As forthright as Stone seemed to be with his answers, she still knew so little about him. Was he of the underworld? An immortal demon? Had he and her mother been lovers? She perched back on the rock and withdrew Zhen Ni’s handkerchief from her knapsack, running her palm across the smooth silk. She studied the crooked dragonfly on the handkerchief and smiled. It truly was terrible embroidering. But Zhen Ni had lit up when Skybright gave her the gift, pressing it against her chest before giving Skybright a hug. “I’ll keep it with me always,” Zhen Ni had said. Skybright scowled, an attempt to force the tears away. Instinctively, she pressed the silk to her nose. It smelled of faint jasmine, and something deep within her chest stirred. She jumped to her feet and stripped, tucking her clothes neatly into her knapsack before shifting within two breaths into serpent form. She lifted the handkerchief to her nose again and her forked tongue darted out.
