C a p t u r e d

17: Ying and Yang

Chapter Seventeen- Ying and Yang

Ying and Yang

1. Two complementary principles of Chinese philosophy. Yin is negative, dark, and feminine, Yang positive, bright, and masculine. Their interaction is thought to maintain the harmony of the universe and to influence everything within it

2. Ji and Paul. Only, more twisted.

I know, I know.

It sounded fucking stupid. I knew that if I walk away with Ji, I'd be pulling myself into a bear trap.

She wanted my blood. I could tell by the hungry gleam in her eyes.

So of course I went back into the museum of a mansion, to skulk and cry and tiptoe past Tyson/Xiang Long...

No.

No.

Not at all.

I strayed in the garden for another moment. That single moment was my downfall. It gave Ji enough time to get what she wants.

Ji stepped close to my ear, and whispers four words. Her voice was calm and slow, like drowning in tranquil waves at midnight.

"I can Turn you too."

Fuck.

She could read minds. Fast. Being around us gave her access to our entire banks of knowledge in a second.

So of course she could see that the twins tried to poison her boyfriend, and failed. She could also see Tyson's threats. Of course she could replicate them easily.

Ji smiled like a ghost. Her voice was still a whisper. "I won't Turn you if you do whatever I say. And if you do anything I don't like, I can kill Hayden."

She was exactly like Tyson. No- much worse. How could Hayden be so stupid? So godamn, shitty, fucking stupid?

Dear God. I had to keep myself together.

Hayden stood a few feet away, studying the sweet-smelling flowers that crinkle on the walkway. They were half dead.

Hayden was naïve. He was lonely here, and blinded by Ji's deceptively innocent lips and wispy legs. But her age shone in her every movement.

Let me get this straight: the other day, Hayden went to the balcony and saw her. She pulled out her weird little suicide catcher, he jumped, and she flirted with him before bringing him back.

So he knew nothing about her. Obviously. He must have not seen her in his memories of Tyson.

She was manipulating him. But no matter what I did, he would go with her. I knew that.

Ji giggled like a ten-year-old princess. "Oh, wonderful. This will be so much fun!"

She was milleniums old. Eons. I didn't know why the fuck she was acting so young, but Hayden's so infatuated with it. It kind of scared me, how much he liked her.

Didn't Nam Ha warn me about trusting Ji? Why doesn't Hayden listen to warnings like that?

"I'm cold," Hayden muttered. "Take my hand. You're so much warmer than Tyson ever was."

Hayden reached around, and pulled Ji's hand towards his. I flushed. Ji laughed like a bell.

"You're sweet, Hayden. Too sweet. Maybe my boyfriend would like to share a piece of you with me."