Sacrifice (9 page)

They emerged on a narrow path along the canal, shadowed by the eaves of the building beside them. An acrid odor of burned hair and sulfur suffused the air, and Zhen Ni wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant scent. Kai Sen released her hand and scanned her quickly. “You’re all right.” It was more a statement than a question. The relief was plain on his face.

“It was quick, as you said. But strange.” She rubbed her arms. “It felt as if I had ants crawling on my skin.”

“You get used to it. And as long as you are in contact with the person who created the portal, you can travel through unharmed.” He let out a quick breath, then lifted his chin. “Skybright is still here in Qing Chun. She had spent some time in there.”

Zhen Ni followed his gaze to the magnificent teahouse perched on the opposite side of the canal. A rowboat had docked near its entrance, and two men stepped from the rocking boat and entered the establishment for a late midday meal. The sounds of patrons enjoying their food and wine within drifted to her through the gilded lattice windows.

“Follow me,” Kai Sen murmured.

They walked along the cobbled path edging the canal, passing other restaurants and teahouses doing brisk business. The enticing scent of steamed buns, roasted chicken, and grilled sausages wafted to them from the establishments, and Zhen Ni’s mouth watered, even though she had already taken a meal before Kai Sen arrived. A low stone balustrade wound its way along the canal. Many restaurants built an extension out onto the waterway, setting tables and stools there so the diners could enjoy their meals and wine right on the water.

It was a lovely, picturesque town, and Zhen Ni was struck with missing Lan, an ache that made it hurt to breathe. She followed Kai Sen’s straight back. His gait was long and loose, but his fists were clenched. He stopped at the corner of an alleyway and peered into its shadows. Drawing back, he said in a low voice, “Skybright is down this alley somewhere. Stay near me, but don’t do anything. Let me see what’s going on first.”

Zhen Ni’s eyes widened, and she nodded. It felt like a diversion almost. Similar to many treasure hunts and hide-and-seek games Skybright and she had played. But now Skybright’s life was at stake.

Kai Sen turned the corner and crept with stealth down the shadowed alley. She slipped in behind, mimicking him, and pressed herself close to the wall. The passage was dank and cold, and she could hear the slow drip of water pinging somewhere in the distance. It was as if they had stepped through another portal to a different place, the contrast was so great. The delicious smells of food had been replaced by damp and mildew. Her cloth slipper slid on slick stone, and she thrust a hand out and grabbed Kai Sen’s arm to steady herself, muffling a cry of alarm. He half turned to gauge her, eyes hooded in the gloom, and she realized how used to this he was—sneaking around in the dark like some kind of assassin.

They had walked far enough down the narrow alley that the din of the restaurants and people along the canal had quieted to a distant hum before he paused again. Another passage veered to their right and she thought she caught low voices. Kai Sen glanced around the corner before leaning back, almost bumping her nose. Even as he pressed a finger to his lips and mouthed “Skybright,” Zhen Ni heard rising tones reverberating against the stone walls. She recognized Skybright’s voice as if it were her own. The other voice was a man’s, deep and rough, and it was becoming louder, more passionate.

Zhen Ni kneeled onto the cold stones, wedging herself beneath Kai Sen, and looked around the corner as well. Kai Sen made a low hissing noise but did not push her back. The next alley was better lit, being surrounded by lower buildings, but dead-ended beyond where Skybright stood with a man Zhen Ni had never seen before. The stranger was broad and wore a gold cap. He towered over Skybright’s petite frame, gripping her by the wrist, and she was speaking to him in a hushed tone.

Her scalp crawled at the sight. What was this? A lovers’ tryst or was Skybright in danger? Her handmaid would never be the type to meet strange men in deserted alleys. But Skybright was no longer her handmaid, was she? Zhen Ni rose a fraction on her knees and felt Kai Sen clasp her firmly on the shoulder. She looked up, and he gave a slight shake of his head, warning with his eyes for her to stay put.

The man wrapped his arms around Skybright, trapping her against him. He leaned in, trying to force a kiss. Skybright didn’t struggle, but neither did she allow their lips to meet, so that the man’s mouth planted on her cheek, then her forehead instead. Zhen Ni felt Kai Sen stiffen, then almost jerk forward before pulling himself back against the wall, for the man’s laughter had turned into a scream.

Instead of the exquisite dress Skybright had had on, she was now completely bare, a serpent coil winding its way around the man’s legs and up his torso. Skybright had risen higher using her serpent length so that she towered over him now. Zhen Ni trembled violently; it was so horrifying to watch. Every instinct within her shouted for her to run. The alley was so narrow that Skybright’s monstrous coils scraped against the stone walls, undulating, making a smooth rasping sound. The man’s eyes bulged in his purple face. Skybright’s forked tongue darted out as if to taste him.

Kai Sen’s fingertips dug into Zhen Ni’s shoulder, but she welcomed the touch because it kept her still. The man’s wretched screaming never relented, filled with a raw terror that made her stomach cramp. It reverberated down the narrow passage toward them.

“Aren’t you going to stop her?” Zhen Ni asked, knowing she couldn’t be heard by anyone but Kai Sen.

“I sense someone else near—Stone.”

“She’ll kill the man!” she said in a loud whisper.

“No. And if so, only in self-defense.”

“Or perhaps she lured him out here. I know you love her, but she is a serpent demon, Kai—”

Zhen Ni broke off mid-sentence at the sound of retching. It was eerily quiet now that the man had stopped screaming. He lay motionless on the cobblestones, dead. Murdered.

Skybright was on her hands and knees, naked and returned to human form, head bowed as she continued to throw up the contents of her stomach. She looked small now, frail compared to the monstrosity she was mere moments before. Zhen Ni stared at Skybright’s curves, her full breasts, the soft roundness of her hips, with a detached sense of fascination mingled with revulsion.

The immortal called Stone appeared from nowhere, his back to them, standing over the dead man. He made no move to help Skybright, and she did not acknowledge his presence. “Well done,” Stone said in that rich voice Zhen Ni would never forget even though she had only met him once.

Kai Sen spoke beneath his breath, and a flicker of flame shot forth like a blue star and hit Stone on the back of his neck. The immortal, speaking intently to Skybright, didn’t react.

Feeling hopeless and sick to her own stomach, Zhen Ni wrenched herself away from Kai Sen’s grip on her shoulder, stumbling noiselessly backward onto her rump, before rising and running down the dark alley back toward the canal. She couldn’t bear to watch anymore, to have to acknowledge Skybright as a murderous demon, the seductress that the old wives’ tales warned everyone about. She couldn’t stand to witness more between Skybright and Stone—to see them talk and behave completely unlike ordinary people.

Her lungs burned by the time she reached the canal and emerged back into the daylight. The sun felt so good on her skin. She ignored the curious glances cast her way and leaned against the stone railing, peering down into the swirling water. Zhen Ni knew she must have looked like some runaway handmaid, but she didn’t care. Kai Sen was beside her after a few moments, not even out of breath.

“She’s not the same girl we knew, Kai Sen.” She swept at the tears on her cheeks in an angry motion. “I know you love her. I love her too, but you can’t be so foolish to be blind to what we saw. How can we know how many other men she’s killed?”

“No. This was the first time, I’m certain—”

“How can you be certain?”

“She was upset after.” Kai Sen’s jaw flexed. “You saw. She didn’t enjoy it.”

“What does it matter if she enjoys it?” she cried out. “She’s still a murderer!”

An old woman carrying a basket of eggplants paused mid-shamble and stared at them. Zhen Ni glared at her until she moved on, too riled to be polite, and twisted back toward the water. “I’m not convinced Skybright wants to be saved,” she said in a low voice.

Kai Sen made a strangled noise beside her. “You would give up on her so easily?”

“I don’t know.” Zhen Ni’s shoulders sagged.

“Have you considered that you might be resentful, that she’s not yours to command any longer?”

“I love Skybright not because I could command her!” she exclaimed, feeling her face grow hot from anger.

“But she catered to you your entire life,” Kai Sen said in a quiet voice. “You
were
her mistress, even if you loved each other like sisters. She was always
your
Skybright. And now …”

Zhen Ni felt the tears gathering behind her eyes. Kai Sen was right. No matter what, her relationship with Skybright had always been defined by their status in society. Now nothing defined them. Everything was now unknown, uncomfortable. Unfathomable. Zhen Ni had believed she’d never see her again. “I don’t know how to help her,” she finally said. “I am to wed tomorrow. I have no control over my own life. How can I hope to help Skybright regain hers?”

He let out a long breath. “Would you like to sit and take tea somewhere?”

“What about saving Skybright?”

“You were right. I need a plan. Stone is powerful, and I have to think of a way to get Skybright away from him long enough so we can rescue her. I can’t assume a god will keep his word.”

“Your hellfire had no effect on him.”

Zhen Ni could almost feel Kai Sen’s shoulders sag.

“No,” he said. “Whatever Stone is, he is not of the underworld.”

They began walking along the canal, and Zhen Ni took deep, slow breaths to try and calm her nerves. Peach blossoms were in full bloom, and the branches were laden with them. The trees dotted the canal path, many seeming to lean over the water, as if gazing into it. The sight of the familiar burst of delicate pink blossoms soothed her. Spring had always been her favorite season, and Qing Chun truly was a charming town.

They were silent for a long time, each lost in thought. She had spent a short amount of time with Kai Sen but enough to see that he was impulsive and a dreamer. Was his judgment clouded because of his feelings for Skybright? Zhen Ni watched the green waters of the canal swirl past, remembering her friend—the one who had taken her place for a severe beating from her mother, Lady Yuan; the one who had snuck away from the manor to find her when Zhen Ni had run away … the one who had given up her mortal life so Zhen Ni could keep her own.

Kai Sen was right; there was little certainty in this world they lived in, but Zhen Ni was certain of Skybright’s goodness, was certain of the kinship and love they shared all their lives. This epiphany, the surety of it, brought tears to her eyes. She lifted her face, feeling the warmth of sunlight on her cheeks, and blinked the tears away.

But it had been over half a year since she last saw her friend. Could Skybright have changed and given in to her demonic side? Had she turned into someone Zhen Ni didn’t know any longer?

Finally, Kai Sen led her into a small teahouse, empty except for one other patron. The proprietor nodded at them, indicating they could sit wherever they pleased. Zhen Ni chose a table overlooking the water. “What if they see us?” she finally asked, not having to refer to whom.

Kai Sen shook his head. He looked weary, his dark brows drawn together into a line. Seeing Skybright again had affected him as well. “I felt her presence fade. They’ve left the town already through a portal.”

“We’ve lost her again then.”

The server, a girl no older than Zhen Ni’s sixteen years, set down a pot, two cups, and a small plate of peanuts and red bean rice cakes. She poured the tea for them and left. The fragrant scent of jasmine tea filled the air.

“I know I will find her again. And next time, I’ll be better prepared. It’s just—” His voice hitched, and he took a long sip of tea, wincing at how hot it was. “I wasn’t ready,” he repeated. He scrubbed a hand through his hair before pounding a fist onto the table, causing the plates to clatter.

“You don’t just mean ready with a plan.” Zhen Ni swallowed. “It was easier for me to believe she was dead. This—It was hard for you to see her again too.”

“I was so excited by the prospect of actually finding her after all these months, I didn’t think.” He gave a sad smile. “I’ve always been too spontaneous.”

She took a small sip of tea and nibbled on a rice cake, savoring its subtle sweetness. “Skybright has always been the very opposite of spontaneous. Unless she had to save me from trouble. Then she was a quick thinker and acted fast.”

Kai Sen laughed. A soft but genuine one.

“This ability you have to sense her, is it magic as well? Like the fireball you conjured in your palm? Can you track anyone?”

“No. It was faint at first but has since grown much stronger. I felt it before I ever began studying magic under Abbot Wu.”

“Then how?”

He lifted his head. “I think … I think it’s because I love her.”

She recognized the yearning in his eyes. She’d seen it too many times in the sallow-skinned girl reflected back within the bronzed mirror after visiting Lan for the last time. And just as she couldn’t hold that girl’s gaze in the reflection, she couldn’t acknowledge the pain she saw in his.

The feelings were too close again. Too raw.

Zhen Ni simply nodded.

It would have to be enough.