Chapter 14
Chapter 14
The bus finally rolled to a stop in front of the mall just before nine.
Kakayan followed Jiang Li down the steps—and there it was, a palace of crystal and light. She recognized the smooth, transparent stuff: glass. Once, she'd melted sand with magic and coaxed out a similar crystal, but her crude product didn't come close to the flawless sheen of this building.
How much sand must the humans have roasted to raise something this grand?
"Are we going inside?" Kakayan stared up at the towering department store.
"Yes. It's just as bright in there, so stay close." Jiang Li paused at the revolving doors to make sure she'd heard.
The moment they crossed the threshold, Kakayan gasped. Every surface gleamed; the overhead lights bounced off the polished floors and railings until the whole space seemed to glow.
"How did humans make the inside even prettier than the outside?" she whispered.
She'd toured the grandest castles of her world, yet none rivaled the ornament inside this place the locals simply called "the mall."
"There are lots of design styles here. After you've seen a few, you'll get used to it. Malls all look like this." Jiang Li hadn't studied interior design, but he knew the industry copied the same template nationwide.
"You mean there's more than one of these?" The witch's voice cracked.
Earth had rewritten her worldview half a dozen times in two short days.
"Pretty much every city in the country has one," Jiang Li answered.
"How many cities is that?"
He tilted his head. "Big ones, small ones... too many to count."
"Humans are incredible."
"That's nothing. Wait till you see the real infrastructure." Jiang Li lifted her chin so her mouth would close. Compared with the dams that strangled great rivers, the bridges that leapt across straits, or the thousands of kilometers of expressway, this shopping center was child's play. If Kakayan wanted a real tour, he could pull up videos later and let her marvel at the motherland's prosperity.
"Jiang Li! That shop says we can eat as much as we want!"
While Jiang Li was plotting her ideological re-education, Kakayan's attention had already bolted toward a bakery. A server stood at the door with a tray of bite-sized samples, urging passers-by to help themselves.
"You already had breakfast." Jiang Li trailed after her.
"There's always room for good food." Kakayan licked her lips and reached for the tray.
"The greed of witches truly knows no bounds."
By the time Jiang Li finished grumbling, Kakayan was systematically demolishing the samples. Watching her savor every crumb, Jiang Li wondered if everything on Earth tasted ambrosial to her. Maybe he should take her for hotpot if she could handle spice.
"Easy. They still need those to attract customers."
After a minute Jiang Li stepped in. The shameless woman was about to finish the entire tray. Most people stopped at a polite nibble—she was trying to get a free lunch.
"Didn't they say we could taste freely?" Kakayan tilted her head, ponytail swishing. Adorable—and dangerous.
The shop assistant said nothing, only smiled the bright, expectant smile that meant: Sir, after that performance, surely you'll come in and buy something?
Jiang Li scratched his cheek and pulled Kakayan away.
Forget it. They just want a sale.
"We'll eat later. First, daily necessities."
"One more bite."
"If you keep eating, they'll cut you off."
"But why? They said it was free."
Looking into those innocent yet bewitching amethyst eyes, Jiang Li sighed and tried to explain.
"That's what they say, but that's not how it works. Humans have these unspoken rules... it's complicated. Right now we're broke, so we have to be polite."
Kakayan lifted her chin. "Humans are troublesome."
After a moment she asked, "And if we had money?"
"If we're rich, we are the rules." Jiang Li's mouth quirked.
...
The shopping center had six floors. Jiang Li's targets were the fourth and fifth—clothing and household goods. Rather than zig-zag up and down the escalators, he led Kakayan to the elevator.
"What are we doing in this tiny room?"
The silver doors slid open to reveal a cramped, empty cell. Not even a chair. Kakayan hesitated. Was this a prison? Was Jiang Li locking her up?
"Come on."
"O-okay..."
Only when Jiang Li stepped inside did Kakayan shuffle after him. The doors hissed shut, sealing them into a pocket-sized world where every breath sounded too loud. Kakayan's pulse spiked.
Too late to run. How long would they be trapped? Why had Jiang Li brought her here? Were they just going to stand?
Through the metallic reflection she stole a glance at Jiang Li's face: sharp angles, dark everyday clothes. Annoying, once. Now he was the only familiar thing on Earth.
A faint scent of grass and wood clung to him, teasing her nose. She clenched the hem of her jacket, not understanding why her heart pounded. Two centuries of solitude, and now she was sharing a metal box with a man.
How much longer?
"What are we doing?" She looked away, fingers brushing her cheek.
"Almost there." Jiang Li studied her. Was she claustrophobic? Since stepping inside she'd been darting glances everywhere, sweat beading on her forehead, cheeks flushed.
"Are you feeling sick?" Jiang Li asked. Could witches catch fevers?
A big hospital is definitely out of the question, and even the smaller clinics—he can't be sure what the doctors might discover if they examine Kakayan's body.
After all, she's a witch who's lived for more than two centuries.
Outwardly she looks like any human woman, but who knows what her insides are like?
If they drew blood and it came out pink, they'd be finished.
Watching the odd look on Kakayan's face, Jiang Li raised a hand to feel her forehead.
She dodged, then shot him a glare sharp enough to slice bone.
Kakayan was glaring at him, pretty face flushed, teeth digging into her lower lip until it blazed scarlet. She looked—there was no other word for it—adorable.
"You—"
Kakayan had just started to snarl something when the metal door in front of them slid open.
She froze, mouth half-open, staring at the brand-new world that stretched out beyond the threshold.