Warm sunlight flickered through my eyelids, though they refused to open. Somewhere close by, a gardener was yelling at a sprite through my open window. I wasn’t dead. Lady Fu Hao would have been proud of that, if not my less than stellar performance in battle but I feared what the sisters would say.

  Guan Yin must have come for me. But that didn’t make sense, she couldn’t interfere in battle. Not even for me. Any revelation of her presence outside of her duties ran the risk of ruining everything.

  My eyelids parted reluctantly; familiar white curtains blew gently from the window. I groaned at the brightness that sent a sharp pulse through my head. I rubbed my arms, disturbing the linen bandages wrapped around them. Struggling to sit up, I gasped, the ache in my abdomen reminded me of my injuries.

  A strong arm came behind me, easing me to a seated position before moving away. The room spun. I fought to keep from sliding back into darkness.

  “Fragile girl.” The voice was deep, throaty. Familiar.

  I opened my eyes. Heart pounding in my ears.

  Hou Zi stood beside me, wearing the same clothes and golden armor as the last time I’d seen him. But he wasn’t the same. Though he didn’t appear much older than the last time we’d met, his expression aged him.

  He wore an illusion of a ruggedly handsome man with black hair secured in a military style guan. His face was angular and too human, but his eyes shone with the same, indomitable fire. A gold circlet peeked out from under his hair like a princely crown.

  “Hou?” I covered my body with the blanket, acutely aware that we were alone in my bedroom, and I wore little more than bandages and a thin shift. Five years ago, his presence wouldn’t have concerned me. But we weren’t children anymore and I was acutely aware of the violence often inflicted on women. An unsubstantiated fear of his feral side stirred within me.

  He frowned. “You’re not happy to see me.”

  I slipped to the side of the bed and pulled a robe around me. I didn’t immediately reply, unsure of how I felt.

  “You said you were never coming back,” I said.

  He poured a cup of water and drank it down. He did not offer any to me and I didn’t ask, though my throat was dry.

  “I had to save an old friend,” he said, his expression unreadable.

  “That was you?”

  He gave me a wry look and turned to leave.

  “Wait,” I said, my knees buckled as I tried to stand. Hou caught me before I could hit the ground and settled me gently on the side of the bed. My vision blurred.

  “Thank you,” I whispered. Aware of how close he was, that same awkwardness stirred again. I pulled away.

  A spark of humor lit his eyes. “If you were a better fighter, I wouldn’t have had to save you.”

  I flushed. “An unfortunate truth. How long are you back for?”

  “That isn’t up to me.” His tone hardened, as he tapped the golden ring on his brow, as if I should understand. His eyes fell to my throat. “Did you lose the necklace I gave you?”

  I pulled the robe closer to my neck. “No, it’s just…” I paused; I didn’t owe him an explanation. “Where have you been?”

  He scowled, eyes turning red as if I’d offended him. “Does it matter? I’m here now, whether I want to be or not.” He turned and left, his head low.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Lung Nue slipped in a few minutes later, setting a tray of porridge and fruit before me. She placed a cup of Guan Yin’s water in my hands.

  “She insisted you drink it all.”

  It was cold and sweet, its analgesic effects immediate.

  “How long was I asleep?” I asked.

  “Since yesterday.”

  I tried to draw my knees up but was too stiff to manage it. I examined the wraps around my arms and legs instead. “Did you do this?”

  She pursed her lips, frowning slightly. “The monkey did it as soon as he brought you back.”

  My stomach clenched. “Really?”

  She nodded. “Wouldn’t let anyone else touch you until Guan Yin returned.” Lung Nue watched my face for a reaction.

  My cheeks burned hot. “My legs too?”

  She cleared her throat. “As I said, he wouldn’t let anyone else tend to you. But Guan Yin thought he did a good job.”

  I buried my face in my hands, and took long breaths, blowing each one out slowly. “Was he here after I went down to Ye city?”

  “I didn’t see him,” Nue said. “We were all surprised when he appeared at the doors with you bleeding in his arms. It caused quite a stir.”

  “Causing a stir is his specialty.”

  “Think it was more your doing this time.” She refilled my cup. “Drink.”

  “Why he is back?” I asked. “He implied it wasn’t his choice.”

  She bit her lip, something she usually did when she wasn’t authorized to comment. It was those moments when I remembered our friendship was not like between humans. Nue’s loyalties were first to the goddess and second to her friend. On some level I understood that affection between humans and gods was traverse with biases, and it made me think more of my father and Zhilan.

  “I need to see Jiang Li privately,” Guan Yin said, appearing in the door with her long robes cascading around her. “Leave us.” Nue bowed her head and, winking at me, departed. Guan Yin sat across the room, patting the seat beside her.

  I hobbled on shaky legs to the seat, trying to stifle my gasps of discomfort. She smiled gently, pouring a cup of hot tea, and offering me a plate of red bean buns.

  “You have questions,” she said.

  Nodding, I took a small bite of the bun and washed it down with tea.

  “You are wondering what Sun Wukong is doing here, I suppose.”

  I met her soft eyes without reply.

  “Having watched your growth over the last few years I’d hoped you would be able to fulfill your mission alone. Fu Hao told me of your inner struggles though I didn’t believe it until I saw it over these last missions. You defend yourself but avoid killing those who attack you, even the ones you witnessed strike down Zhilan and Nui Qiang.” She paused; her eyes boring into me.

  Tracing a finger around the edge of the cup, I organized my thoughts as best as possible. “I shouldn’t kill anyone.”

  "Not even to save yourself? Not even knowing that they are already doomed?”

  “What if I am caught and punished? If I kill someone, I will end up in Diyu for a long time. Then who will help my parents?” I bit my lip.

  She rested a cool hand atop mine. “You are fierce and kind, LiLi. But that kindness may get you killed yet.” She smoothed down the ruffled linens on my arm. “It nearly did.”

  "Is that why you brought Hou Zi back?”

  "No immortal born of heaven may aid your parents, those were the emperor’s words,” she said, smiling slyly. “Sun Wukong was not born of heaven either and has no qualms about doing what must be done.”

  I snorted. “When he left here, he told me we could not be friends. He said I was too fragile, and he was never coming back here. How did you persuade him?”

  Her smile fell slightly. “Sometimes, when one is on a journey, other means of persuasion must be utilized.”

  Something in her words gave me pause. “What other means? I don’t understand.”

  “He has no choice but to defend and protect you. It is time Sun Wukong improved himself in service of others,” she said with a firm tone.

  “How is he being made to serve?” A gnawing pit grew in my stomach.

  “I freed him from his prison with the understanding that he would protect you on your missions.”

  Something felt wrong in her words. “How?”

  “The circlet on his head will keep him obedient until he’s able to control himself.”

  “What does it do?”

  “It responds to a mantra that squeezes until he complies.”

  I closed my eyes, thinking of how much he hated being told what to do. “He will hate me for this.”

  “Eventually he’ll understand the necessity of it. And so will you.”

  “You’ve had him exchange one prison for another,” I said, rubbing my eyes. He’d been right all those years ago, we could never be friends now.

  “I cannot help you in the battles you must fight, but he can. He can protect you in ways unimagined,” she said.

  The truth of her words weighed my heart. Shame filled my throat as I whispered, “How does it work?”

  “I will teach you the mantra and, when it is enforced, he will be forced to obey. No matter how hard he tries and no matter the distance.” Her voice was not proud.

  “Will he be free when my mission is complete?”

  She nodded. “Yes, or before that if he becomes more selfless.”

  I stared at the floor, knowing she was right and hating myself for what I was thinking. I’d been close to death too often lately and, the truth was, I couldn’t do this alone. But forcing Hou Zi to help the mortal girl he’d rejected would ensure that he’d hate me forever.

  “Teach me,” I whispered.