Year of the Golden Dragon by B.L. Sauder Read Free Book Online

mouth. Instead, she reached into her pocket and clasped her jade. Its coolness steadied her.
    “I am sure you are well aware that we will soon be entering the Year of the Dragon; the Year of the Golden Dragon, to be precise.”
    Hong Mei could hear the other people shifting in their seats.
    “Can you tell us what is so significant about this Dragon Year?” Madam Ching asked in a silky tone.
    Hong Mei’s stomach lurched. Her forehead was suddenly damp, and she could feel the moisture forming under her arms. She wanted to take a deep breath, but it seemed like there wasn’t enough oxygen in the room. She tried to remain calm by staying focused and drawing in tiny puffs of air through her nose.
    When Hong Mei managed to find her voice, it came out as a whisper. “Well, the regular Year of the Dragon rotates every twelve years. But Golden Dragon years only come along once in a sixty-year cycle.”
    “Yes, yes. Every Chinese knows that,” the elegant woman snapped. “Is there anything else?”
    “I don’t think so,” Hong Mei said, trying to avoid the woman’s gaze.
    “Tsk!” Madam Ching clicked her tongue sharply and sat down.
    Hong Mei began to hear a buzzing in her ears. Her scalp felt hot under the light, and her back began to itch as a trail of sweat trickled down her spine.
    Next to Madam Ching, a tiny woman grasped the edge of the table, pulling herself to a standing position. She seemed no taller than when she was seated. The knot at the top of her head held the last few strands of her snow-white hair and her earlobes seemed stretched, weighed down by the deep-yellow gold earrings she wore. She smiled a little.
    “My dear child,” she croaked. “We only wish to see your family reunited once again. Although your father’s removal from your home was a last resort, please understand that it was necessary in the lead-up to the Year of the Golden Dragon. We are very nearly there and he is about to go home with you. You must, however, answer our questions honestly and sincerely. Now, please tell us about your martial arts training.”
    “My father taught me when I was little,” Hong Mei mumbled. She felt as if she were burning up. The overhead light and strong smell of sandalwood were making her feel faint. She knew her face must be crimson.
    “Your father told us that you have studied advanced fighting. That’s quite different than what a normal young person learns, particularly a young girl. Isn’t it?”
    Hong Mei was silent, trying to steady her mind with the tiny puffs she was working in and out of her nose. Perhaps she shouldn’t have stopped practising all that qi-gong and other breathing exercises she used to do. Shrugging, the woman sat down and Madam Ching stood up again.
    “Miss Chen,” she began evenly, “this is extremely important. I must break all protocol and not waste any more time with niceties. According to our information, we are quite confident that we know who you and your father are. Do you?”
    Hong Mei swallowed. What did the woman mean?
    Madam Ching snorted and said, “Let me get to the point. You must be familiar with the tale of Black Dragon.”
    Black Dragon?
    The woman reached into one of her wide sleeves and removed a scroll. As she unrolled it, Hong Mei could see that the yellowish paper looked very old and fragile. Some sections appeared to have been torn away, especially around the charred edges.
    Madam Ching stopped to put on a pair of glasses, resting them near the end of her nose. Gazing over the tops of the lenses at Hong Mei, she began to recite:

    Long before the universe was born,
    Chaos rose from a celestial storm.
    Alone for eons in an endless night,
    The god awoke and created light.

    Hong Mei thought of her father and closed her eyes. As soon as she did, she felt the familiar prickling along her hairline and tickle at the nape of her neck. Her mind’s eye was about to start working again. A vision was coming.
    Standing now amongst strangers, the room and