Free Sacrifice by Cindy Pon Page A

to wed tomorrow. I have no control over my own life. How can I hope to help Skybright regain hers?”
    He let out a long breath. “Would you like to sit and take tea somewhere?”
    “What about saving Skybright?”
    “You were right. I need a plan. Stone is powerful, and I have to think of a way to get Skybright away from him long enough so we can rescue her. I can’t assume a god will keep his word.”
    “Your hellfire had no effect on him.”
    Zhen Ni could almost feel Kai Sen’s shoulders sag.
    “No,” he said. “Whatever Stone is, he is not of the underworld.”
    They began walking along the canal, and Zhen Ni took deep, slow breaths to try and calm her nerves. Peach blossoms were in full bloom, and the branches were laden with them. The trees dotted the canal path, many seeming to lean over the water, as if gazing into it. The sight of the familiar burst of delicate pink blossoms soothed her. Spring had always been her favorite season, and Qing Chun truly was a charming town.
    They were silent for a long time, each lost in thought. She had spent a short amount of time with Kai Sen but enough to see that he was impulsive and a dreamer. Was his judgment clouded because of his feelings for Skybright? Zhen Ni watched the green waters of the canal swirl past, remembering her friend—the one who had taken her place for a severe beating from her mother, Lady Yuan; the one who had snuck away from the manor to find her when Zhen Ni had run away … the one who had given up her mortal life so Zhen Ni could keep her own.
    Kai Sen was right; there was little certainty in this world they lived in, but Zhen Ni was certain of Skybright’s goodness, was certain of the kinship and love they shared all their lives. This epiphany, the surety of it, brought tears to her eyes. She lifted her face, feeling the warmth of sunlight on her cheeks, and blinked the tears away.
    But it had been over half a year since she last saw her friend. Could Skybright have changed and given in to her demonic side? Had she turned into someone Zhen Ni didn’t know any longer?
    Finally, Kai Sen led her into a small teahouse, empty except for one other patron. The proprietor nodded at them, indicating they could sit wherever they pleased. Zhen Ni chose a table overlooking the water. “What if they see us?” she finally asked, not having to refer to whom.
    Kai Sen shook his head. He looked weary, his dark brows drawn together into a line. Seeing Skybright again had affected him as well. “I felt her presence fade. They’ve left the town already through a portal.”
    “We’ve lost her again then.”
    The server, a girl no older than Zhen Ni’s sixteen years, set down a pot, two cups, and a small plate of peanuts and red bean rice cakes. She poured the tea for them and left. The fragrant scent of jasmine tea filled the air.
    “I know I will find her again. And next time, I’ll be better prepared. It’s just—” His voice hitched, and he took a long sip of tea, wincing at how hot it was. “I wasn’t ready,” he repeated. He scrubbed a hand through his hair before pounding a fist onto the table, causing the plates to clatter.
    “You don’t just mean ready with a plan.” Zhen Ni swallowed. “It was easier for me to believe she was dead. This—It was hard for you to see her again too.”
    “I was so excited by the prospect of actually finding her after all these months, I didn’t think.” He gave a sad smile. “I’ve always been too spontaneous.”
    She took a small sip of tea and nibbled on a rice cake, savoring its subtle sweetness. “Skybright has always been the very opposite of spontaneous. Unless she had to save me from trouble. Then she was a quick thinker and acted fast.”
    Kai Sen laughed. A soft but genuine one.
    “This ability you have to sense her, is it magic as well? Like the fireball you conjured in your palm? Can you track anyone?”
    “No. It was faint at first but has since grown much stronger. I felt it before I