I thought back to when my mother had taken the elixir, the fear that must have shadowed her heart. Though some claimed she had been selfish, there had been bravery in trying to save us—in reaching for a new life and plunging into the unknown, leaving behind all that she loved. For I knew better than anyone, despite becoming immortal, a part of my mother had died that day.

Pain is no stranger to me, she had said. That did not mean it hurt any less.

Soon, I would bring my father back to her. Such lightness swept through me that, for a moment, all my sorrows receded. They would return, but for now, it was a relief to be freed.

“Daughter, I thank you.”

I bowed, searching for the words that would not come, my chest swollen with emotion. It struck me then who he was: Houyi, Slayer of the Suns. The Dragon Lord. My mother’s husband. My father. We were little more than strangers, bound by name and an intrinsic connection. But then he reached out and wrapped his arms around me … my father, holding me just how I had dreamed all those years.

Sunlight streamed through the window in shafts of pale gold. Morning had crept up; this was no dream that would vanish with the night. I dared not linger any longer. What if someone had sensed our presence? The elixir’s power?

A guttural sound broke the quiet, throbbing with anguish. My head snapped up to my father, who was shaking, the veins protruding from his neck.

“Are you ill?” I took his arm to help him to a chair, but he stiffened, his palm pushing me aside.

“Stay back!” He staggered forward, almost falling over the table. His hands tightened around its sides, knuckles whitening as he struggled against some unseen foe. The door rattled as though assailed by a storm, yet the skies beyond were calm. Ignoring his warning, I gripped his arm—his body lurching into the air like an invisible fist had snatched him up by the ankle. As his hand slipped from mine, I squeezed harder, holding fast.

“It’s the elixir,” he rasped. “All mortals who ascend to the skies must attend the Celestial Emperor.”

I dared not imagine what would happen if my father were to appear in the Hall of Eastern Light. “It’s too dangerous. The emperor attacked our home. He’s hunting Mother and me.”

His jaw clenched, his throat working. “I can’t hold on. It’s too strong.”

“Your magic!” I cried, even as I grasped my own.

He shook his head. “There’s nothing.” Shock flushed his tone.