20. Kissed by the Gods
Chapter twenty
Kissed by the Gods
Moni
The women led me into a private bathing chamber hidden within the mountains.
Steam rose from the sunken pool in the ground, swirling like a living thing and curling upwards. The thick, white mist blurred the edges of the space.
At the far end of the chamber a nine-tailed fox was carved into the wall. Each tail fanned out and twisted upward.
This is amazing.
The women bowed in front of me, and one spoke, “Please undress, Mountain Mistress.”
Was this my life now?
Constantly surrounded by people whose main job was to take care of me?
Once I took off my clothes and stepped into the heated water, my body immediately relaxed, and they lowered on their knees around the sunken pool. Soon, their hands worked with care brushing every inch of my skin with soft, fragrant soap that left my body tingling and refreshed.
Others poured water in a slow cascade over me, and it felt like liquid satin.
When I asked for my head to be shaved, their hands didn’t falter. They treated the act like a sacred ritual, gently gliding the blade over my scalp as they removed each strand of hair.
It felt like a rebirth, like I was shedding parts of my old self and only keeping what was necessary for the woman I had transformed into.
Who will I be now?
Once they finished shaving my head, they smoothed fragrant oils over my bare scalp and I closed my eyes.
Jasmine perfume rose in the air.
My skin tingled.
Two other attendants gently lifted my legs and took them out the water.
I widened my eyes and leaned back in shock.
Alright. . .this is really going to be weird to get used to.
They wrapped warm towels wrapped around my calves, softening my skin. Next, they shaved every inch with the same grace they had shown my head. Their touch was neither clinical nor hesitant—it was loving and respectful, as though they were sculpting a goddess, and not simply tending to me.
So. . .I won’t even be shaving my legs myself?
Minutes later, they finished, and my skin shifted to impossibly smooth. With that, they dried me with thick, velvety towels and massaged more fragrant oils onto my skin.
I couldn’t help but feel spoiled.
Treasured.
We left after that and returned to the main tent.
The space hummed with electric energy as the women worked around me, getting makeup out, shoes, undergarments, jewelry.
All I could do was stand around and take this all in.
“Excuse me, Mountain Mistress.” A woman carried in a laptop. “The Grand Master wants you to see this.”
“Okay.” I put my view on the laptop.
The screen showed a news broadcast.
I widened my eyes.
It was of the East. The camera panned over the crowd gathered at the Palace gates. Many held blue candles.
People chanted. “Mountain Mistress! Mountain Mistress!”
My breath caught.
Holy shit.
The screen cut to a sweeping view of the Palace grounds, blanketed in flowers and offerings.
“We love you!”
I blinked and checked out the stuff they’d put around the Palace gates—blue silks, carved figurines, and notes.
The woman placed the laptop on the nearest dresser.
I swallowed. “When did this happen?”
“It is live, Mountain Mistress. It is happening right now.”
What the fuck?
I almost passed out.
Two other attendants came over and began prepping me. Makeup brushes swept across my skin, dusting my cheeks with a faint copper shimmer and adding color here and there.
Another woman’s fingers worked quickly, applying kohl to my eyes. Although her touch was steady despite the tremor I could sense in her hands.
I looked in the mirror.
The kohl made my gaze more intense, more piercing, as if my very stare could cut through steel.
I glanced back at the TV.
The images shifted to a high angle shot.
Shit.
The crowd was bigger than I thought, spilling beyond the Palace grounds and onto the streets.
"Mountain Mistress, we love you!"
I swallowed hard and turned away from the screen, not wanting to dwell on the crowd’s adoration for too long.
While it was good that the East was fully accepting me, it wasn’t love I needed from them—it was just respect.
More important. What does Lei think of this?
My heart swelled at the thought of him.
In my mind, his face appeared—the sharp angles softened when he looked at me, his dark eyes holding a fire sparked by passion.
My body reacted instinctively at the thought of him. Warmth bloomed low in my belly and spread outward.
I missed him so fucking bad I could scream.
So goddamn desperately.
I missed the way his touch lingered on my skin, as if even his fingertips couldn’t bear to part from me.
I missed the way his voice wrapped around my name, low and rough, a promise and a command all at once.
My chest ached with the need to see him, to feel his arms around me, to lose myself in his presence. But alongside the longing was a gnawing fear that tightened my throat.
Is Lei ready to fight his father tonight?
I clenched my hands into fists.
Can he win?
On the laptop, the chanting crowd echoed through the tent.
One of the women hurried over and turned the volume down a little.
I gave her nervous smile. “Thank you.”
She bowed. “I would do anything for you, Mountain Mistress.”
I blinked. “Yeah?”
“Yes.” She bowed again.
Another woman came over with undergarments and slowly began to put them on me. Not used to someone helping me into my panties, I must have looked crazy to her. I stepped into them with this odd expression and she shimmied the fabric up with a sweet smile.
Uh. . .I don’t know if I’m going to let people keep putting my underwear on. This is a bit insane.
My mind went back to Lei as she began to slip on my strapless bra, carefully tucking my breasts into each cup.
Lei, did you practice today?
My baby was strong. I’d seen it in the way he carried himself, the way he fought, the way he ruled.
But Leo wasn’t just strong—he was a force of nature, a storm that left ruin in its wake. This wasn’t just a battle of skill or strength.
This was a war of legacies.
Of wills.
Of whom was the biggest monster.
And that terrified me.
I clenched my fists and tried to steady my breathing.
What can I do?
I couldn’t just sit idly by at the battle while Lei fought for his life.
What would a monster do?
The question slithered into my mind, dark and unbidden. It wasn’t the kind of thought I would have let myself entertain before, but I wasn’t the same woman anymore. The Moni I used to be—the one who danced at the edges of this deadly world, unsure of her place in it—was gone.
Now, I was someone new.
Someone stronger.
Someone who had seen the other side of fear and survived.
A monster wouldn’t hesitate. A monster would do whatever it took to protect what was hers.
Once the woman snapped my strapless bra on in the back, I looked at the attendant near the laptop. “You said you’d do anything for me. Right?”
Her expression brightened. “Yes, Mountain Mistress.”
“Good.” I lowered my voice. “Then I need you to find something for me. Quietly. Without anyone else knowing.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “Of course. What do you need?”
“My two guns.”
She blinked, momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered.
The rest of the women working on my makeup exchanged glances.
She cleared her throat. “You want Kunlun’s Fangs?”
“Excuse me? What’s that?”
“That’s what many have called your guns.”
“But. . .why?”
“They say the gods of Kunlun gifted you the guns.”
I quirked my brows. “Who said that?”
“The news and others.”
“And. . .Kunlun is. . .?”
“Very important mountains.” She grinned.
A few giggled, but it seemed in good fun.
Another attendant came near and placed diamond bracelets on my wrist. “It’s the talk of the East. The Kunlun Mountains are said to be the dwelling place of the gods, where the immortal realm meets the mortal one.”
She shifted closer. “The story goes that the gods themselves watched as you rose. They saw your strength, your fury. They knew you would need weapons forged beyond this world to protect your power in the East, so they crafted them just for you. They call them Kunlun’s Fangs because, when you wield them, they strike with the precision of a beast—and bite deeper than mortal steel.”
I blinked again and parted my lips.
Another woman perused various colors of lipsticks. “Of course. Many of us know it’s just a story. They’re guns. Tools, nothing more. But it’s such a fun and magical way to see all of this, so. . .why not?”
The woman who had put on my bra nodded. “It is like Santa Clause. So much fun.”
I ran a hand over my scalp, where the oil they’d smoothed earlier left my skin tingling.
This had to be Leo’s doing. He had a knack for planting seeds in the minds of the masses, weaving narratives so fantastical they bordered on myth.
I could practically hear his smug voice now: Give the people a story.
The attendant by the laptop sighed. “We don’t have many legends with women in the East. It is about time we have one where a woman holds weapons kissed by gods.”
The others nodded.
Her words sank deep into my chest, lodging there uncomfortably.
Kunlun’s Fangs. God-kissed guns.
It was absurd—but a part of me, a very small part, liked the sound of it. Liked the idea that my hands could wield something with the power of a magical myth behind them, even if I knew the truth.
The attendant bowed again. “Shall I retrieve them for you, Mountain Mistress?”
“Yes, please.” I looked at all of them. “And this is a secret. No one knows. Do we have an understanding?”
A few shivered, but they all nodded.
“No one,” I said firmly. “Not the Grand Master. Not even the Mountain Master. Not Chen or Song. No one.”
“Okay, Mountain Mistress.” She nodded again and rushed off.
I called after her. “Please, be careful.”
She disappeared through the tent flap, I exhaled slowly and turned back to the mirror.
Kunlun’s fangs.
My reflection stared back at me, unflinching, as though daring me to follow through with what I’d just set in motion.
I would sneak those guns into the feast.
Lei wouldn’t need to fight this battle alone. He didn’t have to know it, but I would be there, watching, waiting, ready to do whatever it took to keep him alive.
Because I loved him.
And if it meant further becoming a monster to protect him, then so be it.
The plan was already forming in my mind, piece by piece. The guards would probably be thorough, checking every guest for weapons, but they wouldn’t expect me to carry them. They wouldn’t dare question the Mountain Mistress, not after what I’d done to earn this title.
Right?
One woman whispered next to me. “Your gown has deep pockets. I can give you a fur to wear over it. That could hide them even more.”
“Yes.” I bobbed my head. “That’s perfect.”
She signaled to the other. “Get the fur, please.”
A woman ran off.
The others didn’t look at me directly, but their glances flickered in my direction, quick and uncertain. I could feel their thoughts buzzing in the air like an invisible current, thick with questions they didn’t dare ask.
Were they wondering why I wanted the guns?
Or was it something deeper?
Maybe they were questioning the kind of woman I was becoming—the kind of woman who would sneak weapons into a feast meant to showcase unity and power.
The kind of woman who didn’t trust the man she loved to finish the job alone.
I hoped that they understood that I wasn’t the serene queen they were trying to craft me into—some special, glamourous Mountain Mistress.
I was terrified.
Terrified for Lei.
Terrified of Leo.
And maybe, just a little, terrified of myself.
If Lei couldn’t finish the job, then I would.
Minutes later, the attendant returned with a huge turquoise fur, and two others carried in my gown.
Wow. I’m wearing that. Well. . .damn.
I watched them in the mirror as they began to transform me into someone I barely recognized—a queen.
Or more correct. . .a Mountain Mistress.
The gown they slipped onto me shimmered like liquid starlight. Deep, vivid blue, it rippled with silver threads and hugged my curves. At my waist, it flowed outward in a cascade of elegance and then pooled at my feet like a royal waterfall.
Cinderella would have been very fucking jealous right now.
I shivered under the attendants’ touch, though the chill wasn’t from the air—it was the realization that this moment was monumental.
This is really happening.
I was no longer Monique from Glory.
Now, I was the official Mountain Mistress of the East.
What the hell did Banks think? My sisters? How much more would our lives change?
Currently, the title still felt foreign, too big, too heavy. But at least now the pressure of it didn’t crush me. It shaped my soul, grounding me as if the mountain itself had settled into my bones.
Alright. It is what it is. If this is my role, then I’m going to act the part until. . .I really become it.
The attendants continued to fuss over me. One smoothed the shimmering gown over my curves. Another zipped me up in the back.
I gazed down at the deep, luminous blue of the sleeveless gown, sparkling with flecks of silver embroidery, as though someone had captured the night sky and stitched it into silk.
“It fits perfectly,” one of the women whispered behind me.
“Of course it does,” another kept her voice low. “The Mountain Mistress is excellence itself. The Mountain Master would not have picked her, if not for that.”
I blinked.
Their words sent a strange warmth spiraling through me, but it wasn’t vanity that gripped me—it was power and it swelled in my chest.
Then, the soft hum of activity paused as the eldest of the women entered with something extravagant in her hands.
I widened my eyes.
Oh wait. . .
In her hands was a delicate crown, a masterpiece of sapphires and silver vines that wove together in a complex design. Tiny dragons had been sculpted into the silver, and diamonds served as their eyes.
“So. . .” I stared at it. “Is that. . .really necessary? I’ve never seen Lei with a crown on.”
“The Grand Master demanded it, Mountain Mistress.”
Of course he did.
Smiling, she lifted the sapphire crown and placed it gently onto my head. The jewels glimmered and traced the curve of my scalp.
The woman stepped back. “I believe she is ready.”
I put my view back to the mirror.
Fuck.
I barely recognized the woman staring back.
She was strong.
Fearless.
A true Mountain Mistress. . .I supposed.
There was a profound silence in the tent as everyone drank in this image.
The soft padding of footsteps broke the quiet.
Oh good.
The woman I’d sent to retrieve my guns slipped back into the tent, moving quickly but with a deliberate care that told me she knew the stakes. Her gaze darted nervously to the others, then locked on me.
In her hands were two small guns, wrapped tightly in a swath of silk to probably disguise what they were.
She clutched them to her chest like sacred relics. “I couldn’t find yours, Mountain Mistress, but I grabbed the first two I could find.”
“That’s good. I just need something that can shoot.”
“I made sure they were loaded.” She unwrapped the silk with trembling fingers and revealed the guns beneath.
“Thank you so much.” I reached out, taking one gun at a time and quickly inspecting them. The cold metal felt solid, familiar, like an extension of me. I slid the magazine from each, verifying the rounds before snapping them back into place.
A sharp gasp came from one of the younger attendants.
I flicked the safety on and nodded at the one who had brought the guns. “What’s your name?”
“Melli.”
“Melli, if you need a favor from me in the future. I’ve got you.”
She looked close to passing out. “O-okay. Thank y-you.”
“No problem. Just ask Chen or my lady-in-waiting, Thandi. They’ll bring you to me.” I bent down slightly, slipping one gun into the deep pocket of my gown.
Please, let this work.
I hoped the silk fabric was heavy enough to disguise the weight, but the action still felt reckless. I placed the second gun into the other pocket.
“We can help you with the fur.” The eldest woman stepped forward, took the thick coat from the other, and draped the massive turquoise fur over my shoulders. “If you have it this way, your hands are free to grab them at any time, but it will still cover the pockets.”
“Perfect.” I looked down, and confirmed she was right. The thick fabric fell in a way that perfectly concealed the outline of the guns.
The women stepped back. “I believe you are ready, Mountain Mistress.”
I looked up at myself in the mirror, draped in elegance and mystery. I presented this image of a woman who commanded respect and fear.
A woman who held power.
A woman who was feared even by herself.
Yet as my gaze met my reflection's eyes, I found a glimmer of Monique still there, buried beneath layers of royal silk and turquoise fur, hidden behind the facade of the Mountain Mistress.
I swallowed.
Just get through this night with Lei being alive. Then, we’ll deal with who I am later.
The room was quiet once more as each woman held her breath.
The effect was immediate.
The, the women’s postures stiffened as if the air itself had turned to stone. Next, fear radiated from them in waves.
What’s wrong?
I looked over my shoulder and that was when I realized Leo had entered.
I straightened too.
Leo stood tall. His presence commanded the space with the ease of a predator surveying its domain. His grand ensemble blended ancient tradition with modern refinement, every detail steeped in the regal tones of blue and silver.
A deep sapphire-blue robe, embroidered with intricate silver dragons draped over his tailored charcoal suit. The high mandarin collar of the suit was edged in silver, framing his neck with sharp precision, while a sash of rich cobalt silk was tied at his waist.
A sapphire-studded dragon-shaped pin adorned his chest.
In his hand, a small velvet box rested.
He never even glanced at the women.
His attention was all on me. “Leave the Mountain Mistress to me.”
They didn’t hesitate for one second. Fast, they scattered like leaves in the wind, filing out of the tent with hurried steps.
And all I could do was hope to God he hadn’t caught anything about the guns.