by K.N. Lee
She desperately hoped it was truth that fell from her lips. She hadn’t been in a battle against such dark forces in years.
There were many levels to this tower, and each level had a room filled with mages doing the same thing—holding the link—shielding the temples. If only she’d have known they were coming sooner, she would have strengthened the defenses around the perimeter. But, there had been no warning, and it seemed as if the army had appeared out of nowhere.
She didn’t know the depths of dark magic, but now saw firsthand its sheer power.
Ziyi glanced downward again, and caught a glimpse of a woman in purple, standing in the midst of the chaos. A shudder ran up her spine at the sight of her, and from how their eyes instantly met, despite all that was happening.
She quickly recoiled, finding safety away from that woman’s piercing gaze.
She was a sorceress, that much was for certain.
The assembled mages nodded, and returned their focus to sustaining the energy needed to keep any spells from penetrating the tower.
The light from each woman was bright—almost blinding, and served as a barrier between the assailant outside and their physical bodies. Nine beings had used the last of their light setting up shields at the perimeter, and their spirits had willingly flown to Ziyi, to give her greater strength and power.
It was a worthy sacrifice.
She just hoped it wasn’t all for naught.
“All right, ladies,” Ziyi called, outstretching her arms. “I’ll cast the spell of blessing. You all must simply help me hold it.”
“Yes, Mistress,” they said, in unison.
Ziyi closed her eyes, and breathed in a deep breath. She then tilted her head upward, and green light emitted from her chest.
“I call the spirits of all that was, and all that will be,” she began.
All went silent, and the world seemed to still. The air crackled around her, and she could feel that her words were indeed heard.
“Come to me now, give us your blessing.”
The green light that came from her heart grew in intensity, and she basked in its glow.
Her entire body glowed.
Rohan’s also began to glow, as did Sedra, Onessa, Lorna, and Tasia.
“It’s working,” Onessa said, tears streaming down her cheeks as her body slowly became translucent.
“It is,” Ziyi said, nodding, a smile on her lips, and tears in her eyes. They had answered her call.
Perhaps there was hope after all.
The ground began to shake, and she gasped, nearly losing her balance.
“Don’t break the link,” she shouted to the others, who looked to her with fear in their eyes.
The only one who displayed no such fear was Tasia. Taller than any of them, with mahogany-toned skin, and eyes of deep brown, she commanded attention whenever she spoke. There was an air of authority about her—one she’d used to lead armies during her mortal life.
“Tarth’Ral has heard our call,” Tasia said, nodding to the window. “And, his armies are rising.”
Ziyi ignored the warnings in her belly. Whatever fear emerged now, was a liar. There was nothing to be afraid of when the gods had given their blessing.
So, she only steeled herself against the attack, and set her jaw.
“Then, we will show their dark master just how powerful the light can be,” Ziyi said, turning her gaze upward.
She lifted an arm, and closed her fist. The ceiling of the tower crushed and caved in. With a flick of her hand, she tossed the heavy stones and rubble aside, and sent them far away—far to the army that marched upon her home.
Now, free of the stone walls, she could really outstretch the power she was born with, and that of her fallen sisters and brothers.
The already overcast sky darkened, but she lit it up with a stream of green magic that swam through the inky black like waves.
“What are you up to?” Lorna asked, her voice soft and barely heard.
Ziyi’s eyes flashed with purpose. “Saving our home from utter destruction. Just hold the circle.”
Now, the flames were free to surround them—flames that came from a dark magic—flames that wouldn’t be smothered with regular water.
A loud bang rang throughout the whole of the land, and everyone stilled themselves.
Turning their gazes upward, the sky began to go completely dark, and the sun was blotted out.
Ziyi inhaled, preparing herself for what she knew was to follow such a powerful omen.
Rohan looked to her. “What’s happening?”
Releasing the breath, she’d been holding in, Ziyi closed her eyes and saw him in her mind’s eye.
“He’s coming,” Ziyi said.
“Ziyi,” Tasia said, her voice softened. “It will take ages for the elementals to send us assistance.”
With a deep sigh, Ziyi’s shoulders slumped. This was true. She felt chills race up her spine at a thought she’d tried to repress.
“Not quite,” she said to Tasia. “One of the ancient ones has returned.”
Silence filled the room as the women looked to one another.
“I need you to do something, Rohan.”
“Whatever you need,” Rohan said.
Ziyi turned to him. “It’s time.”
Realization filled Rohan’s face, and he paled slightly. They’d spoken about this initiation much over the past year. It was supposed to begin after his final exams. But, fate had a way of canceling plans in favor of its own path.
“Are you ready?”
A flicker of doubt came into the young man’s eyes, but he nodded. Rohan was ready. He had no choice.
“Good,” Ziyi said, and her voice nearly cracked. “I now deem you the Warden, Master of the Earthly Realm. Go now, find the girl with the red lantern.”
Chapter 4
MEI
There was a saying that Mei’s mother used to chant every morning, just before beginning the chores of the day.
As the whistling wind blew in from the lush green mountains to the west, Mei knelt before the altar. She breathed in the sweet aroma of the tall grass that shot upward across the meadows of her aunt and uncle’s property. After lighting the candles, she whispered those words her mother passed down to her.
“Ancestors, guide me, protect me, keep me safe,” she said, hoping that for once in her eighteen years, that they would hear her, speak, and tell her that everything would be all right.
A shudder raced through her as she realized that her mother and father were now with their ancestors, and that they might actually hear her call.
“Mama?” Mei called, and closed her eyes. “Baba? Can you hear me? Can you come to me now?”
Her heart ached to speak to them again. Tears burned behind her eyelids as she forced back memories of being held in her mother’s arms, or working in the rice fields with her father.
They’d been alive just a month ago, and her heart hadn’t truly begun to repair.
For a moment, she thought she heard a faint song humming inside her head. She tensed, and opened her eyes, as the excitement rose.
Hope fluttered in her belly, and a slow smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Her anticipation was quickly dashed as her two younger cousins raced into the temple, giggling.
With a frown, Mei turned to them.
“Quiet,” she said, with her index finger pressed against her lips, and brows furrowed. “Do you want to awaken the dragon and have it burn you to bits?”
Shu and Lian both snapped their mouths closed and stared at her with eyes as wide as tea cups.
“Dragon?” Lian said, with a gasp as her gaze landed on the bronze dragon statue on the shrine. She brushed dark bangs from her eyes. “A real one?”
“You better believe it. A real one,” Mei said, and waggled her finger at them, mocking the sternest look she’d ever had directed at her.
Then, she jumped up and roared.
Lian and Shu’s faces lit up and the
y released excited squeals of delight as Mei chased them from the shrine.
Alternating roars and laughter, Mei chased them from the hall, and toward the courtyard that stood in the middle of her aunt and uncle’s home.
It was a beautiful sanctuary for Mei, one that she wouldn’t dare take for granted. She and her parents had lived in the countryside. It was a simple life, but vastly different from the life of a merchant. When her aunt had been matched to a man above her status, it had been a blessing for the family. Mei remembered it well, she just never expected to have to join her.
They ran through the stone yard and toward the wall, where her older cousins loved to climb and peer over to the edge.
Leaving the safety of the walls was forbidden, and it was no secret why. These were uncertain times with war brewing with the north and south, and dark magic sparking all around. She stopped running and laughed as they ran from her as fast as their little legs would carry them.
The sun beamed down on her, warming her face as the soft breeze blew her long dark hair.
Workers walked by, carrying loads of food from the market. Giant sacks of rice were marched into the kitchen, and two men carried a pig that hung from a pole with its legs tied to it. More men lugged casks of wine in a procession to the kitchen, while Mei’s younger cousins eyed them. She shook her head with a smirk as she watched the prepubescent boys plot to sneak a sip of that wine.
“I’m watching you two,” she said to them, and placed her hands on her hips the way the cook did whenever they were caught stealing sweet cakes before supper.
Chang and Kun shot her startled looks.
“Mind your own business, Mei!” Kun shouted, and they hurried into the kitchen behind the workers.
She snickered and shook her head once more.
With a heavy sigh, she took it all in. There would be a feast that evening.
Mei just hoped it would be a celebration of a joyful future.
“Come on, Mei!” Lian shouted.
Mei grinned and began to chase them toward the wall when her aunt called her name.
“Mei, it is time,” Aunt Biqi said.
Mei’s blood ran cold, and all traces of joy vanished from her face.
Stoic, refined, and beautiful, Aunt Biqi nodded toward the main house.
Mei followed her gaze and noticed the new arrivals. There were horses being cared for in the stables, and a beautiful covered cart on wheels.
She wrung her hands and focused on her breaths. This day would change her life forever. It could give her a brand new life of abundance like Aunt Biqi’s.
Or, it could ruin it.
Breathing deeply, Mei refused to allow herself to think such daunting thoughts. She had survived the massacre of her village for a reason. Even if she didn’t know why, she had faith that there was more to her fate than the life she left behind.
“She’s waiting inside,” Aunt Biqi said, and offered a small smile of encouragement. “Make us proud.”
Swallowing back a lump in her throat, Mei nodded. She could see in her aunts eyes that she was as nervous as she was about what the events of the day would bring.
Honor. Mei could only hope that she bring honor to the family.
She glanced down at her dress. Aunt Biqi had sewn it herself, and added embroidered flowers around the trim of the skirt. She looked at her thin pale hands which now pulsed with anxiety, and felt a shift in the wind.
It was time to face the most powerful woman in all of Beijing.
The Matchmaker.
Chapter 5
Poised, and doing everything she could to keep from vomiting, Mei entered the main reception hall.
She walked along the wooden floor to the room of the home where the best furnishings were held. A folding divider separated the space from additional seating that lined the sides, and lush red tapestries woven with golden symbols hung from the back wall.
Mei had only lived there for a few weeks, and still couldn’t believe how vastly different this home was in comparison to the small house she’d shared with her parents. Life in the countryside was a simpler life, one that she missed despite her new circumstances.
When she drew closer to the Matchmaker, she realized that the woman was unlike anything she’d expected.
Mei’s eyes widened as she beheld the one person with the power to change the course of her life. With long hair the color of lavender, and bright eyes of silver, the Matchmaker was truly a vision from a dream. She wore lush purple robes with a gray sash around her small waist, and a clear crystal necklace that hung low across her diaphragm.
In her hand was a twisted wooden staff with a crystal sphere secured to the top, in what looked like dragon’s claws.
She couldn’t have been older than Mei’s Aunt Biqi from her appearance, though she was said to be over a hundred years old with the wisdom of the mortal and the spirit world.
Now, she was to decide Mei’s fate.
Young girls prepared all of their lives to prove their worth and value as a wife to this woman. They learned to sew, manage a household, and be dutiful.
Inside the main hall, she sat upon the best chair in the house. It was near the very shrine she’d just been kneeling before in prayer.
Mei stood there in silence, trying her very best not to shake or show the anxiety that raced through her veins. She tried to avoid staring at the beautiful Matchmaker, and fixed her eyes on her slippered feet. They were the most beautiful slippers she’d ever worn, and belonged to her eldest cousin.
“My dear,” the Matchmaker called, and Mei lifted her gaze.
The instant she looked into the Matchmaker’s eyes, a wave of fear rose from her gut and into her chest. She stiffened, locked in a moment of terror as those silver eyes seemed to bore straight into her soul. For a moment, her instincts told her to run, but she shoved them down.
No, this is my destiny. Relax. She is here to help.
Met told herself those things, but the churning in her belly didn’t seem to agree.
“Come a bit closer. I want to get a really good look at you.”
Stepping forward, Mei forced a demure smile and gave a slight bow once she was before the Matchmaker. She then stood with her her high and shoulders centered to fix her posture. It was something Aunt Biqi constantly ground into her. She didn’t to the Matchmaker to think she had a curved spine and would give birth to abnormal babies.
No, she needed to be absolutely perfect today.
“You’re a very pretty girl,” she said with a nod. “Nice dark eyes, lovely clear skin, vibrant hair, slender frame, and an overall charming air about you. One would never know you were the daughter of a farmer. You’ve the complexion of a noblewoman.”
“Thank you,” Mei said, not sure if that was an earnest compliment.
“What of your gifts?”
“Gifts?” Mei repeated. Then, her brows rose and she went on to answer. “I can sing, sew, cook, clean, care for horses and cattle, and I’m very good with babies and small children.”
“Ah yes,” she said. “Those are really good qualities. Truly. Any man would be happy to have you, even with such a meager dowry. But, dear one, I haven’t come here to find you a husband.”
“What?” Mei asked, alarmed. Her smile faded into a look of horror.
Immediately, her mind raced for a back-up plan.
What would she do if she didn’t find a husband and create stability for herself? Would her uncle let her live out her days in his household?
“Do you know why you are special?”
Those words were the last Mei expected to hear in response to her question.
Eyes widened, she shook her head. “No, Matchmaker,” she confessed. “I never thought of myself as special.”
The Matchmaker smiled, and tilted her head as she looked Mei up and down.
“Yet, you stand here before me as the sole survivor of the attack on your village,” she said, and a chill raced up Mei’s spine, giving her goosebumps.
“Luck?” Mei asked, with a slight shrug of her shoulders.
The Matchmaker laughed then, and stood from her seat. Thin, and a few inches taller than Mei, she circled her. Staff in hand, she seemed to examine Mei.
“No, dear. Luck isn’t the half of it.”
“What is it then, Matchmaker? And, what do you mean you haven’t come here to find me a husband?”
“Call me Li,” she said. “We are old friends after all.”
Mei turned to her, brows furrowed, and confused. “What do you mean? We’ve never met before. I would have remembered.”
Li’s smile widened. “Ah, perhaps not,” she said, and touched a cold hand to Mei’s cheek. “At least, not in this life. But, there are others. Many others.”
Speechless, Mei tried to wrap her mind around what was revealed. Why was her hand so cold? And, why did Mei feel like turning around and leaving this meeting?
She didn’t have time to ask more questions before Li began again.
“I see a very powerful sorceress before me,” Li said. “I see a woman with the power to bring men to their knees. Unlimited potential. But, she hasn’t a clue because she has yet to unlock her power, practice it, or use it.”
She tapped the bottom of her staff to the wooden floor and the black crystal at the top began to glow.
“But, that is all about to change.”
Mei stared at the bright purple light that now shone on the entire room. The beautiful crystal spun slowly, casting light that danced across Li’s face, the walls, and everything around them.
“I have awaited this moment since the day you were born. There is so much I wish to teach you, and show you. But, time is of the essence with the Shadow Lord’s armies arising from the darkest realms. It’s time to pick a side, and fight.”
Mei tensed at the mention of the Tarth’Ral, the Shadow Lord. She imagined that he would hear word of his name being spoken and would race to them astride a Shadow Horse and set the entire property ablaze with his dark magic.
“Your life was spared in the massacre of your village for a very important reason,” Li said.
