His blade rose again, steady despite the blood on his hands. "So go, brother. Find the Prime Minister. Stop him before he takes the Jade Token. I'll hold this rabble here."
Zhao Yan swallowed hard, his eyes bright. "Ling Xu…"
But there was no time for more words. Another wave of the Prime Minister's men crashed over them, howling like beasts. Swords flashed. Steel rang out. The air was a blur of motion and blood.
Zhao Ling Xu turned back to the fight, his expression calm, blade moving like a dancer's steps—deadly, precise.
Zhao Yan took one last look at his brother—at the faint smile on his lips, at the unwavering resolve in his eyes—and then he turned and ran.
The battle raged on behind him, but he didn't look back.
He ran through the halls of the palace, each step carrying him closer to the heart of the empire's secrets. The Jade House—the place that was said to hold the soul of the empire itself—waited in the dark.
