A sneeze woke Jin Lu, the back of her head slamming into the bottom of the bed. She grunted from the pain and crawled groggily out from under the bed. She sat cross-legged, rubbing her head absentmindedly as a yawn cracked her jaw. Jin Lu lowered her chin and scratched the back of her head just as memories of what happened yesterday finally formed.
She froze, her eyes slowly lifting from her lap. Black boots came into focus, no signs of scuffs marrying their glowing sheen. A robe of yellow silk decorated with orange thread flowed over crossed legs, while the chest was covered with crossed arms. She gulped and gathered her courage, finally lifting her gaze to the man's face. A clean, nicely round chin; full red lips lifted at the corner in amusement, and a slightly sharp nose.
{Ohhh, daddy…}
Her heart skipped a beat when she looked into his eyes; sparkling yellow with hints of black, like quartz crystal when the sun shone through it. Thoughts emptied out of her ears, and her lips parted involuntarily as she stared in a dumbfounded daze at the man whose room she had snuck into.
He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. The movement made her blink, her thoughts returning in a rush. Wiping her face to make sure she hadn't drooled, she cleared her throat.
"Umm, hi?" She felt blood rush to her cheeks in embarrassment as she tried to smile, though it came out as more of a grimace.
"I'm a… sorry to disturb you." She bowed her head, rubbed the dust bunnies out of her hair, and stood up, bowing a few more times.
"I'll um… be going now." She turned on her toes, walking around the bed to get to the window. A hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Not so fast." The man's voice was soft as silk with a hint of steel.
Jin Lu could feel his body heat getting closer as he leaned forward, his breath whispering against her ear.
"Stay a while."
Jin Lu shivered, and she had to lock her knees.
"I… I really shouldn't," she protested weakly, her voice raspy from sleep and not being used to it. She tried to take another step, but the hand on her shoulder squeezed, flinging her sideways onto the bed.
{Oomph!}
She bounced a little on the hard mattress, shaking her long black hair out of her face, and rested on her elbows as she looked up. The man was tall and lean, standing regally at the foot of the bed. His yellow eyes examined her in a way that made heat rush to her cheeks and the tips of her ears.
Embarrassment wasn't her favorite emotion. She frowned, glaring a little to show her displeasure. His lips quirked as though he found her attitude funny.
"What are you doing?" Jin Lu asked with a petulant tilt of her chin.
The man ran his eyes over her body one more time before tapping his chin in contemplation before nodding.
"You will stay with me," he stated firmly.
Jin Lu stared at him incredulously before she snorted, a bubble of laughter rising from her chest. Her voice cracked, dry coughs interrupting her laughter. She sat up and waved her hand at the glaring man in front of her, shaking her head.
{Dude's delusional.}
She twisted her body, ready to roll off the bed and leave, but a hand on her ankle stopped her. A wave of power rolled over her, the hairs on her body standing on end. She choked a bit at the feeling of strength suppressing her.
Turning her head sharply, she looked at the man in fear and surprise. Sweat formed on her forehead, each breath a chore. They stared at each other for a few moments before the man pulled his aura back in, leaving his hand on her ankle.
"You will stay with me," he repeated, his grip tightening until she let out a shuddering gasp, and tears wet her eyes.
His eyes flashed with satisfaction, and he let go, folding his hands in his sleeves as he stood up. He scanned her one last time before he turned sharply and walked to the door. He stopped with his hand on the handle.
"I will be back shortly," he said, amusement wrapped around his voice again. She had no time to reply before he was out the door.
She sat on the bed, stunned.
{What the fuck?!}
Her body started shaking from adrenaline, surprise, and fear. Not wanting to find out what he had in mind, she swung to the edge of the bed. As soon as her foot hit the floor, her breath hissed between her teeth. A sharp stab of pain shot up her ankle to the small of her back, making her arch and pull her foot towards her.
A black bruise was wrapped around her ankle like a manacle. She growled in frustration, glaring at the door heatedly. Even though it didn't feel broken, she couldn't put any pressure on it.
Letting out a sigh, she swallowed her emotions and decided that since he was so adamant that she stay, she might as well see what she had grabbed from the house. Opening her bag, she shifted the books around, half of her arm and almost all of her head disappearing into the bag. Even though the bag was small, the inside was immense.
{I wonder if I could have fit the entire house in this thing?}
The thought was fleeting, but amusing. She was so engrossed in her mission that she missed the door opening and her kidnapper walking in with a tray of food and tea.
Seeing his guest surrounded by objects and almost disappearing into his spacial bag, the man held back an amused snort. Placing the tray on the table, Long Yin sat on the chair and watched the boy fling treasure after treasure out of his bag. It wasn't often that something interested him and this boy was interesting.
Long Yin had been curious when he'd woken up in the middle of the night when he'd felt something appear under his open window. When a small shadow had rolled quietly into his room, he had readied a bolt of lightning in his hands, hiding the sparks at his fingertips with the blanket.
With his eyes at half-mast, he'd watched the boy slowly crawl across the room. He had waited for the flash of killing intent, but instead, the shadow disappeared under his bed. He'd opened his eyes wide, dispersing his power with a wave of his hand. Lines appeared on his forehead and he leaned his head over the side of his bed.
"….."
Surprise flashed at the sight of a boy lying under his bed, his back rising and falling evenly as he slept. His thin, cracked lips were parted, his long lashes laying on his cheeks. A small red tongue peeked out, wetting his lips in his sleep. A jolt of excitement surprised Long Yin, and his eyes narrowed. Laying back on his bed, he waited for his uninvited guest to show himself.
Jin Lu finally emerged from her bag after making sure she had pulled everything of value out. Her eyes widened in surprise, before a flicker of hesitation made her frown. The man was sitting back down at the table with a tray piled with food and two cups of tea, one steaming at his elbow.
She had been so absorbed that she hadn't felt him enter. Her lack of self awareness darkened her face and she gripped her hands into fists before letting out a long sigh.
{Just let it go.}
Gathering her spoils, she started sorting everything into piles; gems, coins, scrolls, trinkets. The trinkets were interesting. One looked like a coin, a hole in the top of it. On one side was a giant frog, while on the other was a snake, its mouth open wide.
Another was black marble, veins of silver sparkling when the sun hit it. As Jin Yu held it, a soft, calming aura made her muscles relax, and she started humming, her lips forming an unconscious smile.
Long Yin, growing impatient at being ignored, raised his eyebrow in surprise. The boy had a nice voice. Mellow and light. What surprised him the most was the hint of power flowing in the air when he started humming.
Like a feather sliding down the skin, it raised goosebumps along his body, and he had to hold back a gasp of desire at the touch. Thinking the youth was doing it on purpose, Long Yin glared at him in reproach, but he showed no attention to it.
Irritation surged, and Long Yin stood quickly, the humming and power cutting off in an instant. Jin Lu's startled gaze met Long Yin's as Long Yin walked to the edge of the bed. Jin Lu tilted her head up, exposing her long, white neck.
Long Yin stooped, gathering the boy into his arms. A squeak of surprise came from the youth before he started struggling.
"Silence!" Long Yin growled, stilling the boy's movements. He took two steps and placed the youth in the chair opposite him.
"Eat," he ordered, sitting down himself. The boy looked at him, a light blush showing on his cheeks. Long Yin could see the denial forming in his eyes, but before he could speak, his stomach called out in hunger.
The blush on Jin Lu's cheeks deepened, and the tips of his ears turned red. She grabbed a meat roll off of the tray, her lips pouting. Amusement flashed in Long Yin's eyes again, a corner of his lips lifting.
"So, what do you want?" Jin Lu asked, grabbing the cup of tea and taking a drink. The tea was flat and bitter, making her grimace in distaste. She preferred strong tea with sugar, but since this was all there was, and she prided herself on her manners, she took another sip.
The amusement in the man's eyes shone brighter and he smiled. Her movements paused, his beauty stunning her for a moment.
"I want you," the man purred.
The sip of tea Jin Lu had taken caught in her throat and she choked, the man laughing at her. She glared daggers at him as she used her sleeve to cover her mouth and wipe her nose, tears running down her flushed cheeks. Desire shot through Long Yin, his laughter cutting off at the sight.
"I'm not for sale," Jin Lu growled once she was able to breathe again.
The glazed look on the man's face puzzled her, but it was gone in the next moment, making her think she imagined it. He lifted a brow arrogantly, as if saying that she was speaking nonsense. Her face darkened, and she stood up quickly, her ankle forgotten as fury roared through her.
"Look here, you pompous peacock! I-" her words cut off, her breath caught in her throat as power slammed into her.
She stumbled back as her heart trembled and sweat beaded on her brow, but she refused to submit. Locking her legs, she held onto the back of the chair and glared at the man. Approval shone in his eyes for a second before being replaced by amusement.
"You should know your place, boy. I do not need coin to purchase you, I already own you, and you will stay with me for as long as I wish."
The man smiled crookedly and withdrew his power, watching the youth stumble and let out a shaky breath. Long Yin was thrilled at the sight of the boy's lips thinning while his jaw clenched.
He waited to see if the youth would speak, a little disappointed when all he did was take a few deep breaths through his nose and fall back into the chair to continue eating.
"Jin Lu," the boy said after finishing off two meat buns and the last of the tea. Long Yin raised a brow at his grudging tone, but let it go.
"Long Yin. Now that you're done eating, clean up your mess, and we'll get going," Long Yin said, waving at the bed still covered in the kids' junk.
Though a few of the things spread out were valuable, the majority of them were only worth a few silver pieces. Jin Lu grunted in assent and stood up, walking to the bed to wipe the items back into his bag.
Nodding in approval, Long Yin waited at the door until Jin Lu walked up next to him. Jin Lu followed him down the stairs to the inn floor, a few patrons enjoying their breakfast.
"Good sir! Good morning. Are you leaving?" The inn manager was a small woman wearing a modest dress of blue with white ties crisscrossed across her chest.
Her eyes shone with excitement, while her smile was a touch too big on her face. Jin Lu cringed away, hiding behind Long Yin's larger frame.
"Yes, thank you," Long Yin said dismissively, nodding his head slightly.
Disappointment dimmed her smile, but she bowed respectfully when she stepped out of their way. Her eyes flashed when they landed on Jin Lu's back, causing a cold shiver to flash down her spine.
Keeping her head down, Jin Lu looked at the city through her lashes as she followed Long Yin down the crowded street, slowing her steps at different intervals until they were a few feet apart.
When the crowd thickened between them, she took the opportunity and sprinted towards an ally on her right. Just as her foot landed in front of the alley, pain sliced up from her ankle.
A startled yell escaped, and she crumbled to the ground, not able to put any weight on her foot. A shadow blocked the light above her, disappearing in the shadows between the buildings.
"You can't escape," Long Yin stated, laughter evident in his tone.
Jin Lu scooted on her butt until she could lean against the building, crossed her arms over her chest and pouted with a hmph. A chuckle escaped Long Yin before he squatted down and flicked her lower lip.
Jin Lu growled and swatted at Long Yin's hand. She glared over at the handsome face only inches from hers.
"Why?" she asked.
"Why not?" Long Yin answered back, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. He stood, dusted his robes off and held out his hand.
"Let's go."
Jin Lu stared at the hand, contemplating. Even though the guy was arrogant, pushy, and annoying as hell, he hadn't hurt her. Even though he was forcing her to follow him, it wasn't like she had anywhere to go or anything better to do, and there was the fact that someone had tried to kill her last night. Leaving with someone strong when she had no idea what she would face wasn't such a bad idea.
Glaring one more time at Long Yin, Jin Lu grabbed Long Yin's hand firmly and hauled herself up, letting go to dust off her pants.
"Fine, let's go," she conceded, walking past Long Yin with her head held high. A soft chuckle came from behind her, but she ignored it.
Let him laugh, she'd get even eventually.