by Jeannie Lin
She stood on her toes. ‘Lower your head. You’re too tall.’
He bent down and closed his eyes as she placed the sash over them, tying it securely around the back of his head. Her jasmine scent caressed over him and her fingertips brushed lightly against his ear as she straightened. His skin prickled with awareness, sensitised to her every movement as he was engulfed in darkness.
‘You train blindfolded?’ he asked.
She laughed, sounding so close. ‘This is how you train your touch reflexes. It’s called chi sao.’
‘You are a constant surprise,’ he murmured.
He strained to listen for her through the whisper of the breeze, his vision blocked. She took hold of his hands and he let himself be led. Her skin was flushed from training. He found it incredibly sensual, waiting in the dark as she positioned his arms into a guard.
‘Stay relaxed. Try to maintain the contact when I move.’
Her voice was intimate, soothing. He could feel the line of her wrist, the tension in her arm as she pushed against him.
‘Ready?’
‘Yes.’
‘Slowly first.’
She moved and he followed her, turning his body to keep her in front of him. When the pressure withdrew, he sought her out, shifting his feet to maintain contact.
‘Keep with me.’
She guided him with her touch, testing him forwards and back. They stepped side to side; each time he used the contact against her arm to gauge how she moved. Gradually she quickened the pace, using different patterns, breaking the rhythm so he would have to adjust.
‘How does this help you fight?’ he asked.
‘Touch allows me to read an opponent faster than seeing him. Every time I deflect a strike, I can read your movements. If you push too hard, you will over-commit. If your touch is too light, I can sense an opening.’
It had been a long time since anyone had tried to teach him anything about the art of the sword, not since his father’s death. But he couldn’t fully concentrate on the technique. Her voice flowed over him like water, his awareness heightened by the blindfold.
‘Let me try it,’ he said devilishly.
His movements became more aggressive. He pushed forwards. Attack and retreat. She responded, her movements complementing his, the ebb and flow of her breathing increasing with the rhythm. He could hear the soft pad of her footsteps against the ground. A dance in the darkness.
It would be that way if they made love. Completely attuned to each other’s bodies through simple touch and tension. He sensed it in his soul as heat and energy pumped through his veins.
He stopped abruptly and let go of her, reaching up to remove the blindfold. Ailey came back into view.
She blinked at him. ‘Why are you stopping?’
He sucked in a breath. ‘Do you even know what you do to me?’
She could entice him to madness without even trying. With a combat exercise, of all things. Sooner or later, he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off of her. And when he gave in to his need, he wouldn’t know how to let go.
‘You’re not for me, Ailey.’
She shook her head. ‘I don’t understand.’
He needed to get this done. Ailey respected directness and honesty and he didn’t have any time to squander. By morning, he would be gone.
‘I spoke with Lady Ling. She can escort you the rest of the way to Changan.’
The light drained from her as she looked at him, silent and stricken. The urge to put his arms around her was overwhelming, but he forced himself back. That would be the easy thing to do. Hold her close and take away the sudden chill that had set in between them.
‘So this is what the two of you have decided?’ she asked.
‘You should be accompanied by someone like her. Someone respectable.’
Not by a barbarian who would drag her into ruin. Ailey had her own honour and her family’s reputation to uphold. Even he knew these things.
‘You promised.’ She was grasping and they both knew it.
‘I told you I would get you home safely. That’s all.’
His voice sounded too loud among the peach trees. She was the one who’d made him swear not to touch her, and he’d kept his word despite being an irresponsible bastard.
‘In a few days you’ll be home,’ he went on. ‘We were always planning to go our own ways in Changan.’
Her lip trembled, but she fought hard to control it. Methodically, she bent and returned one sword after the other into the sheaths.
‘You are right. You have no obligation to me. But I don’t trust Lady Ling and I won’t go with her.’
He was ready for this. ‘I trust her. Ling Suyin is a friend. She owes me a debt.’
Her pained expression told him he had pierced her armour. Ailey lived by honour. It ran thick in every drop of her blood.
‘She won’t let any harm come to you. I swear it.’
‘You’ll go tomorrow, then?’ she asked tightly.
‘Yes.’
He had to leave while he still could.
She held his gaze for a long time, unflinching. He could see himself reflected as tiny spots of light in her irises. He would never know what it was she saw in him. Then, with a nod, she walked past him. Her shoulder brushed stiffly against his arm as she retreated from the orchard.
Warrior pride.
She slipped into her room, the door creaking shut. He had known she wouldn’t plead or throw a tantrum. In a way, she’d made his announcement dreadfully easy on him.
He stayed in the orchard until the servants came to extinguish the lanterns, blowing out the candles one by one.
Ailey closed her bedroom door behind her and leaned against it. Before she could compose herself, a tear slid down her cheek, followed by another. She swiped at them angrily with the back of one hand.
She couldn’t grasp her own emotions, didn’t understand the feeling of loss as if something had been ripped from inside her. Ryam was right. They were going to separate in Changan. It shouldn’t make any difference for them to part now. But she had thought she would have a little more time. Time for what, she didn’t know.
She moved to the bed and lay down, twisting her hands into the coverlet. Ever since they’d kissed by the river she’d lost all ability to centre herself. Even their sparring exercise had become an excuse for her to touch him.
In the empty spaces between their conversations, she would imagine Ryam staying by her side. They would never reach the capital. But it was nothing but a childish fantasy. She had a duty to her family and to the empire.
She could have argued with Ryam and convinced him not to go just yet. She could have reached up and kissed him as she had been fantasising about the entire day. He might have just laughed at her if she had. Or he might have kissed her back, as he had done in the woods.
She took a deep breath and let it out. He was a wandering swordsman. She was a princess. What did she think they’d do? Cross swords and wander through the forest for ever? If he was determined to go, she wasn’t going to stop him. This was best. She would never have to tell Ryam who she was.
But part of her wished she’d dared to tell him the truth. She wished that she didn’t have to hold anything back. That they would never have to swear to anything, except what they truly wanted.
Chapter Nine
Ryam stood by as the servants loaded a trunk onto the litter in the grey of the morning. He winced at the imperial insignia carved on the front. Lady Ling was a symbol of the old regime. It was impossible nowadays to tell if the affiliation would help or hurt on the road to Changan.
Ailey held herself a distance away and watched the preparations impassively. He had worried she would attempt to flee again. Despite her talk of honour and duty, she harboured a defiant streak. But this morning, she had emerged from her rooms without complaint. She actually wasn’t speaking to him at all.
The stableman hitched a single horse into the harness as Lady Ling emerged from the house wra
pped in an opulent robe, every hair in place and her face painted to perfection. He went to speak to her and immediately caught his mistake when Ailey angled herself away from them, the stiff point of her shoulder speaking louder than any words.
The lady bestowed an almost sympathetic look on him. ‘There is one trail that leads to the main road.’
‘I’ll stay with you until then.’
‘It has been a long time since I’ve been in the city, but I still remember how things are done,’ Lady Ling assured him.
The lady had survived the most treacherous period of the imperial court. She would have hidden contacts throughout the empire. She’d know who to bribe and coerce. Ailey would be fine. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to go. Once he left, there was no way to find out what happened to her. He’d never know.
Lady Ling glanced towards the litter. In profile, her features were striking, a balance of perfect curves. As a man, he couldn’t deny her beauty tapped into something primal. His response to her was immediate, devoid of any conscious thought. But it was only a ghost of what he felt whenever he thought of Ailey.
‘Go and say farewell to her.’ The courtesan read his thoughts perfectly. ‘I remember what it was to be young.’
Ryam nodded, letting out a slow breath as he went to Ailey. She stood alone and silent, her back turned towards him. He knew she could hear the pad of his boots on the dirt trail. Her shoulders raised a fraction and her fingers curled almost imperceptibly by her side as he approached.
‘Take care on your long journey,’ she said in a brittle voice.
‘Ailey, look at me.’
She turned to him. Her face and the clouded jade of her eyes filled his vision, and he decided then and there that Ailey in a faded tunic could outshine all the imperial consorts of the world.
‘You know this is the right thing to do,’ he said.
‘No.’ Her gaze would not waver. ‘I don’t know.’
One of the servants came running from the woods. He found Lady Ling and began firing off a rapid stream of Han Chinese. Ailey strained to listen, tensing.
The lady swung around. ‘Governor Li Tao has sent an armed regiment through the forest. They will be here soon.’
‘Son of a dog,’ Ryam muttered.
‘You are familiar with the name, then?’ The lady looked coolly from him to Ailey. She held up a hand when he started to explain.
‘There is no time. Take the horse.’
‘Take Ailey and go ahead,’ he said. ‘I can hold him back.’
‘Nonsense.’
Her tone allowed no further argument. She commanded the servants to unhitch the steed. ‘This humble woman is going to be away, devoting prayers at the local temple this morning. Hopefully, Governor Li’s soldiers will not tear down the house when they search it.’
The courtesan turned in a flutter of silk, setting her servants in motion with a series of short commands. Beside him, Ailey had reached for her swords. Her jaw was set with grim determination.
‘You should know,’ Ling addressed him from the threshold. ‘Next to Emperor Shen, Li Tao commands the most powerful army in the empire.’ She cast a pointed look towards Ailey. ‘And he is not known to be merciful.’
They rode together in the saddle with Ailey in front. Ryam held the reins. He veered them away from the river and into the thick of the forest, urging the horse into as much of a gallop as possible in the cluttered terrain. The impact of hooves sent her jostling against Ryam’s chest, and she could feel the force of his heartbeat against her shoulder blades.
They said nothing. Conversation was a distraction and they needed every sense on alert.
She hugged her knees against the horse’s sides and sank her weight down to stay seated. The dense brush whipped past. She searched through it for dark shapes that would indicate their pursuers had caught up with them.
‘We need to stop,’ she said finally.
The animal had borne their weight on his back for over half an hour and she noticed the slight droop of his head. Flecks of foam gathered at the bit in his mouth.
She didn’t know if Ryam had heard her. He continued on without a word, but soon he slowed them down to a walk and directed them towards a grove of trees. Ailey dismounted first.
Ryam drew his sword the moment he planted his feet against the ground. ‘Can’t see a thing here. Maybe that means they can’t see us,’ he said beneath his breath. Sword in hand, he made a brief scan of the perimeter.
‘Do you know where we are?’
He whipped around brusquely. ‘In the middle of nowhere, Ailey.’
She was taken aback by the fierceness of his response. ‘You’re angry that we’re still together.’
‘I’m angry because I can’t defeat them all if we’re found.’
They only dared to speak in whispers. He stood before her, shoulders squared and feet wide. His chest rose and fell steadily and she could nearly smell the fever of battle churning within his blood.
‘The soldiers will fan out to search this area,’ she said. ‘They wouldn’t attack at once.’
His eyes widened with surprise at her declaration. He shouldn’t have been so shocked. She was the daughter, the granddaughter and the sister of generals. The vastness of the forest was to their advantage, but it was their only advantage.
‘We’ll keep going north,’ Ryam said. ‘Towards Changan until we find the main road. We can’t rest here long.’
She looked to their mount doubtfully. The horse bent his long neck to drink from a pool of water. This was no war horse. He would need to rest. She went to sit while Ryam remained standing, his muscles coiled and ready as he watched the trees. Neither one of them spoke.
Then it happened. The snap of a branch cut through the natural hum of the forest and they froze. The leaves rustled as something large shoved through the brush. Suddenly they were face to face with two of Li Tao’s soldiers.
Ryam sprang into action. He cut the lead man down before the soldier could draw his sword. The second one shouted out and crashed back through the forest in retreat.
‘Stay back.’ Ryam started off in pursuit.
‘No.’
She slid the butterfly swords from her boots, one in each hand. The steel nestled into her palms as her heart hammered out a frantic rhythm. She followed Ryam’s massive form as he chased after the scout. There could be more of them. He could be outnumbered.
There were more. Five men scattered among the trees. They glanced from her to Ryam, then separated, two coming after her.
She forced her breathing steady to prepare herself for battle. Breath, mind, body. This was not the practice yard.
She faced the first attack with her swords centred. It wasn’t a man she faced, but a series of targets: weak points, striking points. She found an opening and aimed for it, slashing up into the arm, cutting at the elbow to render it useless. She followed with a slash across the chest with the other blade. That target fell back and she sought out the next man coming at her from the side.
Among these branches, in the close space, her blades gave her an advantage over the long swords the men wielded. She sidestepped behind the cover of a tree trunk and let the attacker get close before slipping through his guard to bring her knee up into his groin, channelling her entire weight into the point of impact. He folded under the force. Upward stroke with the right blade, downward stroke with the left. Both swords always alive.
To her left Ryam disarmed his man, then sent him to the ground with his fist. He turned to the next one and swung his sword. The soldier blocked in time, but the force of the attack flung him against a tree with a thud.
‘Stop them from alerting the others,’ she cried.
She started after the remaining soldier. He was young, barely more than a boy. His hand shook as he groped for something in his belt. Before she could reach him he lifted the small object to his mouth and blew.
A shrill whistle pierced the air.
‘We need to get out of here.’ Ryam
grabbed on to her arm and tugged her back.
The boy stared at Ryam, eyes wide in shock, before staggering off.
They ran back to the pool where the horse waited for them, ears perked straight. At any moment, Ailey expected a stampede of footsteps behind them. Li Tao could easily spare a hundred men to send after her if he wanted.
She gripped the hard leather of the saddle horn and hoisted herself up. Ryam climbed onto the mount behind her. His arm circled to grab hold of the reins and he dug his heels into the horse’s side.
They tore away from the thicket in a full gallop. A low branch snapped across her arm. She ignored the sting and fisted her hands into the coarse mane as Ryam urged the horse faster, swerving through the trees. Ryam’s hard body ground into her. The laboured pull of his breath dragged against her ear as she hung on for her life.
Their horse stumbled. With a grunt, the animal dug his hooves into the ground and struggled to right himself. The lurching motion nearly threw her from the saddle. Ryam grabbed on to her to keep her upright.
‘God’s teeth.’
He pulled them to a full stop and ushered her to dismount. Her boot jarred against the ground as she landed and pain spiked through her ankle. She ignored it.
‘He’s done,’ Ryam said.
He swung from the saddle. She protested when he slapped the horse’s flank and sent it off by itself.
‘We need to keep moving,’ he said. ‘They’re still too close.’
His fingers clamped over her arm like steel as he took them in the opposite direction. She’d never seen Ryam like this. His jaw tensed into a rigid line, rendering his face hard and expressionless. He stared ahead with single-minded focus.
She struggled to keep up with his long-legged stride, scrambling over moss-covered rock and uneven ground. Her ankle was beginning to throb, but Ryam forged on relentlessly. Gritting her teeth, she swallowed the pain and pushed herself until her body refused to go any further.
With a gasp, she fell back.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘What is it?’ Ryam demanded.
She shook her head and clutched at her ankle with one hand. She hated this weakness.
