She seems to know it herself, hurrying forward until we stop before another series of rings on the wall. She pulls them in a sequence, then a small door slides into view. We tumble back into a familiar residence, the Dowager Empress Wuyang gazing at us with reproach from the wall.
Princess Zhen leaps to her feet when she sees us stagger inside. She’s dressed in plain clothes, prepared for travel.
“Everything is ready?” she asks, already at Ruyi’s side.
Ruyi nods.
The princess touches her hand to her bodyguard’s forehead, concern evident. “You’re burning up,” she scolds.
The way Ruyi looks back at her is too intimate, and I turn away, not wanting to intrude on their privacy. They exchange a few more words in low voices before Zhen calls me over.
“Can you do something for her? I’m not sure she can travel in this state.”
“I’m fine.” Ruyi brushes her away, but then struggles to right herself. “We should have just left.”
“She saved your life. I made her a promise.” Zhen’s eyes meet mine. “I don’t forget my debts.”
I’m already rummaging in her drawers and shelves. “She’s pushed it too far. I need something to expel the magic from her.”
Zhen nods. “Anything you need. You’ll find an assortment of tea leaves in there.”
Sweeping aside the fabric and the papers, I pull out as many jars and pots as I am able to. I open each pot, sniffing what’s contained within, returning what I do not need.
“Ning!” I turn to see Ruyi sway, Zhen struggling to hold her up. I quickly assist the princess in lowering her down to a chair. Ruyi groans and drags her hand across her mouth; it comes away smeared with blood.
It’s disconcerting to see a fearless woman appear so uncertain, and with a pang in my chest, I think about Lian somewhere in the distance, anchoring the magic. I hope she’s safe.
“What’s wrong with her?” the princess demands.
“Lian’s ability,” I explain quickly, continuing to set up the ritual. “It always has a cost. It’s dependent on the ability of the shénnóng-shī who casts it, as well as distance and duration. If the receiver pushes the limits too far, the magic turns on them, too.”
“She ran a horse to death getting from Kallah to the palace after she regained enough strength to move…” Zhen smooths the hair around Ruyi’s face. “She showed up right before the banquet. She wanted me to leave, but when I found out about the order for your execution, I asked her to get you.”
I tell her of my discoveries while waiting for the tea to steep. About the governor and his companions from Lǜzhou. The infiltration of the city guards. But Zhen’s reaction is not as I expected. She looks resigned.
“It’s sooner than I expected, but I knew they were coming. I knew the chancellor was involved when Ruyi was attacked while performing an investigation on my behalf, struck by the poisoned arrow. He was the only other person who was aware of her mission. I sent her away in order for him to think I was unprotected, easier to manipulate. Now is their time to strike, to finish what my uncle started.”
I pour the tea, brewed strong, the fragrance wafting from the cup. Osmanthus flowers and tangerine peels, stiff with sugar, begin to soften in the water. When it is done, I tip it into Ruyi’s mouth, and this time she takes it without hesitation. They trust me, even with all those accusations against me, and I am thankful for it.
The Shift happens easily now, strengthened by my previous contact and Ruyi’s willingness. An echo of Lian’s magic, contained within her, answers my own. As if trimming an unruly shrub, I take some of the magic into myself—transferring a fraction of that potent power into me, the speed and the strength, easing the burden on Ruyi’s body.
Her eyes grow unfocused, but she breathes easier.
“Can you stand?” I ask her. She nods and gets to her feet unsteadily. “You’re going to feel weak until you get a full night’s rest. You cannot exert yourself again, not even to defend her life from an assassin.” I tilt my head toward the princess, and Ruyi manages a small smile.
“The magic could burrow even deeper, somewhere I may not be able to reach,” I add, but I doubt she will heed my warnings if Zhen’s life is at stake.
“I’ll help her.” Zhen ducks under Ruyi’s arm and holds up the taller girl, and I hook my elbow against her other arm to steady her on the opposite side.
The princess sweeps aside a silk hanging on the wall and presses the hidden panels until the mechanisms groan behind the wall. She lights a torch using the brazier and passes it to me to hold. We support Ruyi through the tunnels, making slow but steady progress. We make turn after turn, until Zhen holds up her hand, bringing us to a stop. On the other side of the wall, we hear movement—boots against the ground, metal brushing against metal as they march. I suspect they may be able to hear my heart beating so violently in my chest. But in time, their steps soon pass without cries of alarm, and we continue until we reach a doorway that leads to a grove of bamboo. The servants’ quarters. I discard the torch into a rain barrel, not wanting the light to attract attention out in the open.