Wenzhi sighed as his hand came down on mine. Before I could pull away, his power enveloped me like a dense mist, tingling and cool—a powerful shield gleaming from my skin. “This will help protect you. If she attacks you, run. I will wait for you here. She cannot fight us both together.”

I nodded, concealing my trepidation. If Lady Xihe discovered who I was, she would never yield the feather, she would seek vengeance—and I dared not imagine what she would take from me in recompense.

Chapter 26

Shining globes of light floated in the air like a hundred tiny moons had descended, casting their luminous glow all around. Mulberry trees rose from the grass, as golden as the summer harvest in the Mortal Realm. Their lush fruit clustered upon the branches like strands of garnets twined between the leaves. A rich sweetness pervaded the air, that of ripened berries, their juices spilling from fragile skins. The trees were beautiful, yet there was something eerie about their gnarled forms, a wretchedness in the twist of the branches, the sharpness of the roots jutting from the ground. Towering above them was a building of fiery carnelian, flanked by agate pillars and a tiered roof of gilded tiles. Panels of silk fluttered from the walls, delicate and light as they danced in the breeze.

There were no guards, no one to announce my presence as I approached the entrance. I was glad for it; fewer to combat should the need arise, should I need to flee. Something clinked above, a wind chime hanging from the ceiling. As a breeze drifted past, copper tubes and jade discs collided in a soothing melody. My heart thudded to a frantic rhythm as I lifted my hand to knock, my knuckles grazing the door. An ancient power pulsed from within, the same one woven through the walls encircling the grove. Light flared from the foot of the entrance, crawling over me as the door swung open to reveal Lady Xihe, the Goddess of the Sun.