by Zelda Knight
His chin rested on his white knuckles, elbows on top of his mahogany desk. Before she could respond, he abruptly stood up, attended to by water and fire spirits. They adjusted his cufflinks, straightened his tie, and helped him into his jacket. If one knew nothing about him, he'd look the part of a wealthy CEO rather than a kingpin.
Their deference made Sarah sick, but she knew more than anyone they'd been forced into their role, so she could feel only pity for them soon after.
When was the last time they had met? Hong Kong? Vietnam? Or was it South Korea? To be honest, she'd blocked it all out and couldn't pin it down. But in the time between then and now, Ju-long had changed for the worse.
His black hair was longer now, just below his waist, now streaked in silver, fanning out around his face as if lifted slightly by an invisible wind. His face was still handsome enough, and his yellow eyes and slit pupils reminded Sarah of her men. But instead of love or at least conflicting emotions, there was nothing but smug contempt radiating from their depths.
The most visible change, however, was how his tattoo had changed. What used to be a giant, winding dragon up the right side of his body and on his back had morphed into something...strange. She could only see the parts that were still exposed on his neck, hand, and face, but the ink was now row after row of shiny green scales.
Sarah's eyes darted back to the pearl, knowing instinctively that the pearl was transforming him. But how long could he hang onto such an unnatural state and immense power? If her hunch proved correct, Sarah knew it was his weakness.
"You know, I must say I preferred you as a man. Now your legend doesn't suit you. You of all people should know French is a gendered language, Bijoux." He was attempting to joke around, as sexist as it was, but she wasn't laughing along.
She could still feel his forked tongue tracing the nape of her neck, arms twisted behind her back, and a knife pressed to her breast. Just the memory of the attempted assault made her want to retch.
“What can I say, Ju-long? A girl needs to have ambition if she’s to get what she wants out of life. Does it really matter if my legend is more suited for a man," she began, taking a step forward as he tensed.
“Vice and virtue are the ways of the realms. Lying isn’t becoming of you, though,” he gritted out between clenched, sharpened teeth.
“I don’t need your pearls of wisdom, Ju-long. I need the Pearl!” He took the bait, a maddening grin overtaking her serene expression to egg him on.
In an instant, two giant ogres appeared beside her, little more than puppets for their master. They seized her by each of her arms and pulled her backward. His "harem" scattered, fleeing the room to wherever their more permanent prison was located.
"So now you have ogre henchmen? You've really leveled up over the years," she murmured, trying to keep the mood light as she centered her energy, the mantra hidden between her breasts over her fox-shaped birthmark glowing faintly, too weak to be detected.
He scoffed, combing his fingers through his hair. "I have, all thanks to that over there. But the Eternal Lunar Pearl isn't for sale, nor will I allow it to be stolen. But I've been thinking. What if we became...partners, again? Your little boy toys don't remember, but I do. You were so young but so hungry for power, at the fringes of the clan that never wanted you. I want that for us again. We can rule the mortal world with it...and unlock its true potential in the world of the divine with Yuèguāng's assistance."
Sarah had almost tuned out completely from his stock "evil villain monologue," focusing on remembering the ancient mantra needed to boost her spell when the world seemed to come to a standstill. Boy toys? True power? And what was that about the Lunar Rabbit Clan’s ancestral god lending his "assistance?"
"What the fuck!” she screamed as Ju-long clapped his hands, and two bodies came flying from aether into reality. Their necks were split from ear to ear, his trademark killing move, but it was the symbols on their chest that made all the blood drain from Bijoux's face.
They were the emissaries sent from her rival clan; there was no mistaking the white rabbit birthmarks! Did she walk into a trap within a trap? Had she been purposely fed misleading information? How much more did Ju-long know, or had her brother really set her up to die?
"You know, Bijoux..." he said, discarding the bodies as he picked up a cage from another swirling pool of aether, a tiny white rabbit inside it covered in dried blood, "...you’re famous for thinking up and executing the perfect plan. But this time I have been ahead of your little games, many steps ahead might I add. How easy it was to play on the rivalry between your clans and your greed. To feed lies to your allies in exchange for future prestige. And now you have a choice. Watch me test the pearl on your immortal boyfriends and stand by my side in the process. Or be obliterated with the scum as I become the true emperor of both realms!"
There was no way she was going to watch Bo, Min-joon, or Toshi get killed, and she certainly didn't come there to be his concubine or face death. Though she'd rather die than watch her lovers get caught up in Ju-long's megalomania. It's why they never worked out as partners; he dreamed too big to overcompensate for his wretched childhood, while Sarah made do with the circumstances of her youth and moved on.
"You're fucking insane! As if I'd help you. I don't know what I don't know when it comes to the pearl, but I know your body is warring with itself right now. So why would I resign myself to a fate worse than death by your side?" That seemed to hit all the wrong spots.
"You're still a mouthy piece of work, even if you look like a bitch now! No matter. You of all people should know I don't take no for an answer." Ju-long cackled, something akin to lightning crackling from his skin, face morphing as the scales shimmered and rattled against his remaining skin.
He was angry. Enraged, even. That was good. She hung her head as she was dragged towards her mortal enemy by his henchmen, playing the part of a defeated and depressed victim. But underneath her bangs, hairpin falling out of her hair, the master thief was smirking. For Ju-long believed himself to be victorious, ensnaring her in his trap before she could get her hands on the Eternal Lunar Pearl. He was wrong.
Gotcha.
"Yaah!" she wailed, shattering the glass windows.
She released the mantra she'd been holding tight to her chest, and it flew onto Ju-long's forehead. Time wavered and then paused, creating a temporal pocket that would allow Sarah a few minutes to move. That would pass in seconds. It was said that the spell fed on the soul, so she couldn't keep it up for long.
The mantra enhanced the ancient freezing spell, but her whole plan was to give her enough time to drag the pearl first to a trap in the Divine Realm and then back home. But none of what she'd been told held any weight anymore, and she couldn't trust what the Eternal Lunar Pearl could or couldn't do.
But instead of immobilizing Ju-long temporarily to make a move on the pearl, she flew forward and knocked the cage from his arms. The rabbit god hopped out, staring up at her with his blood-red eyes.
I can't rely on what intel I received when it comes to the pearl. For all I know, he's immortal now, both in the mortal and immortal realms. But I can save a desperate god in need. Gods always return a favor. And if he'd kill and deceive to capture Yuèguāng, he must be more powerful than he seems.
At least, she hoped he could and would as Ju-long and his men turned their fury on her. Her time was up.
Sarah flipped backward and spun around, releasing a torrent of magical energy. All she had left was a protective spell. It took the shape of a foxtail just as a barrage of magical bullets flew her way, emanating from the palms of the dragon-shifter’s hands, his henchmen smashing their fists into her shield.
The majority ricocheted away, but some caught her arms and legs, and one shattered against her stomach, and she collapsed against their weight. She was trapped, about to die, and no one was coming to save her. Even the rabbit god seemed to ignore her desperate circumstances and silent plea for help, hopping towards the pearl. To her ho
rror, its jaw dislocated and grew, inhaling the pearl and flower after hopping into the air.
"Damn it!" Ju-long growled, stopping his attack long enough for Bijoux to roll toward the door.
But the ogres caught up with her before she could even attempt to free herself. She knew it was wishful thinking. What a damsel in distress longed for in her time of need.
But I turned my men away, and now I’ll die alone.
"No!" she wailed, watching helplessly as Ju-long seized the rabbit by its white ears and plunged a knife into its gut like he was trying to cut the pearl out of its stomach.
It squealed and knocked the demi-god away with its holy force. He flew out of the busted windows, shards of glass cutting into his reptilian flesh. Sarah almost let out a shout of joy, but balked when she realized he was very much alive.
"After that rodent! Kill Bijoux now!" he roared, saved by a legion of crow shifters who held him up like a king.
Ju-long brushed the glass from his body and turned his attention back on Bijoux after being placed back inside the penthouse. By his side was what she assumed was their semi-transformed leader. He nodded, flinging himself after Yuèguāng, who had created a portal on the verge of death. The crows flew after him in a swarm. Some of their heads snapped off as it suddenly closed. Their discarded bodies twitched on the ground post-mortem.
Ju-long walked towards her menacingly, his body now fully distorted, white horns sprouting from his head, taking the shape of an upright dragon.
This is how it ends? she thought, her heart squeezing tight, so tight she thought it would explode.
She had known Ju-long since she was a child, and thought she still knew him as an adult. But Sarah didn't know this Ju-long drunk on power so much he bordered on madness. He was no longer a demi-divine, the bastard son of a dragon god and a human woman. He was simply a monster with monstrous strength.
Sarah made one last desperate to live, pulling out a spare mantra. If she attempted another spell, Sarah knew her soul may not handle it. But it was the only way out, even if her out wouldn't mean she stayed alive.
"Goddess, hear my prayer! Deliver to me the power of flame and fury! Burn the wretched away in your holy flame!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, birthmark searing her chest as nine-tails appeared around the fox head.
"Nooo!" Ju-long howled as the penthouse was engulfed in blue fox flames, burning bright and white-hot, consuming all in its wake. She clutched her chest, unable to hold on to her protective shield for much longer. It felt like her heart would burn into dust.
With no options left, Bijoux opted for death, and flung herself from the open window at full speed, praying she'd be saved at the last minute by her gods.
Chapter Six
LILLIAN
Humming to the tune of Lumière’s latest hit single, “Angel!Baby,” Lillian scrolled through her phone, bored out of her mind. Lillian had taken her new nickname from the song, and it usually boosted her bad mood, but didn’t this time around. She’d used up all her tickets on her favorite text-chat, serial story, and romance apps, and her father had long since cut her off from his credit cards. And she wouldn’t see a cent of Aunt Bijoux’s personal fortune if she didn’t stay put. Which meant she wouldn’t be able to purchase any of her favorite pastimes anytime soon.
She had also caught up with the latest news from Toshi’s fan café and had re-watched all of his latest variety shows, web dramas, and his first leading role in a romantic movie to pass the time. Her brain felt like it was disintegrating from all the ooey-gooey love stories.
“What the hell am I supposed to do all weekend?” she cried out to no one in particular. As much as she enjoyed her aunt’s cooking—she should have been a chef rather than a jewel thief—Lillian couldn’t just sit around and eat all weekend.
She knew the seriousness of her situation, and how he always dragged his daughter’s life into the crosshairs of the family business. But what Lillian didn’t understand was why she was being forced to hide when it should be her father instead. Was someone really trying to kill her?
She’d heard the rumors, at least, and caught the look of smug satisfaction in some of her father’s bodyguard’s eyes. They didn’t like him, which meant they hated her for some strange reason, like she asked to be her daughter or be born a mobster’s pride and joy. That’s why her aunt had selected some new ones from her personal guard to watch over her.
Well, she thought as she rolled onto her stomach, staring over at Toshi’s pristine smile on her aunt’s massive flatscreen, pride and joy might be going too far. Father tolerates me. His mistresses hate me. Who knows how Mother felt before she left.
If not for being ridiculously wealthy, Lillian imagined she’d be like the downtrodden heroines of her favorite J-dramas, minus the boyfriend straight out of a fairytale.
No, she was a “spoiled mafia princess,” the lonely villainess of those stories. Which meant, just like her Aunt Bijoux, she had to find her own path. She couldn't rely on anyone, especially a man, to come through and flash his money and good looks to improve her life somehow.
I won’t leave Chinatown.
That was the promise she made to her aunt. And Lillian was going to keep her word. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t bend her aunt’s rules. Chinatown didn’t comprise her luxury condo alone. Would grabbing a bite to eat really be breaking her promise to her? Especially with a slew of bodyguards in tow?
I don’t think so!
With a grin, Lillian bolted upward and hopped over to the window. All of Chinatown was basically her playground, and the underworld her backyard. Who would dare try to kill her on the Solar Rabbit Clan’s turf under Bijoux’s protection?
A part of Lillian’s mind, the rational part, warned her she was stretching the truth, and that everything wasn’t as it seemed. Why else would the adults be so worried, when they usually shrugged off threats to their lives? Something big was brewing behind the scenes. Lillian just wasn't privy to what it was.
But the childish part of her mind won out in the end. After all, she was basically her father with only a little more good sense. She was used to getting her way and had never witnessed the dark underbelly of the Solar Rabbit Clan’s dealing up close, nor faced any real consequences for her disobedience in the past. As long as she stayed in her clan’s territory, she naively thought she’d be safe.
Standing just outside the fortified gate that protected her aunt’s home, Lillian waited anxiously for her friend to arrive. Two silent guards, who wore stereotypical suits and headsets, already flanked her, like they just stepped out of a cheesy action flick.
Lillian went up on her toes, dark hair swaying in the wind, cupping her eyes against the blazing sun on the verge of setting. That’s when she spotted him, waving him over frantically.
“Jong-hyun?” she whined. “Where were you?”
He rolled his eyes at her, brushing back his shoulder-length, silky black hair. He was still wearing his Catholic school uniform, his church boy aesthetic totally at odds with his personality and upbringing. He was an up-and-coming gangster in the Korean branch of the Solar Rabbit Clan, Taeyang Tokki Iljog, if she remembered the Korean correctly. Jong-hyun also happened to be the only boy around her age that could get close to her, seeing as he’d served as a part of her personal guard one day.
Stopping a few inches away from her with an umbrella in his hand, he sighed. “You should be inside.”
It was her turn to roll her eyes, waiting for him to open the umbrella. He did so without hesitation, tilting it so it completely covered Lillian and barely covered his shoulder. She didn’t know it was supposed to rain, but she also hadn’t bothered to check. Always perceptive, Lillian doubted Jong-hyun ever left his house without checking the weather. Sometimes he was just too perfect, like he wasn’t even human.
“I’m not leaving Chinatown. We’re not. And you see these two? There’s more on the roofs and every nook and cranny. We’ll be fine.” She slapped him on the shoulder and skip
ped along, snickering at his dramatic sigh as he caught up.
His legs were longer than hers, and he was now much taller than her two. He was only two years older, but everyday Jong-hyun seemed older, wiser, and more estranged. It worried Lillian since, between her fan calls with Toshiyuki and the occasional outing with other “princesses” to socialize, Jong-hyun was the only person she could really call a friend. The more he seemed unlike himself, the more worried she became.
But Lillian didn’t voice any of her concerns, instead opting to point out new shops and old as they passed underneath the famous Dragon Gates of Chinatown. They cut through crowds of residents and tourists alike and wandered the narrow alleys and sloping streets. They would look out-of-place anywhere else, but the Ho’s were considered a famous, eccentric wealthy family to most, and feared mob bosses to those in the know. So, Lillian and her posse had no problems parting crowds like butter and clearing out shops as she pleased. Sometimes they’d stop at a small storefront, and Lillian debated eating here or there, but never stopped to enter a place for long. The second they actually stopped to eat would mean they were closer to going home.
I want to spend more time with him and outside of Aunt Bijoux’s home.
However, when Lillian turned down the sixth restaurant to grab a bite to eat, Jong-hyun had enough and made it known. He tugged on her cheek after boxing her in beneath an umbrella shielding a pottery shop’s window.
“That’s enough, Li-Lang! Enough playing around. We need to go back. It’s not safe…” his voice trailed off, staring down at her with his ethereal honey-brown eyes, bangs, and clothing slick with water, clinging to his face and chest.
Lillian gulped, shoving him away. Even as he stumbled back, allowing her to do as she pleased, he kept her shielded from the rain. “Don’t call me Li-Lang. And fine! Whatever. I don’t know why you have to be so paranoid. You should know better than most nothing is going to happen to us!”