Fury of the Phoenix Read Online Free PDF Page B

herself tight, away from the brightness of his spirit. “A peaceful evening,” she murmured.
    She stared wide-eyed into the dark, trying to draw deep breaths to slow her hammering heart. Chen Yong’s breathing matched her own. She closed her eyes, and the image of his bare back bloomed beneath her lids.
    Dear goddess.
    She prayed to the Goddess of Serenity for sleep, and in answer the ship rocked and Chen Yong was thrown against her, pinning her to the wall.
    He cursed.
    She blinked; a gasp caught in her throat.
    He edged from her as the ship rolled the other way. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
    They didn’t speak another word that night, although she remained awake for a long time after.
     
    Somehow Ai Ling did finally fall asleep. When she woke, she was lying in the exact same position, her hands folded over her stomach and her arm still touching Chen Yong’s. There was no way of telling if day had arrived. But footsteps in the passageway outside and the shutting of doors let her know that the crew had already risen.
    She wondered if Chen Yong had woken. “Is it day yet?” he asked in a thick voice, answering her question.
    “The crew seems to be up,” she whispered for some reason.
    He slipped off the bed, and the cabin door opened, letting in dim light from the lanterns in the corridor. He brought a lantern into their cabin in exchange for the extinguished one hanging in the corner, then grabbed some clothes from his trunk.
    “I’ll change in the latrine,” he said.
    She sighed as he closed the door behind him. Thiswould take some getting used to. She dressed in peach-colored trousers and tunic, long sleeved to protect her from the sun and sea salt. She loosened and brushed her hair, running the wooden comb through it again and again. Her mind wandered, and she heard a crew member ask in the galley if they’d be given more dried beef for breakfast. She felt his hunger and became aware of her own. To clear her mind she recited a stanza of poetry, her favorite one about a lotus in bloom on a deep pond.
    Eventually she eased the narrow door open and peeked outside. It was quiet. Chen Yong and Captain Peng were still eating in the galley when she arrived. Lao Lu filled a bowl with hot soy milk for her and was about to place a steamed bun on a chipped plate when Peng raised a hand. “She’s late,” he said. “We’ll go directly into lessons in Jiang after your tasks, Ai Ling.”
    She gulped the soy milk, telling herself her face felt hot from the steam rising from the bowl. It was past dawn when she climbed onto the deck. Tendrils of mist were just beginning to wither, and the air was cold and damp against her skin. Xiao Hou was pushing a wide flat broom across the wet deck. “We’ve already scrubbed the deck,” he said.
    Sailors stood below each of the three masts, wrangling with lines. They shouted at one another, synchronizingtheir motions as they set the enormous sails. Xiao Hou followed her gaze. “My pa said he’d teach me when I’m bigger.”
    She returned his toothy grin, his cheeks rounded with obvious pride. “I’ll be on time tomorrow.” Her stomach growled in reprimand. It wouldn’t do to be denied another meal.
    The boy showed her how to push the broom toward the sides of the ship, then left her to the task. The Sea of Seven Stars spanned forever. It seemed nothing existed in this world except the ship and the endless water. Ai Ling paused when she finished her task to admire the view. The sunrise had cast the clouds in a deep golden pink. I’ve always wanted to travel, explore the world, she thought, then blinked. It was as if the notion had dropped into her head from the ether. Had she? Her scalp tingled.
    Xiao Hou scuttled back and took the long-handled broom, startling her. He scanned the deck and finally nodded in approval. “Not bad for a first go,” he said.
    She smiled. “Am I dismissed?”
    He cocked his head, in a gesture that reminded her entirely of her cat Taro. She almost