White Empress, Ashes of Love Sequel

Chapter 23

Dead. Every last one of them, she noticed as she walked among the barren trees, her fingertips touching them lovingly.

The bark was sharp and dry, dark and peeling. The branches looked almost morbid and entirely out of place in this Realm. Even the grass she stepped on was dry, brown in patches and in some areas, completely missing to reveal the dirt below.

Twenty years of neglect had brought this, she thought as she turned in all directions, viewing her former home. It still appeared well kept, only the surrounding scenery seemed to be affected and for good reason.

She hadn't been here to tend it.

Her arms raised, her magic coming forth as she chanted a health incantation, words and gestures coming forth without much effort at all.

She poured her offering out to the trees before dropping to her knees, touching the ground, her hair billowing in a sudden breeze as her chanting continued. Her eyes closed, faced turned skyward as the magic seeped from her fingers into the hard ground below.

The effort was almost exhausting as her head fell forward, her shoulders slumping as her chanting ended, the last of her magic fleeing her fingers into the land beneath her. Her body listed to the side, arms unable to catch her fall as her torso hit with a jarring thud.

Sleep.

No.

Her eyelids fluttered open, the blurred images of something colorful filled them. Pink, green, brown all melded together abstractly and in that moment, she knew.

Her spell worked.

Her eyes closed again, a small smile spreading on her face before slumber overtook her.

*****

"Soooo stupid..." she mumbled incoherently, her eyes struggling to open.

What was I thinking?

She left the protection of the only trusted person in this Realm, only to fall unconscious and vulnerable to the one that sought to destroy her.

Wait. Did I hit my head and lose my mind? Since when do I believe I can trust the Emperor?

A low groan escaped her mouth. her head turning to the side only to encounter something soft against her cheek.

Pale green filled her blurry vision as her eyes blinked to clear it.

"You're not stupid, Annchi."

That voice. It sounded...familiar. Her eyes snapped fully open, her body rigid as she sat up, startling the man whose lap she was previously resting on.

"Yanyou!" she gasped out. "Oh! Am I happy to see you!" she added with a grateful smile.

"Really? I get that often," he responded with a grin.

"You recognize me?" she asked.

"Dan Zhu forewarned me."

"Forewarned? What a nice way to put it..." she trailed off with a grimace.

"Terrible choice of words. I apologize. You were beautiful before, but you are stunning now. How's that? Better?" he asked with a soft smile that probably melted many a heart.

"You're just being nice."

"I'm just being honest," he confided as he grabbed one of her hands in his. "I've missed you. You don't know how long I searched for you. I really thought you were gone forever," he said earnestly.