“You know more than you could have known for someone gone so long,” he said bluntly. “You could not have known about the oath of loyalty. You speak of spies from the enemy, but are you one yourself? Are you in league with the Dragon of Night?”
“No, General.” She glanced around the room and determined it was the general’s private quarters. She saw a small bed, a rack with his armor, as well as many leather-bound chests with buckles. There were no windows in the space and no luxuries. Hanging from the armor stand was a broadsword with a meiwood hilt.
“Explain yourself, then,” he said.
Liekou was studying her too, waiting for her answer. He’d always been poised and decisive. He didn’t smell like a threat to her, but he was alert and vigilant.
“I know about the oath because I was here when it was made, General. This secret is probably best kept as one. When I died, I entered the realm of the phoenix. It is also called Fusang. The palace we discovered beneath the ice was originally created by disciples of the phoenix. I bonded with her, and she gave me certain gifts. I can fly, which is how I arrived here undetected. But I can also commune with all birds. Although until recently I’ve been physically confined to the phoenix shrine, my consciousness has traveled throughout the kingdoms on the wings of birds. There were birds here in Sihui that I used to see what was going on. I knew you were about to attack Fusang. Echion knew as well and was prepared to destroy you, but I couldn’t communicate to you. I couldn’t warn you. The birds obey me sometimes. But they are small and are limited in what they can do.”
The general lifted his eyebrows in amazement, and she smelled the same emotion coming from him. “You are a spy,” he said. “For us!”
Bingmei nodded. “Queen Xisi keeps finches in cages in her palace rooms. I can travel there and see what is happening. I can go anywhere there are birds. The phoenix has also taught me the Immortal Words. They are the glyphs you see engraved in meiwood weapons, each one demonstrating a power. Most of them only work when carved in meiwood or invoked by those who have authority to use them, but some can be traced on the flesh. You know these as dianxue. In order to stop you from attacking Fusang too soon, I summoned an early winter. The snow came because of me.”
Liekou snorted, raising his eyebrows. “It was the sudden storm that prevented us from returning to Sihui months ago. You nearly killed us.”
Bingmei looked at him. “Yes,” she said. “After I summoned the change in season, I learned that many people died because of what I did. But a much greater number of lives were saved.”
“You can summon winter?” General Tzu asked. “What about storms?”
“Yes,” she answered. “And so can Echion. We cannot undo each other’s work. But we can balance it.” She held out both of her hands, palms up, like two scales. “I have just come from Fusang. Prince Rowen is there, a prisoner to Echion’s torment.”
“He’s alive?” the general said, and she smelled the hope flowering inside him.
“Yes. I know, General, that you have the right to choose who will rule the people if this war is won. I know because I overheard your conversation. But my information was cut off once winter came. The only birds I could commune with were eagles, snow owls, and some small birds. None of them went much farther than the mountains where I was confined. Once the season began to change, the birds started to come back.”
“How did you learn Echion is coming to destroy us?” Liekou asked.
She bit her lip. “I went to Fusang because my child was abducted by Xisi. We were protected in the shrine until he was born, then we had to flee. Echion summoned a flood that nearly drowned Quion and took my baby far away. Quion is the one who told me about Xisi taking the child. He’s on his way here, to Sihui, right now to warn you. I went after my son, but Xisi has him hidden in the palace. I’ve sent a bird to try and find him.”
“It is good you had a son,” General Tzu said. “If it had been a daughter, she would have perished for certain. Echion has set a new Iron Rule. No daughter born shall survive.”
As he said the words, she smelled his outrage and anger, his determination to defy Echion to the death. And she also smelled worry, worry that came directly from Liekou. Cuifen was pregnant. It made this battle even more serious for him. If Sihui lost, they would be at the mercy of the Iron Rules.
“Yes. I know about the order,” Bingmei said. “After summoning the flood, Echion tried to hunt me down. I eluded him. He arrived back in Fusang just after I did, and he went to Rowen because he knows we are connected.”
“How so?” the general asked. “I remember he refused to marry Cuifen because of you, but he wouldn’t have any way of knowing you’re alive.”
“It’s complicated,” Bingmei said. She paused, trying to decide how much to tell him, then decided she should share everything. “General, you may find this difficult to believe.” Glancing at Liekou, she added, “You both may. But Rowen is the father of my child. My son’s name is Shixian. It is Rowen’s destiny to rule Fusang.”
General Tzu squinted at her doubtfully. “I’ve heard reports that Rowen is a eunuch now.”
“What I say is true,” Bingmei told him. “For that, you will have to trust me. Echion went to Rowen to find out where I was hiding. I was with a bird at the window, watching the whole thing. Rowen knew I was near the palace in Fusang, but he lied
