WangXian Forever 4

Chapter 53 Awake

Wei Ying was startled out of sleep by the pounding on their door. Lan Zhan threw a robe at him and went to open it.

SiZhui rushed in, looking around.

"Where's Li XiWang? She's not in our room!" He said, anxiously.

"What? Where did she go?" Wei Ying was up and out of the door already.

He checked the children's room first and finding it empty, he was about to leave when he noticed something. In his haste to leave, he hadn't put his boots on, so his bare feet rested on the carpet next to her bed.

It was wet, not just a little bit damp, but wet wet.

"SiZhui, did you drop any water?" He asked, looking at him.

"N-no." SiZhui was shaking.

Wei Ying got on his hands and knees, and felt the carpet properly. "If you didn't drop any, why is it so wet? And there's something there!" He reached under the bed and found some... scales?

He picked one up, turning the disc over and over in his hand. They shone with a multitude of colours. There were some more under her bed, but as he looked around the room, he saw more of them scattered, a trail that led to the window. And it was open.

Wei Ying turned to look at SiZhui.

"Was the window open when you went to sleep last night?"

"No. It was closed. I made sure, father." His voice cracked at the end.

Lan Zhan stepped up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault, SiZhui." He told him.

"But SiZhui, didn't you hear anything?" Wei Ying persisted, still at a loss to explain the disappearance of his daughter.

SiZhui burst into tears, snapping Wei Ying into action. He came over immediately and wrapped his arms around the boy.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to blame you. Lan Zhan's right, it's not your fault." But Wei Ying was shivering himself, with worry.

Where was Li XiWang?

*****

The scales were on the window sill too, and Wei Ying decided they should check outside the window too, just in case there was a lead, or a clue...or something.

He was trying so hard not to freak out, knowing it wouldn't help, but feeling helpless at the same time. And SiZhui would only feel worse, and it really wasn't his fault.

But he was sure Li XiWang had been taken.

Downstairs, they ran into the innkeeper, and on a whim, Wei Ying pulled out the scale and showed it to him.

His face drained of any colour, whiter than any parchment.

"W-where d-did you get this?" He stammered, stepping back.

"In your room, upstairs!" Wei Ying was running out of patience. "What is this? Who does it belong to?" There was an added sharpness in his tone, anger flickering in his mercurial eyes.

The man gulped, giving the scale back to him with a shaking hand.

"S-siren." He cleared his throat, trying to be braver. "Siren." He managed to say.

"What are they?" Wei Ying vaguely remembered reading something, but if that's what they were dealing with, he had to know everything.

"They are...they live in the sea and they take pleasure in making boats sink. It is said their singing can make men lose their minds, jump into the sea without reason. Their voices carry the sound of madness, and if one of them came here, I'm afraid they have your little girl now." He shook his head, sadly. "You won't get her back."

Wei Ying pushed him back in disbelief.

"Listen to your words!" He roared. "My daughter was taken from your hotel!"

Lan Zhan held him back from the terrified man, gently manhandling him outside. Arms like steel cables wrapped around his shaking body, his eyes red from the effort of holding back his tears.

"I...I don't know what to do, Lan Zhan!" He slumped into his arms, all fight leaving his body. "Where do we even begin looking for her? She must be so frightened!" He tore away from Lan Zhan to go and find their window.

Sure enough, the silvery iridescent scales shone in the morning light.

"We should follow." Lan Zhan pointed at the trail of scattered pieces leading away from the inn.

They started following the trail, three abreast, looking only on the ground. Progress was slow because the scales were spread out unevenly, here and there and hard to spot. Plus people had already been walking on the path, so any that might have been there before had certainly been moved or trodden on.

They found themselves at the beach and then there, the trail ended. If there had been any clues, the sea had already claimed them.

Now the tears came, harsh and fast with no holding back. Wei Ying sank to the floor, unable to see through the wetness leaking from his eyes. His body shook hard, and only Lan Zhan holding him tight gave him a lifeline to grab. He could not believe what had happened.

"She's out there!" He sobbed.

He stood up and started taking off his upper robes.

Lan Zhan knew what he was going to do, and grabbed his bare arms, but the words died on his lips when he saw the desperation in the other's eyes.

"Wei Ying, please." He tried to say, but he was too choked up.

"Lan Zhan, I have to do something. Those Jiaoren might be able to help. I need to find someone, something!" His wings burst open from his back.

SiZhui had never seen them before, only in passing on the boat, not like this, wide open and ready to go, shimmering iridescent in the light.

"I think you should do it." He said, first quietly then with more strength. "If she's down there, then there's no other way."

Lan Zhan reluctantly let him go, but at the last minute, he pulled Wei Ying to his chest and crashed their mouths together. His words often failed him, but Lan Zhan knew Wei Ying would understand what he wanted to say like this.