Liwei spoke briefly to Prince Yanxi, before coming toward me. Conscious of those watching us, I bowed to him with all due ceremony.
“Rise,” he said in a strained voice.
I met his gaze without a flicker of emotion, grateful for Teacher Daoming’s training—that I could now slip on this mask despite the turmoil which raged within. “Why are you here? When did you arrive?”
“Three days ago.” He lifted the Sky Drop Tassel by his waist. The gem was clear, the silver flecks swirling in its depths. “When it turned red, I rushed here as quickly as I could.”
I clutched the stone by my waist, the twin to his. A wild urge gripped me, to toss it away, to bury it with our past—like the temptation to rip out a scab before the wound had healed. Why did I wear it? Why cling to this remembrance? Sentimental fool, I scolded myself, forcing my grip to loosen.
“When I got here, the battle was already over. You were unconscious, blood streaming from your wounds as Captain Wenzhi carried you from the tent. I . . . I feared the worst.” He stilled, as though struggling with himself. “You were gravely injured. Prince Yanxi had you brought to the palace so the royal healers could extract the venom from your body. Any more would have killed you.”
He leaned toward me now, taking my hand in his—our palms brushing, the tips of his fingers pressing against mine. Taken aback, I stilled. Heat sparked against my skin as his power coursed through my body. My mind cleared, a reviving strength spreading through me, but I pulled away. While he was a healer, skilled in Life magic, the thought of his energy mingling with mine aroused too many unsettling emotions.
“Thank you. You don’t need to do that.” I groped for something else to say. Anything, in the awkward silence which descended upon us. “What were you discussing with Prince Yanxi?”
His expression turned somber, his eyelids lowering. “A grave matter. Archer Feimao, whom you know, recently reported a strange affliction. Since the battle with Xiangliu, he found difficulties wielding his magic. We believe a piece of dark ore wedged in his armor suppressed his powers.”
“How is he now?” I asked, concerned.
“Once it was removed, he recovered.”
“What metal is this? How did it get there?”
“No one has come across anything like it before. Archer Feimao suspects it came from Shadow Peak, a crevice which he fell into. Our scouts found traces of the ore there, but nothing beyond remnants.”
“Did someone take it?” A chilling thought.
He nodded tersely. “It appears to have been mined. Such a thing could be catastrophic in the wrong hands. I’ve warned Prince Yanxi to be vigilant and to alert us should he discover anything.”
He fell silent. In the sudden quiet, my senses sharpened. How close we stood, speaking with the same ease we always had before. There it was still, that unseen cord wound around our hearts—frayed, yet intact, despite my attempts to snap it. Perhaps it was a bond which could never be severed, rooted in our friendship before our ill-fated love. I did not want this—for my spirits to leap and plummet in the same instant, that gaping hollow in my chest to reopen. But my near death was a blunt reminder that life was precious. Precarious, even for an immortal. And right now, I felt more alive than I had in months. His scent flooded me with memories from our time in the Courtyard of Eternal Tranquility . . . I could almost hear the rumbling from the waterfall.
My fingers curled as I stepped back from Liwei, retreating a safe distance as cool air rushed between us. His mouth opened to speak, but then he glanced up as someone approached.
“First Archer.”
It was Prince Yanxi, along with Wenzhi—whose face seemed hewn from stone as he bowed to Liwei.
I would have bowed, too, except Prince Yanxi raised his hand to dismiss the formalities. “I’m glad you have recovered. My family owes you a debt of gratitude for risking yourself to protect my brother. Should you ever need our aid, it would be our honor to assist you.”
His gracious words touched me. “There is no debt, Your Highness. Governor Renyu’s ambitions stretched beyond here to the Four Seas. If left unchecked, he would have brought great suffering to all.”
Prince Yanxi shook his head in disbelief. “It’s fortunate Captain Wenzhi and you put an end to this.”
“What of the governor’s pendant?” Liwei asked.
“Destroyed.” I recalled the arrow I had ripped from my hand, used to shatter the stone.
Liwei sighed. “It’s a relief that such a dangerous artifact is gone, that it can never be used again. But I can’t help wishing we had the chance to study it. We know so little of this magic, I fear it’s to our disadvantage. We must know what we contend against.”