What The Fox? (Completely Free!)

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

In General Teng's Mansion, Sixi's residence was located behind the main house. She had obnoxious brothers who resided in the western wings of the mansion. I heard music and saw figures dancing behind silkscreens as I returned from the slave market. Even the steps leading up to their quarters reeked of rice wine.

Standing there, with my newly purchased slave, I contemplated punishing those loathsome rich boys by causing their toenails to grow inwards and afflicting them with a bad bout of gout. It wasn't that I didn't like merrymakers, I just didn't like these two particular drunken fools. Sixi's brothers were idiots who squandered away their father's fortune at whore houses and playing ma diao. On second thought — I decided not to push my luck. The last thing I needed was an annoying medicine man being invited into the shiheyuan to burn herbs and rid of the place of evil spirits.

What can I say? I'm the worst spirit of them all.

"It's not worth it," Alix whispered to me. No, not whispered — he mouthed it to me. My handmaiden and bodyguards didn't notice our slave had the gall to speak to me without being spoken to.

Was it my imagination?

Alix's meaning was clear.

It wasn't worth the trouble to punish those stupid hedonistic boys who my pretend-father had gifted the better wing of our mansion. Alix's gentle brown eyes seemed to flash with a dim yellow light in the light of the pale winter's moon.

I decided not to argue. My entourage would think that I heard voices in my head. Why would I be staring into the eyes of a slave anyway? Or looking at his thick, sensual lips? No, better pretend everything was all right in the world.

I turned around and walked to my quarters in the back of the courtyard; the night seemed strangely quiet all of a sudden. I felt the cold night air enter my lungs and emerge from my lips in little puffs of white. The heavy white-jade yupei with its red tassels hanging from my waist banged against my knee as I walked. Even heavier still, was the weight of the knowledge settling in my mind.

Alix could sense that I had unnatural powers. It made sense; after all, I could sense his powers as well. We were two snakes in the grass among these mortals. I wondered if Alix would try to give me away. If he did, that would make this entire disguise of being General Teng's daughter that much more complicated.

As much as I had my powers, I didn't need the full force of the Imperial Army chasing me down.

As we came to the entrance of my quarters, located in a wing of the mansion that wasn't even attached to the main building with any fancy walkways as my pretend-brothers had. It was isolated. I was the poor little unwed daughter, after all.

It was good that it was isolated. The last thing I needed was some well-meaning grandparents or nephews to be wandering about.

"They say you are a ferocious warrior," I said to Alix with a high-pitched voice. "I want to see you show off your skills for me. Let's go to the back of the garden, and you can wield my brother's spears for me."

"Lady Teng," Lan-ru whined. "Are you serious? It's dark and cold outside. Can't we do this in the morning?"

"No! I'm bored!" I snapped and shoved Alix toward the stone walkway. My bodyguards gave each other exasperated looks. They all wanted to go home to their warm beds instead of giving into the General's least important child's silly whims. Good, let them stay where they were.

I forced Alix into a darkened corner of the garden next to a jagged gonshi rock in the shape of a dragon. I decided I would pummel his brains out with the auspicious stone if he dared to defy me.