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“I don’t like that name,” he replied, though another might have reveled in the power the title conferred.

“Why?” I shouldn’t have asked, I shouldn’t care.

The eyes he turned to me were blacker than coal. “What is war if not suffering and death? Who would want to be the harbinger of such strife?”

“Doesn’t the God of War thrive on power, fear, and glory?” I asked bitterly.

Dark flames leapt in his pupils. “You think there is glory in this? You think I feel triumph?” His voice was harsh as his eyes flicked across the bodies on the ground. “You speak from ignorance.”

“Ignorance?” I repeated, fury seeping into every part of me. “How am I ignorant? Because I don’t possess your infinite years?”

“Not quite infinite.” His smile was vicious. “Your ignorance stems from the fact you don’t know me, yet are content to judge.”

As remorse flashed through me, I stifled it. “I know that you burned my home. I know my grandfather is dead.”

As he glanced at Aunt Shou and Chengyin, restrained a distance away, I was glad they couldn’t hear me. Aunt Shou would have rebuked me for speaking to the God of War in this manner. My emotions were making me careless; I needed to guard my words better.

“I did not kill your grandfather,” he said bluntly. “If you were told otherwise, you’ve been misled.”

I couldn’t tell him what I’d seen; it would lead to too many questions. “Then why did my grandfather die after earning the displeasure of your queen?” I said instead.

“Those who fail Her Majesty cannot be allowed to go unpunished—yet mortals are rarely sentenced to death,” he replied curtly. “Your grandfather’s passing was unintended, caused by an existing illness of his heart.”

“Should I be grateful that he was frightened to death?” My voice choked with anger.

“I’m not asking for gratitude,” he said tightly. “Just don’t misplace your hate.”

I fell silent. Maybe he believed he’d done nothing wrong, but he had. Still, I reined in my temper; he held my life in his hands. Nothing would bring Grandfather back, but my actions could invite harsher reprisal on me, on my kingdom. And I didn’t like speaking of my grandfather to him. My grief was my own, not for a stranger’s speculation. It was too raw, too sharp . . . it hurt too much.

Stepping back, I found my shoes damp with the blood pooling from the Winged Devils’ bodies. My skin crawled. “Why did he kill himself?”

“Perhaps they fear the consequence of betrayal more than death.”

“What could be worse than death?” I asked.

“Many things.”

“Only an immortal would think so.” I smiled to conceal my scorn. “Immortals never fall ill or age. You’ve never been held back by the frailty of your body, the health time steals. You are the masters of your destiny, the keepers of your fate. No wonder you disdain death.”

His eyes flashed. “We don’t suffer from illnesses, but I have borne more wounds on my finger than you have in your lifetime. What do you know of the dangers of our realm, what we suffer?”

I looked at the creatures sprawled around us. “They come into our world too, except we can’t fight them as you do.”

A brief pause. “What did the Winged Devils want with you?” he asked then.

“I know as much as you, Honored Immortal.” I forced out the honorific reluctantly. “There were a few rumored sightings close to Kunlun, but our soldiers found nothing. How are they connected to the Wuxin?”

“They were allies once, switching to our side when it was clear the Wuxin would lose the war. Since then, they’ve lived quietly among us—or so we thought.” He frowned. “They can’t be trusted, but Queen Caihong allowed them to keep their home in the Golden Desert, as long as they don’t break the peace.”

“What of tonight?” I asked. “What of this attack on us?”

“I will discuss it with Her Majesty. We will investigate the matter.”

My hands clenched but I held my tongue. Mortals were dispensable, after all. If the Winged Devils had attacked the Golden Desert, Queen Caihong would have struck them all down without hesitation, without mercy.

“I am new to the throne, but always believed it was the immortals’ duty to protect our kingdom against such enemies from the skies,” I said carefully.

The god’s gaze narrowed. “What of your duty to guard the Divine Pearl Lotus, the one your grandfather so carelessly lost?”