Page 111 of Immortal

A shriek rang out, more birds circling the skies. Zhangwei cursed under this breath, raising his hand to strike them down, but I grabbed his arm. “Leave them. They won’t disturb us now.”

“I don’t like the way they look at us.” His gaze narrowed as he stared at them. “Nothing is as it seems here. The skies are red, the birds thirst for blood, the river glows with the dead. Clouds crowd the skies, yet they don’t answer to our summons.”

“We aren’t in our realm anymore,” I said gravely, staring at the silhouette of the mountain in the distance.

How I wished we could escape now—to go and not look back. But if I left, Chengyin would die. I’d never forgive myself, and I was glad Zhangwei didn’t try to persuade me.

We headed deeper into the forest, the trees concealing us from the birds. Zhangwei led me to a cave, well hidden behind a rocky outcrop, obscured by bushes. As he set down the bags he’d carried for me, I inspected the place. Lush green moss covered the earth, dotted with tiny blue flowers that reminded me of violets. Rivulets of glistening water streaked across the uneven ground, the rock walls glimmering with an iridescent sheen. Here, the air was cool, infused with a woody fragrance.

Without a word, Zhangwei pulled me to him. His mouth sought mine, his lips hard and impatient, like I was a craving he needed to sate. Slowly, he edged me against the wall until the rough stone pushed against my back, his body pressed to mine. My arms wound around his neck as I kissed the column of his throat—his eyes going dark with desire. As he bent down, his teeth grazed the delicate skin of my neck and bit down. A gasp slid from me as I went taut with wanting, thrusting a hand through his hair as a melting heat spilled inside me.

“Wait,” I whispered before I lost my last tether to sanity. Before I sank down with him upon the floor and cast all caution aside.

He stilled at once, his heart pounding against mine. “You’re right—it’s too dangerous.” His mouth curved into a smile, though his breathing was still harsh. “Later. When we’re home.”

I no longer knew where that was. To lighten my mood, I handed him the food from the town, keeping the candied fruit for myself. I bit into its sugared shell, chewing with more enthusiasm than true relish. The sweetness blunted the edge of desire, a diversion from our troubles. As I ate, Zhangwei inspected a piece of dragon-beard candy, parting the fine sugared strands to reveal a core of crushed peanuts.

“What happened today?” he asked.

“It was eventful.” I spoke lightly, concealing the turmoil I’d felt, the fear that pierced like an arrow to the gut. “Dalian summoned a void bird to test me, pitted his fighters against me, then demanded that I open the gateway.”

“I will kill him,” Zhangwei swore, his body clenched with rage.

I wanted Dalian to suffer, but not at the price of our safety. “All I want is for us to escape,” I said in a low voice. “Once we’re away from here, out of his reach—we can stop him then.”

Zhangwei took my hand, threading his fingers between mine. “What did you tell him?”

“I had to agree.” A sinking dread settled over me. “If I’d refused, he might have locked me up. He promised to leave Tianxia unscathed, that he’d release Chengyin—if I did as he asked.”

I closed my eyes, seeing before me the green plains of my kingdom, the shining rivers and blue gray mountains in the distance. It was my home as much as the Golden Desert was; one did not diminish my love for the other. To imagine destruction descending upon either—I could not bear it.

“I won’t do as he wants; I can’t.” Despite my resolve, my fear remained because Dalian had a hundred ways to threaten me, to force my compliance.

“We’ll stop him,” Zhangwei assured me. “Until then, stay on your guard. Do nothing to provoke him. Are you safe in the palace?”

“Dalian doesn’t trust me fully. He keeps testing me, needling me . . . hoping I’ll slip. Even if I do as he asks, he’ll likely kill me after.”

“He’ll never get the chance.” Zhangwei’s tone was rife with menace, like he was ready to challenge the entire Wuxin army.

“Maybe he doesn’t trust anyone, not even his own mother,” I added. “Nor does he seem to listen to his people. Some of his soldiers spoke for the Winged Devils who were deceived by Dalian’s promises. But he resorted to threats, forcing them to submit. Many don’t seem to want war, yet they’re convinced it’s the key to their survival. If there is another way, I don’t think they’ll want to invade.”

“Will Dalian give them a choice?” Zhangwei asked.

“No. Maybe it’s why he now controls who can feed from the Wangchuan River, to stem dissent.” I touched the bell at my waist. “This is a collar, not a gift.”

Zhangwei’s lip curled with disdain. “A ruler that is tolerated and feared, rather than respected or loved. He wears a hollow crown.”

“As do I,” I said slowly.

Zhangwei shook his head. “You are not the same. The venom in your court stems mainly from the ambition of others; they decided against you before you even took the throne. They want to believe you incapable because it gives them a reason to seize power. You are untested; he is unfit.”

“Dalian has his supporters.” I thought of Captain Rao, the courtiers who were quick to agree with his every command. “But there are also others who value peace more than ambition.” Part of me wanted to help them except I didn’t know how, and my desire to escape—to protect my own—was greater.

“We must get him to relinquish his hold over your friend—Chengyin,” Zhangwei said. “But Dalian is cunning; he’ll want you to open the gateway before releasing him.”

I thought back to what Aunt Shou had said before Dalian silenced her. “In Chengyin’s form—he’s vulnerable, too. I heard the Wuxin who possess another are also exposed to their weaknesses.”

Zhangwei fell silent as a line creased his brow. “If Chengyin is injured, will Dalian be too?”