words spilled through me like liquid honey, even as my insides recoiled. How tempting it was to agree with him, to earn his approval. No, I could not succumb; I could not end up one of his unthinking minions. My nails dug into my palms as I channeled a surge of energy into my ears to seal off my hearing. Cloaked in sudden silence, I could barely hear my own breathing. My gut twisted at the thought of fighting him this way, but I feared more falling under his control.

I fixed my gaze upon him. There would be no telltale rustle of a step or the whistle of a sword to alert me. A risk, though a necessary one. As he moved toward the bed, I grabbed the dagger from my sash and hurled it at him. He swung aside, the blade slicing his cheek. Without a pause, he lunged forward, tearing the covers from the bed—snarling to find it empty. At once he spun to me, but I darted for the nearest bow, drawing and releasing an arrow in the same heartbeat. With a sweep of his shield, he batted it to the ground. I shot one after another in a frantic pace, until my fingers stung from the grooves riddled across their tips. He was quick, though, evading each one with startling speed. My elbow slammed into a shelf as I groped for another arrow. As his knuckles whitened around his spear, I flung up a shield—just as his weapon slammed against it.

My last arrow sank into his shoulder. I dove for a new quiver, so intent upon it that I did not sense the shift in the air until something stabbed my calf, spreading like wildfire. Two silver needles protruded from my leg, pinning the silk of my dress to my flesh, stained with the greenish liquid I had seen once before. Sea scorpion venom, rushing through my veins. My shield was no more—dispelled—leaving me as helpless as a rabbit snared in a trap while the hunter stalked ever closer.

His lips peeled back, stretching wide, yet all I heard was a faint humming. I loosened the seal over my ears, until the faintest whisper slid through. All I had left to slow him with were words.

“Coward,” I hissed, trying to delay the inevitable end, to goad him to rashness. “Fight me without such tricks.”

“Losers complain and winners . . . well, winners have better things to do.” He spoke with a smug complacency that sent fear shooting down my spine.

The pull in his voice was still there but fainter now; I could barely hear it. I reached for my powers, struggling to steady myself against the searing agony of the poison.

The gem around his neck glowed like sunstruck gold. As I stared at it, I asked, “Your pendant, is that how you’re controlling the merfolk?” My voice sounded as though it came from far away. “Such magic is despicable.”

“Despicable, because you cannot wield it? Because you fear it?” He cocked his head to one side, though I did not think he expected an answer. “The merfolk have always harbored such suspicions against the Sea Immortals. I merely lit the spark of their prejudice, nudged their will to mine. How is this any different from holding a sword to your enemy’s throat? Why should one victory be deemed honorable and the other, not?”

“It’s not the same,” I ground out. “You’ve taken away their freedom to choose, to judge on their own. To compel them to acts they might rather die than commit.” I fixed him with a scornful stare, even as I shrank away inside. “But no enchantment is unbreakable. You’ll pay when they break free.”

“Death is the only release for those under my control.” A cruel light gleamed in his eyes. “There were a few who angered me with their incompetence, others who were too difficult to dominate. Just before they died, such clarity shone in their faces. Rage, too, that they had been taken for fools. It made their end all the sweeter. As yours will be.”