Page 29

A twinge of disappointment winds about my heart. It’s a feeling I don’t expect after such a fleeting encounter with the foreign king, but I’m no stranger to it. Disappointment is a consequence of hope, and there is always a ghost of hope in my soul, no matter how I wish I could purge it. I stuff the handkerchief into my pocket.

Dakuok and his priests are calming down the villagers, who have started gathering around the dragon, marveling at his wings and strangely human physique. As they start placing bets on whether Rongyo can defeat him, I’m quickly forgotten.

Is it the cage that makes them admire him and revile me? Would I be an attraction like the dragon if I were chained and imprisoned? My mind likes to torture itself with such questions, but I know better than to seek the answers.

I start going after Prince Rongyo to remind him of my offer to fight, when I see Meguh ascending the temple stairs.

He’s staring at me. With curiosity.

With unbridled want.

He makes himself an obstacle in my path, and never have I missed my mask so acutely.

“So…you are Khuan’s other daughter,” he says, smiling widely. His voice is silkier than the handkerchief in my pocket. It’s the same tone he uses with Vanna, and that makes me shudder. “Impressive stunt with the snakes.”

I bare my teeth at Meguh. “I will fight for my sister.”

At my side, Vanna steps forward, attempting to refuse my offer, but Meguh waves her away—as if I interest him more. That’s a first.

His gaze bores into mine. “You can’t even handle a few villagers. How do you think you can defeat my dragon?”

“Watch me.”

I sound more confident than I look. Anyone can see my hands are still shaking.

I pull myself to my full height. “Understand this: I do not fight for Prince Rongyo, but for my sister. If I win, Vanna will walk free of this selection.”

Vanna grabs my hand and presses fiercely into my palm. “You can’t, Channi. I won’t let you fight. It’s too dangerous.”

My gaze drifts to Adah, stomping down the stairs until he stands wrathfully behind my sister. His mouth is bent into a fierce scowl, and though he won’t meet my gaze, the way his fists curl, closed tight like flytraps, tells me all I need to know.

Go away, you stupid girl, his look is saying. You’re going to ruin everything.

I won’t go away. I’m not afraid of him. Unlike Dakuok, Adah doesn’t wield any power. He won’t act out in front of Vanna’s suitors. He won’t do anything to lose face.

I twist out of Vanna’s grip and bow before Prince Rongyo. He keeps his expression stony, but his eyes give him away. Hope quavers in them, particularly when they regard my sister.

Vanna and Rongyo are the same face of one coin. They are gentle and kind, their smiles sweet because they have never tasted the bitterness of life. Their eyes are bright because they prefer to see the good in the world, rather than the truth.

I am the other side of that coin. The darkness lurking under their light.

Rongyo hesitates, not knowing what to say, so I step forward, without his permission. I must be drunk on adrenaline from the mob, for I am bolder in this moment than I’ve ever been in my life. I say, “Do you accept me as your champion?”

“You are a brave soul,” he begins, “but you are only a—”

“A girl? Do not underestimate me. I want to fight.” I stare him down. “If you do not accept me as your champion, I will fight anyway.”

“You heard the snake,” says Meguh. “She wants to fight. Let her.”

Rongyo grits his teeth, but he nods. “First blood will determine the winner.”

“That is not the way it is done,” Meguh says. “They fight to the death.”

“You put forth the challenge. I choose the rules. First blood.”

“Very well.” Meguh sighs, and I worry he gives in too easily. “Then it will be a short fight.”

The first thing I do is hike up my skirt so I can move faster. One does not wear a dress when brawling with a dragon.