White Empress, Ashes of Love Sequel

Chapter 22

"That was useless."

"Yes, but do you believe her?" Runyu asked, his eyes shifting from the sobbing woman to Annchi seated next to him.

She studied Kuanglu through the bolts imprisoning her, her crumpled form heaving from her choked breaths.

"I believe she has no idea about his identity. Whoever he is, he's extremely powerful. I wonder if he resides here or elsewhere," she responded, still staring ahead. "What if he's hiding in plain sight in this Realm?"

"Then he will no doubt try again. This...scares me," Runyu confided.

"I would like to say that I could handle him, unfortunately, that's not the case," she muttered.

"I won't leave you again. I promise. Wherever I go, I will take you with me." His words caused a slight fluttering in her stomach before she attempted to tamp down the confusing reaction.

"Where are you planning on going?" she asked, turning toward him. 

"I can find no record, no history of someone with your features, especially the wings. Would you not think something so extraordinary would be documented?" he asked.

"Mmm," she nodded. "I would think so."

"We'll check every Court, in every Realm, we'll talk to the Elders there, see if they know anything."

"What about Kuanglu?" she asked, her eyes flitting to the woman. Her sobs had lessened, she was now seated in the middle of the cell, her head in her hands.

"This is the safest place for her right now. He knows she doesn't know anything, yet I wonder why he felt the need to kill her," Runyu stated as he stared at her.

"Because that's what you do," Annchi blurted absently. 

"What?"

His question caused her to blink hard several times to clear her head. "I...guess I meant that he would want to erase any source of information, even trivial, that might lead us to him," she answered. That sounded good, she thought.

"Mmm," he seemed to consider as she stood up and crossed her arms, her eyes still fastened on Kuanglu.

"We should kill her now. I'll take care of it," Annchi stated seriously.

Her words prompted Runyu to stand next to her.

"What did you just say?"

"Well, he's going to kill her eventually, she doesn't know anything, plus she deceived me. I'll do it," she said, her arms unfolding, small sparks of blue light forming on her fingertips.

"You're joking," she heard as her shoulders were grabbed and he spun her to face him.

Am I?

She looked up at him, her eyes searching his before shifting to the side and down. The sparks died down immediately.

I wasn't joking. That just came out of my mouth and I meant it, she thought with alarm.

"Ha! Of course!" she stated with a forced half smile, looking back up at him.

"Come, it's almost night and I suppose I'll have to fulfill her duties for a while."

"What duties?" Annchi asked as he grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers and causing her to stare at them before he gave a slight tug.

*****

"Sit," he ordered.

Annchi's gaze remained on the night sky. The sky he created. It was mesmerizing watching him high above the Realm, conjuring his magic and filling the darkness with such brilliant light earlier.