Inferno

If there was one thing in all worlds that the Fire Immortal could be deadly certain of, it was that his little grape would never cease to amaze him.

It was just a pity it wasn't always for the reasons it should be.

Xufeng watched with a strange sense of detached horror as Jinmi and his infernally foolish uncle stood rooted to the spot as if by iron chains. Identical expressions of unease marred their youthful features as they hesitated before him - unfortunately, neither of the immortals were particularly skilled liars and it was more than evident based on their dumbfounded faces. The sight would almost have been comical if the legendary Phoenix of Hell hadn't been convinced that his heart had just crystallised into a shard of poisonous ice in his chest. He knew his love and his uncle were close and he also knew that they often acted before they considered the consequences; rashness was the most dangerous trait either of them possessed. It was true that Moon and Water existed in harmony, their thoughts and actions naturally synchronised, but this... this was too much for even the endlessly patient Fire Immortal to abide. Xufeng simply could not believe what he was hearing and he found himself fervently wishing that his ears were playing tricks on him after thousands of years of use. It must be a combination of tiredness and old age - there could be no other reasonable explanation. Therefore, there was an unconsciously hopeful quaver to his velvet tones as the God of War demanded quietly "What did you just say?"

Xufeng's voice was edged inexorably with steel, sharp, formidable and unmistakable in his intensity. The two he loved above all others shuffled guiltily before him like a pair of scolded children, only succeeding in heightening his irritation. Xufeng's face was a granite mask as he fumed internally, his wounded heart pumping ice cold disbelief to every nerve ending. His skittish wife and his sheepish uncle glanced at each other in visible trepidation, anxiety rolling off of them in palpable waves; it made his heart feel like a leaden weight residing in his chest. Something was amiss... Phoenix could almost taste their discomfort and it was bitter. His disquiet was a heavy blanket of ash that had settled inescapably over all three of their motionless forms, almost choking him with raw panic. The former prince of heaven was blindsided as dehabilitating frost crept impossibly further through his veins, Jinmi's guileless eyes the only thing that allowed him to cling to any semblance of rationality.

Wide, beautifully innocent eyes and yet... the Water Immortal was so silent, and it made him more nervous than he could possibly verbalise. Only his wife had the ability to rock his previously unshakable world beneath his regal feet. When Jinmi was quiet, it usually ended with a resounding headache for her poor, long suffering husband and that was only if he was lucky! It wasn't the first time Jinmi had been lost for words in his presence, but it was one of the few occasions where Phoenix found his stomach tightening as she held her tongue; usually he would find it adorable, but this time, it was nothing short of terrifying. Even the warmth of her glowing eyes wasn't fiery enough to melt the ice that had suddenly invaded the Fire Immortal's being. Silence spoke volumes and hers had forever been the loudest of all. The jittery prince shifted uncomfortable as unspoken tension stretched endlessly between the trio, cloying, bittersweet and oh so frightening. Why did he feel like he had swallowed an ice cube? They were trying to trick him and he wouldn't stand for it!

Xufeng could do nothing but stare the wordless pair down with flinty, haughty eyes, every inch the prince he had been born to be. His posture demanded an answer; unfortunately, his court didn't deign to answer. Neither his wife nor uncle could meet his sharp gaze, and it was at that moment that Phoenix knew intrinsically, without a shadow of a doubt, that his ears hadn't deceived him whatsoever. The truth was staring him in the face, an arrow in a loaded bow, but he scarcely dared to believe it; surely she wouldn't do this to him. Not again. Xufeng wanted to hear the truth from her lips. He needed her to tell him his fears were baseless. He couldn't rest until she did.