He was silent for a while. “I have kin in the Western Sea, but I haven’t seen them for a long time. My responsibilities keep me well engaged.”
“Do you miss them?” I asked, thinking of my mother.
“Some more than others,” he replied, with a tight smile.
He picked up his scroll again, a sign that our conversation was over. I had finally met someone as reticent as me. Was he unwilling to speak of his family because the Western Sea had sided with the Demon Realm in the war? Perhaps it was prudent not to remind others of it. Though the Celestial Kingdom was now at peace with the Four Seas, immortal memories were long. I opened my mouth to ask another question, then hesitated. Not everyone’s past was a path through sunlit fields. We each had our own corners that we preferred to leave in the shadows.
The sun dropped lower in the sky and still, there was no sign of the merfolk. Had our plan failed? Was Governor Renyu too cunning to fall for our ploy?
“How much longer must we stay here? Can’t we leave now? Maybe the bad governor won’t come.” Prince Yanming had been restless since he awoke, unused to being confined.
I glanced at Wenzhi. “Shall we take another walk outside? To reassure them that we’re still here?”
“They could be waiting until nightfall to attack. Merfolk are adept at seeing in the dark,” he said.
“What if we spread the word that Prince Yanming is leaving soon? The guards and attendants can make a pretense of the preparations, while we walk near the water. After that, His Highness should be escorted to safety.” Our danger increased with every passing moment. However, it would be better to provoke the merfolk into action than let their plan unfold as they wanted.
He nodded, calling in the guard to relay his instructions. Before we left the tent, he passed me a small dagger with a silver hilt. “Keep this on you at all times.”
I took it, tucking it into my sash, concealed beneath my coat. It was more an ornament than a weapon, yet this was all I had to defend myself. No, I reminded myself. I still had my powers, and even with my bare hands, I was not helpless.
The ocean was restless now, its gray-green waters turbulent. Foaming waves crested high before crashing against the shore. Breaking free of my grasp, Prince Yanming ran ahead of me. I chased after him into the water, drenching my slippers and skirt.
An inky shadow fell over us as though night had fallen, cold dread congealing in the pit of my stomach. Towering above us was an enormous octopus, blocking out the sun itself. Giant tentacles, each twice the length of a grown man, lashed out—splashing water and flooding the beach. Riding upon the creature was a warrior in pearlescent armor that reached his knees and left his arms bare, a crown of red coral branches woven into his hair. Around his neck gleamed a large pendant, a gold disc encircling a glowing yellow stone. In one hand he held a spear and in the other, a shield studded with vicious spikes. His eyes were as pale as a glacier and when they locked on me, I froze.
Governor Renyu.
Wenzhi shouted in warning as the governor’s lips curled into a smirk. The octopus—it was almost upon Prince Yanming! Dashing deeper into the water, I swept him up, clutching him tightly as we raced from the rising tide. A tentacle lashed out behind me, slicing my calf. I choked back a cry, forcing myself onward through the churning current as the stinging seawater stripped the blood from my wound. Just as we reached the shore, the water foamed with thousands of quivering jellyfish, poisoned stingers coating their translucent tentacles.
The merfolk rode the crests of the swelling waves, roaring as they stormed the beach. With an answering shout, Prince Yanxi’s men surged from the forest. The Celestial soldiers threw off their disguises, their armor gleaming in the late afternoon light. A sudden tension ripped through the air, shimmering and flickering with the energies of the warriors—as the armies collided.
Bolts of fire and ice hurtled into hastily erected shields. Swords struck in a thunderous clash, ringing through the billowing sand. Prince Yanming trembled in my arms as we sprinted to the tent. But when agonized screams erupted from behind, I halted, whirling around. My heart plunged at the sight. The giant octopus was wrapping its tentacles around Celestial soldiers, hurling them into the ocean where venomous jellyfish swarmed over them, dragging them beneath the waves. Wenzhi shouted for them to move to higher ground, but his words were lost in the chaos. His energy erupted in a blaze of light, solidifying into a towering shield along the shoreline.
Yet the area was too wide, his magic spread too thin. Flanked by several warriors, Governor Renyu raised his hand, blue light streaking forth to strike the barrier. Once, twice, and then again—until at last, Wenzhi’s shield shattered. I would have darted for a weapon but if I discarded my pretense, the governor might sense a trap.