World Kingdom Warrior (3 Kingdoms - Book 0.5)

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  Several years ago, Tulip had told her about cloud song.

  “The clouds make music when it rains,” she said as she dressed Peony’s hair. “I can hear it and feel it, and I—”

  Peony jumped up and spun around. Hairpins scattered to the floor. She clapped a hand over Tulip’s mouth and leaned down, her face very close.

  “I don’t ever, ever want to hear you talk about clouds and music,” she said. “Do you understand?”

  She stared into her mother’s eyes, which were painted with black kohl and blue powder. Why was she so angry?

  “Do you understand?”

  Tulip nodded, even though she didn’t.

  Peony dropped her hand. “It’s very dangerous to talk like that,” she said. “If Mistress Wang ever hears you, she’ll think you’re nutty and sell you. Is that what you want?”

  Tulip shook her head.

  Her mother relaxed and wrapped her arms around Tulip. “What you can do isn’t normal,” she whispered. “Promise me you will ignore the clouds. Promise me you will ignore them and never speak of them to anyone.”

  She rested her head against her mother’s chest, confused but wanting to say the right thing.

  “I promise, Mother,” she said.

  “That’s my good girl.”

  She had never spoken of cloud song after that. She never told Peony about the music that filled her body when the storms came each year.