Chapter Three
Eager to share her news with best friend, Cindy followed the bride behind a bamboo partition in the banquet hall.
Horrified, she watched him take Gwen in his arms: Yong’s arms. Embracing her tightly, he nuzzled the crook of her neck.
You bastard! I knew this would be a mistake. She held back the violent sobs lurking inside. She fled to the bar, accepted a flute of champagne, and gulped it down.
“Whoa, take it easy there, sailor. You won’t make it through dinner at that rate,” a deep voice whispered in her ear.
“Hey, Tatsu. What can I say? I’m an overachiever.” She waved to the bartender for a refill.
“Are you okay, Cindy?” He rubbed her back with a tender swirl.
“Just peachy, thanks.”
“Have you seen Gwen? Grandfather wanted to dance with her.”
The swelling pit in her stomach turned to stone. “Uh—Gwen, no, maybe—the restroom?” She peeked over her shoulder at the secluded scene of her contention.
“Thanks, sweetheart.” Tatsu kissed her cheek and started toward the hall. “Hey,” he called back.
Oh no, I cannot bear to lie to him again. “Yes?”
“Save me a dance, will ya?” He gave her a wink.
“Sure thing.”
Strong arms gripped her waist and spun her to face the man she least wanted to see.
“How’s the most beautiful woman in Taiwan?” Yong’s confident smile enraged her. She shot mental daggers at him as she scowled, trying to contain her outburst. Don’t make a scene at the wedding.
“I don’t know.” She jerked free. “Why don’t you go back and ask her?” She shot him a fiery glare and then stormed off.
Half way across the red lantern-lit room, she glanced back to find him still in the same place, mouth agape.
Cindy crashed into an elderly man in the middle of the dance floor and stumbled. “Oh, pardon me, I’m so sorry.” She steadied him and straightened his jacket. “Are you all right?”
“Cindy, where are you off to in such a hurry? And with such a sad face?”
“Excuse me Mr. Li, I didn’t see you there.” To her dismay, the wetness streamed down her cheeks.
“Come now, it cannot be all bad. Dance with an old man and make me happy.” He looped his arm through hers and led her onto the floor.
Despite battling a plethora of emotions: angst, anguish, jealousy, and now, amusement, she did her best to dance.
I cannot believe this sweet little man trying to cheer me up after I nearly barreled him over.
“Thank you, Mr. Li.” She accepted his handkerchief and wiped away her tears.
“It would seem my grandson is quite taken with you, my dear.” He nodded, and she followed his line of vision to Yong, who still stood like a statue where she’d left him.
“Oh.” She turned back. “It’s not me he’s taken with, I’m afraid.”
“On the contrary I see the way he’s watching you. Like a lovesick schoolboy.” He chuckled and held her close.
“I wish that were true.” Twirling in his arms, she caught the sight of Gwen on the dance floor with her husband.
I am so confused; I don’t even know who to be mad at? A residual whimper slipped out.
“May I tell you a Chinese folktale?” His eyes lit up like bright emeralds.
“Of course you can.”
“Once, a very long time ago, there were two brothers, twins.” His voice was as smooth as butter.
“You mean Yong and Tatsu?” I’m sure he means well, but I do not intend to listen to anything about him, the lying snake.
“No my dear, I said, a very long time ago. 1952, to be exact, the year of the water dragon.”
“Oh, pardon me, please continue.”
“There were two brothers, twins” He cleared his throat. “They were born in 1940, year of the metal dragon.”
Cindy nodded.
“These brothers were inseparable but shared a very dark secret. Some would have called it a curse, others, a unique legacy.” Captivated by his eyes, Cindy was compelled to watch and listen, as they moved along the dance floor. Calm washed over her with the beautiful plucking and flute of the Asian melody.
“Their legacy belonged solely to twins born in the year of the dragon. They knew their fate, but not how to change it.”
“Their fate?”
“One of them would die soon.”
“Oh, is this a sad story?”
“Patience with an old man,” he teased. “Both brothers were drawn to the arms of a single woman. They both thought they loved her—her draw an invisible magnet to them.”
“Go on.”
“She held the key to saving him, but only him.”
“Who?”
“The brother who would die.”
His words are cryptic, but fascinating.
“You see, my dear, these brothers were the embodiment of a single dragon spirit, divided into both bodies. Legend said in time one would overpower the other and absorb his essence back into one body. The other would change into the form of a dragon, and then die.”
“Please, tell me more.”
“Lien was a dragoness, a twin herself, but her sister died before birth. The pull of her love took hold of them both. Being true brothers, they did not fight over her. One fateful night, she came to him, she was drawn to him by the same force the brothers were to her. She bonded with only one; she expelled the dragon’s breath into him, giving him back his life.”
“They fell in love?”
“Yes, but at a terrible price.”
“His twin died?” she offered with a tear.
“He did. The moment she bonded with Shen, Ling’s soul rejoined with Shen’s in his body.”
“What a sad story.”
“It is the price of lineage for descendants of the dragon, my dear.”
“Is there a happy ending?” she hoped aloud. His kind eyes became serious. “It was impossible to avoid the loss of his brother’s body, but his spirit doubled in strength and wisdom once they united.”
“Did they stay together, as lovers?”
“As husband and wife, with children, and grandchildren and a very full life.”
“It is a nice ending.” She rested her chin on his shoulder.
“But….” He retreated, his brows furrowed when he gazed at her. “Shen’s guilt led him to research this legend further, in hopes of defeating it.”
“I thought he survived.”
“He did, but the lineage passes down from one generation to the next. Shen was determined to figure out how to break the curse and save his family from further death.”
“Did he?”
“In time, he did. He was very pleased with himself” Mr. Li lifted his chin with a smile. “When he was able to use his knowledge to save his grandchildren from the same terrible fate.”
“I like the ending, Mr. Li.” She hugged him as the song ended.
“Please, my dear, call me Shen.”
Cindy’s heart skipped a beat. “You—are the dragon?”
“Yes.” He pointed to his jade green eyes.
I’m speechless.
His smile returned. “I imagine you wonder why a crazy old man would tell you such a story?”
“I wouldn’t say crazy…eccentric, maybe.” She grinned.
“I cherished being able to offer the suggestion of having the two grandsons, uh—bond, at the same time, to cancel the exchange of energy from one body to another—”
“This part of the story, I’m familiar with—their night with Gwen.” Jealousy gnawed at her insides again.
“There is a part of the story I forgot to tell you.” He looked into her eyes with kindness.
“What?”
“When she bonded with one, through the dragon’s breath, it neutralized her hold on the other.”
“I don’t understand.”
“A dragoness can mate with several dragons—it’s survival of the fittest. If you research dragon mythology, it will tell you, they vie for her attention; she mates with the strongest, and more than one. However, she can only bond with one. When she does, the bond is for life, and no others will draw her attention again. It is the dragon way.”
“I saw them, together—he still loves her, Mr….Shen.” Her throat grew thick.
“There will always be a special place in his heart for Gwen; she saved his brother’s life. But there is no longer the same connection that drew them at first. Nature has a way of tricking creatures’ bodies into doing what they are meant to do. The feelings produced from this special connection do not last the same way, once the purpose has been fulfilled.”
Again, with the cryptic language.
“It would seem I have neglected my loving new grandfather? I heard you wished to dance with me?” Gwen’s soft voice roused Cindy her from her daze.
“Uh—yes, of course. Thank you, Shen, for the dance.” She hugged him and walked away, stunned and confused.
“There’s our maid of honor. You promised me a dance?” Tatsu swept her up and swung her around.
“Could I—have a minute.” The tears began to prick again.
“Hey.” His voice was tender. “Do you remember how Yong and I can read each other’s thoughts and feelings?”
“Yes?” Her guilt crept up. Crap, he knows I lied about Gwen.
“Well, let’s say, it’s a family trait.” He smirked and nodded over to his grandfather.
“Oh, God.” Humiliation set in.
“It’s okay. I understand.” Tatsu placed his finger under her chin and tipped her face up toward him. “This is a challenging situation, Cindy. I’ll bet, one you’ve never dealt with before.”
“Can’t say I have.” She hid her face in his solid chest.
“I sense something very different about him tonight.” He glanced over to the bar; Yong sat with his back to them, a bottle in front of him, his head hung low.
“You do?”
“Yeah, until now, it’s always felt…how do I describe this?” He stared in the direction of his twin. “Like I have always been the alpha dragon, and he has been the beta. I needed to take care of him, protect him. I needed to take charge.”
Cindy thought back. He didn’t seem like a beta to me in the rock tunnel tonight. Yong is all alpha.
“But the moment he hooked up with you, Gwen’s connection with him dissolved, and he became this strong, independent guy.”
“Really?”
“It may seem farfetched, but after what we’ve all been through, I believe he has his own soul now, and a different path than me.” The groom brushed a loose tendril of hair back from her face. “Please Cin, give him a chance. Talk to him.”
“But I saw them—” she gasped, and slapped a hand over her mouth before the rest spurted out.
“You saw, him saying good-bye to her. With the first happiness he’s felt in months.”
An embrace…but no kiss. Could Tatsu be right?
“Go on. If you don’t listen to me, Gwen will be after you next.” He smirked, and Cindy glanced over her shoulder. The bride in red bore down on them.
“Fine, I’m going.” Excitement rushed over her.
Pushing through a passing crowd of guests, she headed to the bar and found Yong’s stool empty. Cindy spun around, panic setting in, but saw no sign of him. She had treated him badly again, and he had left. She glanced back the way she’d come and shrugged. Where did he go?
Tatsu met her eyes and nodded at the exit leading to the villas.
Thank you. She raced after Yong. She might be too late—she couldn’t blame him if he’d written her off for the night.