Fury of the Phoenix Read Free

he had been searching for, he turned to leave. He froze when he saw her. The small lantern swayed in his hand. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
    “Who are you?” He stared, his flare of incredulity almost pinning her against the wall. He had dropped the map, and a dagger had replaced it. Around twenty-five years, he had high cheekbones and deep-set eyes, his features emphasized by the fact that his head was shaved. He set the lantern on the table and reached over to remove her cap. “A girl?” He shook his head in disbelief. “You’ll have to come explain yourself to my captain.”
    The sun hovered low on the horizon, but Ai Ling still shaded her eyes when she emerged from below deck. All she could see was a glittering, endless blue. She lurched on unsteady legs toward the stern, with the pilot close behind, and the crew gawked in astonishment. Captain Peng stood outside the bridge. Although Xian, he had his hair cut short at the ears and trimmed close to his neck in the back, a hairstyle Ai Ling had never seen. He also wore strange clothing: tight black trousers, a white shirt with billowing sleeves, and a black sleeveless tunic over it.
    His surprise was controlled, almost compartmentalized like the chambers of his magnificent ship. She felt his amusement and curiosity, his consternation. He strode forward to meet them. “I asked for a map, Yen.”
    The pilot handed him the parchment. “She was hiding in my cabin.”
    The crew had gathered around them, far enough away to be unobtrusive, but near enough to hear the conversation.
    Peng scrutinized her. “I hope you can swim. Toss her overboard.”
    The men murmured in excitement.
    “You jest!” Ai Ling’s face felt cold and hot at once. They were leagues from shore.
    “Ai Ling?” Chen Yong spoke from behind her.
    Her skin tingled at the sound of his voice, and she turned, swallowing hard. He had pushed himself to the front of the crowd. Ai Ling met his golden gaze for just a moment. She felt as if her heart would leap from her chest.
    “You know the stowaway?” Peng arched one dark brow.
    Chen Yong was shaking his head. She wound her spirit tight within herself. Still, she felt his confusion, his anger. “I do. She’s my…sister.”
    “Sister!” The captain flicked his dark eyes from Chen Yong to her. “I guess we can’t throw you overboard, then?”
    Chen Yong didn’t respond, and she gritted her teeth. All this to save him ?
    “I am called Ai Ling.” She tilted her chin.
    “Why are you here, Ai Ling?” the captain asked.
    It was a reasonable question, but so direct it caught her off guard. “I—I wanted to travel with…my brother. To help him find his birth father.”
    “Why didn’t you tell me?” Chen Yong asked.
    “You wouldn’t have agreed.” She glared at him.
    “We’ve never had a girl on board, much less a stowaway,” Peng said. “Very well. You can share your brother’s cabin.”
    Feeling the heat creep up her cheeks, she stared at her feet.
    “Yen, clear out your cabin and switch with Chen Yong. Yours has the wider berth,” Peng said. Yen nodded, his face inscrutable. “Not exactly following the rules of decorum for brother and sister to share a cabin and bed, but you probably bathed in the same tub as babes.”
    She caught a spike of amusement from Peng and snapped her head up. But his expression was cold, revealing nothing.
    “You’ll help with tasks to earn your passage—like the rest of the crew.”
    “I can earn my keep.” She made certain she spoke in a loud and steady voice.
    “Indeed? I’ll see you at dawn tomorrow, then.”
    Peng made to leave, then paused. “Go to the galley and get some ginger. You’re looking slightly green.” He wrinkled his nose. “And get yourself cleaned up. You smell like a butcher.”
    He did not wait for her reply, and the crew scattered like embroidery beads when the captain disappeared back into the bridge.

CHAPTER TWO
    Three Hundred Years Past
In the Sixth Moon