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The moment stretches between us, a flash of heat unfurling. “We have to escape before she returns,” I say, my voice low.
“We can’t go anywhere right now.”
Jin’s irises are almost gold in the light; I can’t look away. The air seems to thicken around us, or maybe it’s the fragrance from the incense. “Then… what should we do?”
His eyelids lower until the curve of his lashes casts shadows on each cheek. He leans forward, his hand dropping to the curve of my neck, his thumb brushing my lips. They part instinctively, my limbs tightening with anticipation. I’m close to the edge; I want to know what lies on the other side.
A beat of silence—and then he lowers his head to mine and kisses me. I’m not thinking anymore, his mouth on mine, my hand thrust in the rough silk of his hair, the other pulling him closer. We stumble back until I’m suddenly against the wall, his body pinning mine, his arm around my waist to hold me closer. I press myself harder against him—limp inside, like my bones have turned to liquid—my heart racing. His lips brush mine gently, then fiercely, his teeth biting my lower lip as pleasure coils in my core. Our kiss grows more urgent, our breaths entangling as his tongue strokes mine.
As his mouth slides down the curve of my neck, his teeth graze the skin. It stings, my fingers digging into his arm, though I’ve never known pain could feel this way—almost pleasurable, both dark and divine. Glancing up, I catch our reflection in the mirror. My face is flushed, my hands pale against the black of his robe. I want him, I’ve wanted him for a while, though I never dared to admit it. My gaze falls to Jin’s arms, smooth and unblemished. Where are the marks from his wounds in the swamp? I glance at my legs, pulling up my robe, unable to find any of the welts and scratches from the creature in the crater. A lump of unease forms. While the witch might not kill us yet, she wouldn’t heal us. The wind chime shudders yet remains silent, light dancing off those shining shards. Smoke drifts steadily from the agarwood burner, rising from the glowing tip of the incense coil. Jin’s fingers trail down my face, tilting it to his again—
This isn’t real.
Desire crumbles to ash, the heat in my blood dwindling. A flash of regret as I push him away, kicking the incense burner over. The lid topples, the incense falling out. A sharp sweetness floods the air, but I hold my breath as I stamp on the coil, breaking it apart.
The wind chime crashes down, glittering fragments strewn across the floor. Ash from the incense springs up like a dust storm. Everything tilts—and then we’re slipping, falling, Jin pulling me into his arms to shield me as we tumble through the air.
My eyes fly open, looking into Jin’s. The room is gone, if it ever existed. We’re lying in the courtyard just where we fell. Darkness cloaks the place, the giant lantern extinguished. Fortunately, there is no sign of the witch.
Jin rises, then extends his hand to me. “Are you hurt?”
I shake my head, pushing myself up, my mind alight with unwanted memories. Turning from him, I retrieve my dagger from where it had fallen, tucking it through my sash. “What happened?” I ask.
“You broke the spell.” He nods at something behind me, a small agarwood burner toppled onto its side, scattered incense fragments trailing over a shard of crystal.
He behaves as usual, without a trace of awkwardness. Everything was false, in my mind alone. If Jin does dream—I think wrathfully—it would be about court matters, warfare, or… murdering trespassers.
He is watching me intently. “You look angry.”
“Why would I be?” I reply tersely. “I’ve never felt better.”
“If so, you should have let us sleep a little longer.” His gaze flicks to my mouth. “It was the most pleasant dream. It would have been more pleasant if you hadn’t woken us up.”
“You knew? You let it happen?” I hate that I sound breathless. “I have no interest in playing out your twisted fantasies.”
“Our twisted fantasies,” he reminds me, aggravatingly.
My face burns. “How could you tell it wasn’t real?”
“Only after I noticed the wind chime. It was strung with crystals that aren’t commonly found in this realm.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
He shrugs. “It was just getting interesting. The moment you knocked over the incense turned out to be one of profound regret.”
“You might be dead if I hadn’t.”
“I wouldn’t let it get that far. It was an elaborate trap, meticulously woven. It was also safer to let the illusion play out longer. If the witch grew suspicious, she might place other binds on us, those harder to extricate ourselves from.” He takes a step toward me. “I was also curious.”
The question hangs between us—an invitation. As a traitorous warmth flares, I suppress the urge to ask more. “We must hurry. The magic-wielder could return at any moment. We have to find Lady Ruilin.”
As we approach the tower, a slender opening appears. Was this always here, obscured from sight? How much of the witch’s magic is just illusion? But when I think of the statues in the courtyard, ice hardens in my veins.
The tower is larger than it appears from outside, brightly lit within by a brace of candles in each corner. Spiral stone stairs lead up to a floor of empty rooms, then the kitchen on the next tier. Unwashed pots are left on a stove, a long wooden table cluttered with the remnants of a meal. A cleaver gleams by the chopping board, sliced roots strewn over a set of knives on the table, their blades tinged a yellowish hue. I take one, tucking it into my waistband.
We head higher up, into a study, the floor here of polished wood. Shelves line the walls, stacked with books, two desks facing each other in an almost intimate arrangement. Scroll paintings cover the walls, one of a waterfall cascading from a cliff, another of flowers and green meadows. Anticipation builds. The duke’s daughter must be here; the girl from my dreams. Maybe once I find her, I’ll learn more about myself, of the home the carp spoke of.
The higher we climb, the tighter my tension knots. There is no sign of the witch or the duke’s daughter. Any confrontation would be dangerous; our best chance is to find Lady Ruilin, to escape before we’re discovered.
