by JC Kang
Shi Han’s eyes bulged as he took in the surroundings. Though from a noble family, he wouldn’t have ever seen the delicate beauty of the Floating World. The hanging scrolls, rendered by Dragonscribes, would ease anyone’s spending inhibitions if they didn’t prepare themselves before looking—which very few visitors to the Floating World did. Whatever misgivings he’d had before, the paintings must’ve eased them: his hand fumbled for her hip, and it took all her discipline not to wince.
By the time they made it to the third floor, the boy was panting. She led him along the mezzanine overlooking the common room. Each footfall on the bare wooden floors chirped like a nightingale, a feature that allowed Blossoms to know when someone was in the halls. Down below, Lord Shi sat back in his chair. He watched her with hunger in his eyes, ignoring the two Blossoms vying for his attention.
Wen dragged out the walk to her room—the room of the Corsage, the House’s most celebrated Blossom—yet it seemed they arrived too soon. It’d only been a week since she’d moved to this room, after Lilian had ruined Lusha’s face in revenge for her role in Jie’s violation. Just that fact made it feel haunted.
She knelt by the heavy door, bowed, and slid it open.
Young Lord Shi’s gaze weighed on her as he passed, and the tremble in his body showed that the supposed lack of interest he’d shown before had all but disappeared. If virgin boys had one thing in common, it was their pent-up frustrations. His hand ran through her hair as he entered.
She rose, followed him in, and knelt again. No sooner did she slide the door shut than his hands hooked under her arms and pulled her to her feet. No doubt, the Dragonscribed magic in her room’s decorations fueled his excitement. He spun her around, buried his face into the side of her neck, and slavered kisses on it.
This script had played out on more than a dozen occasions, and it was one which she could normally follow. Still, things needed to slow down if she was to keep Young Lord Shi occupied long enough for Tian to crack Lord Shi’s safe.
Her moan sounded more like a dying cow in her ears. Usually, it was easy to fake arousal, but today…
“Yes, that’s it, feels good, right?” He pulled back and searched her eyes.
With practiced ease, she tilted her head shyly, and returned his gaze through half-lidded eyes. “Please, more. I need you.”
It sounded so contrived to her, but pulling her toward the bed, he leaned in. “I have a secret: this isn’t my first time. I’ve been fucking the maid, and I can make her scream for hours. She says I’m the best she’s had. Better than Father.”
Good, if he had that kind of stamina, then it would give Tian plenty of time. Even better, because doing a convincing job for a typical First Pollination would be near-impossible with the heaviness in her heart today. All she had to do was lie on her back and act as if he were the God of Virility. The latter, she did on a nightly basis.
Leaning into him, she reached for the knotted clasps across the chest of his robe, but he brushed her hands away. He loosened the drawstrings of his pants and let them drop to his ankles. The outline of his manhood bulged beneath the robe, standing at attention as only that of a young man in his prime could.
There was no art, no grace, no seduction as would be expected with a regular Hummingbird. He pulled her clothes off with no appreciation for their design, lowered her to the bed, and entered. What he’d said about sleeping with the maid was likely true: unlike most virgins who eschewed a Blossom’s guidance, he found the right orifice.
She let out a few obligatory moans—Heavens, they sounded so fake, an eavesdropper would be laughing. She thrust her hips to meet him and dug her nails into his back, all rote motions that allowed her to ponder Fixer Zhang, and what he might know about the deaths of Lilian and Yuna. It was just a name; he could be anybody. Probably someone they all knew. The answer was so close, yet they had to put that to the side, because the clan needed the contents of that s—
Like most virgin boys who eschewed a Blossom’s guidance, it ended in not much more than half a minute.
So much for his boasts. He collapsed with a groan on top of her. A hard cylinder on his chest, beneath his robe, bit into her cheek, though not enough to hurt.
Her aching heart thanked the Heavens it was over. The logical part of her brain reminded her that she needed to keep him here. If he left the Floating World now, Lord Shi would make it back to the villa before Tian could even find out where the safe was. Their mission would be doomed, the cell and its sisters shamed.
“Well, that was nice.” He rose, and reached down to pull his pants back up.
Chapter 4
Having never worn platform shoes before, Tian worried he was going to fall on his face. A voice that sounded suspiciously like Yuna’s spoke in his mind, reminding him to take deep breaths to calm his nerves. They’d known each other for less than a week, and she hadn’t been nice to him for most of that time. Yet her loss left his stomach feeling hollow.
He dabbed sweat from his brow. Whether that came from the afternoon sun on the brown gentleman’s robes Fixer Zhang had provided, or from nerves, it was hard to tell. Heart pounding as he navigated the hutong warrens of courtyard houses, he approached the gate of Lord Shi’s home. Two stone lions, each his height, flanked the entrance, ready to ward off evil spirits; a gate guard was also stationed there to ward off interlopers.
It should be Jie doing this, since she could just climb the walls, sneak around inside, and pick the safe’s lock. After all, he’d been banished from the capital on pain of death. Although he’d actually never left the city in the two weeks following his punishment, he also hadn’t gone so close to the imperial palace. However, she was certain Fixer Zhang had set a tail or three on her; so, while she was out following Lord Shi, pretending to work up the nerves to approach him and then back off, it was up to him now.
Located in an auspicious corner, the grey brick compound was part of a row of homes belonging to minor lords and officials. Though spacious, with the main building at the far end rising two stories above the walls and topped with gracefully sloping green-tiled eaves, it would fit inside Father’s capital villa eight and two-thirds times over.
The gate guard bowed. “Young Lord, back so soon?”
Young Lord. That had been the way everyone addressed Tian in the past, but no one had used that title in nearly two weeks. Of course, the chamberlain thought he was seeing Shi Han, a testament to Wen’s incredible use of cosmetics.
Plus, you’re pudgy, just like him, Yuna would say, even though he’d lost much of his baby fat. Now, keep your head at an angle that shades your face so he can’t get a good look.
Just like she’d taught him. She’d also started showing him the Mockingbird’s Deception, which he now used to imitate Shi Han’s voice. “I forgot something.”
“Ah, nerves.” The guard leaned in, and whispered, “A first time can make a lad nervous. Here’s a secret: all your friends didn’t perform nearly as well as they told you.”
Whatever was he talking about? Tian waved a dismissive hand, a motion he’d picked up when he, Jie, and Wen were studying Shi Han interacting with his father at tea. Bowing, the guard let him pass.
Tian blew out a breath and looked over his shoulder. The guard continued his vigil, none the wiser. Tian climbed up the three steps, continued on his way through the corridor between the outer gate and the front gate, then turned into the small courtyard. A single plum tree bedecked with white blooms rose in the center, and a well stood in the southeast corner.
At Father’s villa, he’d be challenged by at least two more guards and greeted by the chamberlain by now. But Fixer Zhang had said Lord Shi kept a skeleton staff here: just a steward, two maids, and a guard. Of his family, only his eldest son lived here this year; Lord Shi himself had just arrived the evening before to report to the Emperor. After the next Spring Festival, he, his wife, and their remaining children would be expected to take up residence for the year.
After just two weeks wit
h the Black Lotus Clan, things were becoming clearer. Whatever lord’s family member lived in the capital, they were virtual hostage to the Emperor. Tian himself had been a permanent fixture in Father’s capital villa, and like other children of the great hereditary lords, had spent most of his time in the Imperial Palace itself—to guarantee Father’s good behavior. The revelation that he, the youngest, had been essentially sacrificed would’ve felt depressing, had his time in the capital not been spent with Princess Kaiya. She and Yuna were the same age…
He shook the thought out of his head as he ambled across the courtyard, trying to imitate Shi Han’s leisurely gait. The platform shoes made that difficult, too, but the only one he had to trick was the ancient servant with bad eyes. The younger maid only came once a week, and today she was at Lord Yang’s villa several blocks away. By now, Jie had broken off Lord Shi, and was keeping the steward busy.
Walking around the tree and passing between the east and west wings—mirror buildings with white bricks and green-tiled eaves—he came to their Big Brother, the main residence. So far, so good. He pulled on the door—
“Young Lord,” a creaky voice said. “You must be hungry after your big day.”
Tian froze and looked over his shoulder.
A silver-haired woman, bent over with age, smiled at him. Reports said that Lord Shi’s mother was back in Jinjing County, so this had to be the servant. One who didn’t have a good sense of time, if she thought Shi Han could take a rickshaw to the Floating World, hold hands with Wen, and make it back by now.
He modulated his voice to sound like Shi Han’s, hopefully well enough that her old ears wouldn’t tell the difference. “I didn’t get far. I just forgot something, and came back.”
“Young Lord, you won’t need that.” The old woman creaked out a laugh as she clapped her hands together. “Floating World Blossoms take many herbs, so they are very safe. And you won’t accidentally plant a seed. And they’re skilled in the ways of making sure the encounter lasts. Why, I still remember when your Father…”
She babbled on, none of her words making sense. How could a Blossom be dangerous? And why worry about planting seeds too quickly? Did Blossoms hold hands and farm? If the servant kept him here much longer, the real Shi Han would get back.
“I’ll be right out.” Tian waved the young lord’s dismissive hand at her, then went in and closed the door behind him.
A set of stairs wrapped around the two-story foyer. Doors lay to the east, west, and north on both levels; though the north room would be too small to be Lord Shi’s bedchambers. No, Father had commissioned a Feng Shui geomancer to lay out their villa, and the wizened man had said something about the northwest corner bringing fortune. Tian slid out of the platform shoes, ran up the steps, and then to the northwest door. Unsurprisingly, it was a standard key lock, which yielded in seconds to his improving lockpicking skills. Hopefully, the safe would be as easy.
He opened the door and peered in. It was sparsely decorated as only an austere Northerner would keep it. The window shutters were open, letting in the early afternoon sun. The Iridescent Moon sat just off-center of the south window. The asymmetry, and the lack of what would’ve been minimal effort to center the moon in the window, pricked at Tian’s nerves. To the west, under the window, sat two plain chairs and a side table. In the north, the bedframe was made of unadorned rosewood. The blankets lay askew, and the pillow held the indent of someone’s head. Lord Shi, who’d arrived just last night, must’ve slept here, and the old servant had yet to tidy up.
The walls were unadorned, save for the scroll painting of the Great Wall above the bed’s headboard. It hung askew by a degree, enough that Tian had to fight the urge to right it. Not only that, but it was off-center over the bed by half a finger-length. He padded over and studied the wall it hung on. Scuff marks.
He lifted the painting, revealing the door to a safe. Easy! He was ahead of schedule, he…
Froze. It was unlike any he’d ever seen, a fact which would’ve been more impressive if he’d seen more than six safes in his lifetime. Still, it was beautiful in its intricacy: two keyholes, vertically aligned, with one combination lock in between. Above them on the line was a clear, round stone the size of his fist, which swirled with colors like a soap bubble.
Lockpicking had been one of the most interesting skills the clan had taught him so far. Studying the top keyhole, he withdrew a light bauble and his first set of picks from a hidden pocket in the inside of his robe. With the bauble between his teeth shining light into the hole, he probed the interior, discovering twenty-one—twenty-one!—tumblers of different thickness and depths.
He didn’t even have enough picks to manipulate them, let alone start working on the lower lock. He might not even be able to actually unlock the first, even if he did have enough picks. No, this was a job for Jie. But at least he could learn more about the locks to save her time.
Putting his ear to the combination lock, he twisted the dial. The rhythmic clicking of the discs against the cam was almost hypnotic. And it was also impossible to hear the open spot that indicated when to turn the dial back the other way. In this, Jie’s elf ears would have to suffice.
He went on to the second keyhole, and—hah! A spring-loaded poison dart was hidden in the depths. Yuna had told him to look out for them.
Yuna.
He let out a sigh, and, careful to avoid the trigger, started to test the tumb—
Snick!
He jerked his hand back.
With several deep breaths, he evaluated himself. No pain in his finger; maybe it hadn’t hit him? He didn’t feel lightheaded, cold, or drunk.
All right, maybe it had missed him. He used one of his lockpicks to wipe the needle tip. With a sample, the clan poisoner could probably figure out what it was. He held his breath and used other picks to work the needle back, so as not to leave evidence of his tampering. It locked back with a click.
He blew out a breath. He was way in over his head. And what if they didn’t get another chance? It’d taken a significant bribe to get Old Feng to recommend Wen and the Peony Garden to Lord Shi for Shi Han’s First Pollination, and a First Pollination only happened once. This might be their only opportunity to crack the safe, and the clan might get mad at Jie.
Maybe the keys were hidden somewhere. He turned around and searched the places where he’d hide sweets in his room: beneath the bed, behind a bauble lamp, in a side table drawer…nothing.
Voices spoke in the courtyard—a woman. A splash of green and yellow flashed in the south window.
He dropped to the floor and listened.
“Miss Tang,” the old servant said. “This isn’t your day to come.”
“Oh,” a melodious voice answered. “Young Lord Shi asked me to help him hem in his new robe. I was coming to pick it up.”
It had to be the second maid.
“Oh, he’s just got back to the main residence, and should be out any minute. He has an, uh, appointment.”
Oh, no. Tian rose enough so that he could peek out the window.
Miss Tang wore a simple but nice yellow dress with green embroidery and knotted buttons. With the high-bridged nose, large eyes, and full lips of a Northerner, she was almost as pretty as Wen, though certainly not as beautiful as Princess Kaiya. Her eyes shifted up toward the window.
He ducked back down.
Had she seen him? His disguise might work against a nearsighted old woman, but a young maid…
“Well, I don’t want to slow him down,” Miss Tang said. “I’ll just fetch a thread and needle. Don’t even tell him I’m here, or else he’ll…”
The old woman let out her creaky laugh. “Yes, yes. He has very grabby hands. Don’t worry, I think he will be in a rush for this appointment.”
Grabby. It was a good word to describe so many of the men Tian had seen over the last week in the Floating World and the Trench. He shook the thought out of his head. There was a window of opportunity for him to get out while Miss Tang was
retrieving her sewing supplies. He peeked out the window again, just in time to see her disappear into the east wing, and the old servant stomp off to the west wing.
He returned the room back to the way it had been, locked it, then ran down the steps to the door. He skidded to a stop and turned back: he’d almost forgotten those annoying shoes. Slipping them on, he squared his shoulders and tried to imitate Shi Han’s gait as well as the platform shoes would allow.
Hurrying through the courtyard, he shot a glance to the east wing.
A splash of yellow disappeared behind the doorway.
The real Shi Han must be a monster for poor Miss Tang to want to avoid him. Lengthening his stride, he headed to the inner gate.
The clattering of rickshaw wheels over pavestones came to a stop outside. The outer gate creaked.
Someone was coming home.
Had Jie failed to delay the chamberlain? Or had Wen not kept Shi Han busy?
Chapter 5
Despite training for years to become a courtesan in the Floating World, Yan Jie had never quite mastered feminine grace. Mostly for lack of trying. It was always assumed she would only spend a year or so at the Chrysanthemum Pavilion attracting bids for her virgin price, then be plucked once Heaven’s Dew arrived. Six years later, she’d yet to start her monthly cycles. Why bother to learn to be a Blossom when her exotic looks alone had sent her virgin price to the Blue Moon, and her true interest lay in using her other skills?
How she regretted that now, because her unique facial features had yet to catch the eye of Lord Shi’s steward as he went shopping in the capital’s sprawling open-air herb market. Or maybe the high-collared one-piece dress’ slit rode so high on her leg, it made her look even flatter than she really was.
That didn’t stop people, men and women alike, from lingering on her, and one gentleman even recognized her from her time at the Chrysanthemum Pavilion before it had burned down. Or rather, before her former lover, Lilian, had burned it down in an attempt to fake her own death and escape the clan. A knot formed in Jie’s throat, but she swallowed it.