Rematch

by Rachael Slate

  Wen craned her neck to meet the creature’s gaze. The beast’s body was composed of a mist-like substance, its edges hazy. The center of its form swirled like the endless depths of a starless sky. Otherwise, it pretty much looked like a panther. A giant-ass panther.

  “Wen.” Li gripped her upper arm. “Do you recall our discussion on dangerous objects?”

  Her lips parted. “Yes.”

  “Well, this is one of them.”

  “What is it?”

  He extended his hand toward the creature. “Not what. Who. This is Cat.”

  Li tightened his grip on Wen’s arm. The beast had never disobeyed him before. Perhaps he’d been wrong to set Cat free, but it had agreed to their terms and had never broken them.

  Until tonight.

  Cat was permitted only outside. Only at night. Where it hunted and roamed to its pleasure. Tonight, it had overstepped. What in the bloody hell did the spirit seek with Wen?

  “Cat? I don’t understand.”

  As he tugged her closer to his side, the feline blinked once. Li resisted the urge to growl back—a feral “mine, not yours,” on the tip of his tongue. “Do you recall the legend of the Great Race?”

  Wen pressed her palm flat on his chest. “The Zodiacs?”

  “Yes. Well, the Jade Emperor called the animals to race to determine the cycle of the years. Cat,” he jerked his chin at the spirit in question, “took a nap before the race to preserve its energy. Cat asked Rat to wake it before the race began. Rat did not.” Cat snarled once, adding its opinion to the tale. Apparently, the wound still stung. “Cat didn’t become one of the Zodiacs, nor did it earn a position as a Chosen—a guardian of the Earth paired with a human host.”

  Wen nodded. “The Chosen are supposed to defeat the Plague God who unleashed the Red Death.” She tilted her chin to him and whispered, “But why is Cat inside my room?”

  Why, indeed. “In its disappointment, Cat became quite the nuisance in the Jade Emperor’s palace. I agreed to take on the care of the creature. Hence the jade box in my collection.”

  “Wait.” She spun and shoved a finger into his chest. “You stick it in that box?”

  “Look at the spirit animal, Wen. It’s a wild thing. Cat can’t roam free on the Earth, nor would anyone claim it in Heaven.”

  “You’re right. It is a wild creature.” She shifted back around and smiled at Cat. “It deserves to be free.” Cat cocked its head at her and raised its paw to lick it.

  “I do free the spirit. At night.”

  “Well, what about the rest of the time? Cat lives inside the box?”

  He shrugged.

  “That doesn’t seem fair.”

  “It’s for everyone’s protection. This is what the Council of Elders instructed me to do. I’m not even technically supposed to let Cat out of the box. Ever.” The Council of Elders issued commands from the Jade Emperor—the ruler of all deities. The Matchmaker was one of now seven members on the Council. Disobedience of their commands was unwise—and suicidal.

  Her mouth fell open. “That’s horrible! Why would the Council decree such a thing?”

  “Who knows.” The Council had always been overbearing, but with one of their own members turning on them recently, they’d become more iron-fisted than ever. “They can’t be made aware of my arrangement with Cat.” He curled his finger beneath her chin. “Although, after tonight,” he shot a scowl at Cat, “I doubt I will release the spirit again.” At his threat, Cat pounced out the balcony. Damn, he’d have to catch it later.

  Wen jerked from his grasp. “You have to! Keeping Cat in a box is insane. You’re more likely to breed animosity into it.”

  A chuckle escaped his lips. Her vibrancy was so…amusing.

  And enticing.

  The towel around her had absorbed the moisture from her skin, and it clung to her, the damp cloth accentuating her feminine curves.

  Gazing out the balcony, Wen huffed. “We should call Cat back. Discuss this.”

  “Not tonight. Once the spirit has finished hunting, it will return and we can assess its…temperament.”

  “Fine.” She gathered up her hair and twisted it behind her head as she swayed those luscious hips toward her bed. A gentle tug and her towel fell to the ground, exposing the long line of her back. One hand swept up in her hair, the other poised on her hip, she peered at him over her shoulder. The glint of her white teeth flashed over her red lip, as though indecisive about whether to invite him to join her.

  By the gods, he longed for nothing more than to claim her, but that was what the old Li would have done. The reckless, spontaneous fool who made rash decisions. Who fell into temptation, no matter the cost.

  He sighed and faced away from her. Wen was an enchanting mortal.

  That was the problem. A mortal. Even though in the depths of his soul, he sensed a connection to her, he had nothing to offer her but sorrow and grief. Her brother had died from the Red Death. True, Li may not have been able to prevent the plague, but he’d once possessed the ability to ease it.

  Not anymore.

  What would Wen think of him, if she knew? He was still seeking a path to atonement and he hadn’t yet earned the right.

  The right to joy, to peace, to love. Not when he was responsible for the torment of so many. “Good night, Wen.” He ground his jaw and strode from her room.

  Hell, if she were to become ill, he could not even save her. What kind of an immortal did that make him?

  A worthless one.

  ***

  A soft warmth like sunlight heated Wen’s face. Must be morning. She groaned and flipped over, burying her face in the pillow.

  Li had rejected her twice yesterday. But hey, she’d get over it. So what if he was mysterious and seductive and oh-so-panty-melting gorgeous? Plenty of hotties out there in the ocean. Heck, she was on an island surrounded by an ocean… Right?

  She groaned again. No amount of logic masked the real reason his rejection cut deep. With Li, she’d perceived something…more. A connection—a sensation of belonging—she’d never experienced with anyone else. A hint of a greater intimacy she’d given up ever finding.

  Love.

  She’d joined the Lotus League without a breath of hesitation because she’d discarded her dream. Or fantasy.

  Li was her fantasy. His bronzed skin, rippling muscles, those dark-lashed eyes that cut through with so much perception. He was caring and protective…of everyone but himself. She’d spent too much of her life on the opposite end of the scale. Fighting tooth and nail for her survival. No one had taken care of her since her brother had passed, and Matthew’s dying wish had been for Wen to find someone to love.

  Could Li be that person? No one fell in love that fast… But the possibility of love? To teeter on the edge? Oh yeah, she’d definitely skimmed the perimeter.

  She rose onto her elbows and twisted her neck toward the window. Peeling one eye open, she squinted, bracing for sunlight. But it wasn’t morning. It was dark. Pitch black. She yawned, blinking to clear her vision of sleepy fog.

  The bedposts rattled and her bones vibrated with a low hum.

  Oh, hell no.

  Wen scooted backward to the headboard and craned her neck. It wasn’t dark… Something had made it that way.

  “Hi, kitty.” She gave a nervous laugh and a small wave.

  Towering above her, Cat dipped its head and rubbed its nose against her outstretched hand. The spirit’s fluid form coated her hand in a gentle warmth. Cat eased back and regarded her with unblinking amber eyes.

  “Right.” Wen nibbled on her lower lip. Whatever Cat had done to get itself kicked out of Heaven, it didn’t intend to harm her. Of that she was certain. The deepest reaches of her soul urged her toward the spirit. Not away. Survival instinct at its best. If she had any reason to fear Cat, her gut would tell her.

  “What you do want from me?” Scooting to the edge of the bed, she tilted her head and assessed the spirit in daylight. Because yep, scanning past the creatur
e, she spotted the morning sun peeking through the heavy drapes. “You’re not supposed to be in here, you know that, right?”

  Cat opened its mouth and gave a short mewl, then proceeded to lick its paw without a care in the world.

  Wen laughed. She’d always admired the regal majesty of felines. Their confident, carefree attitudes. They walked their own paths. Made their own rules.

  “Okay.” She smiled at Cat and brushed her hand against its nose. The gloss of soft, silky fur glided across her skin. “Beautiful.”

  She dressed in the white button-down shirt and pleated navy skirt of the maid’s uniform in her closet. Uck. Like a Chinese cartoon maid. She twisted her hair into a bun and left her room, Cat at her heels. Poor thing. Banished from Heaven. Forbidden to tread the Earth. Cat was an outcast. Searching for a place to call home. I know the feeling, sweetie.

  As she strolled down the open, columned corridor, the spirit followed her and listened to her. Not like the puppy she’d had in third grade who’d obeyed her commands two out of five times. Cat literally did every single thing she asked.

  Jumped. Walked on her left. On her right. Sat when she snapped her fingers. Rolled over when she twisted her wrist. The spirit animal sought to please her. Why? Wen wasn’t in any position to plead its case before the Council. It was hard enough earning her privileges back.

  Cat pounced off the wall beside her and matched her strides. She glanced up at the impressive beast. It was way cool having her own spirit animal companion. Hmm. She might not be able to fight for Cat on the Council, but she could fight for it inside this household.

  They rounded a corner. A servant in the garden lifted his head from the plants and his jaw fell open. For a moment, he looked like he would remain frozen in fear, but then he screamed.

  Cat freaked, leaping behind Wen, like she would protect it.

  She wanted to laugh, but first she had to silence the gardener. Wen shot forward, waving her hand up and down for him to be quiet. “It’s all right. Cat won’t hurt you. Shh.”

  Other workers popped out from the corridors. They gaped and shouted, blasting the hallways with echoing noise until Wen covered her ears against the din.

  She backed up to where Cat had shrunk against the wall. “It’s okay, Cat. They won’t hurt you.”

  Because despite the spirit’s size and strength, it feared the humans more than they feared it.

  The one thing more dangerous than a predator…was an animal fighting for its survival.

  Li scanned Wen’s room, but the spirit was not inside. Neither was Wen.

  Several men yelled from the gardens below. He vaulted off the balcony and flashed through the maze of plants with his gift of supernatural speed. The escalating clatter of shouting men originated from the far side of the gardens.

  He skidded to a halt beside one column. A dozen of his servants closed in on Wen, bearing household weapons of destruction. Rakes. Axes. A fire extinguisher.

  Bloody hell. Wen snapped back at the angry men, but they continued to advance on her.

  A deep and primal instinct surged inside him. No way in Dìyù would they touch Wen.

  Li stormed forward, ready to annihilate them for daring to threaten her. “Enough. Leave her be or I will have your heads.”

  “Master, please.” Chen, one of his long-time servants stepped forward. The man raised an unsteady hand and pointed, not at Wen, but behind her.

  Oh shit.

  “We must kill the beast before it feasts upon us all.”

  “Aye!”

  More cries of agreement arose from the gathering crowd.

  Cat had disobeyed him once again. He grasped the key around his neck.

  “Cat won’t hurt anyone, I promise.” Wen fastened her green, pleading gaze on him. “Please, make them stop. They’re scaring Cat.”

  “You don’t mean to tell us the beast is the one frightened, miss.” One gardener scoffed.

  “Enough.” Li sliced his hand through the air, silencing them, and strode through the throng toward Wen.

  She straightened her shoulders as he approached, notching her chin. “Cat won’t hurt them.”

  “Begone with you. Back to your tasks.” At his command, his servants shuffled away. They knew better than to question their Master.

  Unlike Wen.

  “You cannot make such promises, little mortal.” He folded his arms. “The beast is powerful. You are fragile and in need of protection.”

  She planted her hands on her hips, accentuating those lush curves. His body stirred, aching for one more sweet taste.

  “I can protect myself.”

  “I’m sure you can.” A smile tugged at his lips.

  “Don’t patronize me.” An angry huff blew from her mouth. “I may be a lowly mortal to you, but even I can see what you can’t.”

  He cocked his head, intrigued by every second he spent in her presence. “What is that?”

  “Everyone deserves a second chance.” She spun on her heel and marched to the beast’s side.

  A second chance? Hope sparked inside his chest, a yearning that Wen might perceive the same worth inside him.

  She wouldn’t, because it wasn’t there.

  “What do you propose?” He refused to agree to anything which might place her in danger, yet he couldn’t argue the beast intended her harm. It had plenty of opportunity to devour Wen and had not done so yet.

  “Let me train it.” She lifted and dropped her shoulders. “I’ll take full responsibility for Cat. Please, let it be free.”

  Her imploring eyes were impossible to deny. He too, had experienced the same sensation of pity for the creature. Cat could never leave his island. There was nowhere else in Heaven or on Earth for the beast.

  Which meant, if Cat stayed, Wen would stay here too.

  ***

  Li stared at her, hard, as though attempting to penetrate Wen’s defenses. To find a weakness in her.

  Well, he wouldn’t. She met his gaze straight on.

  “You do realize, once you’ve given the beast freedom, you can’t take it away.” He folded his hands behind his back and glanced sideways at her. “You can’t leave it, or this place.”

  Right. Her breath stuck in her lungs. That would mean no more Lotus duty for her.

  Would it be so bad? Stuck on this tropical island with a gorgeous man and a magical beast? It would be an adventure of a lifetime. What about her brother? About avenging the world? Living here would be like forgetting about the suffering…

  Like hiding.

  Her mind churned over the possibilities. Cat bent forward and licked her palm. As a Lotus, she had the potential to aid hundreds of souls. Here, she could make a difference to one.

  Vengeance had driven her to join the Lotus League, but who was to say Cat wouldn’t be her key to retribution? Li possessed a vast collection of talismans for her to “borrow.” Once she trained Cat, well, the spirit would make one badass sidekick.

  With Cat and Li, she’d found not one, but two beings to grow to love. Just as Matthew had wished for her.

  It was an enormous risk, but her heart gave her the answer. “Yes. I’ll stay.”

  “You’ll give up your dream of becoming a Lotus?” He lifted one brow. Like he didn’t want her to say no.

  She didn’t want to, either. “Yes.”

  “I’ll inform the Matchmaker of your decision.”

  The decision pooled like cement in her gut, but sometimes, hard choices meant sacrifice.

  He stalked toward her, a wicked glint in his eye that made the cement in her stomach liquefy, fluttering bubbles of air bursting through and lightening the weight. When he reached her, he trailed his fingertips down her arm, sending spiking shivers of anticipation firing beneath her skin.

  He leaned in, his warm breath fanning across her neck. “What am I going to do with you, now that you’re mine?”

  She moaned and closed her eyes.

  “You are going to remove your hands from my Lotus.” A cool feminine
voice raked across her skin like a diamond cutting through glass. What the hell?

  They both whirled around and faced the Matchmaker.

  “I didn’t summon you.” A tic worked in Li’s jaw.

  She glided past him to stand next to Wen. “No, but you’ve caused quite a commotion here.” She glanced at Wen, her calculating gaze assessing. “Haven’t, you, Wen?”

  Wen blinked at the woman. Why was she here?

  “You as well, sayang.” The Matchmaker beckoned for Cat using the term of endearment, and the spirit rubbed its head against the woman’s manicured hand. “Are you certain?” She spoke to the beast, and whatever their conversation was about, it passed over her head. Judging by Li’s hard expression, it surpassed his too.

  “Very well then.” The Matchmaker concluded with a nod. “Wen, Cat and I have a proposition for you.”

  “Oh-okay.” She gripped her left wrist in her right hand.

  The Matchmaker’s heels clacked on the stones as she strolled to a bush and bent to smell a pink blossom. “Cat was banished from Heaven, and forbidden from the Earth, many years ago. Cat isn’t the malicious creature the Council has deemed it.” She released the flower and glanced at them over her shoulder. “I promised the spirit my aid. Are you aware of the Chosen?”

  “The Twelve Zodiacs?” Wen studied her with augmenting intrigue.

  “Yes, well, through another series of unfortunate events, Cat was not given a place among the years as they were. More than that, they were each paired with a human host and given the responsibility of fighting for the balance of the Earth.”

  “Okay, but what does this have to do with Cat?”

  “Cat cannot leave here…by itself.” The Matchmaker plucked the flower and sauntered to Wen, then laced the flower behind Wen’s ear. “It is a spirit, like the others. It can be…paired.”

  “With me?”

  “Indeed. Cat has long searched for a compatible host. The panther who marked you,” she waved toward Wen’s scars, “did so at Cat’s request. Today, you have proven yourself worthy.”

  Li cleared his throat. “The Jade Emperor pairs the Chosen spirits, Matchmaker. I’m not sure he would do the same for Cat.”