Chapter 85

With the wedding to occur the next day, Aurelia had little choice but to seek Zinjo out and fill him in on the situation. Tang Sai had already taken off to find out why they held Sophie. Antilla may have been half the size of Shadowfen, but it did not make the search for Zinjo any easier.

Liling headed back to the boat, as she did not have combat experience or wanted to participate in such activities, "I hope you succeed, but I must think of my children."

She longed to shed her human form and take to the skies as the Anzu. Her better sense told her to keep that aspect of herself hidden until she needed it. Ayasu put her hand on Aurelia's shoulder. "I sense you are conflicted about your mother's rescue."

"Before the Heart's Call, we were inseparable. When it failed the first time, she backed away from me. Then when it failed a second time, she withdrew further, and our relationship eroded over time," Aurelia opened and closed the parasol.

"Mothers and daughters are often in tumult. Mothers try to realize their dreams through their young, and the daughters try to forge a personality distinct from their origins. Have you not proven that?" Ayasu smiled as the princess knitted her brows in thought.

One thought played in Aurelia's mind over and over: Who acted pettier in the relationship? Yes, her mother did distance herself from Aurelia, but did she allow Sophie to comfort her? Old uncolored memories came back to her. Sophie spent days outside her door while she cried into her pillow. Aurelia didn't want to hear or say anything. She closed her eyes and caught the crack in her mother's voice from the other side of the hardwood. She remembered the long discolored streaks that ran the length of the door from her tears.

"Remembering the past as it was?" The old lioness asked. Her gentle voice encouraged tears from the princess's eyes. Motherly arms held Aurelia, "You have found the care in her actions and the folly of yours."

"I was so selfish, she reached out to me, and I slapped her hand away like it was nothing...,"

"Self-pity will not do you any favors, dark princess. Forgive yourself and try to make things right between you two. I have no doubt your mother carries some regrets as well."

Aurelia opened and closed the parasol in thought, "Then I guess my path is clear. I must rescue Sophie."

***

Tang Sai met them at the docks, and her curious eyes shone with mischief, "Religious people are strange. I saw a whole group bowing to a statue."

Aurelia stifled a giggle, "Yeah, that sounds about normal."

"What about Queen Sophie," Ayasu brought the conversation back to the subject at hand.

"You mean the loud one?" The Huli Jing refused to hide the interest in her eyes, "I thought she was the most fun to watch."

Aurelia massaged her temples and sighed, "While I am glad you enjoyed herself, I'd like to know how much danger my mother is in," An irritation crept into her voice and caused Tang Sai to take two steps back.

"The guards are religious nuts too. I stole some lady's robe while she was in the public baths, and I had access to the temple. They gave me some weird greetings. All I had to do is nod and carry on in silence," Tang Sai bubbled with excitement, "I think I will take that job as an imperial spy."

"What are they armed with?" Aurelia demanded.

"Ceremonial blades made with poor craftsmanship. Their fighting style is sloppy as well. I saw a couple of guards fighting. I found it to be a great lesson in what not to do," Tang Sai seemed quite proud of her assessment.

"What about Sophie herself?" Ayasu's tone hardened to steel-like proportions. "What are our chances of getting her out without trouble."

Tang Sai clapped like a child, "I was just getting to that part," the playfulness in the fox woman's eyes made Aurelia weary, "You'll have to ask the man in the funny hat."

"You mean the bishop?" Ayasu asked, "I've met him once or twice. He seems like an amiable man."

"Maybe in public, but not in private," Tang Sai motioned the women to come closer to her, "I impersonated him, and accessed his room...," The Huli Jing paused, "I need a bucket of water."

A rusted metal bucket lay on the docks with none to claim it, "I'm sure no one will mind if we borrow this for a moment," a deluge of water filled the bucket, and the princess turned away from her distorted image.

Ayasu smiled at the fox woman, "What does this have to do with anything?"

Tang Sai wiggled her nimble fingers, "A little magic..."

Ayasu covered the Huli Jings mouth, "While magic is not illegal here, the locals do not trust or like it very much. We already risk much with our rescue attempt."

"She's right, Tang Sai, best to keep any powers we do have under wraps for the moment," She paused, "Did you see Zinjo?"

"Yes, he and the super-serious one went out into the woods. They should be okay for the night. Might I say if I wasn't with Han Xin...what?" Tang Sai shrank back from the glare in Aurelia's eyes, "Back to the bishop?"

Aurelia longed to hit the trickster but restrained herself with considerable effort, "Please, and for future reference, refrain from speaking about Zinjo romantically in front of me. It is considered rude in Shadowfen."

Ayasu chuckled, "Do you plan to have this talk with everyone woman who is attracted to my Zinjo? I daresay you'll be at it well into your golden years. He is head over heels in love with you, trust him."

Tang Sai rolled her eyes, "Can we get back to the bishop?" She held her silence to avoid another interruption, "I don't know what deity the Bishop worships, but the statue didn't look friendly at all."

"Unfriendly how?" Aurelia opened and closed the parasol as she listened.

"It was a woman, and she had moths in her hair..."

"Carmen, the bishop worships Carmen. We met her on the way to the far east. The population of Antilla must be people who escaped her shadowy clutches and why they hate outsiders," The moths brought Aurelia back to the first time she met the shadow herself.

Ayasu seemed impressed, "Why does the bishop worship the false goddess?"

"She looked pretty godly to me," Tang Sai watched some fish swim the wooden uprights.

"I'll tell you the whole story when there is time," Aurelia promised, "Carry on."

"Well, the real bishop came into the room and pulled a dusty book off the shelf. Then, the religious man yanked on a torch ring and revealed a glowing rock. He said a bunch of nonsense until the end, and then he said, "May the peace of the island continue,"

Ayasu's face dropped to the ground, and the grew fierce an instant later, "Ladies, we should get to the Cathedral. The bishop has provided us with the means to secure Sophie's release."

Aurelia's ears perked up, "I'm listening."