BOOK 10. There are two tales at the beginning. Zhao Yunlan is searching for a lost artefact while Black Robe is searching for the same thing in a different world. One story is partly an illusion, while the other is very real and when they merge...
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After Ava and Chu were finished, Yunlan stood alone and shocked as he stared, before he moved closer to Wei's bed and sat as he watched him sleep. He had come back without his mask and there were some bruises on his face where he had been struck, also dried blood which had come from the inside of his mouth. Yunlan felt his eyes water while trying to tell himself that these were trivial injuries, they would heal but the thought of the pain behind each blow was hard to suppress in his mind and he held Wei's hand firmly.
Chu had removed all his clothing and left him wearing a short sleeved T-shirt which showed off the restraining injuries around his wrists where he had been bound, still red and raw where the skin was broken. Again Yunlan thought, it's alright they will heal and he fought back tears as he imagined Wei pulling against the restraint while he was being struck or punished.
Wei moaned very lightly as he turned slowly towards Yunlan and opened his eyes to look at him for a few moments and smiled before he went back to sleep, but his hand grip tightened and he never let go for the rest of the night. Yunlan slept on the chair beside the bed and rested his head close to Wei's hand, therefore when breakfast was ready and Ava glanced in, they were both still fast asleep. She never disturbed them but kept some food warm for later.
Yunlan opened his tired eyes and found Wei lying watching, so he moved closer speaking softly to him.
"Xiao Wei, how are you feeling this morning?"
"I'm alright, just a bit sore in places. Tired ... I think I have a broken ankle," Wei said as he looked towards the bottom of the bed.
"How did that happen?" Yunlan asked quietly but Wei couldn't answer, he just shook his head and his eyes filled with unshed tears.
"It's alright. Chu fixed it last night. It might ache for a bit but he's pretty good at being a doctor," and Yunlan saw his smile being returned to him.
"Would you like some breakfast Xiao Wei? I can fetch it from the kitchen?" But Yunlan felt the intensity from his hand grip increased and Wei wouldn't let go.
"Ava could bring it, if you like," and Wei smiled back as he seemed to relax.
Yunlan was not telepathic nor did he have his guard with him today, so he did the next best thing and yelled at the top of his voice.
"Morning Ava, breakfast for two please."
Wei laughed and slightly released the strength of his hold on Yunlan's hand while they waited on Ava arriving with her tray. She placed it on the table behind the bed because there was more space but the cutlery slipped off and landed noisily, terrifying Shen Wei who could hear the cell keys hitting the floor with a similar sound and they were coming back. He tightened his grip on Yunlan's hand and tried to move backwards from the invisible people in front of him with a horrified look on his face. Yunlan tried looking into his eyes, but Wei was seeing someone else, and even the pain in his ankle didn't stop him from trying to push himself back. Then Ava suggested something that Yunlan would never have thought of,
