18 Dragons (An Ellie O'Conner TEAM 99 Ops Thriller Novella, #1) by Jack Hardin

Author:Jack Hardin [Hardin, Jack]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Salty Mangrove Press
Published: 2019-04-27T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

The morning dawned in brilliant spectacle. As the sun peeked up over the mountains, its rays caught the tiny droplets of water covering the grass and the trees, infusing them with light so that the entire valley seemed to sparkle like millions of tiny diamonds. Birds were singing happily, and squirrels and rabbits were bounding through the woods.

Liu stood in her small bedroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She ran her hands down the silk fabric of the light blue hanfu—the traditional dress worn by Liu’s descendants centuries, even millennia, earlier. The hanfu was a narrow-cuffed, knee-length tunic tied with a wide sash and was accompanied by a narrow, ankle-length skirt. The heavy fabric was hemmed on the edges with a wide strip of golden silk. This particular one had been handed down to her from her grandmother via her mother. It had been in the family since its creation over three hundred years ago and was only worn during the most special of occasions.

This was one such occasion.

Liu thought of all the strong and dedicated women in her past who had worn this very dress. Part of her wished that the old fashions had never gone away. She opened the door to her room and walked down the short hallway to the kitchen. Her father was standing at the back door waiting for her. Liu was struck by how handsome he was. His eyes were lively and sharp, his features surprisingly stark. He wore a silver chángshān—a traditional tunic—and his feet were clad in matching loafers.

“My daughter,” he said. “You look beautiful. So much like your mother.”

“Thank you, Father.” She stepped to him and placed the palm of her hand on his chest. She smiled. “Come, let us go honor her.”

Xu lifted the crook of his arm to her. She slipped her hand into it, and he opened the back door to the gardens.

He led her across the threshold.

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