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The air in the dressing chamber was thick, cloyingly sweet with the scent of crushed jasmine and the sharp, metallic tang of Foxfire magic. Jade sat frozen in the ornate vanity.
Justin stood in front her, a towering presence that seemed to swallow the light in the room. his knuckles pale. For a moment, the only sound was the frantic thrum of Jade's heart—a staccato beat against her ribs.
He didn't just lean in; he claimed the space around her. His hands slid from her shoulders to her neck, his grip firm and possessive. When he kissed her, it wasn't the gentle courtship of a prince—it was wild, a desperate and deep collision that tasted of fire and unspoken demands. It was a kiss that sought to erase her identity, to drown her resistance in a sea of overwhelming sensation.
When he finally pulled away, the silence felt heavier than the noise. He leaned his forehead against hers, his breath hitching slightly, before a slow, playful smirk pulled at his lips.
"Don't ever try to escape," he whispered, his voice a low vibration that crawled down her spine. "Or I will punish you even more."
He chuckled, a dark, melodic sound, and stepped back. The moment his hands left her, the spell broke. Justin moved toward the window, his expression unreadable, and Jade didn't wait. Her eyes wide with a mixture of terror and fury, she bolted. Her silks rustling like dead leaves, and sprinted for the door, the ghost of his smirk burning into her mind.
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The garden of the Fox Realm was a place of impossible beauty and hidden teeth. Jade sprinted through the silver-leafed trees until her lungs burned, slowing only when she saw a familiar silhouette near the crystalline fountain.
"Emily?"
The girl turned, and for a heartbeat, the nightmare of the palace faded. Jade rushed to her, her hands trembling as she reached for her friend's arms. Emily's face flickered through a kaleidoscope of emotions—relief, then a sudden, sharp spark of anger.
"Why did you leave?" Emily demanded, her voice rising. "You disappeared without a trace! You have no idea how much I and Granny worried. We thought you were dead, Jade!"
"Emily, please, sit," Jade pleaded, pulling her toward the gnarled roots of a massive, ancient tree that shielded them from the palace windows.
There, under the shifting shadows, Jade poured out the truth—the kidnapping, the cold stone of the Heaven Realm's jails, and the golden cage of the Fox Prince. Emily's anger melted into a hollow, aching worry.
"You've gone through so much..." Emily whispered, reaching out to tuck a stray hair behind Jade's ear.
"But Emily," Jade said, her voice dropping, "how did you find me? How did you get past the gates?"
"A man from the Heaven Realm," Emily explained. "He helped me reach the borders, but he couldn't break the barrier of the Fox Realm itself. I was stuck there. He was... strange, but helpful."
Jade's heart turned to lead. "Was he handsome? With a heavy silver sword buckled to his belt?"
Emily nodded slowly. "Yes. Without him, I'd never have found you."
"He is the one who imprisoned me," Jade hissed, her eyes darkening. "He threw me in the darkness of the Heaven Realm's dungeons."
Emily recoiled as if stung. "What? No way... he didn't look like a bad man. He seemed so certain."
"I thought so too," Jade muttered, the mystery tightening like a noose. "Why would he bring you here? Is he planning something else? He told me he would help find out who murdered my family... but everything he does is a lie."
Emily's face went pale. "So he used me to get to you? He's the one... the 'Bad Man' of the clouds." She paused, her gaze shifting to the towering spires of the Fox Palace. "Jade... is it true? Is the Fox Prince going to marry you?"
Jade's breath hitched. She looked at her lap, her fingers twisting her skirts. "Yes. How did you know?"
"Everyone is talking about it," Emily said, her voice laced with concern. "The servants, the guards... they say it's a 'union of souls.' Jade, look at me. Do you want to marry him?"
"No," Jade said, the word coming out sharp and certain. "I want to escape. I want my life back."
"Then we have to get out," Emily whispered, leaning closer.
Jade immediately placed a hand over Emily's mouth, her eyes darting toward the swaying flowers. "One more thing... don't even whisper. These Fox people... their ears are not like ours. They can hear the heartbeat of a bird from a mile away. They hear everything."
Emily nodded solemnly, the weight of the Fox Realm's secrets settling over them both like a shroud.
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The following evening, the Fox Realm was bathed in a bruised purple twilight. Jade stood stiffly in a magnificent hanfu of shimmering silk, the fabric embroidered with silver lilies that seemed to glow. Beside her, Justin stood like a statue carved from obsidian, his presence radiating an effortless, terrifying grace.
The air was thick with the scent of ancient incense. A Fox Nanny, her face a map of two thousand years of secrets, stepped forward. Her voice was like dry parchment rubbing together.
"To bind a soul to the Fox lineage, three rituals must be completed," she intoned. "This is the first. You must face the waters of the Moon Well together."
In the distance, obscured by the crowd of fox-spirits, Emily stood beside Mike, Justin's closest confidant. Emily's knuckles were white as she gripped her sleeves, her eyes searching for Jade.
"Don't worry," Mike whispered, a relaxed, easy smile on his face. "Nothing will happen to your friend. Our Prince protects what is his."
Emily offered an awkward, trembling smile, but her heart hammered against her ribs. She didn't trust the "protection" of a predator.
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The Leap into the Night
Suddenly, the Nanny leaned in and whispered a single phrase into Justin's ear. A slow, predatory smile spread across his face. Before Jade could even gasp, Justin swept her off her feet.
"Hold on," he commanded.
He leapt. Jade's stomach dropped as they soared higher than the palace spires, the wind whipping her hair into a frenzy. She squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face in the crook of his neck as the world blurred beneath them.
Minutes later, they landed with impossible softness near the crest of a jagged hill. The roar of a waterfall thundered nearby, silvered by the moonlight. Justin set her down gently, but the air here felt different—charged and wild.
"Why did you bring me here?" Jade asked, her voice trembling. "I don't think this is where the ritual is supposed to happen."
Justin scoffed, his eyes tracking the terror on her face with a strange, dark amusement. Suddenly, a low, guttural roar echoed from the woods—a mountain loon. Terrified, Jade lunged toward the only familiar thing in this strange wilderness, hugging Justin tightly.
For a moment, Justin froze. Then, he slowly tapped her head, his fingers surprisingly soft. "Don't. I'm here."
Realizing she was clinging to her captor, Jade recoiled, her face flushing crimson. "I... I'm sorry."
"The ritual requires the Hot Springs," Justin said, his voice dropping an octave. He began to walk toward the steaming pools hidden behind the rocks.
"What exactly are we going to do?" Jade stammered, backing away.
She didn't see the ledge behind her. As she stumbled, Justin's hand shot out, snaring her waist and pulling her flush against his chest. He leaned down, his breath warm against her ear.
"We bath together," he whispered.
The Moon-Lit Spring
"I can't!" Jade cried, her eyes wide. "I won't!"
Justin's eyes narrowed, a flash of irritation crossing his handsome features. Jade felt a chill go down her spine. "I will do the ritual," she whispered, "but not together. Please."
Justin smirked, a sharp, dangerous look. "As you wish."
Moments later, Jade had changed into thin, white bathing silks. She stood at the edge of the steaming spring, peering into the dark water. "Is it... is it too deep?" she whispered to herself, hesitant to step in.
Justin, already in the water, watched her with an intense, unblinking gaze. Without a word, he waded over and lifted her into his arms again.
"I said not together!" Jade protested.
"If you are too hesitant to enter the water, we will be here until dawn," Justin countered, his voice playful yet firm. "I have no other option."
He stepped deeper. The heat of the water began to soak through Jade's silks. "Don't worry," he murmured. "It's hot water, not cold."
Jade's grip on his shoulders tightened until her nails dug into his skin. The water rose to Justin's chest. He slowly set her down, and she gasped as the warmth enveloped her.
"See? It's not cold," she whispered, trying to find some courage. But when she looked up, she found Justin's face mere inches from hers. His eyes were dark, clouded with a passion that looked like intoxication.
Jade instinctively brought her hands to her chest in a protective stance. Justin didn't hesitate. He grabbed both of her wrists, pulling them up and draping them around his own neck, forcing her to close the distance between them.
Jade's heart raced like a trapped bird. Justin leaned in, his kiss desperate and hungry, as if he were trying to drink her very soul. Jade struggled to breathe, pushing against his chest, but his grip on her waist was an iron vice.
Slowly, the heat of the spring and the intensity of his touch began to melt her resolve. Her head swam. When he finally broke the kiss, he didn't let go. He turned her around, his lips finding the sensitive curve of her neck.
"Stop..." she gasped, trying to pull away.
Justin grabbed both of her hands in one of his, pinning them together so she couldn't move. "The more you resist," he whispered into her ear, one eye half-open and gleaming with a wild light, "the more I kiss."
He pressed his face into her shoulder, inhaling her scent deeply. Jade's breath came in heavy, ragged sobs.
"I told you before," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I don't love you. I don't even like you. Why do you want this? Why do you want to marry me?"
Justin froze. The heat in his eyes flickered and died, replaced by a cold, sharp clarity. He released her hands and stepped back, the water rippling between them.
Jade's eyes welled with tears. "Do you think you can make me love you by imprisoning me?" she asked, her voice a fragile thread of pain. "By forcing this marriage?"
Justin's eyes turned a sudden, violent red. He scoffed, a sound of pure, unadulterated agony. He looked away, his jaw tight.
You don't know, he thought, his heart a blackened weight in his chest. You have no idea how many lifetimes I have waited. You don't know how much I love you.
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To be Continued...
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