Daughter of Heaven

Chapter 24 - The Snow and the Rabbit

"You're staring out the window again"

Yu Zhu jumped and looked around, Lin Yu cradled her head in her hands looked at Yu Zhu, her eyes were golden slits. Whenever Lin Yu was at home, she preferred to have her true eyes and sometime went by her true form.

Yu Zhu turned away, "Was not."

"Was too. You've been staring since that Wei Yun came yesterday. You're a terrible liar."

Yu Zhu blinked rapidly, "I was staring because it looked like rain"

Lin Yu's snake tongue flicked out, she rolled her eyes as Yu Zhu busied herself with cooking watercress and tofu. Grandfather walked in, his face was pale as Lin Yu jumped up to help him to the table. Yu Zhu poured him a daffodil tea into a brown ceramic mug. He took a deep sip, his hand shaking. The magic had worn him out.

"Is he still outside?"

Grandfather looked at her sternly, "That is not of your concern. You care too much for someone you should forget" Yu Zhu opened her mouth to argue but Lin Yu threw her a warning look.

Lin Yu distracted Grandfather, "Did elder brother Tu Suo come home yet? Has he found Yu Zhu's pendant?"

"No, he's searching carefully. We'll find it soon enough"

Lin Yu frowned, "I should go help him."

Grandfather patted her hand, "You were seen with Yu Zhu, half the town knows that you're with a human, it is too dangerous now."

Yu Zhu felt a shiver, "If half the town knows, I can't stay here anymore."

Grandfather looked out the window, where Wei Yun stood, "We will cross that river when we get there."

----

It was midday when Grandfather took his nap. Lin Yu silently motioned Yu Zhu, "He's asleep. Go."

Yu Zhu sneaked over the roof. Though Grandfather had put protection spells on the doors to make sure nothing gets in or out without him knowing, Lin Yu saw that he had forgot a side of the wall. Yu Zhu landed on the green grassy bank silently. A hand shot out and steadied her. She looked into Wei Yun's face. Her face darkened and she yanked her arm out of his hold. He looked worried. Yu Zhu brought out her sword, "You have a lot to answer for" Wei Yun's stormy eyes showed no signs of fear as she brought down her sword. He didn't duck or parry her blow. Instead the sword bit into his shoulder, blood welled from the deep cut.

Yu Zhu yanked her sword away, stunned at his refusal to move. "You idiot." She fumed as she ran to him, her hands on the cut trying to stop the bleeding. To her amazement, the cut was already healed, the blood on her hands disappeared.

Stupid, she cursed inwardly, he was a god, it would take an immortal's sword to truly wound him. As she was about to take her hand away, he gently covered it with his, not believing that she could care about him. Yu Zhu looked up into his eyes, as he murmured, "I'm sorry."

Yu Zhu didn't know what to do now. She wanted to ask him so many questions, but they all felt like they were stuck in her chest. She gently moved out of his grasp and stomped downt to the small stream. He followed silently behind her.

Both of them said nothing, she didn't know what to ask and he wasn't quite sure how to began.

Yu Zhu remembered something and dug into her pocket, "I wanted to give this back to you." She took out the faintly glowing acorn. Wei Yun shook his head, "Keep it. It helps me to know that you are safe."

Yu Zhu remembered that she had the acorn on her when she lost her pendant, "Is that how you knew I was in danger?"

He nodded, she turned to look at him. He was a vision of majestic perfection, and yet he there he sat, his crisp grey clothes crumpled into the dirt. She wanted to laugh and ask if he had ever been so undignified before. Instead, she blurted out, "I talked to you for four years. Why did you never say anything back?" She blushed, she hadn't come to fight but she needed to know.