Chapter 82
Later, Mingxi guided Poppy to a quieter room lit by foxfire candles. She sank onto a cushion, and he knelt in front of her, taking her hand with a tenderness that steadied her heartbeat.
“You endured too much today,” he murmured. “You shouldn’t have had to.”
“You did too,” Poppy said.
He shook his head. “I would do it again. A thousand times.”
The words came out fierce. Raw. Unhidden. She reached to brush a strand of hair from his cheek, and his breath caught. His ears lowered. His shoulders eased.
Poppy realized that all the power he possessed, all the tails and foxfire and fury—none of it compared to the gentle way he touched her. He leaned in until their foreheads brushed.
“I’m not letting anything harm you,” he whispered.
She whispered back, “Then I’m not going anywhere.”
Family Interruption #47… Minghua kicked the door open.
“You two are being so cute it’s physically painful.”
Mingxi groaned. “Get out!”
“Nope!” She flopped beside Poppy. “We’re having girl time.”
Poppy blinked. “Girl time?”
“Yes! Before the bonding ceremony.”
Silence.
Poppy blinked again. “Bonding… what?”
Xu Yunlian appeared in the doorway with a serene smile. “Minghua means your formal integration into the clan,” she corrected. “Not… whatever she was implying.”
“Oh,” Poppy breathed, relieved—
“And the wedding,” Minghua added cheerfully.
Poppy choked.
Mingxi choked harder.
Caelan, walking by, choked too.
“We’re not—” Mingxi sputtered.
Xu Yunlian patted his shoulder. “Not yet, sweetie.”
Poppy covered her face.
Lysandra peeked her head in. “I ship it.”
“What do you even mean? What is ship it?” Mingxi snapped.
Lysandra smiled serenely. “Don’t worry about it, Fox.”
Mingxi threw his hands in the air and stalked out of the room to the sound of Lysandra’s laughter.
The sky was still violet when Caelan tightened the straps on his traveling pack outside the Shen main hall. Mist pooled low along the paths of Huǒyáo Jìng, catching foxfire lantern light and throwing it up like stars beneath their feet.
Poppy stood beside Mingxi, wrapped in a warm shawl Xu Yunlian had insisted she take. Her hair was still mussed from sleep. Mingxi looked only marginally more awake.
Lysandra sat on a roof beam above them, swinging her legs. “This is going to go horribly wrong,” she sing-songed.
Caelan glared up. “I’ll be gone two days.”
“Two days of tragedy.”
“Lysandra, I swear—”
“Caelan, sweetie,” she said, “you are a magnetic disaster beacon, and I say that with love.”
Minghua wandered out with a yawn and a pastry. “She may be right. Be careful.”
Caelan ran a hand down his face. “I seriously dislike all of you.”
Poppy stepped forward, touching his arm gently. “Travel safe. And send word.”
He exhaled, something soft flickering behind the stoicism. “I will.” He looked at Mingxi next. “Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.”
Mingxi lifted a brow. “Me?”
Caelan pointed directly at Mingxi’s tails. “Those are the definition of stupid.”
Mingxi scowled.
Caelan smirked.
For one suspended moment, they looked oddly like brothers. Then Caelan flicked his wrist, opened a shimmering water gate, and stepped through. The surface rippled once and then stilled.
Lysandra stretched. “Welp. Hope he doesn’t die.”
Poppy swung to her. “He won’t.”
“Oh, I know. I just like the drama.”
Minghua perked up. “I do too!”
Mingxi grabbed Poppy’s hand. “Let’s go inside before they infect you.”