Page 88 of The Cinders

‘Where is he?’Lim lifted his lips from Xian’s hand; withdrawing a feeling Xian knew he could no longer be satisfied without.

‘No, he’s not that close, but he’ll be here soon.I…’ He ran his tongue over his lips.‘I can smell the noodles, and his clothes.He reeks of the incense he burns.And…complains loudly of being made to run about.He’s not pleased with us.’

Lim nodded slowly.‘You hear him.’

‘I hear him.’

‘And smell him.’

‘Yes.’

The shoemaker tugged at his jacket, edging in even closer.‘Right then, best you tell me all that you can.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

AS XIANspoke, Lim resorted to what he knew best in the world.He shifted from the prince’s side to sit at his feet and took the slipper from Xian’s lap.He nodded at talk of daemons and incubi, of naturals and purebreds, and fire in emerald eyes.Xian’s words came quickly, spilling from him as the water spilled from the Dragon King’s teeth.He said nothing of Lim cupping the back of his ankle and sliding the plain silk shoes from his feet.

Xian took the other slipper from a pocket deep within his sleeve, and did not pause in his storytelling as he handed it to Lim.There was dirt caught in the seam at the heel; likely from the flowerpots where Xian said it had been hidden.Lim licked his thumb and set to work cleaning it up.

Xian’s voice went lower and lower as the tale was told, and only once did Lim speak up.

‘What is a fairy godmother supposed to be?And why does it require him to wear a woman’s gown?’There was no reason for Lim to interrupt with that, but he needed to vent before a thousand questions overrode his mouth.

A quirk of the prince’s lips set Lim’s belly twisting, and he looked back to the dirty shoe, using the edge of his jacket now to work at the infernal grains of dirt that wouldn’t budge.

Xian’s tale took shape, a hurried account of unimaginable events.Words that made Xian’s knuckles white with being said.

Finally, he was done.‘That is the truth of what happened to me last night.’

The poor man looked wretched; the colour drained from his face, his lips pale; his trepidation palpable, paining Lim to see.

For a selfish moment, Lim wished the Englishman had simply taken Xian to his bed, and left the prince with only some soreness to be healed; a fleeting encounter, forgotten in the New Year.

‘Huli jing.’He tested the remarkable words upon his own tongue, aware of how fixedly Xian watched him.He could not make a wrong move here, fearing the damage that might be done if he did not choose perfectly.

But, gods, what a tale had been told.

‘Say something more, Lim,’ Xian said.‘Do I frighten you?’

Lim’s head shot up, a shocked laugh jumping from him.‘Frighten me?Gods, Xian.No.’He paused.‘I am frightenedforyou.Sir William spoke to me of midnight, as well.That I must find you before then, if I wished to stay with you.And if I did not, that I would miss my chance.’

Xian’s lips parted with a silent gasp.

‘But what if that were a threat, and not advice?’Lim’s mind churned.‘What if he seeks to trap you with this promise of freedom?And to speak of going to England?That is more miles than I can imagine, Xian.He sets an impossible target for you.’

‘This is a port town,’ Xian whispered urgently.‘Would it be so impossible really?To steal away upon a boat bound for the British Isles.’

Fear prickled beneath Lim’s skin.He set down the slipper, having polished it until he’d likely worn down the facets.‘Xian, please promise me you’ll not do such a thing without me.’

‘Of course not!’

‘Then how shall I find you after the dance?If you say I should stay here, helping this godly idiot.’

‘Because if you are here with the idiot, then I know exactly where to find you.’

Lim had not seen the fire in Sir William’s eyes, but he imagined it might look as it did in Xian’s gaze now; the burnished glow of determination.

‘And then we go where?I have a horse, and he’s decent enough, but its much to ask him to carry us both.’