The recital is held at the Annex downtown. An intimate theatre with plush seats and a beautiful natural wood stage. The evening opened with a string quartet, playing some chamber music selections. I barely heard most of it, nervous as I was to play right after the intermission.

I step onto the stage with my flats, not quite ready to perform in heels like my favorite virtuoso, but I am wearing a gown I love. One that I picked out for myself. The blue dress shimmers around my body like a waterfall, silky against my skin.

I turn toward the audience. It’s hot up here, under all the lights. I can only make out vague faces in the distance, but I don’t pay attention to them. I settle on the cool piano bench, raise my hands, and begin to play.

My nervousness dissipates as soon as I play the first stretch of notes. I fly through my ARCT program, knowing already that this will be one of my best performances. I feel utterly confident in my treatment of the music, in my knowledge that I played the best that I could, even if I did falter very slightly on one of the runs of the Fantaisie-Impromptu.

My left leg still aches very slightly when I put weight on it or turn it a certain way, an occasional reminder of what happened last year at the mall. But my piano playing remained intact.

I bow to the applause of the audience, my face stretching wide into a grin. The electric feeling of performance still dancing over my shoulders and down to my fingertips. Piano is a lot less daunting once you’ve survived supernatural attacks by demons and ghosts.

After it’s all done, Mrs. Nguyen is the first to hand me a bouquet of yellow roses.

“Fantastic performance, Ruby!” She beams at me. “I knew you could do it!” All that’s left is to attend my diploma exam at the end of this month, and then I’ll be done.

Arms wrap around my legs, and I’m squeezed from another direction as Denny and Tina both hug me at the same time. I laugh, trying to tug my dress out from under Denny’s shoes as they chatter around me excitedly.

“You did it!” Tina looks so happy for me, because she knew how nervous I was leading up to this. I give her another hug, just because I can.

“Ruby! Come here.” Ma gestures for me to join her and Baba in talking to another couple.

“You must be so proud.” I recognize the woman as an engineer at Baba’s firm, but I don’t know the man.

“We are, we are!” Baba says, smiling at me.

“She took first place in two of her Kiwanis Festival entries this year!” Ma is eager to brag about my accomplishments. I know indirectly they are proud of me, their way of keeping me humble by never telling it to my face.

“Ruby! Ruby!” Another voice calls out for my attention, and this time it’s Mrs. Sui. She thrusts a bouquet of lilies into my arms. “You were wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!” I can see the other members of the Chorus of Aunties a few steps away, talking with Dawn, and it makes me happy they were all able to come.

“These are my favorite! Thank you!” I breathe in the scent of the flowers.

“Well, who do you think got them? I’m here to steal his thunder!” Mrs. Sui cackles, turning to look at Shen behind her.

“You can take all the credit, 姑婆.” Shen laughs.

“Let me take over as your chauffeur.” Delia appears with a wink, taking the wheelchair from Shen. “Leave the lovebirds to chat.”

“Delia!” I exclaim, looking around to see if my parents heard. As far as they’re concerned, Shen and I are “good friends,” and they’re more lenient about him because they believe he saved my life.

Delia sticks her tongue out at me, already pushing Mrs. Sui toward the other aunties. “Oh and, Hope says hi. She’ll meet up with you and Tina next week like she promised when she’s back in town.”

After the horrifying events that reconnected Hope and Delia, we found out the true story behind what happened with her family. When the guardians saved them, Hope was taken in for safety. But when the split in the temple occurred, the malevolent spirit inside Hope made a bargain with Mrs. Tsai. To let her use her daughter as a vessel, help her grow in power, and she would grant her everything her heart desires. It was convenient then that there was a disgruntled disciple who knew a little too much about the workings of the guardians, who had knowledge of the dark rituals that would make all of this possible. Mr. Lee, Shen’s uncle.

Hope lived a nightmare as a vessel for a demon for two years, having someone else operate her body, alive and yet never in control. She’s only starting to unravel all the ramifications of that on her mind and body. I shudder every time I think about it.

I lead Shen to the little room in the back where performers can prepare for their sessions—more a closet really—where I can drop the flowers on the floor next to my things. When the door shuts behind us, I finally feel like I can breathe. Away from all the noise.

“Come here,” Shen says, voice low. I step into his embrace, enveloped by his body and his familiar warmth. The past few months have been nice. Getting to know each other better, even as we are dealing with our new…responsibilities.

“You’re freezing,” he murmurs, rubbing my bare arms. I rest my head on his shoulder, close my eyes.

But it’s also been a lot. Training with the guardians. Trying to catch up to him with all that he knows about the Sight, about talismans, about the gods and the magic that surrounds us. Delia moving in with him now that Shu-Ling is gone, the three of us preparing for what is coming. Pretending to be normal the rest of the time. Hiding it from my family. It takes a toll.

With Shen though, I can be myself. He understands the burden, the responsibility, the weight of everything.

“Can you just hold me for a little while?” I whisper.

And he does.