19
rlier.
As if on cue, the birds flew straight down at her, and as they did, they transford. Now in place of the flock was the witch standing before the Mulan and the Phoenix shared a look. At the bird’s encouraging nod, Mulan pushed herself to her feet. Lifting her sword and suoning the little strength she had left, she t the witch’s piercing gaze with one of her own.
“If you’re here to kill ,” she said, “I prose that won’t be easy.”
“Kill you?” Xianniang repeated, her eyebrows raising in surprise. She shook her head. “No. Your disgrace is worse than death.”
The words were like a slap to Mulan’s face. She tightened her grip on her sword, forcing herself to keep her breathing even and her expression cal She didn’t want to give the witch the satisfaction of seeing her pain. But she failed.
As the witch recognized Mulan’s agony, her expression softened. “I understand,” she said. She paused. Her eyes grew thoughtful, as though she were lost in a ry. “I was a girl like you when people turned on .”
In her hand, Mulan’s sword treled. There was heartbreak in the witch’s words. And for the first ti since she had encountered Xianniang, Mulan saw her not as a witch, but as a won. She had been quick to assu Xianniang was a terrible person because she had aligned herself with the Shadow Warriors. But Mulan had not stopped to wonder why. Why would soone with so ch power subt to B??ri Khan’s nd? But here it was: Xianniang’s own people had shunned her. Looking at the witch, Mulan realized they had re in n than she could have ever known.
As if reading Mulan’s thoughts, the witch went on. The pain in her voice was rrored on her face as she spoke. “I’ve lived a life of exile. No country. No village. No faly.” Pausing, Xianniang de sure Mulan was looking at her as she added, “We are the sa.”
“We’re not,” Mulan said, even though the exact thought had just crossed her nd. “We can’t be.”
Xianniang shook her head. “We are. The re power I showed, the re I was crushed. Just like you. You saved thenbsp; today—and still, they turned on you.”
Mulan felt like the ground beneath her feet had grown unsteady. What Xianniang said was true. Coander Tung and the others, they had turned on her, despite everything she had done for the
“Merge your path with ne,” the witch said, watching as Mulan wrestled with her thoughts. “We will be stronger together.”
For a long nt, Mulan said nothing. She could not deny that, together, they would be a powerful pair. But
As if on cue, the birds flew straight down at her, and as they did, they transford. Now in place of the flock was the witch standing before the Mulan and the Phoenix shared a look. At the bird’s encouraging nod, Mulan pushed herself to her feet. Lifting her sword and suoning the little strength she had left, she t the witch’s piercing gaze with one of her own.
“If you’re here to kill ,” she said, “I prose that won’t be easy.”
“Kill you?” Xianniang repeated, her eyebrows raising in surprise. She shook her head. “No. Your disgrace is worse than death.”
The words were like a slap to Mulan’s face. She tightened her grip on her sword, forcing herself to keep her breathing even and her expression cal She didn’t want to give the witch the satisfaction of seeing her pain. But she failed.
As the witch recognized Mulan’s agony, her expression softened. “I understand,” she said. She paused. Her eyes grew thoughtful, as though she were lost in a ry. “I was a girl like you when people turned on .”
In her hand, Mulan’s sword treled. There was heartbreak in the witch’s words. And for the first ti since she had encountered Xianniang, Mulan saw her not as a witch, but as a won. She had been quick to assu Xianniang was a terrible person because she had aligned herself with the Shadow Warriors. But Mulan had not stopped to wonder why. Why would soone with so ch power subt to B??ri Khan’s nd? But here it was: Xianniang’s own people had shunned her. Looking at the witch, Mulan realized they had re in n than she could have ever known.
As if reading Mulan’s thoughts, the witch went on. The pain in her voice was rrored on her face as she spoke. “I’ve lived a life of exile. No country. No village. No faly.” Pausing, Xianniang de sure Mulan was looking at her as she added, “We are the sa.”
“We’re not,” Mulan said, even though the exact thought had just crossed her nd. “We can’t be.”
Xianniang shook her head. “We are. The re power I showed, the re I was crushed. Just like you. You saved thenbsp; today—and still, they turned on you.”
Mulan felt like the ground beneath her feet had grown unsteady. What Xianniang said was true. Coander Tung and the others, they had turned on her, despite everything she had done for the
“Merge your path with ne,” the witch said, watching as Mulan wrestled with her thoughts. “We will be stronger together.”
For a long nt, Mulan said nothing. She could not deny that, together, they would be a powerful pair. But