Scrambling off the bed, I pulled on a robe, fastening it with a length of silk tied into a clumsy knot. Snatching my bow from the table, I slung it onto my back, tucking a couple of daggers through my sash for good measure. I moved swiftly but quietly, to avoid awakening anyone—making my way along the corridor, up the flight of stairs. At the top, I pushed the doors apart, stepping onto the balcony.

Wenzhi sat cross-legged on the ground with his red-lacquered qin laid across his lap, his black robes pooling over the stone floor. His long hair was partly drawn into a jade ring, the rest spilling down his back. I could not see his face, bent down, as his hands slid across the instrument’s strings deftly. His fingers stilled—halting the music—as his gaze swept up to mine. My insides twisted at the sight of his eyes, their silvery hue a jolting reminder of his betrayal.

I struck first, channeling coils of air that spiraled toward him. As he leapt to his feet, his body swerved gracefully in evasion. Without a pause, I lunged at him, a dagger in my hand—but he caught my wrist in midair, in an iron grip. I snatched the second dagger from my sash and slammed its tip against his chest just as a shield glimmered over him. It sparked against the blade, a shock coursing through my arm. As my fingers jerked apart, the dagger fell, striking the floor with a clatter. We stood there, locked in place, unsated rage swelling in my chest until I could barely breathe.

“This is a better reception than I anticipated.” He grinned unrepentantly. “If you really wanted to kill me, you would have used your bow.”

“A dagger would hurt more.” Gritting my teeth, I drove my knee into his gut. As he flinched, I wrenched free of his hold—stepping back, out of reach. At once I cast a shield over myself, gleaming as it settled over me.

He tilted his head to one side. “Did you like my playing?”

“As little as I did the last time.” My fingers curled by my side. “Leave. Don’t come back.”

“After all these months of hiding away, of avoiding me, did you come here just to tell me that?”

“I was not hiding; I have no wish to ever see you again.”

His expression was inscrutable. “You seem angrier than the last time we met here.”

“What do you mean? Was it not a dream?” I demanded.

He paused. “Yes and no.”

“An infuriating answer,” I said scornfully. “What despicable magic did you use?”

“I would not do such a thing to you,” he said tightly. “I did not toy with your mind, just your surroundings.”

I did not want to ponder his words nor the meaning in them. “A needless effort.”

“I disagree.” He spoke with an infuriating assurance. “You would not have come otherwise.”