Chapter 29
29
The Jade Emperor glanced at the men holding Lucas, and they silently let him go and kneeled. Now free, Lucas got to his feet, shaken and windblown from my power. He removed his gag and stared at me, stunned. We didn’t say anything to each other, but he clenched his fists like he wanted to keep fighting. I lifted a hand to assure him that everything was okay. Lucas nodded and backed away.
“My, my,” the emperor said, his voice haggard and weak. “What a terrible mess.”
His eyes took in all the destruction in my throne room, the mountains of coconuts, the pearls littering the floor. When he saw me, his eyes sparkled, just like Nix’s, and he bowed his head. “Queen Mahalina Jazreel,” he said.
Remembering my manners, I awkwardly curtsied. My clothes were in tatters and stained with blood, my face and hair a mess, and the chains still hung on my wrists. This was not how I imagined I’d be making a first impression with the Jade Emperor himself. “Your Imperial Majesty,” I said, my knees still trembling.
He stood before me, placing his hands upon his cane, and looked at Qian, who was still on his knee. The Jade Emperor’s expression was less than approving.
I found my voice. “What…Excuse me, but what are you doing here?”
“I am calling my army back,” he said. “No more blood will be spilled this night. I’m sorry I didn’t arrive sooner.”
“Father,” Qian said, “I did what I had—” The Jade Emperor’s disapproving glare made Qian close his mouth again. He lowered his head in shame, but his gaze burned while he stared at the floor.
Then the Jade Emperor spoke to me. “Invading an ally’s kingdom is an unspeakable act of treachery. I apologize, Queen Mahalina, for arriving so late. I would have liked to introduce myself to you earlier, especially after your father’s passing.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. Hearing him speak, I could feel the power radiating off him. It was as if his mere presence was a calming force, the quiet after the storm.
“According to some of my military officials,” he said as he looked at Qian’s men, who remained on their knees, “there were rumors of a monster. But I see no evidence of such a thing here.”
“Father!” Nix cried. She and Amador were arm in arm, hanging off each other, battered and bruised but alive. It was a relief to see them still standing. She gently let go of Amador’s arm, but Nix didn’t run to him. She stayed where she was, holding Amador’s hand. “Have you come to bring me home?” she asked, her voice trembling.
The Jade Emperor stepped toward his daughter, leaning heavily on his cane. She stood tall, despite having gone through so much today. And when the emperor stopped in front of Nix, he smiled. “Is that what you would like me to do?”
“No, I wish to stay here. I needed to figure out who I was outside of the palace,” Nix said, tears shining in her eyes. “I want my life to be mine.” Amador’s eyes widened as she recognized her own words.
The Jade Emperor stared at her for a long moment. For over a year, she’d been on the run, and I had almost expected him to be a hardened ruler to make her do such a thing, but the longer he looked at his daughter, the more it seemed to melt him, and he took a deep, steadying breath.
“I wish you had spoken with me about your feelings sooner,” the Jade Emperor said. “You were born into the Jade Mountain empire, and it is your duty to serve your kingdom.”
Nix took a step back, her glassy eyes a picture of heartbreak.
Then the Jade Emperor hummed thoughtfully. “It’s only now that I realize, to heal our relationship with Biringan, it would be wise to install an ambassador from Jade Mountain here.” A subtle smile appeared on his face. “The position can be yours if you so wish.”
“Father,” Nix said, disbelief and excitement in her voice. “Yes. Yes, please. That would make me very happy.” She squeezed Amador’s hand.
The Jade Emperor turned to me. “Is that an agreeable arrangement?”
“Yes,” I said. My heart swelled with joy. “Most agreeable.”
“You’re just going to let her go?” Qian shouted. He rose to his feet now, his face flushed with anger. “She’s in danger here! Don’t let the aswang queen fool you!”
The Jade Emperor raised an eyebrow. “You say there is a monster here, that Phoenix was in danger. It seems that bringing her back against her will would make me the monster.” The Jade Emperor picked up one of the coconut pearls, tossed it playfully, and caught it in his palm before winking at her.
“I was a monster, though,” I admitted. Doing so only felt right. “Qian wasn’t wrong about that. My magic backfired, and it changed me. It was my fault.”
The Jade Emperor puckered his lips and tapped his fingers on the head of his cane. “I’ve found in my centuries on this plane that, more often than not, those who become the worst versions of themselves often need the most help. It takes great courage to admit our weaknesses. But weakness isn’t permanent. Everything in the universe is changing, reshaping, all the time. From the primordial chaos, we emerged. Are we not allowed to change as well?”
“But I hurt people.”
“There is yin and yang, a balance of light and darkness, inside all of us, in everything around us, and when an imbalance takes place, the worst in us arises. In my early years, even I was not immune to this. Only with time have I learned that it is a part of living. None of us are immune to change, and it’s only when we accept and move with that change that we are truly able to find peace within to become our best selves.”
Qian still glared at me with hatred burning in his eyes. No matter what, I’d always be a beast to him. To think we were almost wed. He’d shown his true colors in the end. But was he not capable of change? He’d tried to kill me, and I guess I’d tried to kill him. But could we somehow peacefully go our own ways?
I stepped toward Qian and asked, “Do you hate me?”
He lifted his chin defiantly. “I saw what you truly are.”
I bit my lip and nodded, but I took off the ring he’d given me and offered it to him. “Please,” I said. “I’m sorry for everything. I want to end any cycle of violence. Here and now.”
Qian looked at his ring and then back at me. A dozen expressions flashed across his face, like he was struggling to maintain his composure. And when he met my eyes, I realized he was still afraid. I held no animosity toward him, but he had his own darkness, too, and it was his burden to bear.
Without another word, Qian snatched his ring back and, with a scoff, turned and left the room.
The Jade Emperor smiled at me. “You look so much like your father. And just like him, your qi is strong. Your power is a blessing on the land. Your people are lucky to have you.”
“Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty,” I said.
“Please.” He bowed to me, dipping his head low, then straightened. With another wink, the Jade Emperor left after Qian, and the rest of the soldiers followed.
When the door shut, my knees finally gave out.
“MJ!” Lucas rushed to me and caught me before I hit the floor.
My head felt light. Using so much magic had drained me almost entirely, but Lucas held me close. I felt safe in his arms.
He brushed my hair out of my face. “I’m here,” he said. “I’m with you. I love you so much.”
Even though I was exhausted, I smiled. “I love you, too. I’m sorry for everything.”
“Don’t apologize. You did it. You figured it out.”
He kissed me, and I realized I was crying when he did. He wiped the tears off my cheeks. They weren’t sad tears—I was so relieved and so happy. Everything felt right for once. I had been feeling so terrible for so long, I had almost forgotten what it was like.
I held him, and he held me, and we kissed until our lips went numb.