Solstice Souls Book 2: Black Fire, White Flame

The Truth in Masquerade

Lan Zhan's POV

Lan Zhan tossed and turned all night. He had fallen asleep in increments but the sudden shriek outside his window in the middle of the night had him bolting upright in alarm, heart pounding harder than incessant thunder.

It had sounded like a lady in distress, and Lan Zhan could not stand by and let that happen. He got out of bed and moved to the window covered by a shade.

The street seemed to be empty until he heard the unmistakable chirruping of a fox. He looked directly down and saw a thick tail and the back legs of the culprit, nosing into trash and flicking cabbage leaves out of the gutter. Then it pulled back its lips and let another scream out.

Lan Zhan saw it do that, with his own eyes but still, the chills ran down his back and across his shoulders.

An owl hooted not far away and suddenly the night symphony seemed louder than ever as crows joined in with tiny cicadas. How was it that such a small being could create a disturbance so large?

Lan Zhan was wide awake now and there was still a few hours to go before five in the morning. Plus with the racket going on outside, he had no hope of sleeping anymore. Instead, he decided to meditate.

His mind was stuck on the cryptic message Wei Ying had sent to him via the note passed in secret by Wen Ning.

Your moon wanes but will rise again.

What could it possibly mean?

The moon was constantly in fluctuation...was this to do with a specific time in the cycle? Did it refer to the two weeks after the full moon when the moon was receding back to its crescent shape?

Or what if it was a metaphorical moon?

That made more sense, given Wei Ying's circumstances at the time of writing the message.

But Lan Zhan was still stumped. Wei Ying was far brighter than him at times, and Lan Zhan could almost hear his happy laughter at being able to best him in something as simple as a riddle. His eyes were closed and it was easy to slip into a dream where Wei Ying was right beside him, his soft, fragrant hair tickling Lan Zhan's nose, the scent of lotus flowers aromatic and awakening a hunger deep inside him.

Those beautiful silver starlight eyes opened like a newly blossoming bud, and Lan Zhan was lost in their beauty. Wei Ying was naturally a handsome man, but that word seemed inadequate when used to describe his beloved. Rosy cheeks flushed with slumber, cushioning long lashes curled on that soft skin. Lan Zhan's lips wanted to follow a path from Wei Ying's forehead to his eyes and down the arch of his straight nose...he smiled at the thought that his nose was probably the only straight thing about him.

Wei Ying would have laughed at that.

Quick to smile and joke around, Wei Ying's emotions could change faster than mercury but he was so good natured.

Wei Ying was so good that it brought tears to Lan Zhan's eyes.

Yesterday had been so difficult for him, but how much harder was it for his Wei Ying? Lan Zhan couldn't stand to see him suffering like that...the last expression on his beautiful face ...it hurt too much.

Lan Zhan stood up, tired of wasting time, wasting these moments reminiscing when he could be doing something.

Wen Qing hadn't come to meet them last night as they had arranged....was it possible that he could find her at the Arena today? Even as the thought occurred to him, Lan Zhan was striding towards the door.

Something inside of him was telling him to leave now.

He washed his face with water from a bowl left there by the innkeeper and feeling refreshed and invigorated, he left his room. He knocked on the door of his new friends, hoping they wouldn't hate him too much for waking them.