“There was a scroll in Heaven that explained the secrets. She rushed there to get it, but before she could come back to Yu, the heavenly soldiers caught her and her eleven sisters.”
“There’s always a punishment for giving heavenly secrets to mortal men.”
She nodded. “While the soldiers were busy with her sisters, Yao Ji broke her chain and gave Yu the secret scroll.”
“But she couldn’t go back, could she?”
“No. She was trapped on earth. She lay down beside the river Yu controlled, and her outline can be seen there still.”
Daniel grunted. “Seems to me the least Yu could have done was give her a palace in his empire. After all, she’d given up Heaven for him.”
Li-Na smiled. “I thought the same thing as a girl. Though she is rather large.”
He helped her over a large rock. “How large? A mountain large? Big hill large? Prinny large?”
He didn’t think she’d understand his last joke about their corpulent ruler, but in this he underestimated her. She released a delicate snort, then quickly covered her mouth with her hand. “Have you ever met him?” she asked.
“Prinny? Yes, several times. We have a rivalry of sorts as we both look for great artists.”
She tilted her head in a silent question, but his thoughts became diverted by the exquisite curve of her cheek and sweep of her brow. It was all he could do to keep enough wits to answer her implied question.
“The men he favors have talent. Prinny has an excellent eye for art. But their primary skill is in entertaining his royal highness.”
She nodded. “How are you rivals?”
“We put our favorite pieces up for sale and see who nets the highest price. I won our last challenge and have been on the outs with him ever since.”
“Perhaps you will find a way back in soon,” she said.
“Perhaps you will paint me something to tempt him with. He likes to own the best art.” He meant it as a tease. Nothing more than a hope, but she immediately shut down. Her lips pressed tight as her face turned away from him. He cursed himself for rushing his fences. He kept quiet after that and they made good time to the viewpoint. He quietly steered her to the spot, and then watched her face as she looked out.
She didn’t look down to what she had done on the sand. Instead, her lips parted in shock at the beauty of the coming sunset. She saw the ocean in its wide expanse and the way the clouds were painted bright colors. And he got to see awe on her face.
It was some time before he managed to look away to see what remained of her work in the sand. A quarter gone, but still impressive. “Is Yao-Ji’s home a mountain or a hill?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she answered. “I have never been. I know the tale, of course, and have seen one painting many years ago.” She gestured down toward her work. “That was created from my imagination, and it is a poor imitation of what was in my mind.”
“Then your imagination must be a stunning place.”
She smiled as if he were teasing her. He wasn’t. She had no understanding of the depths of her talent. He was determined to get her to paint for him. But until she did, he was grateful for her work today, and that he alone had seen it. It made him feel like he had caught a wild bird for a few minutes before it flew away.
“Thank you,” he said. “I feel privileged to have witnessed your art today.”
She shook her head. “I am immune to flattery, my lord. The men at the Lyon’s Den have said many things to me. None have touched my heart.”
He wasn’t surprised. She was too skittish to be caught by any of the typical clientele at the gaming hell. “Do not confuse me with any of them.”
“No,” she murmured. “I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.”
Her last words were said in a whisper as she looked at him. There was no coyness in her expression, and he felt a surge of need so strong he nearly kissed her right there. She must have felt it too. He could see it in the way her lips parted in invitation. In the slight lean of her body toward him.
It was a moment poised between them with possibility, and he nearly took it. But then a gust of cold wind reminded him that they had lingered long enough. And that a rushed kiss now could very well spoil everything tomorrow.
It was time to get back to the castle.
It took another half hour before they made it to the top. He meant to walk her to the edge of the castle grounds so she could see the last of the sunset from up top. The sun might be below the horizon, but the sky was still a glory of darkening colors. Unfortunately, the moment they topped the last few feet of the path, he knew he was in trouble.
His sister-in-law stood leaning against the near side of the castle, her gaze distracted as she no doubt watched one of her sons. In her hands, she clenched a piece of paper. A letter, he guessed, with bad news. And damn it, hadn’t they had enough of that lately?