I was tempted to ask more, but he inclined his head to me. “My shift ends at dawn. That is when the rest will awaken.” Without waiting for my response, he strode toward the forest.

I discarded the suspicion that his warning might be a trap. Feimao was an honorable soldier, loyal to General Jianyun, and he had stood by me against the Celestial Emperor’s wrath. Out of caution, I waited until he had vanished between the trees. Only then did I call a cloud and a brisk wind to spur it along.

The Jade Palace loomed on the horizon, the dragons on its rooftop leeched of color in the night. As a sudden gust tossed my hair across my face, I spun around to find an immortal soaring after me, his eyes as bright as twin stars. I halted my flight to end his chase, wary of alerting the Celestial guards. As Wenzhi drew closer, the violet tendrils of his cloud trailed over mine.

“Why are you here?” I demanded.

“I was on my way to see you, only to find you leaving.”

“Did you follow me?”

“Call it ‘chasing after’ you,” he said with a small smile. “You were always the swiftest with the wind.”

His praise sparked a flicker of warmth, that I quenched. His opinion meant nothing to me. “What do you want, Wenzhi? I have little time to waste.”

“I heard what happened at the Luminous Pearl Lake.” His lips set into a thin line. “I confess to being disappointed. I had hoped he would be a fool, again.”

I flushed at his meaning, even as impatience pricked me at this delay. “Your sources are to be commended. I must go now. Do not follow me,” I warned.

His gaze swept over me, lingering on the sword strapped to my side, the bow over my shoulder. “You reek of recklessness, Xingyin.”

“It is no concern of yours,” I returned coldly.

“It is of great concern,” he corrected me. “It must be a terrible thing indeed if you are here alone. What are you hiding from the others? What are you afraid of your beloved discovering?”

When I did not reply, he strode forward, stepping upon my cloud. As the hem of his dark green robe grazed mine, I fought the urge to move back, refusing to show how much his presence unsettled me.

“Why are you going to the Jade Palace?” he asked. “You can’t get in; they will sense you at once.”

“What do you mean?” My tone was guarded.

“The wards around the palace have been altered tonight.” He paused, adding, “I heard of Minister Ruibing’s visit. He was a pompous fool from what I recall. What did the minister want?”

“How do you—”

“I make it my point to know these things,” he interjected. “The defenses of the Celestial Kingdom. Your well-being.”