Vows of Gold and Laughter (The Immortal Beings Book 1)

by Edith Pawlicki

  Nanami flushed, but she didn’t back off. “That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it.”

  “So what are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about – about your purpose. Protecting Jin!”

  Xiao snorted. “She hardly needs me, not with Bai around.”

  “Well, if you had been there earlier, maybe she wouldn’t have gotten hurt! Or at least we could have caught the culprit.” Nanami threw back at him.

  Xiao barely heard the second part. “Jin’s hurt? Why didn’t you tell me immediately?”

  “Because you were passed out!”

  “I wasn’t – never mind!” he snapped and began to run back to the inn.

  “Wait, wait,” Nanami latched on to his arm. “It’s a small cut. There’s nothing to be done right now. Let me tell you what happened.”

  Xiao shook her off impatiently, but he stood still. “I’m listening.”

  So Nanami described the immortal who threw a shuriken at Jin, clearly intending to hurt, if not kill her.

  Xiao rubbed a hand over his face. He felt guilty, yes, but contrary to Nanami’s accusation, he doubted that it would have played out differently if he had been present. Still, he shouldn’t have been here, drinking wine and sleeping. So where should he have been?

  The answer came to him surprisingly quickly.

  “I can be useful on this quest, but not as Jin’s bodyguard. I should be at the Sun Court, figuring out who cursed the emperor and who is sending men after her.”

  “We know the enemy must be one of Jin’s siblings,” Nanami said.

  “Your point being?”

  “I haven’t met them, but I know enough about them to realize I wouldn’t want any of them as an enemy – well, maybe the God of Wind wouldn’t bother me. But the rest are dangerous. Powerful.”

  “Yes, and one of them is already Jin’s enemy. So I need to learn as much as I can about their plans.”

  “What do you know about espionage?” she challenged.

  Xiao felt his cheeks heat. He was sick of being dismissed. “You’d be surprised what I learn – pillow talk and all that.”

  “Oh, so you’ll just seduce the Goddess of Justice?”

  “Not that one,” Xiao disagreed. “I’m not her type.”

  Nanami frowned, clearly confused by his answer. When Xiao didn’t elaborate, Nanami said, “I was just trying to say that you might find the help of someone who knows the shadows useful.”

  “I thought you were a thief, not a spy.”

  “There is some overlap of skills.”

  Xiao nodded, “I suppose that’s true, but... I don’t trust you. And not just because you stuck me in a cage for a week. The more I think about it, the more I realize we have only rumors to suggest your trustworthiness. You might very well have known it wasn’t Jin’s father who hired you – or maybe no one hired you? Did you know the Sun Emperor would be cursed, and you wanted to be there? Maybe you are how they found us–”

  “Stop! Just stop, okay?” Nanami stared at him; she was angry, her nostrils flaring. Xiao was glad to see that, actually – it was the reaction of an innocent person, and... he wanted Nanami to be innocent.

  “I will prove myself to you. I will break one of the Wanderer’s truth detectors – you can ask me anything you want.”

  Xiao crossed his arms. “Magic provided by you? How can I trust that?”

  “You saw me use it!”

  “It also let a man masquerade as Jin’s father, according to you.”

  Nanami waved her hands impatiently. “What would you have me do?”

  Xiao could ask Jin to play truth detector. But... he didn’t want to. Jin wouldn’t let him ask the questions he wanted; she would view them as offensive. And he definitely wanted to ask more about Nanami’s recent client, which Jin was not ready to do.

  “Come with me to my temple,” Xiao said. “There’s a diviner there.”

  THE idea of being questioned before a diviner did not thrill Nanami, but she had to admit she was curious. Diviners did more than detect the truth. They heard things unsaid; very powerful ones could sometimes make foretellings of the future. She had been surprised to learn that there was a diviner who worshipped the God of Pleasure.

  “You shouldn’t be,” Xiao had scolded her, “Don’t you know how many mortals want to know if their partner is faithful? Or if they are honest? A diviner who specializes in relationships is in high demand.”

  The temple had a purely ornamental wall enclosing a lush flower garden, filling the air with sweetness. There were several small shrines – it looked like prayers could be offered to the Moon Goddess and the Night God here as well – in a line behind the flowers. Without hesitation though, Xiao walked past the clearly public area of the temple to the bunkhouses behind. He went straight to a monk who was both short and plump.

  “Choden,” said Xiao, his voice warm. The woman, who had been weeding a vegetable garden, stood with a vibrant smile. She held out her hands, which Xiao took and kissed, disregarding the dirt.

  “Divinity!” she exclaimed. “I did not think to meet you again in this lifetime.” She stared at Xiao’s chest, and Nanami abruptly realized she was blind. “May I assist you, divinity?”

  “Yes, Choden, I have need of your skills,” Xiao told her. “I have brought a woman with me. I would like to question her with you present so that you can verify or correct her answers.”

  Choden nodded, still smiling. “It would be my honor to help, divinity.”

  She must have lived at the temple for some time because, despite her blindness, she led them confidently through the small paths to a small shack at the back of the temple. Choden pushed through the curtain, and Nanami followed her.

  The small interior smelled strongly of cloves and anise from the burning incense. The diviner took a seat near one wall and asked Nanami to sit opposite her. Xiao settled to the left of them where he could easily look at either’s face.

  “I must ask her a few questions, divinity, to establish a baseline.”

  Xiao looked at Nanami, who nodded. “Please, Choden, go ahead.”

  “What is your name?” Choden asked.

  “Nanami.”

  “What is your favorite color?”

  “Blue,” replied Nanami.

  “No, you like lavender,” corrected Choden.

  Nanami flushed. Xiao’s eyes were lavender; she hoped he did not make the connection. Choden smiled knowingly.

  “What do you like to eat?”

  Nanami shrugged. “Most things. I love noodles.”

  “Especially spicy ones.”

  Nanami nodded automatically, then blinked.

  “Divinity,” Choden said to Xiao, “please begin your questions.”

  “Who hired you to steal the Infinite Jug?”

  “I don’t know his name,” Nanami said. She described his appearance as best as she was able.

  “And what exactly did he say about his relationship with Jin?”

  Nanami closed her eyes, remembering. “He said you were betrothed to his daughter. That his father had arranged the marriage, and that he could not stop it without making the situation worse for her.”

  “The Sun God,” said Choden.

  Xiao turned his attention to her with a frown. “The Sun God hired this thief?”

  “No,” said Choden. “The Sun God is the father of whom the man spoke.”

  Xiao looked at Nanami, and she knew he had figured out who hired her, though it didn’t narrow her list down at all. She had realized that it must be either the God of War or the God of Destruction the evening of the betrothal. “You think the person who hired me cursed the emperor?” she asked.

  “I am asking the questions here,” was all Xiao said.

  Nanami chewed her lip as he thought.

  “Do you want Jin to succeed in her quest?”

  Nanami hesitated. “I am not part of the conspiracy to kill th
e Sun Emperor,” she tried.

  “But she would be happy if he died,” added Choden.

  Nanami couldn’t stop herself from glaring at the woman.

  “So you are trying to sabotage the quest?”

  “No – I don’t know,” Nanami confessed. “I like Jin. I like – I like – you. I haven’t yet figured out what I would do if there were an opportunity.”

  Choden let this stand.

  “Could I trust you to help me and not betray me to the curser?”

  “Yes,” Nanami said firmly.

  “She would never betray you,” said Choden. “Never, never, never.”

  Nanami leapt up. “That’s excessive,” she said. She couldn’t meet Xiao’s eyes – had she really been thinking that? Or was the diviner making a forecast?

  “No, it’s not,” argued Choden, and Nanami scowled.

  “Please sit back down.” Xiao’s tone was dry.

  She did so, reluctantly.

  Xiao was quiet for so long that Nanami finally looked at him. His eyes were very soft. He seemed more vulnerable than any time she could remember, except perhaps when he had been vomiting uncontrollably during his withdrawal.

  “Would you hurt Jin?”

  “No,” said Nanami.

  “What if it turned out our enemies were conspiring with the Sea Dragon?”

  “My father has no desire to be emperor,” objected Nanami.

  “It’s been a long time since you’ve seen him,” pointed out Xiao. “Perhaps he’s changed. What if it turns out he is allied with them? What would you do?”

  Nanami frowned. “I owe him no allegiance.”

  “But she is still loyal. She loves her family,” whispered Choden.

  “But I wouldn’t help them hurt innocents! I wouldn’t stand with them against you or Jin.”

  “She’d just run away instead.”

  Xiao snorted. “I can accept that.” He tapped his knee. “I have no objection except...” He shook his head. “No, I have no objection. If you truly wish to come with me to the Sun Court, I will accept your aid.” He paused then added, “My friend.”

  Nanami felt tears prick her eyes. “Well, don’t act like you’re doing me some great favor,” she scolded him. “Shall we go to tell Jin? And Bai?”

  Xiao nodded. “Indeed, we should tell Jin. And Bai.”

  XIAO walked beside Nanami in silence as they returned to the inn. He wasn’t embarrassed for not trusting her; in fact, given her divided loyalties, he felt validated. But he was surprised at what had been uncovered.

  First – could Gang truly be Jin’s father? If the man who hired Nanami was truly Jin’s father and a son of Aka, it must have been Karana or Gang. Did Aka know one of his sons had cuckolded him? Xiao shuddered at the idea of telling him. The description had matched Gang, but Karana had always been the most involved of Jin’s siblings in her life. He might have disguised himself – but then, if one of them had fathered Jin, wouldn’t he have hidden it by staying away from her? How frustrating, to be handed the answer yet be unable to trust it. If only Choden had been able to determine the man’s name.

  Second – Nanami liked him more than he realized. Maybe more than she had realized. He felt strange; he was betrothed. He wasn’t looking to fall in love. And Nanami pissed him off. Except... except when she didn’t, and he found her appealing – knowing that she felt more than lust made things... confusing.

  “I haven’t totally forgiven you but... I guess we’re friends,” he said aloud, startling her.

  “So you said.” Her brows raised.

  Xiao swallowed his embarrassment. “Yes, well, I – actually, I don’t have many friends, and I was figuring out how I feel.”

  “How you feel?” echoed Nanami. “Is that a thing you often think about?”

  “Well, yes. Don’t you?”

  “No,” she said confidently. “I just... am.”

  Xiao laughed. “That sounds nice, but also... uncontrolled?”

  Nanami tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and Xiao decided it was time to change the subject. “So what’s our story?”

  Nanami frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “At the Sun Court. I can teleport in and out of Jin’s residence. I could stay there, if I were by myself, but I’m not sure how it would be taken if you did as well.”

  Nanami bit her lip. “Everyone will assume we’re lovers.”

  “Yes,” Xiao agreed. He thought a few minutes. “How about becoming one of her disciples?”

  “A disciple of beauty?” Nanami’s disbelief was clear in her tone.

  “Not really, just as your disguise. You can be a young immortal that Jin found on Earth. A former butterfly, perhaps, or a flower.”

  Nanami scoffed. “You’re serious?”

  “Yes.”

  Nanami let out a big breath. “What will we say when people ask us about Jin’s whereabouts?”

  “Hmm, yes, it’s too bad you can’t masquerade as Jin. I suppose we’ll say there was a beauty emergency – an acne breakout among courtesans.”

  “Oh, be serious,” Nanami scolded him. Xiao just laughed.

  “We’ll ask Jin what to say.” Xiao looked at her again. “Are you sure you want to go?”

  “Yes, why?”

  Xiao couldn’t tell her the real reason – that he didn’t want to leave Jin and Bai alone together – not when the diviner had all but confessed Nanami’s interest in him. So he said another. “It will be dangerous.”

  “Life is dangerous.”

  Xiao blinked. “I don’t think most immortals agree with you.”

  “Most immortals aren’t the disowned daughter of the Sea Dragon or professional thieves.”

  “Hmm, I suppose that’s true. What’s the Sea Dragon like? Why doesn’t he ever come to the Sun Court?”

  Nanami fiddled with the bit of hair that had once again fallen out from behind her ear. “Because he and the Emperor have too much ego to fit in one room. He’s... hmmm. He’s overwhelming. He’s not a very large person, physically, but he’s full of energy, and it’s very intense to be the focus of his attention. He’s fiercely loyal when he’s on your side.” She kept fiddling with her hair. “You know I’m one of thirteen, I suppose.”

  Xiao nodded.

  “Did you know we are numbered? That’s what our names mean – one sea, two sea, three sea... Anyway, my first brother is six sea, then me, then my next brother.”

  “Ah.”

  “Ah,” she repeated, “as if you understand, just from that?”

  “You could say I’m a student of relationships and emotions. Were your parents very eager to have sons?”

  “When I knew them, yes. Ichimi – that’s my oldest sister – said they were quite happy to have daughters, until they started suspecting they would only have daughters. It’s not that they didn’t love me, it’s just that...sometimes they forgot me.”

  Wanting to comfort her, Xiao slipped his hand in hers and squeezed gently. Nanami fell silent, looking at their joined hands, so Xiao looked too. Hers was smaller than his, her fingers slim. Her skin was a slighter deeper tan. Her nails were cut very short, shorter than his. It was a nice hand, strong and neat.

  “How do you do that?” she asked in wonder.

  Xiao blinked. “Do what?”

  “Touch people so easily. Like it’s no big deal. I’ve always been afraid to touch people – at least since I left the Sea Palace. Maybe before.” She frowned. “That sounds strong – afraid – but it’s the right word. So I started telling myself I didn’t want to touch people. It wasn’t until I met you that I realized I’d been lying.”

  Xiao was still holding her hand and he brushed the back of it with his thumb. Nanami saw him as he really was – flawed, lonely, but with something to offer.

  “Thank you,” he told her.

  “For what?”

  He smiled. “For reminding me that I’m not useless.”

&nbs
p; “Oh.”

  The inn was soon in sight, and Nanami jerked her hand away. Xiao rubbed his fingers together but said nothing.

  “There they are,” announced Nanami, indicating to Jin and Bai sitting in the grass not far from the inn. They were each eating a bowl of rice; there were two more between them.

  “Are you hungry?” Jin asked, offering the bowls to each of them.

  “Yes, thanks,” said Nanami, sitting and immediately starting to eat.

  “Thank you,” Xiao said, taking the bowl a little more slowly. When he didn’t sit right away, Jin flushed a little. She held out a small flagon to him. “Rice wine.”

  Xiao blinked – he was both touched and hurt. He knew, knew, she was offering it to be nice, since he had disappeared all day, and yet none of the rest of them were drinking. He stared at that flagon a long time – if it was the same wine as earlier, it would be sweet and satisfying. And yet...at this exact moment, when he felt hopeful...he didn’t need it. He wanted to be fully present in the world, daring to try his best.

  “That’s alright, I’m all set.” He sat down and focused on his rice, though he could feel Nanami’s gaze burning into him.

  He pushed the rice around with the chopsticks Jin handed him, then said. “Nanami and I are leaving. We are going to the Sun Court, to find whoever poisoned the Emperor. We’ll keep you updated on what we learn.” He looked at Jin closely, and found the hairline cut on her cheek. “I’m sorry you were hurt, Jin, and I’m sorry that I went off drinking instead of staying nearby to help.”

  Jin set down her empty bowl of rice and looked at Bai. Xiao didn’t know if she read anything there, but the other man’s face looked totally blank to him. She looked at Nanami, who was chewing her lip. Then she met Xiao’s eyes again. She got up on her knees and leaned forward to hug him.

  “Thank you, Xiao. You are right – we need to know who our enemies are. Bai and I were just discussing it – but this is a far more elegant solution than any of ours.” She sat back on her heels. “And thank you, Nanami. You can teleport in and out of my compound at will now.”

  Xiao closed his eyes briefly. He had anticipated this, but it still shocked him how trusting Jin was. Thank goodness he had taken the time to interrogate Nanami earlier.