Her eyes glistened with the sensuality of her magic. They had already been in the Ice Temple for three days straight, and she had lost count of the date. But why was her need arising again? Was the fifteenth of the lunar month near?
Wait, they were inside a strange place that likely had a time of its own, she told herself. Could the site be one of those spots, mentioned in the name of magic, that would bring about surges of wild magic?
“Dongyue.” She greeted him tenderly, bringing her face close to his. Her body convulsed at the call of passion. She could feel the magic penetrating her veins, shocking every part of her body with her needs. Audaciously she secured her hands around his face and pulled him towards her. Due to his height, she had to stand on tiptoe. He closed his arms around her, hugging her to him.
She bit hard on his lower lip, feeling the ecstasy as she tasted a drop of his blood. She couldn’t comprehend what was going on in her mind, but she felt that in this way, she had a hold over him. Zhan Dongyue would be hers; she hissed to herself. She was going insane with the desire that whirled inside her.
And he responded.
‘I will be yours.’
Her body twitched in anticipation of fulfilling her needs through him, and to stop her sexual thoughts, she bit his lower lip again. He did not react to her ferocity but instead, allowed her.
She forgot herself. The kiss tasted so good that she again wanted more, but before she could do anything more, a tap on the ice door disrupted the moment.
What had she been thinking? She had been a step close to undressing herself, and she felt embarrassed. Was she thinking of invoking the ritual?
Dongyue excused himself and lifted the barrier with a few wave-like gestures of both hands.
“It’s only a barrier to prevent entry and exit, for your security,” he explained. “It doesn’t keep out sound.”
She did not say a word but continued staring into nothingness. Dongyue received a basket of coloured berries and some ice-covered fruits from the men and closed the door again.
“Now that they are here, I reckon we don’t need the barrier,” he told her. She stared towards the basket. There were red, blue, green, orange and black coloured berries. She knew each magical berry had a different effect that would last temporarily. Red symbolised strength, blue intelligence, green dexterity and orange health. She didn’t understand what blackberries did.
“The berries are magic-infused. We should keep them for use later,” she said calmly. She ventured forward and took a fruit from the basket.
“The fruit should last us about eight hours,” she explained. He nodded to indicate his understanding.
“Xiyu, you eat first. I’m worried that you will be hungry,” he said.
“I’m a lot better today,” she told him. “Perhaps we should take a walk around the place and find if there is anything of note.”
“Okay,” he said. She looked at him, and taking out her ice dagger, split the fruit into two with a perfect splice.
“Now, we can share.”
He smiled sweetly at her. “How thoughtful of you, Xiyu.”
She glared at him for his words. She, thoughtful? “No, I just don’t want you to die when you haven’t completed your task and sent me back safely!” she shouted with an icy look.
“Oh, I don’t believe you,” he teased amorously, decreasing their distance from each other so that they were in much more proximity with each other. She raised her palm in anger to strike him, and he closed his eyes.
“Slap me then, Xiyu,” he said sincerely. “If it makes you feel better, hit me. I won’t retaliate.”
She tapped him on his shoulder instead. “Don’t get fresh with me, Zhan Dongyue! I am a witch after all, and harming people is in my blood.” What she said was a lie, but she had said it to spite him.
“Then Xiyu, I would be willing for you to harm me all my life. I will be yours for life, Muxue Xiyu. I pledge myself to you, for you to do whatever you wish to me.”
“Such a smooth tongue,” she mocked. “I could have sliced it off with my dagger; you are a daring man, Zhan Dongyue.”
“Xiyu, I will prove myself to you if you give me a chance,” he sighed deeply. “I don’t know why you are doing this, but I can sense you have feelings for me. Don’t forget our souls bond us together.”
She pointed her dagger at him in anger. Now, he had finally blurted out what he had done! “Zhan Dongyue, now you’ve admitted it! Gone and done the ancient magic without my permission, haven’t you?” Her tone was vexed, and he knew he had made her mad.
“Xiyu, my love, I only intruded on the magic scroll in your bundle because you wouldn’t stop bleeding and my healing powers wouldn’t work. I did not entirely intend to do what I’ve done, but on the other hand, I did it because I loved you. I wanted to bridge a bond between us so that I could be closer to you.”
“Didn’t you know the consequences of using ancient magic?” she prodded the magical dagger on his collar. “I… you could have got yourself killed, and you promised that you would get me out safely!”
She was weeping so severely that he kissed her in a bid to stop her from crying further, and stroking her head slowly, he ran his fingers through her silky black hair. The intensity of their kisses warmed each other’s bodies; putting them through so much passion and emotion that she soon found herself caving into her sensuality. But now was not the time for such action, she thought.
The ritual could wait. Most importantly, she should find the ancestor that had gone.
“We should keep moving and find Muxue Yan. He might hold the answers to my questions,” she told him. Feeling a warm object on her hand, she looked down to realise that Dongyue was still grasping her hand. He immediately released his hold on her hand.
“Can you walk, Xiyu?”
“I will try,” she answered. She made it without his help for a few steps, but her legs seemed weak.
“Let me carry you,” he offered. She was light to him, but being in his arms made her feel intimate, and she disliked being close with anyone who was unrelated to her.
“Carry me on your back,” she ordered. He obediently did as told. She liked the feeling of his warm back and made her feel secure. The cold and chilly winds of Xuancang Mountains tousled her hair as Dongyue strode firmly across the icy floors of the temple, his silvery strands sweeping over her. Observing closely, she realised his hair was just as whitish as the snows of Muxue.
He waltzed through the various empty rooms of the temple, before coming across a room in the centre which door was locked and would not budge. An intense sensation in Xiyu’s heart told her that someone she was waiting for was in that room, and she determined that they should return to the said room later. Before that, she wished to explore the other rooms of the temple. The four of them came across a gigantic library with what looked to be thousands of books.
“The Ice Library” was written in ancient script, and only he and Xiyu could read it. He assumed it was because of Xiyu being a witch and his unknown heritage and curse. The library was filled with ice-covered racks of varying books of different sections. They started with the history section, where tales told of Muxue Yan and how he had come to meet Ao Yun, also how he had built up a legacy which Xiyu’s family members had kept from her. There was so much recorded in the books, that Xiyu felt she had been lied to all her life.
‘Muxue Yan and Ao Yun had an infant daughter they called Muxue Yunxi, but her whereabouts were unknown, believed to be encased in ice through a magic spell that would put her in slumber. She would not grow or age until the ice was melted and the spell was dispelled.’
With her hands shaking, she replaced the book. The thought of the infant being frozen for a very long time induced tremendous fear in her, that gave her extreme unease. She sensed the presence of uncertainty growing in her, something that would plague her for some time even after she left the library.
Then, Xiao Tian put down the book in front of him and exclaimed excitedly.
“If we can find Muxue Yan, we should be able to exit this place!”
The three of them exchanged surprised glances at his finding. But where could they start in searching for the mysterious ancestor that had suddenly vanished and put them into this peculiar place?