When Yan Lie and Danika returned to the fortress, entering through the window and gently landing on the floor of Jiang Lang's bedroom, Xu Ling was amazed.
So, she hadn't imagined it; the man truly did have shiny black wings.
Xu Ling recalled Jiang Lang telling her that he wanted to meet others like him, and now he had his wish.
Jiang Lang had informed her they were immortal and possessed evil demons.
She had suspected demons, so the revelation didn't surprise her.
But wings? While trekking the hill, she'd heard about a man who could fly.
She hadn't thought much of it then, being too preoccupied with blocking out the voices.
She should have paid more attention.
Did this also mean one of them could shift into the spirit world? Could one mesmerize with a look?
She sighed.
Jiang Lang had mesmerized her with just a look. She'd been captivated by him from the start, her constant desire as uncharacteristic as her hasty decision to stay here.
"Here's the Tylenol," Danika said, her voice shaky. "Well, the generic version." Her skin was pale green, and she swayed.
She rummaged in an emerald bag and pulled out a red-and-white bottle.
Beside her, Yan Lie straightened his shoulders. His wings snapped shut, rolling behind his back, then vanished entirely.
He bent down, picked up his shirt from the floor, and pulled it over his head, covering the menacing tattoos on his torso.
He walked to the window and closed it before turning to Danika, arms crossed over his massive chest. He stood there, silent, observing.
"Thank you," Xu Ling said. "I'm just sorry you had to go to such trouble to get them."
Silently, Danika handed her two pills, which Xu Ling gratefully accepted.
Small aches and discomforts still bothered her, and her stomach continued its battle with nausea, though it wasn't as severe as before.
Jiang Lang snatched the pills from her hand before she could put them in her mouth. He studied them and frowned. "Are they magic?" he asked with genuine curiosity.
"No," she said.
"How, then, will two small pebbles help take away pain?"
Xu Ling and Danika exchanged a confused look.
These men must have interacted with humans over the years.
How could they know nothing about modern medicine?
The only explanation Xu Ling could think of was that they had never paid attention to a sick human before.
Besides, only one of the men, Feng Yue, had been seen in the city with any frequency. She remembered that much from the voices.
Did Jiang Lang keep himself locked away in this castle?
Xu Ling suddenly suspected he did, and that made her wonder if he ever felt forgotten, untouched, unloved?
Except for the kindness she'd received from Dr Lucas, she constantly felt that way herself at the Institute, where she was only as good as her ability.
They would only ask, "What do you hear, Xu Ling? Was nothing else said, Xu Ling? Did they elaborate, Xu Ling?"
Xu Ling realized she wanted to understand Jiang Lang.
She wanted to learn about him, comfort him as he'd comforted her.
Jiang Lang couldn't know it, and she wouldn't tell him, but every time he rubbed her stomach and whispered those sweet words of reassurance in her ear, she fell a little in love with him.
It was foolish and wrong, but unstoppable.
She knew she should tell him about her own ability, but she had decided against it the moment he'd shown such angry interest. She wondered: If Jiang Lang was already angry without knowing the extent of her abilities, would he freak out if he knew the truth?
Most of the people at the Institute had been uncomfortable around her, knowing she could divine their most private discussions simply by stepping into a room.
Since she'd decided to stay here, strange place though it was, she didn't want to deal with that discomfort.
For once, she wanted to be considered normal, even if just for a little while.
Around demons, that shouldn't be too difficult.
She would reveal the truth soon enough, perhaps in a few days.
And maybe then she could learn to keep the voices at bay, even when Jiang Lang wasn't around.
Meanwhile, she'd have to find a way to call Dr Lucas.
He deserved to know what had happened to her and that she was okay.
She didn't want him to worry.
Hopefully, he was studying the fortress as she suspected and would see that she was happy.
Hopefully, her happiness came before her job in his eyes.
"Take them," Jiang Lang said, interrupting her thoughts. He placed the pills in her open palm. "If they make her worse," he added, looking sternly at Danika, "I cannot be held responsible for my actions."
"Don't threaten her," Xu Ling said, shaking her head. "I've taken this type of medicine before. I'll be fine."
"She—"
"Hasn't done anything wrong." Xu Ling wasn't sure where she found the courage. She only knew it was there, unwilling to let Jiang Lang bully and intimidate.
He wouldn't hurt her, she knew that now, it was a fact she still had trouble grasping. Beyond the miracle of making the voices stop, this harsh man had tenderly seen to her needs.
He hadn't fled when she'd vomited, as most would have. He'd stayed with her, caring for her, holding her close, as if she were precious.
However wonderfully he might have treated her, Xu Ling didn't know what he was capable of doing to someone else.
She knew what he looked capable of doing: any dark deed, every evil deed.
But there was no way she'd let him hurt Danika, who had also helped her.
"Xu Ling," he said with a sigh.
"Jiang Lang."
His fingers stilled, splayed on her stomach. Thankfully, he didn't move away.
She felt like she could have rested in his arms forever.
Truly, no one, not even Dr Lucas, had ever made her feel so special.
She only vaguely remembered her parents. They hadn't pampered her like this, either. Actually, they'd been more than happy to get rid of their crying, screaming little girl.
A little girl who'd constantly begged for the voices to stop, never allowing the people around her to sleep or work or relax.
She'd known the very day they decided to give her away, though she hadn't understood at the time.
She'd walked into their bedroom, and the entire conversation had unfolded in her mind.
Her mother said she couldn't take care of her anymore; she was too much to handle.
She couldn't eat, sleep, or think.
Her father agreed they couldn't just abandon her, but he couldn't take any more either; the crying never stopped.
Her mother wanted a normal life again, like before she was born.
She had done some research and found a place that could help her.
She had called them, and they wanted to meet her.
Maybe they could give her what they couldn't.
They had sent her to the Institute the day after her fifth birthday.
There, she became known as "subject." Needles, electrodes, and monitors became her daily companions, not to mention fear, loneliness, and pain.
The day she became "Xu Ling" in the eyes of the staff was three years later, when they learned how to use her ability to their advantage.
That was the day Dr Lucas had stepped into her life.
He had been an ambitious young parapsychologist, quickly climbing the ranks thanks to his vision, drive, and sheer passion for his work.
He had accompanied her to every location the voices led her to, even standing beside her while she listened, writing down everything she uttered.
Afterward, he would research what she'd heard and tell her of the results, like the time she'd heard about a vampire intent on draining an entire town.
The Institute had been able to find and stop him, and eventually study him. Times like that, she had felt special, gifted, like the characters he read about every night.
"Xu Ling," Jiang Lang repeated. Their gazes locked, and his eyes blazed with violet fire. "Say my name again."
"Jiang Lang."