Was that indecision tightening Cao’s features? Ling studied him cautiously. The man didn’t seem to have an indecisive bone in his body, yet, suddenly, he hesitated. He’d been willing enough to trade before.

What had changed?

“Sure, you can see the stone.” He rose, strode to a trophy case containing a jade tablet and a pair of wooden instruments called castanets, and lifted it off the wall to reveal a safe. Huh. If she’d contemplated searching, she could’ve hacked that.

Darn it.

Cao opened the safe and withdrew a velvet satchel, handing the white gem to her.

For a second, bolting crossed her mind. Ridiculous. She required far more from Cao than this stone. The truth bites.

Ling admired the lovely shard on her palm, closed her eyes, and reveled in its potent energy. Cao might not care, but for mortals, this stone might be the key to everything.

Which energy did it represent? The piece she safeguarded within her spirit carried one of the Three Treasures—jīng, sexual energy. Potent vibrations rang off this one, too. Aha. Shén. Spiritual energy. Another of the Three Treasures, then.

“How did you acquire this?”

He cast her a sideways glance. “Stole it.”

Right… Holding her breath, she waited for him to ask for it back. He didn’t. Instead, he plopped onto his seat and focused on the screen.

Wait. Facing away from Cao, she flipped the rock over in her hand, frowning. The sheer cut on one side didn’t look right. With care, she pressed a hand to her chest and slipped the jīng stone from her spirit. She compared the two, before replacing the indigo jīng one. “It’s too small.”

“Huh?” Cao leaned over. “Oh, right. That’s because it’s one half.”

“Where’s the other half?” She scowled. “I’m not trading for a half a stone.”

“About that… It’s kind of part and parcel.” He shrugged casually. “You help me, you’ll get the other half.”

“How so?” She sank beside him, regarding him in curiosity. “Who do you wish to locate? Why can’t you find them yourself?” Cao seemed good with those things.

“Because the ‘who’ part isn’t as hard as the ‘where.’ ” He flashed a glimpse at her, those honey orbs dark and unreadable. “How much do you know about my past?”

Tension made her spine ramrod straight. “The stories about you are muddled.”

“Yeah.” He nodded as though that was his intention.

According to legend, Cao Guojiu was the brother of the Empress, who, along with his younger brother, committed a multitude of crimes. Theft. Murder. Adultery. All-around trouble-making.

Basically, a criminal.

The stories declared he found his repentance and that was how he became one of the Eight Immortals.

“Whatever you’re thinking, it’s all true,” Cao droned in a low voice.

She squirmed a little, uncomfortable at the assured note in his tone.

“Growing up, we didn’t have much, and whatever we did, our father gambled away. So, I’d often have to steal just to make sure there was food on the table. My younger brother, Jingzhi, always accompanied me, and he had a real knack for it, ya know? When our older sister, Ci, married the Emperor, I assumed everything would work out for us and we could leave that lifestyle behind.” He gave a slight shake of his head. “Her heightened status made everything worse. Jingzhi took advantage of our new position. Everyone catered to the Empress’s brothers and, I swear, he began to act like he was the Emperor. The world knelt at our feet and Jingzhi made it cower. I tried to rein him in. I begged my sister to let me take him away to the countryside, but she refused. Claimed she wanted our family together, especially after both our parents passed.” He linked his fingers behind his head, reclining. “Over the years, things got worse. The corruption was unbelievable. Jingzhi was out of control. He had an affair with the wrong official’s wife, and when the man found out, Jingzhi killed him. The woman threatened to turn on him. I attempted to talk her down, but she reached for my blade, and in the scramble, she died.” He paused a long moment before continuing, “I decided things had to change. I refused to live that way anymore, always covering up Jingzhi’s crimes. Not long afterward, he crossed the wrong people and the law came after him. Despite my sister’s status, he was executed.”

Cao scrutinized her, hard. “You probably think I’m a monster for protecting him. I probably am. Everything he did, was my fault. I should have raised him better.” He lowered his head, sighing at the ground. “I failed him.”

Wow. Ling gulped, searching for something to utter. Cao’s story was awful. What had made him act how he had? In his place, what would she have done?

Would she have allowed someone she cared about to hurt others?

No, no, she wouldn’t have. So why then had Cao?

* * *

This was a long damn pause. Cao bowed his shoulders. If Ling hadn’t already judged him harshly for his misdeeds, she definitely was now.

At last, she had the information and the right to judge him.

“Why did you protect him?”

He flinched. “Because he was my brother. Because, on her deathbed, my mum made me swear to look after him.”

The hard shell masking her eyes softened. “You didn’t mention your mother.”

“She died a long time ago.” The pain tightened his voice. “I was ten, my sister was sixteen, and my brother only three.”

“That’s so sad,” she murmured. “What about your father?”

“He was barely in the picture, and died soon after my mum passed, in a drunken brawl.” A fact he’d long ago accepted. As the elder brother, the care of his family had fallen to him. With his sister’s prosperous marriage, he’d hoped the fates had favored them. He’d been wrong.

“So, who are you searching for?” Ling spun her chair to face him. “You got like, great, great grandkids or something?”

He barked a laugh. “No way.” After determining himself a total failure in raising his brother, Cao had vowed never to procreate. “I’m not much of a father figure.”

A hum trilled in her throat. “Not entirely true. Your brother might have been a bad seed.”

He tensed at this strange change in her attitude. A part of him had been happy she’d viewed him for what he was. He wasn’t sure he liked this shift in her perception. “Which is why I must find him.”

Her jaw dropped open. “Impossible.”

“Is it?” He studied her. “I heard rumors you’ve helped people get to Dìyù.” Chinese Hell. With his brother’s mile-long list of offenses, that was the one place Jingzhi could be. While Cao had lived centuries, Jingzhi had endured lifetimes of torture.

“I…may have,” she sputtered. “It’s extremely dangerous, though. Why would you even wish to? If Jingzhi is being punished there, it’s for a good reason. He deserves it.”

“That might be true, but I have to see him. If there’s the smallest chance he’s repented, I can plead his case to the Jade Emperor.” Hope and stubbornness puffed his chest. “Maybe I can save him.”

“Oh, Cao,” Ling clucked. “You know that makes you the world’s biggest fool, right?”

“Yep, but I still gotta try.” He cast her a knowing grin. “So, do you want the stone or not?”

* * *

This was a shitty trade. Ling clenched her hands, but the stone pressed against her palm, so full of promise. Of hope. If Cao decided to sacrifice himself to save his stupid-ass brother, who cared? So long as her end of the bargain was far better.

“Deal.” She gave a firm nod, her mind calculating the details, and returned the gem to Cao.

“Where do we start?” Cao drummed his fingers on his thigh.

“I have to contact a few people, see who’s available to help. It’s not easy breaking in to Dìyù, and it’s even harder getting out. Especially since we’ve already ticked off the guardians, Ox Head and Horse Face. I doubt they’ll fall for the same trick twice.” Price and Daji, Queen of the Fox Spirits, would be their best bet. Her people possessed an ability to open portals between realms. “Which level of Dìyù do you suspect he’s in?”

Dìyù consisted of eighteen layers, each dimension reserved for a specific type of sinner. Each with its own horrific chamber of torture.

“Well,” Cao scratched his jaw, “could be anything related to thieving, adultery, murder, and the like.”

“Right.” Ling bit down on her lower lip, sorting through what she recalled. “Could be the second level, Chamber of Scissors, if he broke up any marriages. It’s been centuries, so even if he had, they’d likely have transferred him from there.” She tapped one finger across her mouth. “Chamber of Steamer, Mountain of Knives, Hill of Ice. Probably passed through those, too. Let’s say he’s done with the East Hell, and try the West Hell. Can we rule out animal abuse and killing babies?”

A grimace cut across his features.

“Good. Suicide is a no, too. I’m going to say Mountain of Flames. It’s where thieves and the corrupt wind up spending most of their penitence.”

“The volcano?” Cao droned.

Right, not a pretty picture. Being tossed into a volcano and burned alive over and over. Of course, it was the eternal soul being punished, so there would be no death from any of these torments. Just endless pain and punishment.

If one was lucky and repentant enough, redemption would come at the end, of many centuries. Yet, if the soul was truly evil, the torture would never end.

Would they locate Cao’s brother in Dìyù? Would he still be paying the price? If yes, then hope as he might, Cao was wrong about Jingzhi. Only the worst sorts of evil were punished for that long.

Ling suppressed a shudder and focused on the task. One way or another, they’d uncover his brother’s fate.

Later, she’d determine how to fix the fate of the entire world.

One step at a time.

Cao had equipped her with a stack of burner phones. She used one to leave a message with Price. Another, to assure Jade she was well and beg her friend to close out any priority cases. Jade would know what to do. Then, it was a matter of waiting.

After a day spent idling away the time, she decided to crash. One could only binge watch so many shows before growing utterly bored. Ling stifled a yawn, stretched, and nodded at Cao from the couch. “I’m heading to bed.”

He lifted a hand from where he was seated at the computer. “Good night.” Sleepy, she trudged to the bedroom.

“Oh, wait,” he called as she strolled past. “Why don’t you put your things away? There are some empty drawers in the dresser, and space in the closet.”

“Sure. Thanks.” She stiffened and padded inside the bedroom. Cao’s bedroom. Cao’s bed. Never mind his sheets were silky soft and inviting, this was still awkward. However, it would seem she was moving in.

Ling knelt at the duffle bag and sorted through her clothes, gathering a pile of shirts. She hadn’t opened any of the drawers, but this shouldn’t be considered snooping. Tentatively, she pulled open the top drawer of the dresser beside the closet and peeked inside. Not empty.

Not even close.

Half a dozen condom boxes were arranged in tidy rows, some open, some not. Leaning closer, Ling studied the contents of the drawer. Lubes, cock rings, and…spermicides? Huh. Guess the dude did not wish to procreate.

All of this confirmed her suspicions of his flat being a bachelor pad. Huffing, she closed the drawer and opened the next one, exposing tidy rows of folded boxers and rolled pairs of socks. Next drawer down was shirts. The one below it was empty and she stuffed her clothes inside.

Ling dug through and pulled items from the second bag, storing the remainder of her clothes. As she plucked the bag to store it in the closet, something fell out and thwacked onto the floor.

Something blue and plastic, and hell, no.

Scalding heat radiated up her cheeks. Cao hadn’t packed that, had he?

Oh, she was going to kill the man.

* * *

Cao drummed his fingers across the keyboard, lazily typing in code. Bored out of his mind and conflicted as hell about his roommate.

Ward.

Collapsing forward, he sighed and shoved his head into his hands.

Ling burst out of the room. “What is this?”

He twisted his head to glance at her. Bright flushes of red streaked her cheeks, her silver eyes blazing, and a familiar blue dildo gripped in her fist.

“Uh… Whoa, cock.” He swiveled in his chair and stared at her, unsure if he should be amused, or aroused. “That thing is ugly and blue, and, for the record, a little on the small side, if you get what I mean.”

“What…?” She blinked as though refocusing on her fury. “What the hell do you presume gave you the right to go through my private things? Or to bring them here?” She fumed, her nostrils flaring and her foot stomping.

“I didn’t pack that. No bloody way.” Ah, that was what she was pissed about. “I didn’t tell you, but M packed your bags for me.” Now, his lips quirked and he struggled to hold in his laughter.

“Oh.” She directed her glower to the dildo. “It’s not mine.” Clearing her throat, she muttered, “Well, it is, but it was a gag joke from Jade, and I’ve never used it, and why the hell am I telling you this?”

He cocked one brow, thoroughly amused. “Why not?”

“Why not what?” she grated.

“Why haven’t you tried it?” He leaned back, resting his arms on the armrests. “You only live once, Ling. Don’t tell me you’re not curious.”

“C-curious?” she stuttered, then bit her lip.

“Yes. What’s the point of living if you don’t ever discover anything new? I make it my rule to always try everything once. Otherwise, you’ll never know what you’re missing.”

“Everything?” Her eyes flashed and a new rosy hue bloomed across her cheeks.

Oh, yeah. “Wherever your mind went, yep.” He grinned while she shifted her feet.

“With…guys?”

“I’ve been curious.” He shrugged. “Don’t tell me if you lived for thousands of years, you wouldn’t check what else is out there.”

“Just curious?” she asked, hesitating.

Why? Because she’d contemplated the same things he had? “It was a while ago, though I like to keep an open mind. There are only two things I wouldn’t consider.”

“Are you going to make me ask what they are?” she breathed.

“Nothing that kinky.” He winked. “Having kids and falling in love. Because when you live forever and they don’t, both of those have heart-break written all over them.”

“Oh.” Her gaze dipped to the floor.

He squeezed his left fist. What had made him confess that to her? She was so easy to talk to. Silence stretched between them now, though. The tone had gone from entertaining to serious and he didn’t know what to say. Cao rose and strode to the closet, withdrawing a ninja mask.

“Where are you going?”

He tugged the mask over his face and donned the leather sheath for his swords, before brandishing his swords. “Out.”

“Can I come?” She paced forward, eager.

“No. It’s not safe for you out in the open.” He surveyed the flat. “This place is secure.”

She scrunched her nose. “I’m tired of being caged. Take me with you, please?”

He paused in strapping on his swords, contemplating her request, but shook his head. “It’s safer for you at home.”

“Ugh, you’re being unfair,” she ground, scoffing. “I can take care of myself.”

“I’ll make you a deal. Steal something from me, anything, and I’ll let you tag along. Next time.” He lifted and dropped one shoulder. “But not tonight.”

Ling narrowed her eyes on him. “Fine. Be a jerk.” She shoved the dildo into his hand. “You can have this, and I think you know where you can shove it.”