pale jade, embroidered with peach blossoms, and pinned silver lotus ornaments into her wound braids—gifts from Zhen Ni.
Peering out of her bedchamber, she saw no one, and hurried to the back with her stash of food. Skybright laid out the new offerings and lit another incense stick. She then ate an apple she had taken, and slipped out of the manor through the servant side entrance.
It was a gorgeous morning, and the giant cypresses soared into the blue skies. Skybright ran toward the forest, feeling unburdened and free, reveling in the majestic beauty that surrounded her. The lotus ornaments in her braids chimed with her every step, but she slowed when the trees’ coolness enveloped her.
She’d always felt home hidden within, surrounded by thick trunks and leafy branches, with the dirt beneath and the glimmers of sunshine above. And it wasn’t until she heard Nanny Bai’s story that it made perfect sense. She was born in this forest, was of this forest. Her pulse quickened as she neared the creek. What if Kai Sen didn’t come? And if he did, what horrible things would she learn about herself?
Her fingers rose to touch her lips, remembering the feel and taste of him. She frowned and tried to push the memory aside; it only distracted her from her task—finding out what she could about serpent demons. It’s not as if she could ever be in a real relationship with Kai Sen—he was a monk, and she was …
She broke through the trees and entered the clearing, spying Kai Sen immediately. She let out a breath of relief. His back was to her, and instead of his usual wooden staff, he had a giant book tucked against his side. Head bowed, he was observing something in the water, but turned when she neared.
Kai Sen’s smile was tentative. “I wasn’t sure if you would come.”
“I wasn’t sure if you would, either,” she replied.
Skybright stood beside him, and they watched the clear water ripple over the stones and pebbles of the creek. It was soothing, mesmerizing. She wished that she could stay like this for a long time, in the sunshine, beside Kai Sen, feeling content. Feeling uncomplicated. “The rocks are all different sizes and colors,” she said. She saw large gray rocks protruding from the surface, and stones and pebbles in pale pinks and blues or mottled black and white in the creek bed.
“Who knows how long they’ve been there,” he added.
She sat down cross-legged by the water’s edge. “So did you find anything?”
Kai Sen sat across from her with the heavy book in his lap. “Not much, unfortunately. The legend of the serpent demon is one of the oldest in Xia, but it’s surprising how little information there is on her.”
Her.
“It’s always a woman?”
“Always.”
He flipped to a page in the book marked with a green ribbon. She smelled the must of old paper and imagined she saw dust particles rise as he turned the pages. Kai Sen stopped at his marked page. The spread had a black and white illustration on one side and text on the other. “Here.” He shifted so he was sitting beside her, their shoulders touching. “This is a depiction of the serpent demon.”
She leaned over the book. The serpent demon had the face of a beautiful woman, but her irises were vertical slits, and they glowed, as was indicated by the lines drawn around her eyes, like rays of sunlight. A long forked tongue dangled from her sensuous mouth. But the only thing remotely human about her was her face, as it melded into a thick snake’s head and body.
This wasn’t how she appeared. She kept her human shape above the waist while in demonic form, although the long muscular coil ending in a tail was the same.
“What does it say?” Skybright pointed at the text beside the drawing.
Kai Sen began reading aloud:
“ The serpent demon is another soulless creature that roams our world. She manifests as a beautiful and alluring woman, preying on unsuspecting men. In human form, she is irresistible, and there
Peering out of her bedchamber, she saw no one, and hurried to the back with her stash of food. Skybright laid out the new offerings and lit another incense stick. She then ate an apple she had taken, and slipped out of the manor through the servant side entrance.
It was a gorgeous morning, and the giant cypresses soared into the blue skies. Skybright ran toward the forest, feeling unburdened and free, reveling in the majestic beauty that surrounded her. The lotus ornaments in her braids chimed with her every step, but she slowed when the trees’ coolness enveloped her.
She’d always felt home hidden within, surrounded by thick trunks and leafy branches, with the dirt beneath and the glimmers of sunshine above. And it wasn’t until she heard Nanny Bai’s story that it made perfect sense. She was born in this forest, was of this forest. Her pulse quickened as she neared the creek. What if Kai Sen didn’t come? And if he did, what horrible things would she learn about herself?
Her fingers rose to touch her lips, remembering the feel and taste of him. She frowned and tried to push the memory aside; it only distracted her from her task—finding out what she could about serpent demons. It’s not as if she could ever be in a real relationship with Kai Sen—he was a monk, and she was …
She broke through the trees and entered the clearing, spying Kai Sen immediately. She let out a breath of relief. His back was to her, and instead of his usual wooden staff, he had a giant book tucked against his side. Head bowed, he was observing something in the water, but turned when she neared.
Kai Sen’s smile was tentative. “I wasn’t sure if you would come.”
“I wasn’t sure if you would, either,” she replied.
Skybright stood beside him, and they watched the clear water ripple over the stones and pebbles of the creek. It was soothing, mesmerizing. She wished that she could stay like this for a long time, in the sunshine, beside Kai Sen, feeling content. Feeling uncomplicated. “The rocks are all different sizes and colors,” she said. She saw large gray rocks protruding from the surface, and stones and pebbles in pale pinks and blues or mottled black and white in the creek bed.
“Who knows how long they’ve been there,” he added.
She sat down cross-legged by the water’s edge. “So did you find anything?”
Kai Sen sat across from her with the heavy book in his lap. “Not much, unfortunately. The legend of the serpent demon is one of the oldest in Xia, but it’s surprising how little information there is on her.”
Her.
“It’s always a woman?”
“Always.”
He flipped to a page in the book marked with a green ribbon. She smelled the must of old paper and imagined she saw dust particles rise as he turned the pages. Kai Sen stopped at his marked page. The spread had a black and white illustration on one side and text on the other. “Here.” He shifted so he was sitting beside her, their shoulders touching. “This is a depiction of the serpent demon.”
She leaned over the book. The serpent demon had the face of a beautiful woman, but her irises were vertical slits, and they glowed, as was indicated by the lines drawn around her eyes, like rays of sunlight. A long forked tongue dangled from her sensuous mouth. But the only thing remotely human about her was her face, as it melded into a thick snake’s head and body.
This wasn’t how she appeared. She kept her human shape above the waist while in demonic form, although the long muscular coil ending in a tail was the same.
“What does it say?” Skybright pointed at the text beside the drawing.
Kai Sen began reading aloud:
“ The serpent demon is another soulless creature that roams our world. She manifests as a beautiful and alluring woman, preying on unsuspecting men. In human form, she is irresistible, and there
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