Despite his warning, I tried to escape. I had to. But the windows were sealed and the doors firmly locked. I barged through them once, when an attendant brought me my
mealโonly to crash into the guards outside. Unfortunately, they were seasoned veterans, not green soldiers I might
catch unaware. I fought them with all my might, but they subdued me easily, tossing me back into my room.
Slumping onto the stool, my fingers drummed the table in an incessant rhythm. How could I get out of this accursed place? How could I retrieve the pearls? And my mother . . . my hope of freeing her had dwindled to a desperate
fantasy, just as when I had served in the Golden Lotus Mansion. In one stroke, Wenzhi had ripped my dreams apart, along with my heart. My nails dug into the table, prying loose thin slivers of wood.
An ache clawed at me, sharp and relentless, just when I believed myself numbed from his betrayal. My mind drifted
to our time togetherโthe memories pained me, but I was in no mood to be kind to myself. I thought back on all he had
said and done: his insistence that we keep the Jade Dragon Bow secret, his midnight walk at Shadow Peak, brushing off my interest in the Eastern Sea library. Nothing glaring by
itself, yet taken together, they formed a more sinister
whole. Even his reticence in speaking of himself should have served as a warning, to me more than anyone. But I had been so wrapped up in my own emotions, ambitions,
and desires, that I was oblivious to all else. My vanity was at fault, tooโI could not deny being dazzled by his
reputation and flattered by his attention. I had wanted him to be honorable, someone I could trust, and so I had cast
everything he did into that light. He had deceived me, but I had let him. If only I had heeded Teacher Daomingโs warning, that a clouded mind would lead to disaster. And now, it was too late.
The doors slid open. I shot to my feet, scanning the room for anything I could use as a weapon. Since the last time, Wenzhi had ordered the removal of all the hairpins. I could have subdued an attendant with my hands, but after my
attempt to flee, it was now the soldiers who brought me my meals.
It wasnโt a guard. Wenzhi strode in, his indigo brocade robe swirling around his feet. A cloth belt studded with
amber was fastened around his waist. Upon his hair rested a crown of white jade, set with a glowing emerald. My eyes narrowed at the sight of it, the price of his honor.
I sat back down, refusing to acknowledge his presence.
Instinctively, my fingers clawed at the metal around my wrists. No matter how I yanked at them, or slammed them against the walls, they remained intactโalthough my skin was bruised and scraped raw.
As his gaze fixed upon my arms, I tucked them behind me. He stalked forward and pulled them out. A soothing coolness seeped into me from his touch, as the marks on my skin vanished.
I jerked free of his hold. I did not thank him. I did not look at him.
He sat down across from me. โDonโt harm yourself again.
My patience is not boundless.โ
I swung to him, my voice thick with venom. โWhat else will you do? Beyond capturing me, sealing my magic, and stealing my possessions?โ
The gem in his crown flared brighter, perhaps channeling his ire. Yet his expression remained inscrutable as he
leaned toward me. โWhat can I do to put you at ease?โ he asked, as though he were a gracious host and I, his
honored guest.
I lifted my shackled wrists to him.
A corner of his mouth curved up. โIโm afraid not. At least not until you come to your senses.โ
โIย haveย come to my senses,โ I shot back. โNow that I see you for what you are: a liar and a thief.โ
He drew away, his expression shuttering. If he was wounded by my words, I was glad for it.
โSomething occurred to me,โ I said. โYou, a Demon Prince, deceived the Celestial Emperor. You infiltrated the Celestial Kingdom, the closest circles of their court, and
spied upon them. Does that not violate your truce? Surely the Celestial Kingdomโs allies will rise with them against you.โ
He shrugged, showing none of the concern I had hoped for. โOne might argue that I served them well. At least
while I was theirs to command.โ
I bit the inside of my cheek at the reminder that he had indeed been the most renowned warrior of the Celestial
Army. โBut it wasย youย who weakened the wards, instigated the unrest in the Eastern Sea, plotted Princess Fengmeiโs abductionโโ
โXingyin, only you know that,โ he interjected with
infuriating calm. โThe Celestials donโt know who I am here, at least not yet. They believe Iโm just a spy, like those
theyโve sent to infiltrate our court to no avail. Moreover,
the emperor will be reluctant to admit to being deceived all these years; his pride is too great. For now, he will seek a way to salvage his dignity, rather than mustering his allies
for a war he does not want. At least, not while the balance of power is uncertain.โ A smile played on his lips. โThough it is certainly weighted in our favor now.โ
The pearls,ย I seethed silently.
Seemingly oblivious to my simmering rage, he plucked a mandarin from the bowl, stripping away its peel. He offered the fruit to me, but I did not deign to respond.
โWhat about me?โ I demanded. โSurely it would violate your precious truce to kidnap a Celestial soldier, stealing
the pearls the emperor wanted for himself?โ My voice rang with triumph; I was sure I had struck true this time.
โRelease me, return my possessions, and I wonโt tell them what you did.โ It injured my pride to bargain with him, but I was in no position to be particular.
He popped the fruit into his mouth, one wedge at a time, chewing with great concentration. Was he trying to avoid answering me? Had he not realized this before? Unlikely, given his cunning.
At last, he rested his elbows on the table, weaving his fingers together. โI would have preferred that you not know this.โ
โWhat do you mean?โ A chill slid over my skin. I did not think I would like what he had to say next.
โThe Celestial Court believes you are my honored guest, my future bride. The conniving trickster who persuaded the emperor to give you the seal, then took the dragonsโ pearls and fled here of your own will. They cannot fault me for
harboring you; it does not go against the truce if I was ignorant ofย yourย crimes.โ
โYou monster.โ I swore under my breath. โThis was allย yourย doing. No one would believe I would . . . that we . . .โ My insides twisted at the recollection of the gossip which had surrounded us. Which I had disdained, thinking
wagging tongues did not matter. I was wrong, so wrong. Words held power; they whispered falsehoods into reality, built reputations up or tore them down. It was why I had
trusted Wenzhi so readily, before. It was why so many would believe this of me nowโa known liar who had
concealed her identity from all who knew her. Who would trust me with my honor in tatters?
โLiwei,โ I said. โHe would believe me. He was thereโโ My frail hope crumbled as something jolted my memory. Those shouts I had heard as Wenzhi carried me away, the clang of metal . . . had Liwei been attacked? Was he hurt?
He would have tried to help me. He would have tried to
come after me. Unless he had been prevented from doing so.
โWhat did you do to him?โ I demanded.
As an irate expression flashed across Wenzhiโs face, relief flooded me. โHe escaped,โ I said with certainty.
โEven if he spoke for you, few would believe him. The
evidence against you is irrefutable and itโs well known that he has a soft spot for his former companion.โ He paused, as though weighing his next words. โXingyin, Iโm sorry if this distresses you, but itโs for the best. A clean break. Forget
the Celestial Kingdom. There is nothing left for you there.โ
He spoke gently, and in that moment . . . I hated him. The enormity of what he had done crashed over me, my body
clenching in terror. If the emperor believed I had betrayed him, what would he do to my mother? Would he still honor his promise to not harm her? I had to go back to set this right.
His mouth opened to speak again, but then a soldier rushed in. He bowed low as he said urgently, โYour Highness, the Celestial Armyโโ
โNot now,โ Wenzhi bit out.
The soldier stiffened, before turning on his heel and hurrying away, closing the doors after him.
โCelestial Army?โ My tone lifted with mild interest, though I burned to know.
A heartbeat of hesitation was the only sign of his unease. โJust the usual trouble at our borders.โ
I feigned indifference, even as my mind spun, trying to make sense of what I had heard. That soldier had hurried to relay urgent news about the Celestial Army. And Wenzhiโs sharp response was most unlike his usual self.
This was no simple matter of unruly troops at the border.
Something more serious was afoot, something he wanted to hide from me.
How smoothly he lied, I realized with a twinge in my chest. But I was no longer so easily deceived.
The moment he left, I rushed to the doors. They were crafted from ebony with a solid panel of wood at the bottom, the top half latticed in a pattern of interlocking circles, lined with white silk. I crouched low to hide my silhouette from the other side.
Wenzhiโs voice reached my ears, low and mu๏ฌed.
โDouble the guard. Should anything unexpected happen or if she tries to escape again, inform me at once.โ
Armor clinked, perhaps the soldiers bowing. The thought of having my guard doubled infuriated me. How would I ever escape now? Bunching up my long skirt, I sank onto
the floor. The marble was hard and cold, but perhaps I might hear something of import.
I must have sat there for hours, with my back pressed against the doorsโuntil my neck ached and my legs were cramped. Twice I leapt to my feet and rushed away at the
creak of wood. The sun sank lower, my room falling deeper into shadow. Yet I had learned nothing beyond the favorite meals of my guards, their family histories, the immortals
they fancied. With a sigh, I rose to pace the floor, trying to settle the ceaseless churning in my gut.
By the window, I paused. Over a thousand soldiers had gathered below, their black armor gleaming like an ocean of night. Wenzhi stood upon a dais in front of them,
addressing the troops as he usually did before an
impending confrontationโthough it sickened me to think he was now plotting against those he had fought alongside
before. I strained to listen, but nothing slipped through the barrier, not even the sigh of the breeze which glided
through it. I pounded the shield until my fists were sore. If only I could hear what he was saying, it would answer the questions searing my mind.
Below, a group of soldiers stepped forward. When Wenzhi nodded, they raised their hands. The air glittered with magic as a stretch of violet cloud morphed to golden sand.
Why?ย I pressed closer against the barrier, but the soldiers dispersed soon after. An uneasiness settled over me like I was standing on a rickety bridge that might give way any moment, dropping me into the gorge. Night had fallen, so I extinguished the lamp, plunging the room into darkness.
Perhaps the soldiers might be less guarded if they believed I was asleep.
I returned to my place by the doors, sinking down and wrapping my arms around my knees. A confrontation was
looming, I was sure of it. But when? How was the Celestial Army involved? And why did they transform the clouds to sand?
Footsteps thudded outside. Armor clinked.
โHis Highness requests a report.โ A womanโs voice this time.
She spoke so softly I had to close my eyes, straining to hear. Just as I had done when shooting blindfolded in the peach blossom forest.
โNo trouble. She was quiet today and went to bed early.
Maybe sheโs finally coming around.โ
Someone laughed. I clenched my jaws at the mocking sound.
โCaptain Mengqi, we missed His Highnessโs address,โ another said in a respectful tone. โDo you have any news for us?โ
My ears pricked up. A captain? She might be better informed.
โOur sources tell us the Celestial Crown Prince will join the army tomorrow. They will march the day after, at
dawn.โ
Liwei was coming here? Why? My soaring hope plunged into fear as I wondered, what would Wenzhi do? Somehow, he would twist this to his advantage. Which meant . . . this was a trap and I, its bait.
Someone cleared his throat. โIs everything in order?โ he asked, a little nervously.
โThe moment they cross the border, our victory is
sealed.โ Her voice throbbed with satisfaction, as grunts of approval met her words.
Shortly after, Captain Mengqi left. As her footsteps faded to silence, I slumped against the wall, fighting down a burst of panic. Why was the Celestial Army here? It could not be for meโthe emperor would never lift a finger in my defense, especially not after the lies Wenzhi had spread.
They must be here for the pearls. But why would they come, alone, without even gathering their allies? Surely,
they did not mean to attack and break the truceโnot for a war they were not ready for, one they did not want. More than Wenzhiโs claim, I sensed the truth in this. In the
Celestial Army, there seemed to be little appetite to engage with the Demon Realm again. Soldiers did not speak of the past confrontation with triumph, but in hushed voices,
sunken with dread. They had gone to battle expecting a quick victory, only to limp back with a frail truce.
No, the Celestials would not cross the border. Liwei
would never be so rash, not even if he were provoked. I had studied with him; I knew his mind. Reckless loss of life was not something he would accept. Was this a decoy, to
distract the Demon Realm while they searched for the pearls? But Wenzhi must realize the Celestial Army did not intend to invade, he had said as much earlier. What could he be planning? With the pearls in his possession, Wenzhi controlled the dragons. It was in his greatest advantage to
force a confrontation now, close to his homeland. Yet if they attacked the Celestials without cause, the rest of the
Immortal Realm would rise against them.
My head throbbed as I tried to piece together the fragments of my thoughts. The Cloud Wall lay beside the Golden Desert. The soldiers had changed the violet clouds into sand. Were they creating a new border? An illusion of one? The sudden realization left me cold.
Itย wasย a trap, but one far worse than I had imagined.
The Celestials would be lured into the Demon Realm with a false border. Once they crossed over, they would be in
violation of the truce and vulnerable to retaliation. Not
even their allies could fault the Demon Realm for anything they did to defend themselves. An ambush would await the CelestialsโI was sure of itโnothing would be left to chance. A devious plan, a heinous one.
My fist flew to my mouth, stifling my cry. Oh, if only I had not taken the pearls! But I had been tempted by the power, desperate for a way to free my mother without paying the emperorโs price. How greedy I had been in trying to have it all. How utterly arrogant, in thinking that I could protect
them when I could not even protect myself. And now, the
upcoming devastation, the deaths of thousands would be on my conscience.
A wave of midnight swept over me, stealing the last of my strength. I closed my eyes yet all I could see was the
ground awash with blood, glittering with the armor of
fallen Celestials. Liweiโs unseeing gaze. Shuxiaoโs lifeless body. The faces of those I had served with flashed across my mind, all marching toward their doom. I bit down hard on my knuckle until the skin split and a warm gush of iron and salt spilled into my mouth. My vision blurred from the hot tears filling my eyes as I crumpled to the ground, my body curled into a tight ball, my hands clenching into fists that could do nothing but pummel the cold marble floor.
