Chapter 37 Zizi
Zizi
Zizi had forgotten about the tea party. Or rather, he remembered suggesting something in a noncommittal, hand-wavey sort of
way back in the cavern. Certainly nothing that warranted his pesky siblings swooping in on the Fourth Court without advance
notice. He hadn’t arranged anything or sent out formal invitations. Yet except for Ten, who was still stuck in his Court,
the whole lot had shown up unannounced, dressed to the nines and expecting a lavish feast.
The kitchens had not prepared any pastries or cakes, but the Fourth Court’s pantry was well-stocked with an assortment of
tea leaves from the mortal realm. Zizi was one to work smart, not hard, and he simply turned the party into a competitive
tea tasting event to distract from the lack of buttery goodness. Between the fight that broke out with Three and Nine over
whether the jade dew tea had a hint of seaweed or not, and the spiders Seven threw into Two’s cup because the crone had won
two rounds of a taste test against her, he felt like his pivot was a success. He was the perfect host on the surface. Gracious,
witty, and ever-present.
Inside, he was a mess.
Knowing that Rui had the means for safe passage back to the mortal realm helped, but first, she had to get to Naihe Bridge
undetected. He’d let himself get distracted earlier instead of sticking to the plan of sending her back to her world immediately.
But at least his chambers were sealed and Nikai was on guard.
Still, the timing of the Kings’ visit was highly inconvenient and more than a little suspicious. Five appeared more anxious
than usual, and it didn’t escape Zizi’s attention that she was sneaking looks at him. Guilt lurked in those glances.
She wasn’t the only one acting oddly. One stayed at the far end of the long table, saying not a word to anyone, not even to Zizi.
And the fact that Eight was here at all made everything fishier.
Eight was a smarmy young man who had recently traded his business shirts and neutral sweater-vests for the same black tee and blue jeans every day.
He spent his time staring at numbers on multiple screens and hardly showed up for family gatherings unless it was something official like a Kings’ Council.
Zizi had a good reason for being wary. The last time all the Kings were present in the Fourth Court together, they had chained
him to his throne with their powers, and he had been forced to leave his love unprotected. The sense of déjà vu was strong,
and he half expected Ten to slither out of the shadows. His siblings seemed bent on overstaying their welcome, and as time
ticked by, his tightly wound ball of worry grew.
Finally, he clapped for attention. “We have tasted all the teas there are to taste, and as much as I adore each and every
one of you, I have a kingdom to run, as do the rest of you. I’m afraid it’s time to wrap it up.”
“Don’t be a spoilsport. The party’s just getting started,” Six said, sounding tipsy, even though there’d been no alcohol on
the table.
“Unfortunately, my interest in partying with you has plummeted,” Zizi told him. “Plummeted to absolute zero. Zilch.” When
no one made a move to vacate their seat, his eyes narrowed. “Unless you have a different reason for being here?”
Five dropped her teaspoon, and it clattered against her plate. “Sorry,” she whispered, fingers kneading against each other.
“You are far too paranoid, Brother,” Nine chided. But they didn’t meet Zizi’s eyes, choosing instead to examine their teacup
with great interest.
Five stammered, “I th-think Zizi’s right. We—we should go.” She nudged Seven, who was seated to her right.
The girl turned to Zizi. He stared at her. Even you, little bug?
Seven blinked away, cooing at the pet arachnids in her gemstone purse.
Betrayal hit like a concrete slab. The Kings weren’t here for a silly tea party. They were here to trap him. Again.
He had to return to his chambers immediately.
“Your Majesty!”
All heads turned to the mirror next to the throne.
A bruised and battered Nikai was flailing in the reflection.
It was all Zizi needed to know. Rui was in trouble.
Bolting from his seat, he jerked his head and the mirror went blank. The lights in the grand hall flickered as the air vibrated
with energy.
Was a fight coming?
Out of pure habit, Zizi ran his right hand down his left arm before realizing he didn’t know if he could summon his mortal
spiritual weapon anymore. But black steel rose from where his hands met, the edges of the blade gleaming red.
A sword. Unbroken.
There was no time to wonder why his spiritual weapon had changed in nature. He glanced around the table, daring the Kings
to react. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Only Two moved. Lightning sizzled between her wizened fingers.
A ball of blue fire plumed from Zizi’s palm in response.
Six flung his arms out in exasperation. “Do we have to? We literally just got him back, and we were having such a good time
as a family.”
“The Elders have spoken,” Two said. “He must remain in the underworld.”
“Let’s not escalate the situation,” Six pleaded. “We can talk it out. This isn’t like the last time.”
As the Kings argued, Zizi scanned the room. One made no move to attack or defend. Seven was still playing with her spiders.
Nine twitched in their seat, but Three growled at them, and they sighed and poured another cup of tea instead. Wringing her
skirts, Five nodded at him encouragingly even though she seemed frightened by what was happening.
“Look,” Eight said loudly, running a hand over his gelled hair.
“If he wants to be an imbecile, let him. As far as I’m concerned, this is between him and the Elder Gods.
They told us to delay him so the Guardians could do their job.
We’ve played our part, and I see no reason to do more.
I’m going back to my Court.” He threw an almost friendly glance at Zizi. “I’ve probably said too much.”
Zizi was astonished. Were his siblings defying the Elders for him?
Eight got up, sneakers squeaking on the marble floor as he strode to the exit, shaking his head and muttering to himself about
how the whole party was a waste of time.
But lightning bolts still arced from Two’s outstretched hands.
If Zizi had to fight an old woman, he would.
One stood then, rising to their full height. “I suppose now is a good time to inform you that he knows his origin. If he is
able draw on his full powers, not even we can restrain him.”
Six started hiccupping in surprise, while Five swayed as if she was about to faint.
“You told him?” Seven said to the First King, looking impressed.
Three wagged a finger at Nine. “I win the bet. Told you he’d find out one day.”
“You were betting on me?” Zizi wasn’t sure if he should be offended.
“Let him go, Sister,” One told the Second King. “He might be our only hope for things to return to a state of balance.”
“If he leaves, we may not be able to save him,” Two said, a quiver in her voice. “That mortal body has a ticking clock.”
Zizi’s confusion grew. He’d always thought that the Second King hated him for some unknown reason. Had he misunderstood her
intentions?
“The Divine works in mysterious ways,” One said softly, resting gentle hands on Two’s hunched shoulders. “You cannot save
someone who does not want to be saved.”
“Go, then,” Two said. Her lightning vanished. “Meet your fate, whatever it might be.”
Zizi extinguished his own flames. “Thank you,” he said, though he wasn’t quite sure why. Then, with a wink, he added, “And
don’t worry, I’ll save myself.”