She pauses, her dark eyes thoughtful. “Not like Joon. I used to wonder to myself, Is this what it’s like to have a younger sibling? I wouldn’t know, being an only child myself. Because Joon, knowing you followed, always walked a little slower.”
I feel a tightness in my chest.
“He loved you, Mina. And I loved him as a true friend. I have a new life here, one that I plan on keeping for as long as I can, but I will help you—for you and for your brother. You can trust me.”
This time, she holds out her hand, and I take it. Dai grins from where he watches the exchange by the doorway. “What was the plan to get her inside?” Nari asks him now.
“I thought she could pose as a servant.”
Nari steps back to get a closer look at me, then nods, satisfied. “That should work.”
“Wonderful! I leave her in your capable hands.” Dai pushes me through the doorway. “I wish you luck, Mina!”
He takes off down the street, calling over his shoulder, “When we meet again, I look forward to hearing your voice!”
I lean my head out the door and wave until he’s disappeared around the corner. Stepping back inside, I look about to see that we’re standing in a small cobblestoned courtyard. An open gate to the right reveals a pathway leading deeper into the house’s grounds. In the middle of the courtyard is a cherry tree with white and pink blossoms. From its elegant branches dangle paper charms, a few swaying, others spinning slowly in the light wind.
“This is the servants’ courtyard,” Nari says, coming up beside me after closing the door. “We should go unnoticed here for a time.” She gestures for me to sit upon a stone carved in the likeness of a turtle. Then she walks over to the tree, grabs a shallow tin bucket, and places it near my feet. I peer inside to see the bucket is filled with rainwater. “Wash up and I’ll find you some slippers.”
Immediately I comply, sinking my feet in the warm water and scrubbing off the dirt and soot from the streets. Nari returns, handing me an apron—I tie it around my waist—as well as a white piece of cloth. This I secure around my nose and mouth to conceal my face.
“Illness is rare in the Spirit Realm,” she explains, “but anyone might wish to hide their face after a night of heavy drinking.” Last, Nari hands me a pair of sturdy slippers. After I slide them on, she looks me over. I must make a passable servant, because she nods, turning and gesturing for me to follow her out the eastern gate.
From the servants’ courtyard, we step onto a wide dirt path. On either side are large cookhouses, the savory scents of soy sauce and rice wine wafting through the windows. A door to the left slides open, and we press our backs to the nearest wall, watching as servants dressed in light blue uniforms emerge, each carrying a tray of covered dishes. We count our breaths as they pass, then quietly slip down a grassy road lined with large earthenware pots, emerging close to the outer wall.
“It’s called a house,” Nari explains as we climb a small hill scattered with flowering pear trees, “but it’s actually a large residence encompassing several buildings with gardens, fields, and lakes in between them. If we get separated, you’re to look for a pavilion northeast of where we are now. It sits atop a small pond and can only be accessed by boat, or a bridge on the south side. That should be where they’re keeping your soul. The area isn’t crowded, and should be even less so tonight, with most of the activity centered around the main pavilion.”
As we crest the hill that overlooks the grounds of Lotus House, I stop to catch my breath.
A magnificent lake lies below, spanning almost the full length of the grounds. Lotus flowers bloom across the dark water to the center of the lake, where a shining pavilion sits upon a small island. Tonight, it appears to be the gathering place for a celebration. Figures dressed in bright colors move among the great stone columns, and sounds of music and laughter drift from the upper-floor balconies. There are two bridges leading to the pavilion. On the western bridge, I spot at least four covered palanquins carried on the shoulders of liveried bearers, while the torches on the eastern bridge are unlit.
I wonder why they’ve come tonight. I remember how earlier the guards at the gate were only allowing through select individuals.
“They’re here to act as witnesses,” Nari says, following my gaze. “Every year all the great houses of the realm gather to ensure the tie between the Sea God and his bride is broken. While the Sea God remains asleep, there are some in the city who’d take control for themselves.” She nods toward two of the larger processions entering through the gate, one arrayed entirely in red and gold, the other in silver and blue. “The lords of Tiger House and Crane House, to name the leaders of two of the more ambitious houses. By severing the tie that would make the Sea God mortal through his connection with you, Lord Shin keeps the Sea God invulnerable to attack, and the great lords under control, at least for another year.”