Chapter Nineteen
“That’s the White Cloud River.” Huang Yuan pointed to a lazy river at the bottom of a steep slope.
To the left of the path, the deep shadows hid the bottoms of majestic trees that soared so high into the sky the tops seemed to vanish.
Poisonous vines and shade-loving flowers filled every inch of space.
This place felt magical and dark and dangerous.
Leander loved it. It felt safe in a way the city never had—the way the Ring City didn’t.
He felt protected by the rich tapestry of flora that surrounded them.
“How do we get down there?” Xi asked.
“You walk until you reach the path that leads down to the riverbank.” Yuan seemed unconcerned as he stared at them. Xi stared back.
Xi broke the silent standoff. “And where would these paths be?”
“Walk long enough and you’ll find one,” Yuan said in a flat voice, “but my father requires my help today. Now that I have shown you the river, I must get back home.”
Alarm rose in Leander’s chest. “Wait,” he said, but Yuan was already trotting away on the well-worn path back to the Ring City.
“He doesn’t like us,” Xi said. “Did you piss in Yuan’s congee this morning?”
“I told you there were cultural assumptions around adoption.” Leander let his magic run through the nearby trees as he searched for any dangerous wildlife.
He wanted to believe Huang Yuan wouldn’t have left them if a nian or dragons or poisonous animals were nearby, but he had very little trust left.
His magic warned him of birds with their talons sitting in the trees and snakes sliding across branches and toads hopping through the leaf litter, but he couldn’t tell if any of those were poisonous.
“That doesn’t look like a cultural assumption. That looks like he hates you,” Xi said in a thoughtful tone.
“His culture teaches him that adoptees are greedy and dangerous. If he wants to protect the Nie family, it’s not surprising that he would dump us in the woods. He probably wants to reenact Hansel and Gretel.”
“Are you saying we’re going to find a gingerbread house?” Xi’s fingers twitched, but no shadows moved.
“He might expect us to run into something dangerous, but he underestimates my magic. With this many plants around, we’re perfectly safe.” Leander started down the path, watching the river to find the path that led down to the riverbank.
When he glanced back, he saw Xi wrinkle his nose.
“Don’t you trust me?” Leander asked. He tried to make his voice sound teasing, but he lacked the skill. He sounded resentful.
“I absolutely trust you. However, we are in a magical forest in a magically enlarged space with magical monsters. I would feel more comfortable if my shadow magic worked. Let’s go back to the house and return later.
” His voice had a pleading note that made Leander want to agree, but he couldn’t.
Their position in town was far too tenuous for him to go back on his word to present Mother Huiling with a ling basket.
“I will feel any animal that approaches, and I have enough plants to defend us.”
Xi scoffed. “So you’re giving yourself good odds against the dragon?”
Leander rested his hand against a poplar tree, absorbing the enthusiasm and endurance. “Dragons in China are more likely to have a conversation with you than eat you. Do not insult eastern dragons.”
“I would prefer my powers available before we face anything with teeth large enough to eat me, whether the creature wants to have a conversation first or not.”
“Our position is too precarious. If you want to go back, feel free.” Leander continued walking.
“I need to make the basket I promised, and we are in a spotlight, so I don’t dare go back on my word.
” A tree whispered about a bird passing through its leaves, and moss revealed a huge anthill with tiny feet rushing about.
“Trust me, I noticed the spotlight thing. Your lover’s family is a little more important than I thought.”
Leander snorted. He would be far happier living in the shadows. “We can’t change reality, and as a new son of the household, I need to show I can contribute to the home.”
“Then buy them something. I saw the pile of money they presented to you.”
“I have no idea what they would value, nor do I know any local craftsmen who can make something equal to their status.” Life would be so much easier if Leander had been adopted into a working-class family.
“Auntie Daiyu values my baskets.” Leander was quite through indulging Xi’s ridiculous arguments, so he quickened his stride, searching for a path down to the river.
Part of him hoped Xi would turn and go back to the city, but he followed, mumbling the entire way.
Leander tangled his magic with some of the great century trees. They carried a weight Leander had never felt before. Their power seemed to reach for him rather than passively accepting it. Hidden in the shadows, Leander sensed vines and flowers and tiny hidden fungi from unfamiliar species.
He found a vine that whispered of dreams and magic, and he stopped, startled at the potency of the impression.
Xi came to his side. “Did you hear something?” He was on alert, his gaze darting about the shadowed forest, clearly searching for a predator.
“No, I just identified a new species of plant. It’s fascinating.”
Xi blinked at him before shoving his shoulder as if they were still boys in middle school. “You scared the shit out of me.”
Leander lifted an eyebrow. “All I did was stop in the middle of the path. If you’re scaring yourself, that’s your problem.
” Leander knew he was being unkind, especially given that Xi couldn’t access his shadow magic.
If Leander could not feel the strength of the trees around him or the joy of the flowers or the tickling poison of the vines that grew in shadow, he would be homicidal.
“I can do this task myself,” he said in a gentler tone.
Instead of accepting that as a peace offering and retreating to town where he would be more comfortable, Xi got a defiant look in his eye and clenched his jaw.
“I’m not leaving you in a mythological forest by yourself.”
Leander spread his arms wide and gestured to the surrounding landscape. “Where would a plant mage be safer?”
Xi crossed his arms. “I’m not leaving.”
Leander sighed. “Then we need to look for the path because I won’t leave until I have woven the most beautiful basket I can for Mother Huiling.”
“Then let’s get this over with.” Xi stomped ahead, either in some imitation of a toddler tantrum or to frighten off any predators; Leander wasn’t sure which.
They walked at least a mile and perhaps two before the trees thinned and a sharp U-turn in the path led down to the banks of the river. “Finally.” Xi navigated the narrow path and shallow steps carved into the earth.
“I hate these stupid robes.” Xi grabbed the hem of his robe and lifted it all the way to his waist, showing off a pair of boots and bare legs.
“Where are your pants?”
Xi looked at Leander wide-eyed and startled. “I can wear pants?”
Leander lifted his robe to show his pants tucked into the top of his boots.
Xi’s mouth fell open. “Why don’t I have pants in my wardrobe?” he demanded.
Leander suspected it was a cruel joke, but he wasn’t sure who was playing it. “I shall ask Mother Huiling about local clothing stores or finding a tailor,” Leander said.
“And I thought Chinese people were polite.”
“Polite, yes, but polite isn’t the same as nice,” Leander said. “Now, we need to find reeds for baskets.” Xi grumbled as he led the way down to the lazily moving river.
Once they’d reached the stony riverside, Leander sent out threads of his magic into the algae clinging to the rocks, tiny bits flowing down the river.
Algae never fit comfortably with his magic, but he could force it over short periods of time.
He tied knots of the magic around the algae and closed his eyes as he let himself float with it.
It wasn’t long before he found what he sought, a widening in the river where the shallows tumbled over rocks and reeds grew tall and strong.
Those would be perfect for a large basket.
He opened his eyes and found Xi right beside him, his back to Leander as he scanned the unbroken wilderness around them.
“And you wondered why I don’t want you to be alone in the forest,” Xi said with a snort.
“I know all too well how easy it is to get lost in your magic and lose track of what your body is doing.”
“I did not lose track of my body,” Leander said dryly.
“A dragon or a lion or a griffin or whatever lives in these woods could gut you before you realized you were dead. And then you would look back at your body and say ‘oops.’”
“I would not.”
“Would too.”
Leander glared at Xi. “I know how to take care of myself.”
“And I know how to have my partner’s back.”
Leander clenched his fists as he strangled the desire to pummel Xi in his stupidly handsome face. Instead, he splashed down the riverbed in search of those reeds he had found. Rocks turned under his shoes and water pulled at his legs, but he ignored that.
Xi came splashing after him. “I didn’t mean any of that as an insult. Everyone needs someone to watch their back.”
“Unlike some testosterone-fueled idiots with delusions of competence who chose a career that includes shoot-outs, I don’t engage in the kind of risky behavior that would require someone to watch my back, and I include walking along this river as a safe activity.”
“Magical forest,” Xi said, and then he repeated louder as if Leander were incapable of hearing him, “Magical forest! I would have one hundred percent faith in you in a normal forest, but you are ignoring the word magical. You don’t know the rules of a magical forest.”