Chasing Moonflowers, page 17
“In a box hidden inside a storage room,” she said. But she wondered. How had Miss James casually stumbled upon this ancient spell book? Did Miss James understand the contents of what she had found? “Why does the school even have a book with curses and spells?”
Wai pressed the book to his chest. By way of answer, he said, “How does a foreign church erect a marble building under the very shadow of Kowloon Mountain? It’s quite a feat without the right blessings.”
Something inside Ling clicked into place. Magic was involved. Magic pervaded the land. The events of the past several days had proved this to Ling. Had the church bound themselves to the ancients, or the other way around?
“I heard Ny’ghft Zhro’khal was the source of her suffering.” The man on the boat used the term to explain Lady Tun’s death.
“Summoning an ancient wrath.” Fear flashed in his eyes. “A terrible thing to bring back to the world.”
Ling let the interpretation sink in. The ancients wanted to punish excessiveness. Yet, Lady Tun’s death hadn’t driven the greed away. It had instead triggered chaos, surfacing secrets that threatened the status quo. Dangerous people were searching for a dead woman’s treasures. All things Ling knew about. She realized that she and her family were in a most dangerous position. Worse, even, than she had feared.
Twenty-Eight
An odd stink seeped into the twins’ bedroom. The streets had been cleared this morning in anticipation of the upcoming celebration, so it wasn’t certain where the smell was coming from. Ling whiffed the scent as soon as she walked in the door. She had gone to the medicine stand late, only to find it abandoned. What had been so important that her mother abandoned the store? Ling managed to salvage the day with a dozen sales or so.
She pondered her upcoming discussion with Captain Stewart. Who would be a fitting companion? Ahma had to care for Aunt Marcella and the twins. Emma was a staunch friend but unsuited for conflict. Enlai was the only choice left, but his help was almost certain to come with strings.
As she inspected the bedroom her brothers and Ahma shared, her train of thought faltered. The twins’ beds by the window were unmade, in contrast with her mother’s neat and tidy mattress by the door. This was odd. It was routine to close windows and doors before leaving for the day. Their window was open a crack. Had it been left unlatched all night? She sniffed over the sill to locate the source of the rotting stench.
Then someone burst through the front door. “Nuer, are you here?”
“Ahma, where were you?” Ling rushed out to the common room.
“Your brothers. Have you seen them?” Her face was contorted with worry. Her shirt was drenched in sweat and her pants caked with dirt. Had she spent her day crawling through a gutter?
“I thought you picked them up at school.” Ling was rapidly beginning to share in her mother’s anxiety. The twins didn’t go places on their own.
“They aren’t… weren’t there.” Ahma wiped her face with a kitchen towel. “I forgot to pack their midday meal. I left the stand to bring it to them at the school yard. I intended to return but….” She put her hands over her face and sat down. “The teachers said they never arrived….”
Her mother’s voice faded. She couldn’t be saying what Ling thought she was saying. “Maybe they are with a friend. Got caught up in a game….” A few names popped up in her head. Unfortunately, Cili was one of them. The missing girl.
“I re-traced their steps and knocked on everyone’s door.” Ahma’s eyes were wild. She was out of breath. “Nobody saw them.”
Ling leaned against the wall. This couldn’t be happening. “I am seeing the police chief later on. Perhaps, he….”
“He will not help…” Sobs escaped Ahma’s throat.
Ling knew that time was critical when looking for missing persons. Less than a half day had passed; it might not be too late. “We have to ask everyone to help. We will have merchants and protesters to comb the forest, bay, and marshes.” Ling spilled out a rush of ideas. “They might be in the Walled City.”
“This is all my fault.” Her mother cried into her hands on the circle table. “I never should have angered Wupo. When we did not go….”
“Why do you…Wupo? You think Wupo took them?” Ling cast a skeptical eye on her mother’s ravings. Her mind raced. Was the monster who killed Lady Tun behind this? Distracting her with a request for William and instead going after her siblings? The cases of Mei and Cili had never been pursued. Was there just one person, or a whole group behind the missing children?
“It turns out Wupo commented on the virtue of all my children, not just one.” Ahma fidgeted with her hands. What else was she not saying? “I thought they were safe at the missionary school. The secretary, Mrs. Lam, called the parents. She has no leads. What can we do?” Her mother peered blankly through the front door. Her demeanor crumpled into a pool of despair.
Searching under the twins’ bed, Ling found a pile of their clothes. She tossed them aside. Perhaps this was a misunderstanding. They would rush through the door caked in mud any minute, unaware of having caused any trouble. It was wishful thinking.
She rummaged through their drawers. Far in the back, she fished out multicolored wrappers. There were toffee wrappers from the soda shop, and also some plain wax ones. The store candy wrappers had writing and logos printed on them. These wax ones were homemade.
They had told Ling that beyond the marshes, a witch offered Cili sweets. The truth dawned on her. Lady Tun had been the one responsible. The feat however would be impossible now that she was dead. Why did this woman’s spirit continue to haunt Ling?
A thought hit her. Running to her room, she uncovered the jar with the eyes. They had intimate knowledge about the seaside shack and Lady Tun. Without hesitating, Ling dipped her fingers into the saline water. “Do you know where my brothers are?” The eyes had witnessed and shown her visions of a dead girl. They might well know other secrets of the universe.
Ling watched as the veins attached to her fingers and squeezed.
An image flared in her mind.
The eyes landed Ling in the middle of winding branches of a banyan. Only a little light filtered in through its lush leaves and intertwined roots. She tried to crawl out. Yet, the quicker she moved, the farther the light seemed. Until finally at the last branch, she spotted a clearing and a vast mountain range. As her face skimmed the dirt, the dainty feet of a woman moved into the clearing. In front of pink and white buds blooming on the trees, the woman turned toward the vines. Fresh blood ran down her face as her eyes glowed red.
“What are you doing?” Her mother cried from the kitchen, cutting off Ling’s last impressions. It did not matter; the eyes had already confirmed Wupo as the kidnapper.
Ling set down the jar. The flowers had been blossoming tea leaves. As far as Ling could tell, the site was likely on the northern side of the mountain. The ocean was not visible at all from the angle and altitude in the vision. “I am going to the Walled City for help,” she replied.
She hated to admit it, but there was only one person who would believe her and confront Wupo with her, and she would need his help, whatever strings may be attached.
Twenty-Nine
By the late afternoon, the winds had started to shift. Enlai was Ling’s last resort. He could deploy his people to search for the twins and ensure her safety when visiting Wupo. These tasks were the least he could offer; he owed her that much. Her mother would begin a search with students and their parents.
At the entrance of the Walled City, an uneasy stillness stopped her. A worker pulling a cart full of produce threw her a fearful look. Don’t go in there, his face said. A fresh gash sliced across his cheek, yellowed and swelling. She thought of Wai’s injuries, never healing without the proper care. A simple application of pulverized ginger would nourish the man’s broken skin. The wound caused the idea of the twins suffering to bubble up in her head. They were all alone. She had to hurry.
As she turned through dark and light, her eyes were slow in adjusting to the changes. Behind shuttered windows, people quarreled and cried. She didn’t often venture this deep into the Walled City, and less than ten minutes inside the walls, she was lost. Stopping a mother with two young children in tow, she asked for directions to Cafe de Sourire.
“Are you sure you want to go there?” The mother tugged on the shirts of her kindergarteners. “Please, let’s help this lady.”
The children had dirt-streaked faces. One of them, a girl with short hair, stuck out her tongue. “The food there is dreadful. Eat at Nam Wan instead.”
“I am afraid my friend insisted on meeting there. Anything I should not order?” Ling lifted the corners of her mouth, but a tightness gripped her chest.
“If you must, turn left. First ladder on your right.” The mother frowned, pointing to the direction with a flick of her head. “On you go.”
The family hurried away in the opposite direction.
Ling turned left, quickening her pace, so she wouldn’t change her mind. Enlai was the last person she wanted to see, but he was the only one with the means and courage to help. First Street crossed White Street. The ladder spilled her onto the balcony of a private apartment. With no rails, the sliding doors had been taped over with newspapers. Was this really the right place?
From the balcony, she could see over the uneven stone walls surrounding the city. The stones alternated low and high with bump outs for archers and cannons. Up here the clouds appeared lower, touching the horizon like foam on top of a root beer float. Her mouth watered.
A voice inquired from the obscured entrance. “Who goes there?”
“I am looking for Cafe de Sourire,” she answered in her best French.
Laughter erupted from the other side. “Enlai’s petite amie.”
Ling blushed without knowing why. “Is he there?”
Suddenly, her bag was yanked backwards. A white-haired woman in a grease-splashed apron waved her inside. “Food and drink through here.”
Ling followed, scanning the vacant apartment with curiosity. The savory smells of fried garlic, roasted peppers, and potatoes drew her further inside. There was at least a promise of food.
The cook didn’t wait to answer Ling’s many questions and darted back to her station. Behind a curtain, a heavy cloth opened up to reveal a large space with metal tables and stools. Rowdy conversation buzzed through the room. This was the Cafe of Smiles.
Several groups played cards while others stacked tiles. People drank and smoked while a handful of waiters carted refreshments and plates in and out of the kitchen. Men had opened the collars to their traditional jackets. Women wore dresses with low necklines and tight bodices. Ling couldn’t have been more out of place with her braids, navy blouse, and starched trousers. Where was Enlai?
Before she could think of a plan, a bulky man grabbed her by the waist. “Jie Jie, little sis, why are you standing there so fresh?”
She swatted at his hands, but he held on tight. Bile rose up in her throat. Why was he touching her? He was repulsive; his skin was slathered with beer and tobacco, and he smelled of regurgitated food.
“I am looking for Enlai,” she said as he plopped her on a stool next to him without space between them.
“Dai Guo, leave her alone.” A delicate woman in a light orange dress addressed the boss. She flashed Ling a sympathetic look.
“Why should I?” The big man fisted a handful of peanuts and shoved them in his mouth.
Resting a hand on top of his bulging gut, she said, “This is Enlai’s girl. Did you not hear her just say that?” The words were uttered calmly. Her lashes pointed downward. But the tremble in her voice said, regardless, that it wasn’t her place to question this man.
Dai Guo’s eyes widened. His expression soured as he pushed Ling off the chair. The woman in the orange dress took a step back, but he caught her wrist. He twisted her tiny bones invoking a silent scream. “Do not tell me what to do.”
The entire place hushed, watching a man three times a lady’s size show her who was in charge.
Tears streamed down the lady’s cheeks. “My apologies.”
Ling took this moment to escape.
“Go get more beers.” Dai Lou boomed a command. A small whimper escaped the woman’s lips. The ruckus restarted as Ling huddled by the stove.
The willowy dashed behind the curtain. She barked orders to the staff. “I need beers and the fish dishes for the boss.” She turned her gaze down to Ling. “Listen, private school. Don’t just show up expecting special treatment.”
Ling looked up and nodded solemnly.
“Leave now. I will not be able to save you again.”
“Enlai told me to come. I need help.” Ling put her hands together.
The woman huffed. “That boy is an idiot. Hitching your house to that wagon is—”
“Go easy on her,” said another cook cutting vegetables.
Orange dress tapped her fingers on a cutting board. “He’s not here. Best I can do is give him a message.” She pulled a container out and patted a white powder puff over the redness on her wrists, masking the marks of savagery.
“Hau Wang Miu? I’ll wait for him there.” Ling climbed out of her hiding place and went back the way she came.
“Good luck,” voices said as Ling ducked behind the tarp.
On the way back, Ling didn’t bump into a single soul. Cafe de Sourire wasn’t open to the public. Who were all those men? Had she stumbled upon a band of Red Society brothers or yet another sort of hooligan? She walked uneasily, feeling a shadow lurking behind her. Dampness gathered on her skin. Could someone from the café have followed her out? She had taken only two steps out from the stone walls when two strong arms pulled her back inside.
She tipped backward, smacking her backside against the stones. Her vision blurred. A figure hovered over her.
Punching at the space above her head, she panicked. The man that had grabbed her in the café triggered something inside of her. She aimed at the legs of the attacker. A loud crack followed a well-aimed jab. She’d hit her target.
Ling clambered to her feet.
“A feisty one,” Brother Tam choked. He wiped his face with his sleeve. His large hands grasped her shoulders.
Blood throbbed in Ling’s ears. “What is this?” Blood leaked from a cut inside her mouth. Flavors of iron and sand coated her tongue.
Tam twisted his lips. “Where is Enlai?”
Ling was startled. “I thought you might know.” She swiped at his face, gritting her teeth.
“I knew he was a liar.” Tam’s lips curved in a smile.
“No…he is my caller. We had a fight. I am looking for him.”
“Lover’s quarrel. Let me see.” Tam pulled her closer, scanning her face. “I heard Wupo was looking for you.” He frisked her pockets then ripped the canvas bag away from her.
“Stop!” she shouted into his face. “My uncle paid your fees. This is my medical bag for sick patients.” She frantically lunged for her possessions.
He struck her in the chest with the back of his hand. It stunned her. “Excellent. Da Lou will be pleased with these eyes. Wupo asked us to find them. Lucky day for a fortune to fall into my lap.” He adjusted the black cloth around his head.
“You are a fool.” Ling backed away.
He grabbed a handful of skin on her waist. Her leg lifted on impulse. Bringing the edge of her heel down on his foot, she tried to sprint away. He yelped but twisted her wrist tighter. “On second thought, I don’t care about Enlai.”
Ling tried to wriggle free. “Everyone wants the eyes. The police captain. A vampire. They will be after you now. Give them back.”
He laughed. “I am not a child. Vampires are a fantasy of the ghosts.”
“You have been locked inside these stone walls for too long.” Ling was getting desperate. She needed those eyes for her uncle’s freedom. “The Red Society should protect locals, not extort them.” She glared at him through half-lidded eyes. She allowed a darkness to seize her words, giving them strength. “The eyes are cursed.”
Fear flashed across his face, and he loosened his hold for a second. Ling dashed free and scrambled down the street. But in a flash, he was back at her side. “Wild thing.” A haze clouded his face. “You are mine.” He pulled her hair.
“I am not anyone’s!” Hot pain permeated through her scalp. She hated being immobilized, not able to fight back. She hated how quickly he caught up to her.
He licked his lips and pressed them against hers. She thrashed with all her might. His touch was abhorrent. Her body tightened as he forced her lips apart. She didn’t have the strength to fight him off indefinitely. A slippery tongue crept into her mouth. The back of her throat heaved. Tasting his cigarette ash and grime, she bit down. Blood filled her senses, a flavor she preferred over his putrid kisses.
He pushed her roughly to the ground. His hand was over his mouth, crying inaudible obscenities.
Ling ran for a hiding place with hair over her face. “Enlai!” she called out to the only person who could help her in this dark place.
“Do not make this harder than it has to be.” Tam grabbed the back of her shirt, dragging her from the street into a building. Her shirt collar choked her. She couldn’t breathe, and before long, everything went dark.
Ling woke up in a shed. Light filtered through the broken glass of a small window over her head. She panicked, patting down her shirt. Her bag wasn’t on her. Thankfully, her clothes hadn’t been disturbed.
“It is right here.” Tam smoked from the back corner of the room. The dim red glow of his cigarette marked his location as far from her as possible in this small space. She was relieved. “I need to check if this is the real thing before I deliver it to Da Lou. Then we can play.”
Ling flinched. She had only been kissed by Enlai once when they were kids. It was pleasant, but not fiery. She hadn’t felt the tingles, jitters, or butterflies other girls talked about. Enlai was better than Tam. But who said it was a choice she had to make? “I need to leave. Give me….”
