“If the immortal and mortal realms are destroyed, who will care if the sun rises or falls? You do care for the mortals’ worship, that you are needed, that they love you and your child. You cherish it, the only time of day when you can lose yourself in your task rather than dwell on your sorrow.”

It was a guess, and yet it was not. For as long as I could remember, I had seen my mother toil over the lighting of the lanterns each night, a reprieve from the torment of her mind. And when she had stood on the balcony, gazing at the world below, hearing the songs sung and seeing the offerings laid out in her honor … she had found solace in the mortals’ adoration. It brought new meaning to her life, all the more precious after what she had lost—to know she was wanted, needed, and loved.

When Lady Xihe did not speak, I continued, “Killing me will only yield a fleeting satisfaction, for vengeance is no cure. My father did what he had to. Your children were destroying the world; you would have stopped them yourself if you could have, because you care for the mortals—because they give these infinite years meaning.”

The gold receded from her eyes, though her aura still churned ominously. As she drew her arm back and lashed the air with her whip, sparks showered down like rain. I braced myself—but then a shriek broke the stillness, a blazing creature rising in the horizon and soaring toward us, magnificent and utterly terrifying. The phoenix that had borne the sun chariot glided down to land beside the goddess. Its crest was the golden brown of a pheasant, while its body was shaped like the snug barrel of a mandarin duck attached to long, graceful legs. Beyond its ink-tipped wings, its plumage was a breathtaking riot of color, a peacock-like tail sweeping across the grass in feathers of crimson and yellow, blue and green—each one blazing like it was afire. Dark, liquid eyes swept over us, its pupils flecked with light, its curved claws spanning the breadth of my palm. As its beak parted, the tips glinted sharper than spears.

The phoenix bent its neck in subservience to the goddess, even as an untamed wildness flared in its eyes. A strong yet frenetic energy pulsed from it like a hundred dragonflies beating their wings. It spread its tail wide, its feathers fluttering like a rainbow, though their swish was that of arrows whistling through the air.