Three froze in pce.

  She was sitting on Five in a way that could only be described as rather painful: she was riding the poor woman’s stomach, of whom had smashed the balding minister of war ft on the ground.

  The awkwardness froze her bones.

  ‘…Oh, how interesting.’ The emperor smiled, resting her chin on a bejewelled hand. ‘Do tell Us what you two were doing up there.’

  They scrambled to a kneel.

  ‘Attempting to assassinate the Third Princess, Your Majesty.’

  ‘Attempting to stop said assassination, Your Majesty.’

  Three shivered as heavy gazes nded on her back. One pair in particur burned.

  The Third Princess?

  Above them, the soft cloud of poison slowly drifted down. Five, in her grand wisdom, gently took out a soft leather bag and scooped out a handful of bck powder. She blew into her palm, scattering the obsidian powder into the air — what would have been an unbearable pain instead became a gentle powdered snow.

  Then, she shot Three a grateful look.

  But it was still a little confused.

  If the emperor had been displeased, now she was terribly amused. With a smile on her face that was two parts amusement and three parts vicious curiosity, the woman gently said, ‘Well, you two have pleased Us today.’ Then she turned to the Fifth Prince, a ziness still set in her bones, ‘Today, little prince, you are a fortunate one. Appreciate it.’

  The green cd man bowed. ‘This humble youth thanks Imperial Mother for the divine grace.’

  ‘We decree,’ said the ruler of the empire, ‘that the colonel of the northern garrison calvary shall be promoted to the rank of general. Her successor shall be appointed by the First Prince.’ She waved a dismissing hand, ‘As for you two, Three, Five, please take your fight outside.’ Raising her head she called out, ‘Guards, that goes for you all as well. We want of no disruptions in Our morning court. Everyone, dismissed. Make it quick.’

  Five stood up and extended a hand.

  That hand and its burn scars, the calluses, the sears left from acid and toxins, the thumb that would always shake and shiver from old wounds —

  It reached out to Three’s trembling lips.

  ‘Rise for me, Little Sister.’ Five gave her the faintest of trembling smiles. ‘Stand.’

  She grabbed that hand, hard. Their calluses spped together, one lone cp ringing out into the gradually emptying hall.

  Pulled herself up.

  ‘Three,’ said Five, ‘I heard you killed Six.’

  The muscles in her arm froze. Sweat. It broke out on her back.

  She ripped her hand out of Five’s and stumbled back. One step. Two steps. She nearly fell to her feet.

  Burning.

  …But why?

  Her eyes widened.

  Was she… imagining it?

  Was she overreacting?

  Or did Five —

  Did her big sister, her da-jie, the scariest but safest teacher, the woman who’d given her life with toxin training, tolerated her thieving smiles, who’d held her hand while making poisons —

  ‘I’m sorry, Three.’ Five wiped away tears with her right hand; it slid over her face like a fan, hiding her eyes and lips in shadow. The left — the one Three had been gripping mere moments ago — hung limp at her side. ‘But Six is like a twin to me.’

  Then, her fingers spread open to reveal a slit of an eye.

  ‘You should run,’ Five whispered. ‘Or One and I will kill you.’

  She staggered back.

  Her breathing grew faster and faster, then smothered itself at the thought of the bck, powdered cloud.

  The thought of those grateful, red eyes. The thought of that sudden, instinctual catch.

  She turned and sprinted away.

  Her heart beat hard, but it was as though the cavity where it y was not made of flesh and blood but rather jagged steel and silver needles. Every breath hurt. Her skin burned — it crawled up her left hand, both illusory and undeniably there, as though she’d dreamed of being bitten by a snake and had yet to awaken.

  Her mind churned out monstrous thoughts, ones so horribly real she didn’t dare leave through the door.

  What if she saw One?

  What if she saw Two?

  She didn’t dare.

  She really, really didn’t dare.

  Her breaths came harder now. Of course. The beating of her heart, the hurried breaths of her lungs, all of it would make whatever Five had done to her course ever faster though her veins.

  The pain was a warning, one that she had to heed. Perhaps not now, but soon.

  It was with a distracted mind that she circuted the qi in her body, hurriedly trying to push whatever it was back to her fingertips, away from her veins of blood and lifeforce-carrying meridians.

  That warning — that searing in her blood — accompanied her as she scaled the pilrs, climbed out from under the tiles, and ran around the back of the hall.

  The numbness soon made it hard to flex her fingers.

  Shit.

  She ran, then slowed to a walk, towards the white shadow who waited for her underneath the jasmine vines.

  Then, she stumbled to a stop.

  It would have been nice if she could’ve stood straight, so she didn’t seem so small before the other.

  ‘Your Highness,’ she whispered, ‘I’ve been poisoned.’

  Bck ate at her vision. Nausea. Fire burned in her lungs, her stomach, the skin on her face and neck, in her left arm.

  It was…

  Painful.

  ‘Don’t touch me,’ she said with a smile. ‘Or your cousin will die ughing.’

  Then, a pure, utterly miserable bck.