Why wasn't he cold? Shi Long wondered. He felt a lumpy object in his pocket. He fished it out.
Quartz? Why the hell would Liuxang put quartz in his pocket? And then he realized he wasn't wet anymore.
Likui barked at him and Shi Long turned around, and stepped back, shocked.
Likui was pawing at a well-hidden vehicular device.
"Oh my God, what did Liuxang do to this place?"
Night settled as Miles turned left and right. He should never have let Larry drag him out of PE class. Qilin even pushed him to put more effort into doing exercise but he seemed to have had enough adrenaline to run away from her, Qilin was a killer after all when it came to improving oneself. He tripped and fell face first. A body of a guard was what he stumbled on. He fell back in horror and reared. His back hit something ... human? He looked up.
"Poor Miles, poor poor Miles."
"Qilin?" He stood up to examine her. It was indeed Qilin and she held a candle.
"Oh God, Qilin I'm so glad –"
His face paled when he saw her dress, is what splattered with blood.
"What happened Qilin?"
"Run Miles, run."
He could only glance at her horrified. A knife whizzed past him. Mundo.
"Do what the lady tells you, Prosecutor, if you want to live."
Blood beaded at the place the knife had grazed his cheek.
"My god, Qilin..."
This time it was Qilin who flashed a knife at his face. Miles side-stepped reflexively, turned, and then ran.
This was a bloody nightmare. There was no way Qilin could have turned into a homicidal maniac. Miles pinched himself hoping to wake up from the nightmare. He was still in the same old place. He had locked himself up in a bedroom. The same bedroom Qilin had written those terrifying words. He had to find something that could give him a clue to what was happening. He checked under the bed and found a box. He pulled it out, though dark he could make it out from the outline. He opened it and was shocked to find it filled with paper cranes. He searched for anything he could use to see. He pulled out a drawer, and was fortunate to find a torch. He turned it on and peered at the box full of cranes. A paper was sticking out.
"My wish is to destroy my family for the pain I've suffered." It was in Qilin's handwriting.
"Qilin..." Miles said.
He didn't notice anyone coming out of the floor through a trap door. He didn't notice the figure coming at him with a blunt object. And he didn't realize someone was going to hit him until it was too late. Thump.
"Fiona, what did you do?" Franziska demanded.
"I hit ... Mundo?"
"That is not Mundo, you –" Franziska clamped her mouth shut in case she would anger Fiona.
"You're right, it's Miles."
She put his head on her knees and stroke his head. A smile ghosted on her face so subtle that Franziska was too busy glowering at her in jealousy to notice that Fiona knew it.
"So this is your?"
"Step-brother."
"He so handsome." That purr was almost like a feline's.
"He is not."
"Is he? Look at him, the hair, the eyes, the looks. Quite a package. Is he dating? Gone celibate?"
"No!" Franziska all but screamed.
Fiona clamped her mouth with her hand. "Shh! You ninny, they could hear us!"
As if to prove her point, the door started rattling.
"I know you're there, Sister Franziska, Brother Miles, come out."
Fiona murmured a chant and then grabbed Miles and Franziska's hand.
They were in another room, no, not a room, Franziska thought, but a ballroom. But why unearth did it look abandoned? There were upturned tables, chairs, and ragged draperies. Miles gaped with shock at the change of surroundings.
"Fiona Egan, what is this?"
"This is the abandoned ballroom of this compartment."
"Why is this the only room that doesn't seem to have been renovated?"
"I dunno. Ask Liuxang, he's the only one with family problems."
"Family problems?" Miles asked, he had finally found his voice.
"Of course."
Franziska and Miles waited for her to say more, but Fiona, with her Irish stubbornness, kept her lips shut. They gave up, with a sigh. Best not to anger a witch anyway.
"Before you ask Miles, I'll make it easier to answer your unvoiced question, I am a witch born with Wiccan blood. Just read that Nora Robert's book, I'm like a weaker version of Morgana Donovan and much much meaner."
"You read that trash?" Franziska interjected.
Fiona's eyebrow twitched with fury. "I beg your pardon lassie but I can hardly think you can call Nora Robert's books a trash." The temperature dropped a few degrees lower it seemed. Miles could almost see his breath freezing.
"Franziska, I don't think it's time for another screaming match with two people determined to kill us."
Franziska struggled to contain her outburst. Pride over safety or safety over pride? Since she was smart, she chose safety.
"Fiona, do you know what happened to Qilin?" Miles asked cautiously.
Fiona glared at him and Franziska with disdain. "Of course I know what happened, you shut her off."
They both flinched at the accusation but they knew they deserved it. "We know, but we didn't know that it could turn her into...into... this."
Fiona gave a sad smile as she softened. In her heart of hearts, they felt guilty. "Qilin indeed was hurt by what you did to her, but it was seeing Huoniao's condition that broke her."
"Then what is Liuxang's and Qilin's relationship?" Franziska asked.
"Do you know why Liuxang switches to Qilin and Huoniao at times?" Fiona asked sadly.
"No, but please tell us."
"Liuxang sees that as a life that could have happened if the incident happened."
"You don't mean –?" It was cut short. There was banging on the door and all three hid. Miles hid behind a pillar with a dragon carving. Franziska hid under a table that was missing two legs on the right side. Fiona covered herself in the tattered draperies, with a some magic she removed the dust and made sure she could use a hole in the draperies as a peephole.
Qilin and Mundo entered the room, laughing as they dragged Huoniao's body inside. It was beginning to stink.
"Hurry Mundo, it's obvious Liuxang is still alive, we have to prepare for his dramatic entrance!"
"Patience, my dear. To set up a beautiful stage for Liuxang, it required props and patience."
"But we already have the prop, don't we?" Qilin smacked Huoniao's head as they put him a chair to signify what the prop would be.
"The binding if you please." Mundo cocked his head as he set up Huoniao. He shrugged, indicating he was satisfied with the position of Huoniao.
"Of course." Qilin binded Huoniao to the chair to keep him from falling.
"And know..." Without further ado, Mundo pulled out a knife from his sleeves and stabbed Huoniao.
Franziska and Miles winced, Fiona, however, paled.
Endless knives were pulled out, each knife planted to the chest of Huoniao. It was excruciating to watch, Fiona closed her eyes. No, not her boyfriend, not him. She could use her magic, but she couldn't without endangering the two prosecutors. She shuddered as each knife made the sound of a knife stabbing a pillow. Torture, it was plain torture to her. It went on and on, until finally Huoniao's chest was a pincushion for knives.
Liuxang was just before the mansion with Luna on his back. He panted with exhaustion as Luna got off him and he fell to his knees. A few seconds later, a vehicle pulled over. Shi Long.
"How was it?" Liuxang asked between breaths.
"I need answers Liuxang but I know Sis and Mr. Edgeworth are there so I'll postpone questioning. For now," Shi Long said.
It was grim determination that made Liuxang stand up. But it seemed he spent too much energy and was still not at his top because of his medication, he fell only to be picked up by the two guards that had chased Franziska.
Shi Long was close to whipping out his gun when their caps fell off. Ralos and Kay assisted Liuxang to stand.
"So what was this? The three Rs of strategy after attacked? Retreat. Regroup. Reconfigure?"
Liuxang managed to smirk. "It is."
Shi Long curled his lips as an impressed smile. "Then what's the next plan?"
I am suffering writer's block. HELP! Exams are coming up, I need to study. Stressed. I need to get good grades this time. And if you want to know why Shi Long isn't suffering hypothermia, quartz has the power to control ice and fire, supposedly other than the affinity with time. The Donovan Legacy by Nora Roberts rocks, so I encourage you people to read it.