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“Another walk on Cloud Ridge?” I say with a laugh, diverting his initial suspicion.
“If you wish.” He grins at me. “I will see you tonight.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
JUST AFTER DUSK, SHENMING STRIDES UP THE PATH TO MY home, a cloak slung over his armor. A wooden pin carved with gold leaves holds his topknot in place. At Father’s urging, I’m wearing a new dress of green silk embroidered with flowers, a matching shawl draped over my shoulders. My hair is coiled up with the pin that Dian gave me at my naming ceremony.
A new awkwardness settles over Shenming and me. “This feels strange for me too,” he says wryly. “But think of me as a sibling, like Dian.”
“Dian almost killed me when we first met,” I tell him.
When he laughs, my tension disperses. As we head toward the carriage, a few soldiers greet him with a smile. “Congratulations, Captain,” one calls out. “May you enjoy the blessings of the gods in your future happiness.”
I press my lips together as Shenming inclines his head. “It is early yet, we’re still getting acquainted,” he answers as expected.
As we pass another cluster of people, they call out greetings, some of the women watching the captain keenly. “Everyone is smiling,” Shenming observes. “I’m not used to it.”
“Do they usually run in fear from you?” I ask lightly.
“Only if they’ve done something wrong.”
I smother a stab of unease as we climb into a carriage. “How do they know about us?”
“News travels swiftly,” he says. “We might have our parents to thank for that.”
The carriage rolls along the path seamlessly, the marks left on the stone vanishing before we even turn the corner. For the first time, I wonder if the magic here could be put to better use, channeled to alleviate suffering rather than gilding something that already shines.
“Why did they congratulate us when it’s just an understanding, not a betrothal?”
“Because such arrangements usually end in marriage.” He tilts his head to the side. “Don’t be alarmed. We will be among the few who ‘do not suit.’ Our best chance for a swift way out is to appear like we’re entering this with the right intentions, like we’re—”
“Obedient?” Resentment flashes. Too many have tried to control me, to fit their desired ends: Mistress Henglan, the Prince of the Iron Mountains, and now the Elders. As for Jin… it was safer to treat him as though fearing he would.
“The Elders value that trait, along with loyalty,” Shenming says. “It’s no easy feat to protect our island when so many covet our power. They have led us through great turmoil and strife, through the loss of the Sun Dragon. They have earned our trust.”
He leans against the seat, the light from the small lantern falling on his face. Shenming is attractive, though seeing him so often has dulled me to the realization.
“Why did Dian and you end the engagement?” I ask curiously.
“We’ve always been close, growing up together. Many believed a marriage inevitable. When Dian refused, I did not object—allowing her to decide our future. Shortly after, she left to seek you.” He appears pensive, staring out the window, but then his gaze shifts to me. “How is your training progressing? Dian mentioned she would oversee your lessons in our magic.”
“I’m waiting for her to recover first,” I reply.
“I can help, if you wish?” he offers to my surprise. “It could suit our purpose.”
I shake my head, concealing my anxiety. If Shenming learns of the dragon’s magic, he would inform the Elders. We don’t have the same bond as he does with my sister. “I’m in no hurry. There’s been so much to learn and get used to here, I have little energy for more. I’ll wait for my sister.”
“She is strong, with a natural affinity for coaxing the strongest properties from the herbs,” he says. “This talent runs in your family, along with the vast knowledge of the plants of our island.”
We arrive at the peak soon after. Many scholars are studying the heavens, soldiers circling the grounds. A few hold up curved pieces of crystal to their eyes as they look up at the sky. Occasionally they call out the names of stars and their positions, others scribbling notes.
The air seems to constrict, growing strangely warmer. My head begins to pound, sweat breaking out across my skin, unease slithering through my gut though I’m unsure why.
“What are the crystal pieces they are holding up?” I ask Shenming, as I pull the shawl from my shoulders.
“It enables them to see the stars more clearly. We’ve been studying the dragon constellation each day to track any movement.”
A pretty woman with braided hair approaches. “The stars are especially bright tonight, Captain Shenming,” she informs him. “We have detected a little movement since the last study.” Her voice thrums with excitement as she holds up her crystal. “Would you like to see?”
