I screamed and jerked back. Only my quick reflexes at catching the sides of the sill saved me from a spill on the floor. Dian popped his head out from beneath the wraparound porch and showed off a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

  “What are you doing?” I hissed as I clutched my thumping ticker.

  Dian pressed a finger against his lips and turned his head left and right. He scurried onto the porch and pushed me into my room, and he crawled through the window.

  “What are you-” Dian pressed his finger against my lips and leaned out, giving the porch another casing.

  He shut the window and drew the curtains before he turned to me. “Are you really a goddess running from the king of heaven?”

  Oh boy. I sauntered over to my bed and sat down on the edge to face my ‘guest.’ “If I told you I was, what would you do?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. “I would be impressed. It isn’t anyone who can avoid the firm justice of King Ken.”

  I leaned my left arm against a foot post and snorted. “I’m not trying to avoid justice. I just had. . .something happen to me.” Just an attempted murder. Nothing serious.

  Dian sauntered over to me and grinned. “Well, if the king should come looking for you I’ll do anything to help.” He paused and tapped his chin as he stared up at the ceiling. “Well, short of murdering him, that is. I couldn’t plunge my people into a war with heaven. Lord Eastwei would annihilate us with his finger, or so I’ve heard.”

  The image of Dadan lifting a pinky and everyone exploding drew a giggle out of me.

  Dian’s eyes twinkled as he smiled down at me. “I’m glad to hear that sound come from you. You looked so exhausted after the market that I worried you wouldn’t be able to smile for a week. Are you sure I can’t fetch something for you? Perhaps some food or drink?”

  His question made an idea pop into my head. “There is something you can do for me.”

  His eyes lit up and he bobbed his head. “Anything!”

  “You could take me to the Tianfeld.”

  A little color drained from my gallant knight’s face and his mouth dropped open. “The. . .the Tianfeld? Now?”

  “Now, at night.”

  His eyes bulged out of his head. “At night?”

  I shrugged. “Why not? Haven’t you ever wanted to see if there are ghosts out there?”

  “I-I haven’t really thought about it.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “Not even once?” Dian turned his face away and his eyes clouded over with memories. I pinched his sleeve between two fingers and tugged. “You know something you’re not telling me. What is it?”

  He knitted his eyebrows together. “It isn’t something I know about firsthand, but I once heard a story from one of Father’s old generals. He was part of the crew who swept the field looking for bodies to bury.”

  My enthusiasm drained out of me. “Oh?”

  Dian’s voice grew hushed and he swallowed hard. “He told Jin and me that there was something not quite right with that place after the battle. There were. . .sounds that couldn’t be explained. Shadows that shouldn’t have been there. Nobody could quite put their paw on the matter but he warned me never to go there alone after dark.”

  “But you won’t be alone,” I pointed out as I smiled up at him. “You’ll be with me and I’ll be with you.”

  I could see the idea tempted him but the corners of his mouth drew down. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. . .”

  I dropped my hold on him and turned my back to my failing knight. “It’s alright. I can’t really blame you for not wanting to go to such a spooky spot. Besides, I’m sure somebody else will go with me.” He still looked uncertain and I hated to tempt a good soul, but I had to know what was out there. “Maybe I’ll see what all the scouts are up to.”

  He shot straight up and his eyes reflected the possibilities I’d presented to him. “You’re sure you want to go there?”

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  A soft rattle at the window caught my attention. The wind wanted in for another chance at luring me away. I sat up and nodded. “Definitely.” I had to find out why the stupid wind wouldn’t stop pestering me.

  Dian bit his lower lip and his eyes flickered toward the window as well. “We can’t go just yet. My father has guards watching me day and night.”

  His words brought with them a terrible thought in my mind. My face drooped and I stabbed a finger at the window. “Did they just watch you climb in through my window?”

  He scratched the back of his head and sheepishly grinned. “I’m afraid so.”

  “Do they tell your dad everything?”

  “Everything.”

  I grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the window. “Then you get right back out there and explain what ‘everything’ is to them!”

  He laughed and dug his heel into the floorboards. Between that and his weight, I was outmatched. He grasped my wrist and drew me close to him. I hesitantly raised my eyes and found myself staring into his heated ones. “We could give them something to talk about.”

  I swallowed hard and frantically searched for the right words. “I-I don’t think it would look good for me. I mean, at least right now. I’m not exactly on your dad’s favorites list right now and sleeping with his son might not win me any favors with him.”

  He pulled my front against his and his words came out in a hot whisper. “It could.”

  A five-alarm fire was reported on my cheeks. I leaned back and turned my face away. “Just. . .now’s not a good time.”

  There was disappointed silence and then he sighed. “I’m sorry. You’re tired and here I am trying to pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do.” He opened his hand and released me.

  Footsteps moved away from me and I whipped my head back around. He stood in front of the window with one hand grasping the closed frame. His head was slightly bowed and his shoulders slouched.

  He looked so pitiful. My heart ached for the young man trying to find his way in the world. I could relate to that ordeal.

  I stepped up to him and set a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I know how hard it is for you right now trying to prove to your dad that you’re strong enough to defend your clan. I know he’ll see that in you someday.”

  A bitter laugh escaped him. “Maybe when I’m a hundred thousand years old.”

  My eyes twitched. “How old are you?”

  He turned his face away. “Only thirty thousand.”

  Only. I would never get used to judging people’s appearances by the tens of thousands. A bemused smile slipped onto my lips. “I’m sure you’ll show yourself sooner than that, you just have to be patient. Why not focus on the festival for right now? That’ll take your mind off these things.”

  He lifted his head and stiffened his jaw. “You’re right. Besides, what sort of guard would I be for you in the Tianfeld if I let myself get distracted by something I can’t control?”

  I patted his shoulder. “That’s the way. Now why don’t you go outside and explain to those stalkers of yours that there’s nothing-”

  Dian spun around and looped his arm around my waist. He yanked me against his chest and swooped down. His lips captured mine in a long, passionate albeit slightly inexperienced kiss. He fumbled a bit before finding the right angle.

  I was out of breath by the time we parted. My cheeks had resumed their fire-alarm status and even his had a heavy tinge of red on them. A crooked smile slipped onto his lips as he leaned back to take in all of my huffing self.

  “That was. . .interesting,” he commented.

  My eyebrows crashed down and I swatted his chest. “You’re supposed to ask before you do that!”

  He jumped back and flung up his arms to protect himself against my barrage of light slaps. “We could just consider it a payment for your request!”

  I paused in my attack and narrowed my eyes at him. “The only payment?”

  He shrugged. “There could be others?”

  I scowled at him and made to hit him again when there came a rap on the window. We paused mid-battle and both of us whipped our heads around to face the glass. The curtains had parted just enough for us to see two bear clansmen standing on the other side. Both of them had wide grins on their faces. One of them raised a finger and wagged it at me.

  I waved my knuckle at them. The men laughed and sauntered off, no doubt to inform King Pangberan of what they had seen. I drooped forward and my shoulders slumped. “Do you think they saw everything?”

  Dian sighed. “With those smiles? Probably.”

  I twisted my head around to glare at him. “Is that bad?”

  He shrugged. “I doubt it. I did initiate the action, after all. Thankfully, their smiles tell us they didn’t overhear our plans.”

  I straightened and turned to my cohort. “And when do you think they’ll stop watching you so we can go there?”

  “They’ll be distracted by the fair long before the first fur night. We can go then,” he promised as he opened the window and climbed out. He winked and slipped out of sight.

  A sigh escaped me as I shut the window. Another few weeks. I’d just have to keep my window closed. I also needed to look into hanging some better curtains.