Threads 380-Roil 3

The direct messaging formation was useful. It projected her words directly to the target along with the signature of her qi. Jaromila had gotten her message, and the woman’s response had been swift. The White Sky would delay and put off all meetings for the day, ending them entirely if need be, and they would set their own security even higher.

So that was that.

Outside the ministry’s offices, Ling Qi walked with Meng Dan. He looked very unwell, and she could not blame him.

“We will resolve this,” Ling Qi reassured him. She couldn’t speak of details outside, but she wanted to say something.

“I certainly hope so.” He brushed a hand nervously through his hair. “Do you know when—”

They passed under the shadow of a pair of leaning trees framing the road, and the colors and sounds of the world muted out. Meng Dan stiffened. Ling Qi bowed.

The tall shadow of Shu Yue stood there, bent half over looking more inhuman than usual with their pale face out on the end of a too long neck poking out from their robes. “Ling Qi.”

“Shu Yue,” Ling Qi acknowledged. “The ministry—or Cao Chun at least—has agreed to coordinate with you.”

“Is that so?” Shu Yue’s head twisted to a ninety degree angle, a wide crescent black smile blooming. “Fortuitous. I will have to better arrange myself. As you can see, I have been too busy to keep up my appearance well.”

Meng Dan let out a brief, strangled sound before his expression smoothed over. “Your entrance could have been less alarming.”

“No. It could not. Child of the Labyrinth, you were aware then.”

“I became aware,” he corrected. “I assume this space is safe to speak in?”

“If it is not, we are already undone.”

Ling Qi stepped forward. “Then let me explain the situation.”

It did not take long to fill Shu Yue in on the situation.

Their fingers tapped together slowly, a dry clacking rhythm that sounded like the tips were nothing but bone. “I see. I have been hunting, harrying. It seems my efforts may be best combined with the honorable inspector’s.”

“What have you seen of the forces being gathered? I assume signs are focused around my family,” Meng Dan said.

“They are infested, yes. There was an explosion of activity earlier this morn. Where before it was the slow spread of a disease, it has become a spider casting its webs in fury. I expect this is why you detected the attempt,” Shu Yue rasped. “There are others, too, where power gathers. Locations. I will give them to the inspector.”

“Are they acting of their own will?”

“I do not know. How could I tell, not knowing this clan technique of yours? It would need close inspection. Perhaps I may have further leads. But I think you should go to the general now. You will want her to be informed clearly and readily. An uninformed reaction to chaos from her could bring ruin.”

“I did not wish to ask Cao Chun this, but do you think her action will truly be necessary?”

“Possible. The hunt is disrupted; the prey has its back up. I am certain he is hiding in the shadows, but I may not be able to take their throat and drag them into the deep dream where the harm would be minimized. This was my intent. If it comes to open blows, the sword which rends history will be much better suited to end the conflict decisively.”

Meng Dan’s pallor didn’t improve.

Ling Qi hesitated, looking at him. So much was at stake for him here.

“I will ask that you be the general’s guide onto the battlefield,” Shu Yue requested, interrupting her thoughts. “It is dangerous, but there are no others aside from myself who can do this here. She will require assistance to keep the battle in the deep dream as her nature is inimical to the liminal.”

Shu Yue wanted her to dreamwalk the general if a fight broke out. She felt lightheaded. Could she do that? Could she really set a toe on that battlefield and survive?

She couldn’t ask Shu Yue to do it. Them doing so would distract them when they were already enmeshed in the hunt and working in tandem with the Ministry.

“I will carry the general where she needs to go,” Ling Qi said.

She, Renxiang and all of them had been painstakingly building this peace treaty dragging all of these recalcitrant people together and soothing bruised egos, fears, and paranoia. They were finally, finally succeeding at this ridiculous task they had set themselves. She was not going to back down from this path she had chosen now and let all of their work go to ruin. She was not a coward. Not after the Bloody Moon trial.

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“Miss Ling, are you quite…” Meng Dan began, only to cut himself off. “How do you imagine you will manage this? If it were only transporting the general and then fleeing, perhaps, but…”

“I am told that I am very difficult to kill,” Ling Qi said. “I’ll simply have to be even more so. How will I know where to go, Shu Yue?”

Shu Yue’s pallid face twisted into a small grimace. Their fingers tapped against one another with a twitching energy. Then they reached up to the dark hair that flowed down their shoulders and wound a single strand around their pinky. A jerk of their wrist yanked the strand free. It writhed like a serpent, knotting tight around their finger, while the other end of the strand writhed toward her.

Ling Qi didn’t need words to understand. She extended her own hand into Shu Yue’s palm, and too long fingers closed around her wrist. She let out a small hiss as the hair knotted around her finger and punched through her skin, anchoring in the tissue below.