Part 3, Chapter 13

Who cast the spell

Ch 13

Jianyu cuddled up close to his wife. He finally felt rested after the exertions of the previous day and waking to the woman he loved was a small slice of perfection. He opened his eyes so he could watch her sleep and almost flew backwards. His brother’s face, pale and sweating met his gaze. 

Xun’s head rose from the side of the bed, her face soft from sleep. “Oh, your awake,” she said, stretching. 

“Why?” Jianyu asked, gesturing at his brother.

Xun stretched and rubbed at her eyes, still trying to wake up. “Well, we couldn’t let him sleep on the floor,” she muttered.

Normally Jianyu found Xun’s slow morning wake up adorable, but this morning he wanted answers.

He opened his mouth to  snap at her when Renping said from the doorway, “He’s been poisoned, Xun, go get dressed.”

Xun nodded amiably and wandered behind a screen to change her clothes.

Jianyu pulled his brother into a sitting position and prepared his magic. “What type of poison?” He asked Renping.

“Greenblade,” she responded.

Jianyu pulled his magic back abruptly.

“It’s ok,” Renping said, a little smugly. “I already nullified that part.”

Jianyu looked at her with respect. “Not many people know how to deal with Greenblade,” he said, pushing his magic into his brother. Now that he knew what he was looking for Jianyu easily found the poison clogging his brother’s body. Firmly and steadily he began to push it out. The inert substance was sluggish and stubborn, but Jianyu was patient. Suddenly his brother convulsed, blackish blood pouring from his mouth. 

“Oh, Jianyu,” Xun said exasperated. “Couldn’t you have at least gotten a basin first. That bedding will never come clean, you know.”

“It was urgent,” he muttered.

“He just forgot,” Renping contradicted and the two girls chuckled.

Jianyu felt heat on his cheeks. Thankfully at that moment Jiangou began to cough and Jianyu turned his attention to his brother. Xun removed the bloody covers and Renping brought over a bowl of water and began cleaning Jiangou’s face.

“How did this happen,” Jianyu asked.

“I don’t know the whole story,” Xun replied, “When he came here he was already poisoned. I brought Renping because I didn’t know who else to trust and we did what we could for him. I hid him in bed with you when people came to search the courtyard. After all, no one is going to search the Emperor’s bed without his permission.”

“Thank you,” Jiangou muttered, running a hand over his pale sweaty face. Jianyu laid him back down in the bed.

“Who did this to you?” Jianyu asked his brother, after getting him settled on the pillow.

Jiangou was silent for a long time. Renping was the first to loose patience with him. “Look, we can send you back to the dungeon. Or I can take care of you right now, I know enough to make it look like an accident.”

Xun looked at Renping with new respect. “You learned a lot from Xiaomin,” she said admiringly. 

Renping gave her a saccharine sweet smile, “I learned a lot from Shun.”

Xun nodded. Jianyu glared at both of them. Jiangou began to speak.

“My Grandfather. He’s the root of it all. It was his plan,” Jiangou spoke softly and slowly, every word being pulled from him like taffy. “He wants to rule the Heavenly Realm.”

“If the King of the Merpeople is involved than so is your mother,” Jianyu said.

Jiangou nodded reluctantly, but didn’t say anything.

“Who set the spell on me?” Jianyu asked.

“The Sea Witch and I,” Jiangou replied, almost too quickly. 

“There were four of you. I have a witness.”

“There was no witness!” 

“There was, and there were four of you.”

Jiangou looked trapped. His eyes darted back and forth, as if searching for an escape, even though his body was too weak to move. “My grandfather, the Sea Witch,” he finally said, “and my mother.”

Jianyu looked at Xun from the corner of his eye and she shook her head slightly.

“Wrong,” Jianyu said. “Your grandfather was no where near the Palace. I would have known.” It was a guess, but Jiangou didn’t know that.

Jiangou closed his eye. “My mother and grandfather,” he repeated.

Xun thought hard. The Lord of Storms had very few powerful allies in the Palace and she was sure the fourth person had also been a woman. It wasn’t a difficult riddle. “Your wife,” she blurted. “It had to have been your wife.”

Jiangou flinched as if she had hit him.

Jianyu opened his mouth to speak when a voice swore softly from the doorway. The God of War stood in full armor staring at Jiangou.