Chapter Five #2
Zahra blinked at her in confusion. As a non-shifter daughter of a tyrant wannabe king, wasn’t it obvious?
“Leave her alone,” Kai cut in, leaning back on his hands as he offered a lazy grin. “What matters is we got her out. It wasn’t too hard. Actually, I had a lot of fun.”
Shanmei matched his grin with one of her own as she flipped one of her daggers in her hand. “I second that. Let’s do it again.”
“I don’t think we’d get so lucky a second time. The advantage of surprise is already used up.”
“Mn,” Weiyu agreed. “Using the same trick more than once will only land us in another ambush.”
Zahra glanced between the other four, her attention lingering longest on King Weiyu, whose golden jewelry and golden mark on his temple matched his eyes as they glinted beneath the orange firelight.
“But I don’t understand. Why would you spare the effort and risk your lives to help me escape the Perch? ”
Across from her, Kai burst into laughter, promptly receiving a glare from Weiyu. Kai turned his back to her, shoulders shaking as he attempted to stifle the rest of his laughter. He waved a hand over his shoulder as if to tell everyone not to mind him.
Shanmei answered with an amused grin. “We don’t question Weiyu’s decisions. Well, maybe sometimes. His plans are a bit wacky, but they usually work. We weren’t risking our lives so much as having a bit of fun.”
For the first time, Yinyu interjected with a displeased grunt. “His wacky plans got him killed. Twice. He should be confined to the Roost for his actions. I only made an exception for this mission.”
Zahra’s face heated, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. It wasn’t as if Weiyu had specifically come for her. Only because he felt like he owed her a debt.
“Well,” she said, staring into the fire with a blank expression. “The debt is paid. Where will I go now?”
“Debt?” Kai burst into laughter once again, slapping his knee while he was at it. “Debt! Did you hear that, Yu Yu? You’d better set her straight real quick—”
“Shut up!” Weiyu hissed, grinding his knuckles into the other man’s skull. “Can you try to keep your mouth shut for more than two minutes?”
Shanmei snatched an empty bag and pulled it over Kai’s head before punching him in the shoulder.
Kai only laughed harder, louder, and said between gulping breaths, “Don’t hit me, Mei Mei.
Don’t hit me! At least I got the baddies off our trail.
” He pulled the bag off his head, his ever-present grin sitting on his face.
“They probably won’t waste more resources on trying to track a servant, especially when they have no idea Weiyu aided us with the ‘kidnapping.’ No offense intended, of course.
Everyone is probably strung tight for the remainder of the princess’s wedding, however. ”
Zahra nearly choked on her spittle when she realized. These people didn’t know her true identity. They didn’t know that she, Princess Zahraniyah, was the one supposed to get married today.
And perhaps...
For the sake of herself, her future, and breaking all ties with her family...
It was best it stay that way.
As the two argued while Yinyu interjected occasionally, Zahra leaned closer to Weiyu and tapped his knee to get his attention. “May I speak to you? In private? Is it safe?”
“Mmhmm,” he answered quickly. He held out a hand and helped her to her feet. Was it her imagination, or did he hold her hand a few beats longer than necessary? Or did his thumb lightly brush against the top of her fingers before he let go?
She shook her head imperceptibly, following Weiyu through the dark silhouette of trees as she silently chastised herself. Had she led such a miserable life trapped at the Perch that she wanted to cling to the first person who showed her just a little bit of kindness? How delusional could she be?
They stopped at the edge of a river. Soft moss squished beneath her shoes, and the synced chirping of cicadas echoed through the air.
For a moment, she was grateful for the gentle sounds of the river that obscured the pounding rhythm of her heart.
Something about Weiyu created a growing pit of nervousness in her belly.
She’d never thought she’d see him again, child form or otherwise.
“So?” Weiyu asked, startling her from her thoughts with the gleaming gold of his eyes fixed on her.
“So...what?” she whispered, her mind emptying entirely under the weight of those beautiful eyes.
A grin lifted on his lips before he turned in a full circle, showing off his lean body and defined arms with the movement. “I put on a few years. How does it look on me?”
Stunning...
But she held the word in her mouth, afraid it might slip out unintentionally and betray her thoughts.
Clearing her throat, she instead asked, “How old are you originally?”
“I’ll be twenty on the day of the summer equinox. You?”
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled shyly. “Today is my birthday. I’m eighteen.”
His brows lifted in surprise, his eyes flashing a shade brighter for the briefest moment. “Not the best way to spend your birthday, is it?”
“I don’t know.” She peeked at him beneath her lashes in a teasing manner. “Being absconded by four strangers during the height of Mogwai’s daughter’s wedding and chased down by his soldiers is an exciting way to spend one’s birthday. Don’t you think?”
He stepped closer, pinning her with his intense gaze. “Do you consider us strangers?”
The tips of his fingers brushed her elbow. Pleasant tingles traveled down her arm, to her wrist, her fingers, itching to return his soft touch. But she refrained.
“Experiencing two life and death situations with a person is bound to tie them together by fate. You are not a stranger to me.”
Another step closer. Zahra hardly managed to draw breath into her lungs due to his nearness.
“What do you believe about fate?” he murmured in a voice as soft as the under feathers of a phoenix wing.
“It acts in the most unpredictable ways,” she answered just as softly.
But when her heart threatened to leap out of her chest in her raging fluster, she chuckled and tore her gaze away. They’d only just met for the second time. Besides, he was the phoenix king. A man far above her station. Once they went their separate ways, it was unlikely for them to meet again.
Wherever her separate way led her...
“I forgot.” She reached for the blue gem necklace and pulled the golden chain over her head, holding the intricate piece of jewelry inside her palm. “This must belong to you.”
He closed her fingers over the gem and squeezed her closed fist. “It was a gift. I’d like you to keep it.”
Finally, she braved lifting her head to meet his eye. “It feels...alive. What is it?”
The corner of his mouth quirked upward, filled with mirth. “A gift. Is it inappropriate to offer such a thing to the woman who saved me from multiple deaths? Besides...you can also consider it a birthday gift.”
She breathed out a laugh and secured the necklace around her neck once more. “Thank you, then. For the gift. I’ll always treasure it.”
“I hope so,” he murmured. He took those two steps backward and lifted his gaze to the stars blinking into existence overheard. “What did you wish to speak to me about?”
“I owe you my sincerest gratitude. I did not want the others to hear as I thanked you. For...for...for rescuing me from a terrible fate. Thank you, Your Highness.”
He crossed his arms and grinned. “It’s Weiyu. Or Wei.” His grin widened as he tapped his cheek. “If you truly want to show your thanks, I also accept kisses.”
She recognized the hint of a jest in his tone. Which was likely why his eyes shot wide open in shock when she braced one hand against his chest, standing high on her toes to combat their height difference as she placed a featherlight kiss on his cheek.
She dropped her hand and stepped backward, trying to convey her gratitude through her eyes alone. If he hadn’t come for her, or even if he’d waited a single day to help her escape, it would have been too late.
“Back to the Roost with me,” Weiyu murmured. A faint breeze lifted his bangs, and she watched in awe as the blue-black strands accentuated the gold of his eyes and wheat-tan of his skin.
“Pardon?” Internally, she chastised herself for seeming so stupid around this man. She wasn’t sure what was going on, only that his stunning beauty was not conducive to a focused mind.
“You asked back at the campsite where you will go now. Come home with me.”
Her lips parted in shock, her mind emptying all over again for a different reason other than his good looks. Lucidity returned just enough for her to discover reason. “I’m from the red phoenix clan. I will not be welcome.”
“So is Kai. He’s our clan’s most beloved member.”
“Even more so than his king?”
Weiyu laughed, the pleasant sound sending shivers down her spine. “You underestimate just how charming Kai can be. However, I think he’s just annoying. Beloved, my arse.”
She joined in on his laughter, especially when she detected the hint of brotherly affection in his tone. But then her expression softened with gratitude. “I’ll stick out like a chicken in a phoenix coop.”
“You won’t be the only one. We have sheltered a couple dozen red phoenixes over the past decade.”
She released a breath of surprise. “So many?”
“Mn. Some find themselves in dire situations. You won’t stand out.” He flashed her a grin. “For the wrong reasons, at least.”
What were the right reasons, she wondered? “How can I repay you for rescuing and sheltering me?”
“It is I who will spend the rest of my life repaying you. I owe you...everything.”
“For pushing you off the ledge of the Perch?” She shook her head. “I am happy to serve the rightful king.”
Weiyu’s lips turned downward as he stepped forward and tilted her chin up with the faintest touch of his finger. Her breath hitched. Her heart quickened.
His eyes were so bright. Full of life and fire and magick.
So close to him, she felt a commanding presence emanating from him, one strong and heavy and prompting her to kneel.
It was the Aquatic Core, she realized. No one could mistake the power he wielded within him, the rightful heir to the phoenix throne.
When the Aquatic Core bore down on her further, she bent at the knee, ready to kneel at this man’s feet. But he kept his hands beneath her elbows, holding her in place rather than allowing her to declare her fealty.
The heavy presence of the Core lifted from her suddenly, and she gasped in a breath.
What was...what was that?
The phoenix king dropped his hands to his sides, strangely quiet after the ordeal. Without saying a single word, he nodded in farewell before slipping past her and joining the rest of the group at the campsite.
She stared after him, eyes wide as she clutched his gemstone gift in her palm. Three words echoed in her mind again and again, filling every thought and inspiring heated feelings of desire and confusion within her.
Claim.
Submit.
Mine.
But it might just have been her imagination.