Did it speak to me alone? How clearly the Long Dragon had seen into my weak heart—my selfish plans of staying clear of trouble, of running away with my family, hoping to never be found. What did I owe the Immortal Realm? We could make a new home for ourselves in the world below. Yet if Wugang prevailed, no place would be safe for us. He was a danger like no other because he believed in nothing, whether tradition, history, or honor. He lacked even the innate care for his people that Queen Suihe possessed. Any compassion or love that might have existed in him once had been long extinguished, for his heart was consumed by hate. Death and misery fed him; he seemed to crave it. He did not care if he brought the realms crashing down with him. There would be no peace when such as him reigned.

Why did he want power? I did not know. Perhaps because he had nothing else.

A heaviness descended over me, a profound gravity. No longer could I hover on the fringes, hoping evil and misfortune would leave us unscathed. I had done this before and now … Ping’er and Prince Yanming were gone. Their lives would not be in vain. If left unchecked, this evil would engulf the realm, devouring all in its path until there was nothing left but the cries of the tormented, and the silence of the dead.

This was no honor; I did not want this burden. Yet if I did nothing, I would lose everything—all whom I loved. As I caught the resolute glint in my father’s eyes, I was glad to not be alone. Together, we would keep my mother safe.

“We must destroy the laurel.” I spoke clearly, giving no sign of the fear unfolding within me, the sadness that thrummed like a plucked string. The laurel had been a part of my childhood, and how I had loved it. Through no fault of its own, it had been fed a lifetime of suffering through Wugang’s hatred and my mother’s sorrow.

“Is that possible?” Shuxiao asked. Her movements were sluggish, her face drained of color—an urgency rising in me to get her to safety.

The Long Dragon’s eyes rolled up like it was searching its thoughts. The laurel’s nature is cold, as are those who draw their strength from the moon. To destroy such a thing, you would need the most potent flame in the realm.

“Where can we find this?” Wenzhi asked.

“What of the Phoenix Kingdom?” I ventured. “Those strong in Fire come from there.”

The Long Dragon said nothing, slanting its great head toward the empress.

“Mother, could you help us?” Liwei asked.