Of Forgotten Dreams (Book 1) [NANOWRIMO 2022]

Chapter 40

A week after the wedding, this side of the palace walls she lived in quieted down. Yun almost thought that Xiao had taken his mind off her as he was unreachable at all within the past few days. Using the earrings as an excuse, she had tried to search for him high and low. But no one knew where he was, nor if he entered the palace within the past few days. 

Apparently, she need not have worried too much as another letter was tucked into her dresser once again, bearing a very familiar handwriting she looked forward to and dreaded to receive.

She did as it told though with a grim determination, coming to another corner of the palace where there was hustle and bustle, and perfumes and songs in the night.

"Now you look more like a noblewoman."

Yun turned; her hands clenched in her robes as she saw Xiao walking up to her. Rather than the change of clothes that he had requested her to do, he only donned another cloak over his black and red.

Yun donned the light purple robes that she wore when she met Jin, as it was the only outfit that she felt would be suited for what Xiao wanted, and she thought that now was not the time to turn against him.

Yet.

"We are still early though." He commented lightly again. "Would you like me to show you something else before we enter the hall?"

"Pardon?"

"More techniques." He waved a hand nonchalantly.

Yun's eyebrows raised, and she blinked a few times.

"You would want to know, wouldn't you?"

Drawling, he reached for her hands again, and Yun had to visibly frown from the effort that it was needed to keep her powers from immediately surging out.

"That is actually good. Having a stronger reaction means having more power at your disposal."

"It also means that you have not used your powers as a weapon before... Or at least, you have not for a very long time."

Yun's hands curled up into a ball, the nails digging into her flesh.

Images of how she raised the fire back home flashed within her mind, and it was a while before she could completely push them away.

Xiao's figure became clearer, as she blinked, forcing herself to completely be in the present.

"The next thing you will learn, is how to draw on your powers to attack."

"I don't want that." She blurted out.

"Too bad you won't get to refuse."

In that instant, she felt scorching heat on her palms, and she attempted to jerk them backwards. It was still tightly held by Xiao however, and that was the breaking point for her in holding her powers back.

Waves flowed out, illuminating her palms, and Xiao finally released the iron grip around her hands.

"Now, pull the power out."

Yun breathed, trying to control it as what Lord Xu taught her. She found out soon enough how straining it was without having a destination for her to send a power into, and her hands started to tremble.

The light coalesced into a ball into the air, levitating a few inches away from her palm. It cast fluid shadows at the hallway, dancing around. And her breath caught as within the dancing light and dark, she saw a figure darting around the hallway as she caught side of the edge of his robes.

She stole a glance at Xiao, and it was only then she realized that he was attempting to angle his body away from her, seemingly disturbed by the ball of light.