With any luck, Invasion! will be live on the same day!
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Knocking on our cabin door woke the five of us who were sleeping. Long Feather rose from the table where he had been writing in a small book. I reached out with my senses before he answered the door. Captain Titus stood outside. Long Feather stepped out on the deck. Male voices hummed, and Long Feather stepped back inside.
Luc sat upright next to me. “We’re all awake. What does the captain need?”
“Sisters Jade and Jasmine have arrived with a message. Lady Shi Hua’s trousseau is ready, and since the chief justice paid for everything, she needs to inspect the dresses and sign for them.”
I groaned. “What is the hour, Warden?”
“Approximately a half candlemark past Second Morning, m’lady.”
“Three periods of sleep is better than nothing.” I rubbed my eyes. “Has he informed Lady Shi Hua yet?”
“I don’t know, m’lady.”
I concentrated. Shi Hua?
I’m on the pier. Sisters Jade and Jasmine are here. They said they are delivering a message from the dressmaker to you—
Captain Titus delivered their message. Give me and the wardens a chance to dress and we’ll meet you on the pier.
Shi Hua’s laughter tinkled like the bells on a Love priestess’s veil. I will tell Reverend Father Biming to meet us at the Temple of Balance a few moments before First Afternoon.
She definitely gave the impression she wanted to speak with Biming privately as she withdrew from my thoughts. Things had definitely changed between them. She was no longer the bodyguard of the third in line to Jing’s Dragon Throne or a sister of Light. I doubted Biming expected his prized pupil to outrank him at such a tender age. The former sister would soon be the Empress Consort.
The first and most prominent spouse.
A title Quan’s mother hadn’t granted to her one legitimate husband.
It made me wonder if that was the real reason her husband joined the renegades. Had he or his family hoped to take over Jing through his marriage? Such a desire made the nobles’ resentment of Quan as the eldest child logical.
Jonata and I quickly dressed while Long Feather fetched Mateqai. Long Feather had been acting as Yin Li’s warden for the duration of our voyage as Mateqai had been acting as Shi Hua’s. Even though she had been granted dispensation to leave Light in order to marry Quan, Mateqai had stayed by her side. He almost seemed relieved he was coming with me to the market district of Naha instead of remaining onboard the Mars Tranquilus.
In addition, Captain Titus assigned two of his sailors to accompany us. “Just in case,” he said. I’d become well acquainted with Sea Wolf and Little Squirrel during the course of our voyage across the Peaceful Sea, and I welcomed their presence on our jaunt across the city.
There was a definite sense of unease in the air as we walked down the gangplank. Jade and Jasmine’s muscles tensed beneath their exposed skin, the rush of blood through their vessels obvious to my queer sight. Even my non-talented wardens and sailors shot furtive glances left and right in their attempts to suss out a potential threat.
The two Ryukyuan Thief priestesses brought their own wardens with them this time, though the sisters dressed as wealthy merchants and the wardens as their mercenary guards.
“I hear everyone in the city is concerned about another demon attack,” I said, foregoing any formal greeting.
“There is also much concern over your return from the demon realm,” Jade spat.
“What do you wish to know?” I said as evenly as possibly.
Jade stepped closer to me, an ugly expression on her face and her hand on what appeared to be a ceremonial knife. I doubted the knife was merely decorative. I also doubted it was the only weapon on hers and Jasmine’s persons.
“How did you survive? No human who entered one of their portals has ever come back.”
“I survived because I never made to the demon domain.” After all my fear and anxiety I would never make it back to my home world, to have everyone question my integrity was irritating. But I would act with similar suspicion for the same reason if a different priestess returned with the same bizarre story. “Somehow, my magic interacted with demon magic. It resulted in us landing near Death’s domain. She took me and the other women trapped in the between place she called Otherwhere to Balance who returned me to Naha.”
It would only make things more confusing if I tried to explain that the Grey Ladies were another aspect of Balance. They said they would have to place me a few hours after I left so I wouldn’t step into the middle of the battle in front of the Crimson Palace. They wanted me alive. I still didn’t understand why, nor did they care to inform me of their reasoning.
I prayed my new friends were also back at their homes. Both women had spouses and children they’d left behind. While I technically had neither, I would have been devastated never to see Luc or my squire Nathan again.
“You may have convinced the Reverend Mother of Balance of your innocence,” Jade hissed. “But Thief is not so easily fooled.”
I glanced at Sister Jasmine. Her expression was as placid as a cow’s. So, her partner initiated the personal attack while she watched for weaknesses. Fine. I could play such games, too.
“Obviously, the Ryukyuan Temple of Thief can be fooled,” I said dryly. “Or were you instructed to keep me occupied with Lady Shi Hua’s trousseau so I didn’t accidentally see the skinwalkers prior to the attack at the Crimson Palace?”
Sister Jasmine suddenly appeared nervous. “Are you accusing our Temple of assisting the renegades?”
“No, I’m accusing members of your Temple of being renegades.” I sighed with an exaggerated air. “Your clergy wouldn’t be the first to be seduced by their promise of power, but I also know what happens to their allies. My birth mother, who was a High Sister of Love in Issura, turned herself into a skinwalker in quest for power.”
At my words, Sister Jade stopped her verbal attack. “What?”
“My birth mother has been trying to kill me since I was in her womb.” I stepped closer to Jade. “I excel in survival. I’ve been lucky to evade numerous plots to kill or convert me. And for whatever Their reasons, two of the Twelve want me alive and helping the Temples. And so far, that service has involved rooting out renegade sympathizers within the clergy.”
“And given that I’m on the top of the renegades’ list in the contract they have with Assassins Guild, my guess is Light wants the chief justice to keep me alive.” Shi Hua’s baleful glare was enough for Jade to step back from me.
“We are here to serve, Lady Shi Hua, Chief Justice Anthea,” Jasmine murmured with a bow. “We did not lie. The trousseau is ready.”
“I, however, don’t appreciate being tested in this manner,” I snarled.
“We’ll explain things at the dress shop, Chief Justice,” Jasmine said in Issuran.
The Ryukyuan clergy were full of surprises.
I just hoped I could keep up without landing myself in yet another trap.
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