Li Mei gripped the edge of the carved wooden throne with both hands. Her fingers felt the rough texture of the gold leaf and the hard wood underneath. Below her feet the stone floor had disappeared into a dark pit. At the bottom of this pit a fire was burning in a large bronze brazier. The air was filled with the smell of burning charcoal and the sharp scent of sulfur. Three large crates of black powder were falling toward the flames. If the powder touched the fire the entire Great Hall would explode.
"Move back to the entrance!" Mei shouted to the palace guards. "The explosion will destroy this room in seconds."
She looked down and saw the crates spinning in the air. This was a life and death crisis. She did not have the physical strength to stop the heavy crates from falling. She used her golden finger of scent to analyze the situation. She smelled the heat of the fire and the dry air of the pit. She also smelled a sudden change in the atmosphere. The scent of winter mint and cold moonlight arrived with a loud sound.
Prince Zhao burst through the tall doors of the Great Hall. He was still riding the silver horse made of starlight. The horse did not make a sound on the marble floor. Zhao looked at the throne and saw Mei hanging over the pit. He saw the crates falling toward the fire. He raised his hand and used the silver power of the jade blessing. This was his supernatural ability to control the energy of the First Wolf.
"Fire will not destroy this house today," Zhao said.
He channeled the silver light into a cold wind. This was not a normal wind but a gale of lunar energy. The wind entered the pit and surrounded the bronze brazier. The flames turned from orange to a frozen blue color. The heat disappeared and was replaced by a deep cold. The fire went out instantly. The silver gale also caught the falling crates. The heavy boxes slowed down and floated in the air like they were in water.
Zhao leaped from the silver horse and landed on the edge of the pit. He reached down and grabbed Mei's arm. His grip was strong and firm. He pulled her up and onto the solid floor of the hall. Mei took a deep breath of the cold air. She felt the emotional connection between them. It was a feeling of safety and relief.
"The powder is safe," Mei said. She pointed to the crates floating in the pit. "But we must remove them before the silver energy fades."
Zhao used his thoughts to guide the silver wind. He lifted the crates out of the pit and placed them on the far side of the hall. The silver horse stood quietly near the entrance. Its body was fading as the supernatural power was used up. Zhao walked to the edge of the pit and looked at the cold bronze brazier. He was a hero who had returned at the exact moment of the looming crisis.
"The Empress Dowager has failed again," Zhao said. "She wanted to burn the throne but she only showed us that the Tang is protected by a new power."
Mei looked at the throne. The mechanical trap was now silent. She realized that the reconstruction of the empire could truly begin. The primary threats of the lunar warriors and the hidden explosives were gone. She reached into her kit and pulled out a small vial of lavender oil. She poured it onto the floor to hide the smell of the sulfur.
"The scent of death is gone," Mei said.
"We must secure the rest of the palace," Zhao said. "There are still people who followed the Empress. We need to find every one of them."
They stood together in the quiet hall. The sun was setting and the light through the windows was a deep red color. They had prevented the apocalypse in Chang'an. They were partners who had solved a mystery and saved a kingdom.