The Last Dahlia

050

Yuehwa hated the idea of fate and destiny, but she could no longer deny it.

When Shoya stole into the Dahai encampment to rescue her, the spell that Lady Kang had cast upon her broke the moment she laid eyes on his face. The fog in her mind cleared, as if he was the light that dispelled it. Her memories came rushing back, as did the anger at what the dark magician had tried to do to her.

Perhaps that was the strength of their bond, a bond that had transcended through the centuries from their previous lives to this one. Even if she was forced to forget everything she knew, even if she had forgotten her own name and identity, her heart could not be made to forget him.

She wanted to throw her arms around him and tell him to take her away from this wretched place. To lash out and pummel him for knocking her out and not trusting her enough to take her with him. To tell him how afraid she had been when she had woken up with no memories of who she was, with a blank space in her heart, not knowing who filled it.

But this was not the time for happy reunions.

With the dark magician's hold upon her removed, she had a valuable opportunity to turn the tides of this war, but it meant that she needed to keep up the pretense a while longer.

Yuehwa pressed the tip of her dagger to Shoya's neck, trying not to flinch when she saw a hint of red trickle down his skin.

"What are you doing? Don't you recognise me?"

"Of course I recognise you. The White Scorpion, am I right?"

How could she not recognise him, that brazen rogue who had barged into her ship cabin uninvited and insisted on sleeping upon a ceiling beam. They had come such a long way since then.

"We don't have time. We have to go now, before they realise I'm here. Come, Yuehwa, come with me and once we're out of here I'll explain everything."

"Do you think I'm foolish enough to follow you, after what you did to me? To my father?" she scoffed. "Now that you've delivered yourself to our doorstep, don't think of leaving here alive."

"What are you talking about? What father?"

Hurry up and leave, Shoya!

Lady Kang had already expected that he would attempt a rescue tonight. If it weren't for the woman's sadism of wanting to see Shoya killed by the one person he loved, perhaps he would have been captured already. If they continued tussling, the dark magician would get impatient, and who knew what she would do then. Even with their skills, there was no way two of them would be able to get out of the Dahai camp unscathed.

Her dagger jabbed towards him, slowing down just before she could nick the fabric of his robes. She continued stabbing in his direction, desperately willing him to give up and leave. Already she could hear the sounds of footsteps approaching the tent, but Shoya was too focused on her to realise.

"Yuehwa, stop this! Listen to me. They've tricked you. This is not who you are. Everything that they've told you is a lie."

As if you haven't lied to me before.

She caught a glimpse of a shadow cast against the wall of the tent, behind where Shoya was.

They're here. We don't have anymore time.

In her moment of distraction, Shoya spun behind her and grabbed her arm and shoulder, forcing her to drop the dagger.

"Please, just come with me. I can undo whatever she's done to you," he begged.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Yuehwa spat. "If you want to take me away from here, then you'll have to take my dead body."

"Yuehwa!"