​Okay, so I need a little work on my aim. The boy that now lay in a sopping puddle at my feet was not the one I’d seen with the pearl, but at least he was one of the thieves.

I rolled him onto his back with my foot and he gasped in air, finally coming back to life. “Hello,” I said, smiling as he scrambled up warily. My guards took a step forward, weapons out, but I signaled them to stay back. “Hope I didn’t frighten you, but I’m not really used to being gentle to those who dishonor me.” He said nothing. “Know who I am?” ​

"Dragon,” he coughed. ​

“Ah, so you do know a little bit about our culture. You’re better than most foreigners who come here.” I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. “No need for small talk, then. Where is it?”

​“I don’t have it,” he replied. At least he didn’t feign ignorance, but avoiding the question wouldn’t help him either. ​

"And I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me where it is, either? Out of loyalty to your friends?” The boy pressed his lips firmly together and narrowed his eyes at me. It was almost cute. “I don’t need you to talk to be able to find out.” ​

Reaching down into the puddle left by his clothes, I scooped up a handful of water and blew it at him. He stared down at himself as it soaked right into his chest. Then he screamed in pain as the water worked his way up through his lungs, his ribs, and to his brain. I twisted my finger and he opened his mouth, water pouring from it like a waterfall, congealing in a little ball that floated just above my palm. ​

"Thank you, Minho,” I said with a smile. “You’ve been a great help. I have to go now, but my guards have been instructed to keep you entertained.” I waved at him as I turned away. I caught a glimpse of his frightened eyes before the weapons of my guards blocked him from view. ​

Minho’s memories revealed more than even he knew. I could see exactly the role that each of them had played in stealing the pearl from the museum. I’d punish them all from least guilty to most, starting next with Jonghyun, the actor.

​Cute how Onew had found him, trying to con an old lady into thinking he was her long-lost son. Sad thing was that it had worked, too, until Onew stepped in and convinced him to give the old woman her money back, making an argument about filial piety. Then he’d threatened to expose Jonghyun to the police, unless the grifter agreed to work for him. Seeing as Jonghyun got to continue to con people, he was perfectly happy with the arrangement. ​

And right now, they were huddled in the plaza near the Oriental Pearl Tower. I smiled and cracked my knuckles. ​

They were camped out at the mall, along with a couple hundred other people who had decided to seek refuge there because of the continuing storm. I could still sense the energy of the pearl, and now armed with Minho’s memories, I had an idea of what their leader, Onew, would do. I debated whether or not I should send in my army. No. There were some things I preferred to do myself. ​

Onew and his boys would hide out in the open. The best place to hide, after all, was in plain sight. I rode the elevator up to the second floor, peering down at the first floor lobby. ​

Children were running around, heedless of the ruined holiday, and a band was attempting to play songs and get everyone in the mood. The Chinese New Year’s night celebration event in Beijing was being broadcasted from every other TV in the mall, alternating with news bulletins about the weird weather Shanghai was getting. ​

“Sorry about the fun, folks,” I murmured, leaning over the edge. ​

The boys would have split up, so as to attract less attention. That’s what they’d done after stealing the pearl in the first place. Peering over the edge, I caught glimpse of spiky dark hair and a flash of a metal chain near the fountain. That had to be Jonghyun- according to Minho, he never took the chain off, even when it might be used to identify him. ​

I exhaled, my breath forming a thin fog in front of my face, as it always does when it’s cold. Instead of dispersing, however, it grew denser and thicker, starting from where I was and spreading out throughout the whole mall, blinding everyone it came in contact with. Even I couldn’t see two feet in front of my face, given the human form I was in. But I remembered where the grifter was sitting. A column of water rose out of the fountain, wrapped around him, and began dragging him into the pool- ​

A hand grabbed my shoulder. “I found you.” ​

Spinning around, I was surprised to find myself face to face with Onew. In fact, his face was about a foot away from mine- I wouldn’t have been able to see him otherwise. I batted his hand off my shoulder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I retorted, attempting to keep my voice steady. I was a little startled though. How did I not sense him approaching? ​

Everything seemed to fade away around me, the panicked confusion of the crowd, the lights, the cold, as his dark eyes met mine. ​

“You’re the spirit that we pissed off,” he replied. He looked me over, from the golden scales on my qipao to my bare feet. “The spirit of the dragon.” ​

“You’re Onew,” I replied. “Leader of this little band of thieves. Your hitter told me everything.” ​

"Where is he?” Onew asked.

​“I’ll give you your friend if you give me what I want,” I shot back. ​

He laughed and my eyes widened. Never had I ever been treated so disrespectfully before. “I know that’s not how it works, dragon girl. You flooded a city and ruined a national holiday just to catch five thieves. You’re not going to stop if I give the pearl back to you.” ​

He was audacious, I had to give him that. It was admirable. Or maybe he was just stupid. ​

"Let me tell you something,” he said quietly and I had to bend my head closer to hear him. “You better not let anything happen to Minho.” ​

My eyes flared and I could feel flames building in the back of my throat. “Is that a threat?” I hissed. ​

“It is,” he replied. ​

“I could hold him indefinitely,” I snapped. “Are you willing to let that happen for the sake of a bit of cash?”

​“You won’t,” he shot back. “Thirty minutes to midnight and you won’t be able to return for another twelve years. You can’t hold him for that long. There is no outcome in which you win. Give up the pearl and stop pursuing us now, because you’re never getting it.” ​

"You don’t know a thing about what I can do,” I hissed.

​“I know a few things,” he replied. Before I realized what he meant, he’d shoved me over the railing. Too startled to even react, I crumpled to the tile floor. I felt my neck break, before darkness came over me. ​

Monkey was peering down at me when I opened my eyes again. “You okay?” she asked. I sat up and tilted my head from side to side, hearing it crack loudly. ​

“Yeah. Never better.” I stood up and prepared to jump in the pool again, but she held me back. ​

"Have you lost your mind?” she yelled.

​“Pretty sure D never had one,” Tiger commented, taking a sip of his beer. ​

"You can’t go back! There are thirty minutes left until the New Year!” she hollered. “If you’re trapped down there-” ​

“You think I don’t know what’ll happen?” I snapped. “You think I’m doing this because I like playing with fire-” ​

"Well, you do-” ​

"Shut up, Tiger!” I hissed. “Do you have any idea what that pearl means to me? It’s not just some bauble that dragons like to play with, it’s confirmation of who we are! It’s proof that we exist! All of you are real animals, but we’re the only imaginary ones. Most humans don’t even believe in us anymore. They don’t believe we exist, they don’t even respect us! Do you have any idea how that feels?” ​

Monkey was silent. Most of the zodiac was silent, actually, except Pig, who was still snoring with his head in the punch bowl. It’s a good thing spirits can’t die. “When no one believes in your existence, when you fall from one of the mightiest animals in the world to a joke in a children’s storybook, sometimes it’s hard to believe that you actually are real. With the way the world is changing, that pearl is the only thing that lets me remember- someone out there used to believe in me.” ​

Wordlessly, Monkey released my sleeve and I dove back into the human world.