Year of the Golden Dragon by B.L. Sauder

Author:B.L. Sauder
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: magic, Chinese mythology, Chinese horoscope, good vs evil, forbidden city, mixed race, Chinese-Canadian
ISBN: 9781550508970
Publisher: Coteau Books

Chapter 13

Advice from an Ancient Advisor

Hong Mei landed with a thud. She lay on her side, half-frozen. Her black hair stood on end, and her pretty freckled face was covered in frost. Just above her blue lips were beads of moisture. Gripped in her hands were all three pieces of jade, still perfectly joined together as one circular disc.

As she regained consciousness, Hong Mei tried to open her eyes, but they felt like they’d been glued shut. She attempted to move, but her body was too stiff. Was she paralyzed? Had her back or neck been broken? Her heart raced. Thankfully, she could feel that.

Hong Mei thought of her gong fu training and the age-old mantra of “mind over matter.” She focused on what her senses told her and felt the warm kiss of the sun on her face. From above there was the cheerful, sweet twittering of birds. When she breathed in, she smelled rich soil and the woodsy scent of pine trees.

Her shoulder began to ache, but despite the throb, she was relieved.

After a few minutes, Hong Mei was able to move her arms, legs and feet. Although every single part of her body was waking up in pain, nothing felt broken.

When she could finally sit up, she once again tried to open her eyes. With a little effort, they came unstuck and she saw that she was outdoors. Off in the distance, she could see a town, or was it was a city? The buildings didn’t seem tall enough for Kowloon or Hong Kong. She heard the birds again and the low whistle of the wind tickling the needles of the trees. There were no sounds of city life. No horns honking, people talking or lorries rushing along roads.

Hong Mei looked down at her raw hands, thawing in the wonderful warmth of the sun. The jade seemed to wink at her, dazzling in its pale beauty. Had the stone brought her here? Why? With tingling hands, she divided the jade where it had once been broken. It snapped apart easily.

Slowly, Hong Mei stood up in the clearing where she’d awoken. There was a dark and thickly wooded forest next to her. What was this place? It was quite lovely, but oddly quiet. She’d never been to a place where there weren’t any people. Closing her eyes again, she tilted her face to catch more of the sun’s healing rays. Unlike most Chinese, Mama always said that a little sunshine was good for a person’s health. As it warmed her aching body, Hong Mei wondered if that old guy with Madam Ching was right about her freckles. Maybe they were from too much sun.

After only a second or two with her eyes closed, the familiar prickling began above her forehead and made its way over her scalp. The sensation lifted the roots of her hair, making its way to the top of her spine. She was about to have a vision.

From behind her closed eyelids, she saw a classic Chinese-style structure.

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