Page 29 of Dynasty of the Wicked

Minutes passed and finally, finally, she stopped trembling and slumped in Feng Mian’s arms like a puddle. Her head lolled back against his shoulder and she shut her eyes. Every ounce of energy in her body felt spent, which was counterproductive for what they needed.

“Try to use your magic now,” Feng Mian told her.

She lifted her hand, palm up, on her lap. She was too exhausted to keep it suspended in the air, and truthfully, she didn’t think she’d be able to summon any type of fire. Or any blast of magic, or however any of this worked.

“Magic is complex.” His words pushed her forward even though all she wanted to do was continue to lean on him and fall asleep. “There is healing magic, teleportation, visionary magic, defensive magic, all sorts of magic that is so complicated that if you mess up, youdie. But the one magic that is destructive, volatile, and easy to mold to your liking, is magic that attacks. My cursed magic is that kind, but made much, much worse. Normal attack magics, while dangerous, are not that bad. They are also not as difficult to learn, but as a result will make you pay in other ways.”

“Like my life?”

“No. It will make you extremely fatigued, or maybe you will fall into a deep slumber for days if you’re not used to it. Curse magic is the type that drains your life. Normal attack magic does not.” He hesitated. “Cursed magic if oftentimes more powerful because of the price you pay for it. You don’t need to use it.”

“What is your magic like?”

“It leeches the life out of whatever I touch,” he murmured. “The price I pay is my own life. The more I use my cursed magic, the more my curse will spread.”

An ominous silence filled the space between them.

“But … ” A shudder ran through her body and she was all too aware that they were touching. “You are touching me.”

He chuckled, his chest rumbling, and the soft, musical sound of his laughter resonating with her trembling bones. “My magic corrupts and corrodes the human body, but I direct it. It will destroy whoever I want. It is extremely violent, Princess.”

“Then …” She pursed her lips together, unable to think clearly. Not with the brain fog caused by opening her energy gates, and not with Feng Mian being so close. “How were you captured if you’re that powerful?”

He traced the column of her neck slowly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Because my magic, while powerful, also incapacitates me. I will not live long because I use it so often. It is the price to pay for becoming a monster.”

Zhi Ruo went silent. She didn’t know what to feel about any of that.

“Test your magic, Princess.”

She held her hand out again, curling her fingers toward her palm for a second, and then flexing them out. She was just about to start practicing, when Feng Mian spoke again, this time, his voice clipped.

“I have to warn you, Princess, that no matter what you do, donotlet Wyer know that you have magic. He too knows how to use magic, and if he learns about you, then I am sure he will lock your ability away somehow. Until we have a plan, don’t use it.”

“I haven’t even used magic yet—” Just as she was saying that, a spark flickered on her palm and she turned in fascination as fire erupted on the palm of her hand. It grew into a ball, swirlingand sputtering embers around them both. “H-hey! I’m doing it?—”

One of the embers fell onto the hay and her eyes grew wide as tiny flames curled over the hay and flickered, growing into a steady flame. Feng Mian’s hand reached out and he stamped the fires quickly, nearly shoving her off his lap in the process.

Zhi Ruo jumped to her feet, holding out her hand in panic.

The fire in her hand shifted into a white hue and then blue, and then black. It didn’t burn her skin, but the heat warmed her face, nearly singeing her eyebrows.

“How do I make it stop?” Fear surged in her chest and she quickly glanced at the entrance of the tent. She prayed nobody smelled anything burning. Her heart pounded in her chest wildly. If they accidentally burned all the hay here … She didn’t want to think about it. “Feng Mian!”

“Just—Just think about stopping it,” he said between stamping out the small flickers of fires on the hay with his feet.

He cursed while she coiled her hands together. All at once, the fire died off like it was never there to begin with.

A few moments passed, both of them breathing heavily.

“Did I get all the fires?” Feng Mian said with a loud exhale. “I don’t feel any magic around anymore.”

“You did,” she said, leaning against the bars with a sigh. Now that the fires were all gone, and her panic had subsided, a soft laugh bubbled at her mouth. “Maybe practicing making a fire wasn’t the smartest choice given our circumstances.”

He surprised her by joining in with her laughter, an easy grin spreading over his face. “I think you’re right. Next time we should stick to something less … disastrous.”

Zhi Ruo giggled again, her chest feeling lighter than it had just moments ago. She’d done it. She had used magic. If Father could see her now, she was sure he’d slap her for her insolence. Who knew what sort of punishment she would receive? Butit had felt exhilarating to feel the magic on her fingertips, to breathe in the taste of her own power.

Feng Mian’s prior words whispered into her ear.

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