Liwei’s eyes blazed. “I will not fight you, Xingyin. Please . . . go.”
I shook my head. I would not abandon him to certain death, not even to save myself.
Lady Hualing sighed. “Refuse to fight and you’ll both be killed. A most romantic end, upholding all your honorable principles, though a reckless waste.”
A hopeless despair settled over me as I met Liwei’s grim yet resolute gaze. Our hands remained slack by our sides in defiance of her command. We would not be her pawns in this sick game. Nor would I go quietly; I would fight until
my energy was drained, until our final breaths were spent. Only then, could she tear her bloodied victory from us.
Her tongue clacked against the roof of her mouth. “How disappointing. I had hoped for more spirited entertainment. However, there are ways to ensure your cooperation.” Her shield gleamed as she stepped closer to Liwei, seizing his
chin between her fingers, her nails cutting into his skin.
He recoiled, horror dawning over his face. Yet she held him fast, her soldiers gripping his arms tighter behind his back.
“Liwei!” I lunged toward him, trying to shove my way through the guards who grabbed me and flung me back.
Lady Hualing’s pupils glinted as shards of topaz. A
recollection emerged, something Liwei had told me once of the Mind Talents: Their eyes, which glitter like cut stones.
Fear plunged through me, trailed by doubt. I refused to believe it, I dared not. Lady Hualing was of the Celestial Kingdom, not the Demon Realm, the Cloud Wall or wherever that place was. Once, the Flower Immortal, her Talent had to be of the Earth, not the Mind. I had seen it myself with the creeping moss and those monstrous vines.
Impossible, that she should know the forbidden arts. And
even if she did, surely the emperor would have sealed them from her. But what if the emperor did not know? What if
she had disappeared before such magic was banned? Beads of sweat gleamed on Liwei’s skin. Still, Lady
Hualing did not release her hold. I could not help recalling that she was one of the most powerful immortals in the realm. And even if Liwei’s magic was not bound, he had
been weakened by the battle, and the amethyst ring. If she was trying to compel him, she would fail, I tried to assure myself. Liwei was strong, too. He would not surrender, he would fight—
But when Lady Hualing and her guards released him, I no longer knew him. Something vital in him had been lost. My insides shriveled as I stared into his eyes—worse than a stranger’s, they were as cold as his father’s. His face was blank as he stood unmoving, even when a guard shoved a
sword into his hand. Someone passed me another, my fingers closing reflexively around its hilt.
As Lady Hualing leaned toward me, I gagged as the smell of decaying flowers crowded my nostrils. “Do you regret
spurning my offer? A final warning: don’t be so foolish as to throw your life away for him. He will not appreciate it; the men of his family have hearts of stone.”
I did not hesitate, leaping forward to thrust my sword at her. As it crashed against her shield, pain coursed through my arm. I raised it again—better to go down fighting this
way—but the soldiers shoved me aside, another kicking the back of my knees as I slumped to the ground.
Lady Hualing crouched down as she brushed an icy
knuckle down my cheek. I flinched, rearing away. “Don’t forget, you still have your powers.” She spoke in an
intimate whisper. “If you let him kill you . . . well, his life is forfeit regardless. But if he dies, you live.”
Something splintered inside me. An impossible choice, whether to die in a futile sacrifice or to kill Liwei to save myself. More than just wanting Liwei dead, she wanted me to kill him. Did she take a sadistic pleasure in tormenting her enemy’s child? Did she relish the thought of me living
in misery and regret, as she had done? Or was this to prove me wrong? That despite my claim, she and I were not so
different after all—that the same viciousness in her heart lurked in mine.
Oh, I had baited her too well and now, we both would pay.
Lady Hualing clapped, the hollow sound ringing in the cavern. As though it was a signal, Liwei’s body jerked, then he stalked toward me. With his sword in his hand, he
circled me—in a cruel parody of the many times he had challenged me in play.
I could not move, unable to look away from his dead gaze.
Even now, I did not believe he could harm me. Although I, myself, was almost compelled before in the Eastern Sea, and had seen what a sliver of such power could do.
He charged, swift as lightning. Stunned, I threw up my sword—a second too late as his blade slashed my cheek.
Blood trickled from the stinging gash, yet it was nothing to the agony within. It was not that he looked at me with hatred, but with utter indifference.
Silver flashed, hard and bright. My body moved of its own volition, flinging my arm up, our blades clanging together.
He bore down relentlessly as I staggered beneath the force of his blow, digging my heels into the ground. In a sudden feint, he whirled to the side. I reeled forward as he swept
his sword across the scales of my armor, thrusting it deep into my shoulder. Cold iron sank through my flesh, scraping bone. With a smooth tug of his arm, his blade slid from me with a moist sucking sound. A gasp was torn from my lungs as I pressed my palm to the gaping wound, blood gushing
between my fingers. Anger surged through me now— misplaced though it was—as I lunged at him, my sword
piercing his armor, driving into his side. I yanked it out at once, before it went too deep, shame and remorse searing me . . . along with the horror that he did not even flinch.
Our blades clashed. Again, and again. I held back each time, though he showed no such restraint. Yet we were
more closely matched than I anticipated. He had been the better swordsman, but I had the benefit of a soldier’s training. I was quick, he was strong. My strikes were deft, he was ruthless. Magic would have tipped the scales,
except his was bound. And I found myself unwilling to draw my own against him. A slender distinction, but to use my powers on him now felt akin to execution. Unfair, almost.
My mind screamed what use was such honor, even as my heart whispered that it was not Liwei who attacked me so pitilessly—just the husk of his body, dancing to another’s tune. He was my opponent, but he was not my enemy. And though I wanted to win, I could not kill him. It was not honor alone which restrained me but a sense of self- preservation, knowing that slaying the one I loved would destroy me, too. I would never recover, not for all eternity. Not even if I found my way home.
My foot caught on a loose rock and I stumbled. In a flash, the point of his sword pressed against the hollow of my neck. He stilled, a muscle clenching in his cheek. Was he
struggling against Lady Hualing’s control? I glanced at her
—dazzling light pouring from her eyes, her brow coated in a sheen of sweat. Was she tiring? Hope flared in me, only to be extinguished when Liwei’s hand trembled—a moment
before his sword dipped and drove through my chest. I
gasped, my legs buckling as I collapsed onto the stone floor, sinking into a puddle of my still-warm blood.
Darkness beckoned, a merciful void without the pain
blossoming through my body, only eclipsed by the agony of knowing that it was he who had done this. A forgotten
memory flared. My mother’s arms, lifting me up from
where I had fallen, her thumb brushing the tears from my cheek. How my scraped flesh had stung—my first real
injury—until her cool touch and soft murmurs soothed it away.
This would not be the end.
My eyes flew open. I reached for a precious fragment of my power, sealing my wound. The healers would have
cringed at my crude work, at the scar which would remain
—but the pain subsided and the bleeding staunched. My mind cleared a little as I staggered to my feet, searching Liwei’s face for the faintest sign of recognition. Yet there was nothing; not a flicker of love, not a speck of remorse.
And in that moment, something snapped into place for me: I would not throw my life away. I would not be defeated by myself or another. I would fight to live, and while I lived
there would be hope. To grasp at a chance of our survival, I would risk everything. Even our lives.
My energy was dwindling. I seized what I could, the air shimmering as I hurled my magic at Liwei. Coils of air
wrapped around his body—knocking him to the ground—
sealing his ears, nose, mouth, and pressing his eyelids shut.
Covering every inch of his skin until he could do nothing except lay there, writhing like a trapped beast. If his powers had not been constrained, my binds could never have held him so.
Lady Hualing’s delighted laugh rang through my ears. Was this not the spectacle she had forced us to perform? Had she dreamed of inflicting such torment on her own faithless lover?
Trapped in the cocoon of air I buried him in, Liwei was paler than snow. I gagged, fighting the urge to release him. Yet I hardened myself; I could not stop now. My power flowed, settling over every pore of his body until he
glittered with a thousand silver lights like he was cloaked in stardust. My heart ripped from me could not have hurt more; pain had lost all meaning.
His struggles weakened until his body went limp, the steady thrum of his aura fading until I could no longer
sense it. Only then did I stop. My eyes were dry, though I had wept a river inside. How wretched I was, cracked and ripped and gouged, yet I refused to shatter. Sinking onto
the ground, my fingers sought Liwei’s cold hand, pressing our palms together.
“I’m sorry.” A ragged whisper. “Forgive me.”
Loud clapping rang through the cavern, jarring amid my despair. It hit me then—the vile, unspeakable thing I had done. Lady Hualing wanted to hurt those who had wronged her, but I had struck down the one I still loved. In the cold
light of victory, were my reasons hollow? Glazing my selfish desire to live?
My control broke. I fell away from him as though scalded;
I did not deserve to touch him. Not after this, not after
what I had done. My arms clasped tight around myself as I retched until my stomach clenched in protest. Sobs ripped from my throat—ugly and raw—echoing through the
terrible silence.
But it was not over. I could not let all this be in vain.
Gathering the remnants of my composure, I staggered to my feet. “My bow,” I said flatly to Lady Hualing.
She inclined her head. “I gave you my word. And my offer still stands. The Demon King would be pleased to have you by his side. A good mind, a strong arm and will. Someone who does what needs to be done, when the time calls for
it.”
I flinched from her praise, hoping she would take it for exhaustion rather than revulsion. I had never imagined myself bloodthirsty, but I would have killed her now and rejoiced. Yet, she had spoken no lies. My hands were
stained with Liwei’s blood; it had been my choice to hurt him.
“You were right,” I said, trying to lull her into a sense of false security. “There is no sense in dying for principles alone. And I will consider your offer, only because the
Celestial Kingdom will no longer welcome me after this.” When Lady Hualing nodded, a guard thrust the Phoenix
Fire Bow at me. As I clutched it, a memory flashed through me—of the first time I had held it in the peach blossom forest. A lifetime ago, when I had still been whole. I turned away, stumbling toward him once more. Lifeless and shackled, he was still every inch the regal prince. How I
prayed our ordeal was almost over.
“Free him.” I pointed at his manacles. The sight of them enraged me past bearing. I would do it myself, except I did not want to rouse her suspicions.
“Why?” she asked.
I looked her full in the face. “I have done what you wished, though it hurt me greatly. Prince Liwei should be
laid to rest with all the ceremony he deserves. I will do him the final service of returning his body to his parents, but I will not bring him fettered like a slave. Besides, do you
want this to fall into the hands of the Celestial Kingdom?” I gestured at the metal encircling his wrists.
When she did not speak, I frowned. “Did you not want
Their Celestial Majesties to know what you did to their son?”
“What you did, you mean,” she taunted me with exquisite
cruelty. “It would suit me well if you delivered his body to them. I only wish I were there to see it.”
She jerked her head at a soldier who hurried forward. He pressed something against Liwei’s manacles, which fell
away, clattering onto the ground. At once, I dragged Liwei’s arm across my shoulders to haul him away.
“Wait.” Lady Hualing drew closer, the amethyst ring glowing on her finger. “I must drain his lifeforce as it’s
fading fast. It will be quicker now, without those chains.”
My breathing quickened, I fought for calm. I would not
let her defile him further. As she reached for him, I grasped my energy, bracing for release—but the air warmed, a
powerful force hurling Lady Hualing away. She slammed against the stone wall, her shield winking out as bands of
fire bound her. I swung around to find Liwei, staggering to his feet, the tip of his blade trailing on the ground. As three soldiers charged at him, he swung his sword in a wide arc, the blow sending them flying. A guard bolted toward me
with his spear outstretched, whom I dispatched with a quick arrow to his chest.
I was shaking, my heart ablaze. It had been nothing more than a wild guess, pieced together from the little I knew. In the Eastern Sea, I had sealed my hearing to fight Governor Renyu’s compulsion—but his charm was of the voice alone and that would not have worked here. Yet the governor had spoken of death being the only release from those caught in the throes of such power. And so, to break Lady Hualing’s
control over Liwei, I had sealed off every sense he
possessed—bringing him to the brink of death itself.
Though if I had failed, he would have died or killed me. And we would have perished for nothing.
When I held his hand after, I had channeled my energy into him. As much as I could muster without arousing suspicion. I was no healer and all I could do then was pray it would suffice. I could not have risked his life just to save my own. But I had done it, to save us both.
I had hoped, under the guise of death, Lady Hualing would have let me take him away. And it had almost
worked. But I gloated too soon; we were not out of danger yet. Too late did I sense her gathering power. In one strike,
Lady Hualing dispelled her binds as vines shot out, coiling around Liwei and me—squeezing the breath from my chest, strangling my limbs to numbness. Before I could despair, Liwei’s magic rippled across us, burning away the plants.
Lady Hualing raised her hands again. The damp scent of earth thickened as the air gleamed with her magic. I flung up a barrier as Liwei threw his might behind mine. I could not fight her alone, yet together, we stood a chance. Her
energy crackled when it struck, transforming into endless vines which shone with a sinister light as they writhed
against our shield. Sweat dripped from my brow as I tried not to imagine what they sought with such ravenous hunger.
My struggles were not lost on her. Lady Hualing’s red lips curved upward as the crushing pressure on our shield
intensified. The tendrils curled with renewed vigor. Time was not on our side; I was close to exhaustion, and Liwei’s strength must be ebbing, too. Soon, we would fall—either
from fatigue or her malevolent spell, or the soldiers closing around us, their faces alight with anticipation.
No, I would not relinquish our hard-won lives so easily. A plan formed—mad and reckless—yet the faintest glimmer of hope was preferable to certain death. My eyes met
Liwei’s, as I mouthed a silent instruction for him to hold the shield steady. He nodded, straining as he bore the full
weight of our barrier now. I scraped the shreds of my
energy into a glowing orb no larger than a marble, flinging it out to strike Liwei’s shield from within. It cracked,
though the web of vines held it fast. I clenched my teeth, a hiss of breath escaping my lips. Teacher Daoming’s stern
warning about not draining my power pounded in my mind, but I could not stop. My head throbbed as I wrung the final flecks of light from my core and hurled them out in a gust of wind.
Our shield shattered, the force flinging Lady Hualing’s vines away—right onto her body, the fleeing soldiers, the
ceiling and walls, where they clung as though rooted. Cracks streaked through the cavern, the stone groaning and trembling.
I crumpled onto the ground, as hollow as a paper lantern trampled by a careless foot. I was shivering, not from the
chill in the cave, but from the ice spreading through my limbs. My eyelids were heavy, yearning to shut, to surrender to the darkness spreading through my body. Everything took on a hazy sheen, until I no longer knew whether I was still alive or trapped in an endless dream.
Lights swirled, golden bright—Liwei’s magic flowing into my broken body. They sank into the black yet did not vanish, like sunlight glinting over the night sea. The lights streamed into the core of my lifeforce, buried deep within my head—wringing forth a single fleck of silver, the last of my energy. The cold within me thawed, my strength
returning as I awoke to find Liwei’s fingers entwined with mine as we lay upon the ground.
Lady Hualing’s eyes were glassy, her mouth opened in a soundless scream. Her body convulsed as the vines coiled around her in a strangling hold. Tighter and tighter they wound, tearing the silk of her dress, squeezing her bulging flesh until it turned crimson and purple. I choked down my bile as I watched her struggles weaken, the camellias at her waist wilt and droop their once proud heads, the silk peonies on her gown brown and fray. The light faded from her pupils, the bitterness receding from her face . . . until
just her cold beauty remained.
I could have lain there until the moon waxed and waned, unable to summon the strength to rise. But the cavern
shuddered with more force than before. Rocks tumbled from above as Liwei dragged me to my feet, my muscles straining as we raced toward the entrance. A chunk of
stone struck my back, knocking me to the ground. Clouds
of dust descended as the ceiling fractured, crashing down— just as Liwei summoned a gale that flung us through the
opening, the cave collapsing behind us with a deafening roar.
The hard ground offered scant relief to my battered body.
I could not move, lying in the dirt as though pinned down. One ragged breath, and then another slipped from my lungs. Liwei’s eyes were open, gazing into mine. As the color returned to his face, my fear receded. He reached out to me then, his palm cupping my cheek, wet with tears that had fallen unnoticed.
I smiled, content to feel his warmth. I had no more words; I had said everything in my heart.
The luminous glow of the moon cast a spell around the forest. In the pale light, the dead trees gleamed like
polished columns of silver and jade. The fog vanished, dispersed by the night wind. Had it been cast by Lady Hualing to hide herself from the world?
Leaves rustled, branches crackling. We swung around as Princess Fengmei emerged from the woods. With a joyful cry she rushed to Liwei and threw her arms around him.
His eyes darted toward me, his hand hesitating before reaching out to hold her.
I struggled to a sitting position, looking away from their reunion, though their whispers pierced my ears. Finally, Princess Fengmei touched my arm. “I hid where you told me to, until I heard a loud crash.” As she scrutinized me, she pressed a fist to her mouth. “Are you all right?”
I must have been a fearsome sight, covered in blood, bruises, and grime. Yet her concern moved me. “I will be,
once Your Highness gets us back to the Celestial Kingdom.” Princess Fengmei’s smile faltered as she glanced at
Liwei. His expression was inscrutable, but his eyes were deep pools which threatened to drown me if I stared into them for too long. Her gaze fell upon the Sky Drop Tassel by his waist. She tilted her head toward its twin, which
dangled from my belt, the gem clear once more.
“A matched pair.” Her voice was as soft as a breeze in a meadow.
An inexplicable urge to explain gripped me, even though she had not asked. “A gift of friendship,” I said.
She did not respond, falling silent as Liwei rose and offered me his hand. I grasped it as I rocked unsteadily to my feet, fighting the urge to clutch him tighter, to revel in
the feel of his skin against mine. When he helped Princess Fengmei up, I hurried ahead of them. I did not want to intrude, nor was I strong enough to withstand seeing his
arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. Not when my heart was still raw after all we had been through. After everything I had confessed, to both myself and him.
Heading north, I led the way through the trees, beyond
the forest, toward the scent of lush grass and wildflowers. I inhaled deeply, relishing the freshness of the air. Princess Fengmei’s magic surged forth, summoning a large cloud,
which swooped down before us. I climbed upon it, eager to leave this graveyard of broken dreams. Now that it was over, pity sparked in me at the thought of Lady Hualing’s fate, a tragic end to such an illustrious immortal. I recalled my mother, too, pining away for my father—living half her life in shadow, buried in memories and regret.
No, I would not choose as they had done. I would not yearn after what had been lost, impossible to regain. I would look to the days ahead, to the happiness which
awaited me there . . . if only I were brave and steadfast enough to reach for it.
