Chapter Seven
Being discovered by a dozen red phoenix soldiers at the same time put them at an immediate disadvantage.
The first thing Yinyu did was cover Weiyu’s unconscious form from head to toe with an oversized cloak to hide his identity.
While Yinyu carried the phoenix king in his arms, Shanmei and Kai urged Zahra forward, each now sprinting and kicking up sand with their frantic steps.
Zahra’s heart beat quickly as phoenix cries lifted into the air, the soldiers calling out to allies in the area. They should have traveled farther last night while they still could. Now it was too late.
She gasped for breath in her flight, unaccustomed to running far when she’d been trapped within the Perch all her life. Her lungs burned. Her legs threatened to collapse.
She was slowing them down.
In her clumsy attempt at racing on the beach, she tripped on the hem of her dress and crashed into the sand. By now, her body was spent, and her lungs surely couldn’t take any more stress from the exertion.
Shanmei stepped protectively in front of her and drew her daggers, facing off against a dozen red phoenixes. Twelve against one. Plus Kai, who didn’t seem to use traditional weapons.
This wasn’t a fight they would likely win.
“Leave me,” Zahra gasped, glancing toward an unconscious Weiyu dangling in Yinyu’s arms farther up the beach. “They won’t hurt me. But you can still escape.”
The supposed polar bear shifter grinned, her eyes flashing a dangerous blue. “I really don’t like losing. And this? It will be an insurmountable loss.”
The other woman adjusted her grip on her daggers and started forward. Zahra raised her hand to stop her.
But then a powerful surge of energy rushed through Zahra’s chest, up her arm, and escaped her fingers as a blast of magick. The wall of magick crashed into the soldiers, sending them flying through the air before they hit rocks and trees and sand.
Some of them groaned. Others tried but failed to pick themselves off the ground.
Zahra stared wide-eyed at her hands, turning them over to find the remnants of blue magick rippling across her skin before fizzling out entirely.
That magick...
It had originated from Weiyu’s necklace. Exactly what was the gift he’d given her?
“Nice one!” Kai shouted as he grabbed her by the elbow and helped her to her feet. He handed her a handkerchief and gave her a wide, mischievous grin. “Hold your breath!”
For a moment, Zahra paused in confusion. But when she noticed him pulling out a box of powder from his bag, she quickly placed the handkerchief to her mouth and held her breath.
Kai threw the white powder in the direction of the phoenix soldiers.
The powder exploded through the air like a cloud of toxic dust. The enemies on the ground coughed and sputtered, each heaving and vomiting all over the sand.
Two of the phoenixes flying dropped from the sky and hit the ground with a thud.
She didn’t get the chance to watch any longer when Shanmei grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the others.
Her heart soared when she noticed four horses stomping and snorting impatiently as if sensing the danger lurking behind them.
“Do you know how to ride?” Shanmei asked.
Zahra shook her head. She’d only seen horses from a distance. But now standing close to the majestic beasts? They were larger and more unfamiliar than she’d realized.
Shanmei helped her onto one of the horses and swung up behind her. After a kick to the creature’s flanks, they started forward. Slow at first. Then their pace increased as the five of them aimed to outrun the newest aerial guard on their trail, tracking them from above.
The mount jolted her back and forth in the saddle, and her inexperienced hands clutched on until her fingers turned white from her desperate grip. Shanmei kicked the horse again, and somehow, it spurred forward even faster with smoother gallops.
I’m going to fall off! she internally cried when she began slipping. Even Shanmei couldn’t hold her steady with her poor balance against the horse’s thunderous gait.
But then a strange warmth emanated from the gem she wore around her neck. Calming. Comforting. The warmth wrapped around her torso as if invisible hands snaked around her body, holding her in place.
“Keep steady!” Shanmei shouted over the roaring winds and flying sand. “We’re almost there.”
Sand transitioned into dirt as they took a path through the forest. Their pace slowed through jungly trees, but it gave them the advantage of concealment.
Zahra glanced up to find flashes of red visible through the treetops as the red phoenixes followed their trail. How did the others plan on evading the Guard? They would follow them until their beaks bled.
But then the horses splashed through a river, and as if they passed through a protective barrier, the flashes of red turned on their tails, replaced by flashes of blue. A warning.
She suddenly realized they’d crossed the border into King Weiyu’s territory.
If the red phoenixes crossed the border and attacked here, the war would begin in earnest. Until now, Weiyu seemed to have the imminent war under control, even at his own expense.
Her father would be furious if mere guards started a war without his permission.
The horses slowed through the winding tree paths, and Zahra allowed herself to relax, flexing her fingers to get the feeling to return to them.
Worry knotted her stomach as she glanced toward Weiyu, still unconscious after overspending himself to protect everyone else.
“Will he be alright?” she whispered, watching Weiyu with concern. He lay limp against Yinyu with his eyes closed, his features too stunning for words, even in his sleep.
Yinyu nodded. “He’s just exhausted. He hasn’t given himself enough time to rest and recover these past few weeks. He didn’t have the opportunity.”
She understood the underlying meaning of the man’s words. A few weeks were already a long time to wait to rescue her. He must really have pushed himself to plan and stage her rescue. And after a successful endeavor, she wouldn’t be surprised if he slept for the next several days straight.
Why would you do this for me? she quietly wondered. How can I thank you for what you’ve done? For everything you risked?
Weiyu’s necklace warmed beneath her fingers in response to her touch, almost like a warm, friendly greeting. It felt alive. It had offered her magick in a dire time of need. What, exactly, was this? And why had Weiyu gifted her such a precious stone?
She startled when several guards dropped down from the skies and transformed mid-air, landing on human feet. Each held a spear in their hands.
Her entire body tensed the moment their eyes landed on her.
Due to her hair and skin coloring, she was unmistakable as someone who originated from the red phoenix clan.
But rather than running their spears through her, they simply dipped at the waist. Like a bow.
Well, probably a bow. Even though King Weiyu was unconscious, he was still their king. They were likely bowing to him.
More guards took up space beside them as well as in the sky to escort them back to the Roost. After getting over the initial shock that she was still alive after crossing the border into the other clan’s territory, she allowed herself to relax the muscles that clung tightly to the horse’s saddle.
Every inch of her body ached from running and clinging and panicking.
And now?
She was safe.
With the imminent danger gone, she finally took in her surroundings, marveling at the tall trees and the green forest and the dampness in the earth and air.
Never in her life had she been permitted to leave the Perch.
But now she was discovering vast greenery and sparkling ocean and breathtaking waterfalls.
Farther inland, they came across sparse dwellings whose inhabitants ducked out of their doors to watch as they passed.
They, too, showed their fealty to their unconscious king by dipping their heads and lowering their eyes for only a brief moment before their curiosity had them lifting them once more.
Zahra quickly found herself the center of intrigue as many pairs of eyes followed her movement.
When they reached the central village, she gasped in wonder as she scanned the seemingly hundreds of people who had come to greet them and lifted her gaze to the treetops high above.
Houses and dwellings clung to sturdy trees, boasting of wrap-around porches and swinging bridges.
Most of the treehouses appeared connected by these wooden stairways and bridges.
Though, a few larger structures were accessible from flat walkways spiraling upward around enormous tree trunks.
The mere sight of these foreign dwellings high above her was enough for dizziness to cling onto her head and refuse to let go. Despite standing on sturdy ground, her body still swayed.
Kai nudged her arm with his elbow and grinned. “See that treehouse there?” He pointed somewhere above them, but if Zahra looked up again, she thought she might really faint.
“I’d rather not look.”
The man’s eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “Weiyu arranged for your accommodations to be next to his.”
The thought of climbing that ramp all the way to the treetops unnerved her. She preferred her feet on solid ground.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Yinyu pulling his mount to a stop before sliding off the horse with Weiyu still limp in his arms.
She ungracefully climbed down from her own horse, getting her foot caught in the stirrup in the process. She struggled long enough for Shanmei to take pity on her and help free her foot in a single expert movement.
She stumbled several steps before righting herself and smoothing down her clothing. This had truly been one of the strangest yet most exciting days she’d ever lived.
Lifting her hand toward Weiyu, her fingers hovered in the air. Concerned. But unsure. “Will he be alright?” she asked in a whisper as she dropped her hand. She had no business touching the phoenix king, no matter how much she felt compelled to do so.
Yinyu nodded once.
Kai answered, “He overextended himself. He’ll probably be fine-ish tomorrow.”
Closing her eyes, she inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly. This man... This phoenix king... He’d risked his life and his comrades to save her. But why? And how could she possibly repay him?
Finally, she took a step backward, away from the treehouses, her mind flashing back to her terrifying descent ending in an inevitable fall from leaving the Perch.
“I...” She took a shaky breath, trying to clear her mind of terrible memories.
Not all of them, of course. Because the memories with Weiyu she treasured.
His guidance. His patience. His sturdy presence.
“I would like to stay on the ground. For now. If that’s acceptable. ”
Shanmei and Kai glanced at each other, their expressions unreadable to someone who had not known them long. Finally, Shanmei took her arm and led her in another direction, away from the treehouse homes and toward clusters of hale houses.
Children ran around playing tag. Older daughters helped draw water from the well and carried baskets of laundry to and from the houses. She breathed in the fresh, crisp air, delighting in the sound of carefree laughter and the sight of unburdened smiles.
This was far different from what she had grown up with.
She liked it quite a lot.
“Are you sure I get to stay here?” Zahra asked in a breathy whisper.
Beside her, both Kai and Shanmei burst into laughter, though she wasn’t sure what they found so funny about her question.
Shanmei patted her shoulder and smiled wide enough to reveal the sharp canines on either side of her mouth. “Let me show you around. I promise you’ll adapt quickly here.”