Chapter 2

Zheng Xue Jing stood outside the palace, waiting for the guards to open the doors to her. It was still early in the morning, and the air was cool and fresh. She inhaled it gratefully, still trying to clear her head of this morning's hangover. She hoped her brother would have tea ready.

She walked to his bedroom and stood outside the door, calling for his Eunuch to get permission to enter. He stuck his head out of the doors to get a look at her, and then disappeared back inside.

She heard the Eunuch's voice through the door, "Princess Jing Rui is here to see you, Your Majesty."

"Again?" Zheng heard her brother ask. "I just saw her yesterday!" There was a silent pause and then he spoke again. "All right, all right, let her in!"

The door opened and her brother's servant ushered her inside. She slipped past him and went to sit down on the bed next to her brother. He was still in his sleeping gown, but sitting up, sipping at a cup of tea. She grabbed it out of his hand and downed the contents, then sighed in relief.

"More! Bring more!" she ordered the Eunuch.

King Mu Jing looked at her in disbelief, then started laughing. "What were you up to last night?" he asked incredulously.

"I drank too much" she admitted.

"Mmmm-hmmm" he replied with a lift of his eyebrow. "I can see that."

"Some thieves broke in while I was drunk" she told him, eagerly pouring another cup of tea for herself from the pot the Eunuch offered her.

Her brother looked at her in alarm. "What did they take?" he asked worriedly.

Zheng shrugged. "As near as I can tell they didn't take anything. It looked like they were after the Magic Screen, but when Xiao Hei got up there, they all ran for it."

Mu Jing frowned. "It's too dangerous for you to keep that powerful artifact there. I've been telling you for years that you need to move into the palace!" he said in frustration.

"I'm NOT moving into the palace!" Zheng insisted stubbornly. "I WANT my freedom!"

Mu Jing grabbed his head with both hands and glared at her.

"Why are you SO stubborn?" he asked, his eyes round with annoyance.

"Don't worry so much!" Zheng told him. "Xiao Hei is there to protect me."

Her brother sighed. "So why are you here so early to tell me about this?" he asked.

"You said to tell you right away if anything happens with the screen" she answered, shrugging. She grabbed a moon cake from the tray her brother's servant offered and took a bite. "Mmmmmmm, so good" she commented through a full mouth.

Her brother laughed at her again. "You just wanted breakfast!"

"Can I take some back with me for Xiao Hei?" she asked.

"Fine, fine" her brother answered. "Just get out so I can get dressed!" He threw his pillow at her, hitting her in the face.

She jumped up off the bed. "I can see when I am not wanted!" she exclaimed in mock anger. She threw the pillow back at him and stalked out of the room, still eating her moon cake. She stood on the lawn outside her brother's room, finishing her moon cake and enjoying the cool stillness of the morning air.

Her peaceful moment was disturbed suddenly by a loud crashing noise, coming from outside the palace. She looked up, startled. That was in the direction of her house! She took off running, impatiently waiting for the guards to open the gates and let her out, before dashing to her house. Behind her she could hear Mu Jing yelling for her to stop, but she ignored him.

By the time she got to her street, she could see a bright orange light glowing up from where her roof used to be. It looked like two suns were rising that morning. She held her shaky hand to her mouth, and then doubled over trying to catch her breath.

"Xiao Hei!" she exclaimed in alarm, through her gasps. She stumbled forward tiredly, trying to get to him.

Through the orange glow she could see dark figures rising up into the air. The number was beyond counting. Soon the sky was filled with dark shapes, all floating away from her house.

"What is this?" she asked aloud to no one in particular.

She was struck by the similarity from yesterday. Countless flowers floated in the sky above her house yesterday morning. This morning countless black shapes dotted the sky above her house. It couldn't be a coincidence. Yu Yan had sent her a warning, but she was too dense to understand it.

As she got closer to her house she could make out more detail of these dark shapes. Some were humanoid, others skeletal with skulls wreathed in flame. Still others were winged and reptilian in appearance.

Her jaw dropped in alarm. She suddenly recalled the events of the first day after she had received the Magic Screen. An army of demons and monsters had descended on her house, seeking to steal the Magic Screen. She had locked them all inside with the instructions given her by Bai Sheng.

She struggled to remember what he had said about the conditions of the screen.

"Once a demon is locked in the screen, it automatically enters a ten year master-slave contract" Bai Sheng's voice floated in her memory.

"After the ten years are over, the Demon is free" she whispered in horror.

That had been ten years ago today.