Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon

by Mary Fan

  I narrow my eyes. My heart clamors to believe him, but I remind myself that he’s lied before and could be lying again.

  “You don’t believe me.” Tai’s jaw tenses. “After everything we went through together, how could you believe I’m a murderer? If nothing else, think of the facts—five years ago, I was only fourteen and barely knew how to wield a sword. Your father was an experienced soldier—I could never have bested him in battle.”

  “You’ve lied and lied and lied.” I glare. “How can you expect me to trust you now?”

  For a moment, he just stares into my eyes. I don’t know if it’s anger or pain or frustration or all three that color his expression, but I won’t let him seize my sympathy when he doesn’t deserve it.

  “What I told you is true. And I’m willing to stake my life on it.” He steps back and releases his staff. It clatters on the floor.

  I tense my arms in time to keep momentum from driving my blade into his neck. Why did I stop? If I’d just let the force push me forward, I would have ended him already. But enough doubt scratches at my mind that I don’t regret hesitating.

  “I know I lied to you before, and for that, I’m sorry.” Tai holds up his hands. “I understand now that I shouldn’t have … that despite my oath, I should have found a way to let you know the truth of who I am. But I’m not lying about this. I swear to you by the Gods of Heaven and Earth, I did not kill your father. It was my father who did.” He takes a step forward, bringing himself inches from my blade. “If you really don’t believe me, then kill me now and end this.”

  Blood pounds in my ears. I swore I wouldn’t believe his lies anymore, but … what if he’s actually telling the truth this time? My heart screams for me to believe him, to lower my sword and stop threatening my friend. Friend? What kind of friend tells so many lies? I remain frozen with my blade to his throat.

  “I’ve spent my whole life lying because of what I am.” Tai’s voice is strained. “No one could know that I was half Yueshen—that was the oath my parents swore when I was born. It’s an oath that bound me before I knew what oaths were. When my mother died, my father went mad with grief—ordered all memory of her destroyed because it was too painful to think about the past. But he couldn’t destroy me, and so he hid me instead—treated me as he would a bastard. I’m so used to being a secret that speaking the full truth feels … foreign. But I should have known better.” His gaze bores into mine. “I swear to you, Anlei, from now on, I’ll only speak the truth to you. And that is an oath I shall value above all others. If my cousin or anyone else claims this dishonors my ancestors, then they do not understand what true honor is. After everything you’ve done for me, you deserve my honesty.”

  The remorse in his tone seems so genuine, and every word he speaks rings with truth. I feel it in my gut, in my heart.

  He didn’t kill my father. He couldn’t have. The certainty sits like a mountain in my mind, solid and immovable. Relief cascades down my chest, warm and comforting. I’ve never been so glad to be wrong.

  “I could have killed you.” I let my sword sink onto the floor. Glimpsing the small scratch on his cheek from where I previously drew blood, I look down. “You could have avoided me forever—why did it matter what I thought?”

  “If you need to ask that, then it’s better you don’t know.”

  I glance back up and cock my head. But a more important question arises. “You said your father killed mine—who is he? Where can I find him?”

  Tai’s lips contort into a cynical smile. “You’re about to marry him.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  THE END OF LIES

  My fist tightens around my sword. “If this is another of your jokes …”

  “I wish it were.” Tai spreads his hands. “I swore I wouldn’t lie to you anymore, and I meant it. My full name is Kang Taiyue … named after the sun and the moon. My mother, of course, was the moon, and my father … she always called him the sun in her life.” A sad smile flickers across his lips. “This is why I hid my face. If my father knew that his own flesh and blood had robbed him, he’d see it as the ultimate betrayal. Far worse than the actions of a commonplace thief. I didn’t want to cause him that kind of pain.”

  Shock pulses through my body. Viceroy Kang … the true Shadow Warrior. I’m betrothed to the man who murdered my father. “Why did he do it?”

  “He was after the River Pearl. He must have used a Ligui attack as cover, and your father must have gotten in his way. I’m so sorry … I knew he’d killed on the battlefield, but I had no idea he was capable of coldblooded murder.”

  Fury burns hot in my chest, but something stronger keeps it from bursting onto my tongue—something that reminds me that Tai’s been innocent this whole time, and I nearly killed him for nothing. “No, I’m sorry. I should have listened before trying to kill you.”

  “I think a part of you sensed the truth even so.” His mouth quirks. “If you’d really wanted me dead, I’d be dead.”

  I smile in spite of everything. “Why did Kang wait five years before trying to get the pearl again?”

  “I think he realized back then that the River Pearl couldn’t leave Dailan, but not why. I can only guess, but … it seems that five years ago, he was hunting down every significant magical object he’d heard of. After he failed to get the River Pearl, he must have dismissed it in favor of something he thought more powerful. But recently, he came across the ancient writings I told you about, the ones revealing just how strong the River Pearl’s magic is. That’s why he came back—and was so bent on succeeding this time.”

  “What about you? Why did you arrive the same night that he did? And why in your shadow form?”

  “I wear that form for the same reason I wear a mask: to keep anyone from knowing who I am. Because of my oath, I had to hide my Yueshen abilities from humans. But sometimes I need to fly, and it’s easier to go unnoticed in my shadow form. If I were spotted, no one but my father would recognize me, and even he might not see the crescent on my neck and might mistake me for a shadow or a Ligui. So after I read the scroll and realized that my father was after the same relic I needed to free the Yueshen, I stowed away aboard one of his ships to reach Dailan. I thought that once I got close enough, I could race ahead and reach the pearl before he did. Of course, that was before I knew a spell prevented anyone from taking it out of the village.”

  “Why didn’t you transport yourself instantly?”

  “Like invisibility, that is a Yueshen ability I lack.”

  “But you can fly.”

  “Yes.”

  “Why did you need the ship, then?”

  Tai shrugs. “I’m not as fast as a ship. Also, flying is tiring. Why do you travel by horse or cart when you can walk?”

  I knit my brows and try to weave all the pieces of truth he’s handing me into a tale that makes sense. “Masked Giver, Shadow Warrior, half Yueshen, viceroy’s son … How many people are you?”

  “Just one. I’ve gone by many names, but … I’m only Tai. I’m not an actor—I wouldn’t know how to behave like someone else.” His gaze meets mine, drawing me into their dark depths. “You know me, Anlei. There’s only one me to know.”

  I nod, understanding. Even when they called me Lady Jiangzhu and dressed me in silk, even when I wore costumes and called myself Warrioress on stage, I was still Anlei.

  I can’t believe I’m about to marry my father’s murderer. The thought of vengeance has simmered beneath my skin for five years, and it will last until I avenge my father and fulfill my oath. Now that I know who my target is, the need burns so fiercely it threatens to incinerate everything else I am. Especially since, in giving Kang the River Pearl, I handed him the object my father died to keep away from him. The realization makes me nauseous. Did Kang know when he chose me that he was picking the daughter of one he murdered? No—of course not. When he chose me, he didn’t even know my name.

  I wonder how the viceroy would react if I told him the truth. I intend to tell him
—right before I kill him.

  I stride toward the door.

  Tai rushes to cut me off. “Where are you going?”

  “To avenge my father.” I step to the side.

  “Don’t!” He blocks me again.

  I hold up my sword. “Get out of my way.”

  A wry grin twists his lip. “So you’re back to wanting to kill me.”

  Irritated, I lower the blade and shove him out of my way. “It’s not you I want dead.”

  “I know—and I can’t let you do this.” He seizes my shoulder.

  “What—”

  “He’s still my father. If you try to kill him, I will stop you.” His dark eyes crackle, and I realize he means his words every bit as powerfully as I meant mine.

  “He’s a murderer—you said so yourself!” I throw his hand off. “He must face justice!”

  “I know there’s no forgiving what he did to you and your family, but … I can’t let you—or anyone—kill the man who gave me life.”

  “Why do you defend him when he doesn’t care about you?” My words taste like acid. “He tried to erase you from existence—did he even visit you after your mother died?”

  A devastated look fills Tai’s expression, and regret bites my soul. I wish I could roll my words back behind my teeth like a spool of thread spilled on the floor.

  “I barely saw him.” His voice softens. “But he’s … he’s my father. My blood. The only family I have on Earth. He has more important things to do than coddle me. Ruling the province, fighting in the Emperor’s border war, growing his armed forces—he’s a viceroy. Even if he wasn’t there for me, he saw that I was taken care of. I’ve always respected him. And I find his absence easier to take than my Yueshen relatives’ disdain.”

  I recall the way Suyin treated him, as if she were a high-and-mighty princess and he a lowly commoner. Yet she was the only one who spoke to him at all.

  How lonely Tai’s life must have been, caught between worlds. Never Yueshen enough for his relatives on the moon. Yet too much so for his father to bear looking at him after his mother’s death.

  That he’d be so determined to protect his murderous father both surprises me and doesn’t. Surprises because Tai seems determined to remain loyal to a murderer. And doesn’t because … that seems so very much like something he would do. He may lie to cover his identity, but he’s true to those he considers his own. He dove into Hell and crossed swords with Mowang himself out of loyalty to his people. I faced the same danger and gave him the victory—out of loyalty to him. I guess we’re more similar than I thought.

  The question is, which is stronger—my loyalty to my father or my loyalty to Tai?

  The dead are to be honored, but the living are to be cherished. Father’s words, spoken years ago, echo through my mind. Many choices come down to love or hate. Choose love, every time.

  Thinking of it that way, I don’t have a very complicated choice before me. Is my hatred toward the viceroy more powerful than my love for a friend?

  The word love, even as an unspoken thought, causes my heart to leap higher on its next beat. I tell it to hush.

  Even if Tai stood aside, I could hardly kill the Viceroy of Sijiang Province so abruptly. He’s guarded night and day. The automatons wandering the hallways and courtyards would sound the alarm if they spotted an armed intruder in his section of the palace. In fact, I’m lucky none of them were near enough to hear my argument with Tai. Chances are, I’d fail in my quest for vengeance—and end up dead or condemned for my troubles.

  And then there are my people. That the viceroy holds their fates in his disgusting hands makes me want to burn this whole place to the ground. They’re what bind me to him. I wouldn’t put it past him to accuse my people of conspiracy and execute them mercilessly. Even if I succeeded, his heirs would seek vengeance.

  I drop to the ground, my legs melting beneath me, and my sword slips from my grasp. Too many thoughts and revelations have crowded my head in too short a time. Too many emotions have shaken my core. I dig my fingers into my hair, as if that will help me get a better grip on my thoughts.

  “What do I do?” Tears prick my eyes. “Every fiber of my being wants the viceroy dead, but because he’s your father, I can’t kill him. Even if I could, my whole village would suffer the consequences. And I still have to marry him tomorrow … they’re all counting on me to seal our alliance. After that, my life will be over.”

  Tai sinks down beside me. “We can find some other way to protect your village … You don’t have to give your life to him. You don’t have to …” He swallows hard.

  “After the marriage, I won’t see you again, will I?” It seems like such a stupid thing to worry about when my choice is between marrying my father’s killer or risking my peoples’ lives. But as I picture my miserable future under the viceroy’s roof, I know that Tai’s absence will make it feel even emptier.

  “I’m not allowed in the main areas of the palace.” Tai’s voice is low. “That wouldn’t keep me away, but my finding you wouldn’t free you either. Please, don’t marry him.”

  “And let my people suffer?” I press my palms into my eyes. “I wish Mowang had killed me in the Courts of Hell. Then at least I would have received an honorable, glorious death.”

  I feel his arm wrap around my shoulder, and his touch carries all the warmth of summer. It’s the one thing that seems capable of easing the excruciating ache in my soul. I lean into him. His other arm encircles me, pulling me into a close embrace. I feel his breath rustling my hair, hear his heartbeat against my body. For several moments, we just sit there, and blissful nothingness descends. My mind empties of thoughts as I let Tai’s presence take me whole, filling the hollow spaces within me and pushing back the darkness.

  But nothing’s eternal except Heaven, and eventually, reality returns.

  Come morning, someone will arrive at my room to prepare me for my wedding. I’ll still have to don that red dress and veil, still have to step into that bridal carriage to be made the property of an evil man. And all because he wanted the River Pearl. He killed my father to get it, and now, he’ll be killing me as well.

  “What does he want with it anyway?” I wonder aloud.

  “Shen me?” Tai’s voice is soft, and he keeps his arms around me.

  I reluctantly pull away, and immediately the world feels colder. “The River Pearl. Why was Kang so determined to have it? And with such urgency?”

  “I don’t know. That was something his writings didn’t reveal to me.”

  “But you didn’t see all of his writings.”

  “No. Only a very small part, I suspect.”

  I stand. “Where does the viceroy keep these writings?”

  “Whatever he wants with the River Pearl—he can’t have it. Not when it’s the reason he killed my father. If I can’t have my vengeance, then I at least deserve answers.”

  “You do. I’ll take you.” He crosses the room and picks up his staff. “Bring your sword. You’ll need it.”

  “How come?”

  “Automatons guard his secret archive, and it lies outside the palace. I tried passing through the walls before, but there’s magic in them that blocks me. We’ll have to break in. It’s a great risk—are you sure you want to do this?”

  I purse my lips. It will be too late to cover our tracks once we destroy the automatons. Kang will know for certain that someone infiltrated his lair. I might avoid getting caught, but then again, I might not.

  But if I don’t do this, I’ll go mad. I’ll strangle Kang the moment he lifts the bridal veil from my face. Channeling my fury into seeking answers is the only hope I have. I thought I’d do anything to protect my village’s safety, but I never imagined I’d be forced to marry my father’s murderer.

  If I can find out why Kang wants the River Pearl so badly, at least I’ll know what my father died for. Maybe it will help diffuse my wrath.

  And maybe I can find a way to undermine the viceroy’s plans without him finding
out. If I can avoid getting caught, it’s possible I’ll be able to return and see the marriage through.

  But if not—so be it.

  I give Tai a firm look. “Let’s go.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  THE TOMBS

  Stone lions stand at attention along the wide road, their carved manes streaming down weather-worn backs. Though it’s hard to make out the details in the darkness, I can tell they must be very old. Rain has smoothed down sharp claws, and wind has chipped away at powerful jaws. Yet their age makes them all the more majestic as they watch over what travelers may journey to the Sijiang Tombs. Built by emperors of the previous dynasty hundreds of years ago, they flow with the grace of the old style. It’s simpler and more rigid than the elaborate, curving designs I’m used to, with powerful lines molding bold shapes.

  My sword bounces against my back as the mechanical wagon I’m riding in hits a bump. Gears clank and steam hisses, but since we’re miles from the nearest town, it’s doubtful anyone will hear us. It’s forbidden to build homes within a wide radius of the Tombs; they’re as isolated as a place can be. That’s probably why Kang chose them to house his secrets.

  According to Tai, his father uses an underground passageway beneath his office to access a hidden chamber within the tombs where he keeps his writings and his most powerful magical objects. Considering how many hours we have been traveling, that passageway must be long indeed.

  “How did Kang build such a tunnel?” I wonder aloud.

  “He didn’t. It was dug generations ago as an escape route in case of an attack or an uprising.” Tai glances at me from the seat beside me as he shifts a lever to keep the vehicle on track. Fortunately, our first flying ship wasn’t the only vehicle he’d stolen from his father over the years. It would take at least a day—probably more—to reach the Tombs on foot. Anshui’s spectacles, which I lent him, sit on his nose—two large, round lenses decked out with smaller lenses and gears that look rather absurd. Especially since they’re slipping.