I thought I was saving her, but she had helped me get away, careless of her own safety. Had she escaped? Was my mother safe? Was I? My breaths came short and fast—I was drowning, struggling for air. Immortals did not suffer from illnesses or old age, but we could still be hurt by the weapons, creatures, and magic of our realm. Fool that I was, I never imagined such dangers would touch us. And now . . . I curled into a tight ball, arms wrapped around my knees, a thin, keening wail slipping from me like that of a wounded animal. Stupid, I cursed myself again and again for bringing this upon us, until at last I clamped my lips shut to muffle the sounds.
I did not know how long I lay there, my throat racked raw with swallowed grief. And yes, I feared for myself, too, as thoughts of cruel soldiers and vicious beasts crowded my mind. Who knew what lurked in the dark? I was unraveling, a tangled wreck, but then a beam of light fell across me. Lifting my head, I stared at the moon—the first time I had seen it from afar. Beautiful and luminous, and comforting, too. I breathed easier, finding solace in the thought that as long as the moon rose each night, I would know my mother had lit the lanterns and was well. A memory crept into my mind, of her walking through the forest, her white robe gleaming in the dark. My bruised heart cramped with longing, but I steeled myself against sinking into the abyss of self-pity again.
Bright flickers from below caught my eye, shimmering lights dancing within their inky depths. Were these the ones I had glimpsed from above? Only then did I realize the ground was like a mirror, a reflection of the stars weaving across the night. Their unfamiliar beauty seared me, a stark reminder that I was no longer home. I slumped back down, clasping my arms across my body. Staring at the moon until my pain subsided and I finally fell into a dreamless sleep on the cold, hard ground.
Someone was patting my arm. Was it my mother? Had all this been a terrible dream? Hope flared, shattering the haze of slumber. My eyes opened, blinking in the brightness of day. The swirling lights had vanished and reflected in their place were the rosy clouds of dawn.
A woman crouched beside me, a basket by her side. Her hand, which rested on my elbow, was as warm and dry as the surface of a paper lantern.
“Why are you sleeping here?” She frowned. “Are you all right?”
I lurched up, suppressing a gasp from the ache in my back. I could barely manage a nod to her question, numb from the memories which crashed over me.
“Be careful here. You should go home. I heard there was some disturbance last night and soldiers are patrolling the area.” She picked up her basket, rising to her feet.
My insides knotted. Disturbance? Soldiers? “Wait!” I cried, unsure of what to say, yet not wanting to be left alone. “What happened?”
“Some creature broke through the wards. The guards gave chase.” She shuddered. “We’ve had fox spirits in recent years. Though I heard this might have been a Demon, trying to snatch Celestial children for their evil arts.”
One of those monsters from the Demon Realm? It hit me, then, that it was I the guards were searching for. That I was the supposed Demon. I would have laughed aloud had I not been stricken with fear. Ping’er must not have been aware of the wards. “Did they catch anyone?” My voice came out feeble and thin.
“Not yet, but don’t worry. Our soldiers are the finest in the realm. They’ll capture the intruder in no time.” She gave me a reassuring smile, before asking, “What are you doing here at this hour?”
I sagged with relief. Ping’er had gotten away! Yet I must have lain here for hours and she had not come back. That gale which had burst through the skies, sending her soaring away—did it take her too far?
A thought nudged me. Had that power, somehow, come from me? Could I do such a thing again? No, how ridiculous to think so. Besides, nothing good had come of my magic so far, and I could not risk drawing any attention to myself. I started, realizing the woman was staring at me, her earlier question left unanswered. She did not suspect me because she expected some fearsome beast or fiend, but I dared not give her any reason to doubt me now.
“I have nowhere to go. I . . . I was dismissed from the household I worked in. I fell, and fainted.” My words were clumsy, my tone halting. My tongue unused to uttering such brazen lies.
Her face softened. Perhaps she sensed my misery, spilling from me like a river swollen with rain. “By the Four Seas, some of these nobles are so ill-tempered and selfish. There now, it isn’t so bad. You’ll soon find another place.” She cocked her head to one side. “I work at the Golden Lotus Mansion. I hear the Young Mistress is looking for another attendant, if you’re in need of a position.”