Chapter 33

XIAN

When Xian opened his eyes, it took him a moment to remember where he was. The events of the night before came back in snatches

and fragments: Wang's treachery. The cold bite of venom, followed by Zhen's healing. Only a lingering stiffness remained in

his injured shoulder.

Outside, dawn had broken. Next to him, the bed was empty, and Zhen was nowhere to be seen in the small hut. As Xian sat up,

the chain around his neck shifted. His hand went to the jade amulet that he had promised his mother he would keep close to

his heart.

Seven years ago, I nearly lost you , his father had told him. Both of you—in your mother's fragile state, grief would have overwhelmed her. I will not let that happen again.

He hoped his father would keep the news of his supposed death from his mother, at least long enough for him to return. He needed time to regain his strength, figure out how to thwart his vicious half brother, and, most important, convince his father that Fahai could not be trusted.

Concealed danger lurks nearby... You have been betrayed .

The priest was referring to Fahai. All these years, the court adviser had been hiding his true intentions from the king. Zhen

said that Fahai had immersed him in the cultivation pool to extract the power of the pearl. Xian had told no one about what

happened in the lake seven years ago—so how did the court adviser know that Zhen had consumed the pearl? What did he want

with the pearl's energy? And now that his secret cultivation chamber had been discovered and set on fire, what would he do

next?

When Xian stepped out of the hut, Zhaoye let out a whinny from the post where his lead rope was tied. He walked to his horse

and stroked his shiny coat. "Thank you, my loyal friend."

Zhaoye nuzzled his neck and launched into a body search, checking his pockets for hidden fruit.

Xian chuckled. "Some things never change."

When he raised his eyes, he saw a familiar figure standing in a clearing a distance away. He inhaled, and his breath caught

in his throat.

Zhen was dressed in a white robe identical to the one Xian was wearing, and he was hanging Xian's robe and his own to dry on a line he had tied between two trees. Zhen's dark hair on his shoulders was freshly washed and combed, and with his white robe backlit by the morning sunlight, he looked almost ethereal.

Xian walked toward him, and Zhen glanced around at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"You're awake," he said with a smile. "I wanted to let you rest for a little longer."

Xian put his hand on Zhen's lower back. "When you said you'd take me riding in the forest for our first date, I didn't know

this was what you had in mind."

Zhen's laugh lilted above the tinkle and hum of the forest around them.

"I washed your robe so you can wear it when you go back to the palace tomorrow," he told Xian. "A robe transmuted from a hemp

sack is not befitting a prince of Wuyue. It won't keep its form until tomorrow, anyway."

"Ah." Xian drew back a little and let his gaze travel down Zhen's body. "So at some point both of us will suddenly be...

in a completely naked state?"

Zhen nudged Xian lightly in his side. "Flirting is highly inappropriate at this time, since you're in no condition right now

to follow through."

Xian grinned in spite of everything that had happened. Even though the rest of the world thought he was dead, standing here

with Zhen, he felt more alive than he ever had.

He and Zhen ventured through the forest, picking a variety of seasonal fruits for breakfast—lychees, kumquats, hawthorn berries, and goji berries. Zhen insisted on harvesting herbs to cook more medicinal soup for Xian. Xian managed to catch a large trout in a freshwater stream, and they roasted it over the fire in front of the hut.

"So have you thought about what you're going to do when we head back to the palace?" Zhen asked after they had finished eating.

"By now, they'll have discovered my charred ‘body' in the wreckage of the pagoda, and Wang will have spun his story accusing

you of causing my death by snake venom," Xian replied. "If the dummy you transmuted keeps its form for a day, hopefully they'll

put my body into a casket before it turns back into an urn."

"Hei Xing and Qing might be able to help us," Zhen said. "Hei Xing is an old tortoise spirit—he has lived for hundreds of

years, and he knows a lot about cultivation and mystical arts. He might be able to figure out what Fahai is really up to.

I can get a message out to them."

"How? They could be anywhere by now."

"There's a secret way that animal spirits converse with one another." Zhen gestured at the trees. "We're standing right in

the middle of it. The forest has its own huge, invisible communication network under our feet."

"You mean through their roots?"

Zhen nodded. "That's how trees talk to one another. When a tree dies, it sends whatever resources it has left back into the

ground for its neighbors. Of course, not all trees are so selfless. Black walnuts are known to give out harmful substances

to kill their competition."

"Pretty sure Wang was a black walnut in his past life," Xian remarked.

Zhen walked to a tall, weathered fir. He put his palm on its bark, and his lips moved a little as he spoke to the tree in

its language.

"It's done." He let his hand drop and turned to Xian. "It might take some time to spread across the woodland. If Qing or Hei

Xing puts a palm on a tree trunk, they'll get the message. Or they might hear it whispered in the rustling of leaves."

"What message did you send?" Xian asked.

"I told Qing and Hei Xing that you and I are on the same side now, that we're headed back to the palace in Xifu, and we could

use their help. I didn't want to mention details, in case any unfriendly ears intercept the message. We'll fill them in when

they meet us at the palace."

"Knowing Qing, she'll already be on her way to Wuyue to rescue you."

"You're probably right." Zhen sounded wry. "She never listens to me."

Zhen walked toward a broad ledge and gazed out across the breathtaking vista of mountain slopes cloaked with pines and firs.

Xian followed, halted behind him, and wrapped his arms around Zhen's waist. The afternoon sun filtered through the branches

overhead, speckling the ground at their feet.

They stood in comfortable silence, Zhen's back warm against Xian's body. Xian closed his eyes and breathed in. He never imagined that out here, in the middle of nowhere, he would finally find a place—no, a person he belonged with.

"I sheltered in this hut during my first winter as a snake spirit." Zhen nestled closer against Xian's chest. "Hei Xing told

me there was no better place in the world to cultivate than the West Lake, that the qi in the environment was purer and more

pristine than anywhere else he had cultivated. I was an ordinary snake back then, and I used to admire how he could stay perfectly

still for hours, even days, on the shores of the West Lake as a tortoise."

Xian rested his chin on Zhen's shoulder. "Why did you leave, then?"

Zhen turned his face toward Xian's until their cheeks touched.

"You," he said softly. "I carried the burden of what I did to you every single day. You were the reason I didn't come back,

and you're the reason I have returned." The edges of his mouth curled up. "I'm thankful, though. That we met again. That I

had the chance to face up to what I did."

Xian hoped the other boy wouldn't hold on to the guilt any longer. After everything they had been through, they had earned

the right to leave the past behind.

Xian pressed his lips to Zhen's neck. "I'm glad we have the chance to start over."

A soft intake of breath told Xian that his words had found their mark. Zhen's hands slipped into Xian's; they twined their

fingers together on his abdomen.

"Do you believe in destiny?" Zhen asked.

"I believe destiny is an excuse people give not to fight for what they really want in life," Xian replied.

Zhen turned around in Xian's arms so they were face-to-face. "Will you fight for what you want?"

"Always." Xian leaned in and kissed him on the mouth. "I told you before: What kind of prince would I be if I didn't protect

the ones I care about?"

Zhen's expression became furtive. "Do you believe that two people are meant to find each other and be together and nothing

in the world can keep them apart?"

Xian smiled. " Zhī jǐ , you mean?"

"I've heard of that," Zhen said. "But I'm not sure what it means."

"It's a little hard to define," Xian replied. "It's someone who knows everything about you, maybe even knows you better than

you know yourself, and who will stand by you no matter how dark or ugly you feel inside. You'll get mad at each other sometimes,

but you can imagine spending the rest of eternity with this person, because you know the two of you will never get tired of

each other... or stop loving each other."

Zhen tilted his head. "Like a soulmate?"

The intense feeling that flooded through Xian's chest was more than just attraction or affection.

"Yes," Xian said. "Something like that."

"I wish we could stay here for a little longer." Zhen sounded wistful. "Just the two of us, apart from the rest of the world."

Being out here with Zhen, with no one else for miles... the forest around them felt like a protective embrace. They had to leave tomorrow, but for now, he wanted to savor this stillness, this reprieve... this time he had with Zhen that was theirs and theirs alone.

"Me too," Xian said.

Moonlight slanted through the window, casting a faint glow across Zhen's face as they lay in bed. Zhen's head was pillowed

on Xian's outstretched arm, and the long lashes of his closed lids fanned against his pale cheek.

"I can hear you thinking," Zhen said without opening his eyes.

A smile tugged at Xian's mouth. "Is that another of your skills?"

Zhen's eyes opened. "No." His dark, soulful gaze sent a twinge of yearning through Xian. "But I can sense it. You're worried

about what will happen when we go back to the palace."

"Hmm, wrong." Xian shifted closer, nuzzling Zhen's neck. "I was actually thinking about how good you look in white. And when

the transmuted robes will vanish off our bodies. Should be anytime now, am I right?"

Zhen raised an eyebrow. "Are you such a sweet-talker to all the boys you take to bed?"

"Only the ones that help me fake my death and thwart my evil half brother."

Zhen trailed a finger up and down Xian's arm. "All right, stop trying to evade the question. What were you really thinking

about?"

Xian kissed him on the forehead. "I was thinking that when all of this is over... I want you to be my consort."

Zhen's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

Xian nodded. "I want to make it official. If you agree, that is."

"You're a prince." Zhen still looked incredulous. "You don't need to ask for anyone's permission."

Xian met his gaze. "I'm asking you."

Zhen smiled. He pushed himself into a sitting position and swung a leg over Xian's body, straddling him. He leaned in and

claimed Xian's mouth in a deep kiss.

Xian grinned against Zhen's lips when they came up for air. "I'll take that as a yes."

Zhen responded by unfastening the front of his robe and pushing it off his shoulders.

Xian loved seeing Zhen take the initiative—more than anything, he wanted the other boy to see them as equals. It took all

the effort he could muster to catch Zhen's wrists, stopping him.

Confusion flitted across Zhen's face.

"I know healing me has taken more energy out of you than you want to let on," Xian told him. "Earlier, you made an excuse

to go outside so I wouldn't see you spitting up blood."

Zhen looked sheepish. "I'm fine. You already have so much to deal with. I didn't want you to worry."

"I'll worry even more if you don't tell me," Xian replied intently. "When we get back to the palace, I'll take you to the

infirmary. No exertion until then."

Zhen groaned and rolled off Xian's body. "You are such a killjoy."

A slight flush had returned to Zhen's cheeks, and the faint sheen of sweat that gleamed on his neck was a good sign.

"We can still have a little fun." Xian slid a hand into the front of Zhen's robe and ran his palm over his bare abdomen. Zhen

gave a shiver of pleasure, although he stilled when Xian's fingers settled on the scar on the left side of his torso.

"Someone hurt you?" Xian knew Zhen hadn't been ready to tell him how he'd gotten this scar the last time he had asked about

it.

"I was caught in a snake trap," Zhen replied. "I was sure I would die there, but Hei Xing rescued me."

"Since he saved your life, I guess I'll have to forgive him for threatening to cut off my hand. Although asking you to drop

me into the abyss was pretty heartless." Xian guided Zhen's hand to a healed mark on his own right thigh. "Here. I have one

too."

Zhen's fingers circled the raised scar. "What happened?"

"Wang lured me into the armory and stabbed me in the leg with an arrow. He was nine, and I was six." Xian shook his head in

disgust. "I swore I would never fall for his tricks again. And yet I still did."

"I'm sorry that he used me to get to you," Zhen said.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Xian idly stroked Zhen's hair. "You know, after you've healed my mother, and when she's

well enough to travel, I want to bring her to the smaller eastern palace in Yuezhou to recuperate over the winter. She could

use some time away from the gossip and politics of the royal court. Yuezhou is close to her hometown, which is famous for

lóng jǐng tea."

"Doesn't that mean ‘dragon's well'?" Zhen asked.

Xian nodded. " Lóng jǐng is a special pan-roasted green tea grown only in that region. It's named after a legendary well with water that's unusually

dense. When rain falls, the lighter rainwater floats on top, forming a coiling pattern on the surface that looks like a dragon

twisting."

Zhen yawned and gave a sleepy smile. "You'll have to teach me how to brew lóng jǐng tea properly one day."

His eyes fluttered shut, and after a few minutes, his breathing grew steady.

Xian lay on his side, watching him. All his life, other people had stood guard while Xian slept. In the palace, he had grown

up in luxury and had been the one waited on, surrounded by everything he could ask for.

But out here on their own, Xian and Zhen weren't a prince and a snake spirit; they were two boys who would risk their lives

for each other, again and again, without thinking twice.

" Zhī jǐ ," Xian whispered. "My soulmate."