Page 73 of Two Thousand Blades

“I was scared…that you’d come for me,” Kai corrected him, and Xiang froze.

He leaned up on his elbow so he could stare at Kai. He was still pale and there was a hollowness to his cheeks, as if he’d lost something in that last fight. With his free hand, he cupped Kai’s cheek, his thumb brushing his too-sharp cheekbone. “You didn’t want me to come for you?”

“The sun was high. You would have none of your clan to support you.” Kai closed his eyes and a single tear leaked from the corner of his eye to streak along his temple. “If you tried to save me, I was sure you would die. I…I…” Kai’s voice grew rough and broke off.

Xiang dipped his head and kissed away that tear. “But I didn’t rescue you alone. I brought Rei and apparently a shit-ton of dynamite.”

Kai’s eyes opened, and questions rested in those light-silvery depths.

“Moon sweet-talked his witch-friend Maddox into giving us some dynamite. Moon says he uses it in his landscaping job, but I think Maddox is more interesting than he lets on. That’s where all the explosions came from. Perfect distraction. Allowed me to free my dragon without them laying a single hand on me.”

Kai’s lips twitched, and he said with a sigh, “Your dragon.”

“Mn. You’re my dragon.”

Kai’s eyes slipped shut, and he released a sigh as if something in him was finally relaxing. “You shouldn’t have come for me. Too dangerous.” The grumpy tone made Xiang smile. It was a sure sign he was on the mend.

“I had to rescue you.” He waited until Kai lifted one eyebrow in query, not bothering to even open his eyes. “I’ve still got this weiqi stone in my stomach, and I need your magic to get it out.”

As he expected, Kai huffed a soundless laugh and then winced. “Don’t make me laugh. Everything still hurts.”

“Sorry. Sorry.” He pressed a couple of gentle kisses to Kai’s lips before settling on the mattress. “Rest. Get your strength back.”

Xiang lay awake, listening to Kai’s breathing quickly even out as he drifted into a healing sleep. With any luck, Ming Yu’s restorative broth and knowledgeable care would bring Kai around faster than the last time.

Because the second Kai was on his feet, Xiang was marching to the fae stronghold, and he was killing the queen of the fae. And he was happy to kill every member of the fae who got in his way. No one was allowed to hurt his love and live.

Chapter 25

Kai

Kai woke to snoring.

And it was the best sound in the world.

Better than the birds singing in the trees or the metallic clink of gold coins clattering together in a velvet bag.

He opened his eyes and turned his head to find Xiang stretched out on his stomach, one arm thrown across Kai’s waist, and his face half buried in a pillow as he slept deeply. The room was almost completely dark except for a thin line of light creeping in from under the door.

He didn’t know how much time had passed since they’d escaped the fae. Vague memories of flying, falling, and being cared for by Xiang and Ming Yu danced through his brain. Most of all, he recalled being held by Xiang as his body healed from his injuries, while Xiang whispered promises of retribution and endless games of weiqi. His sweet vampire had been worried about him.

But Xiang jumping in to rescue him had placed the vampire in great danger. There had been only him and Rei against countless members of the fae. Luck was the only thing that had gotten them away from there alive.

The next time, fate might not be so generous.

And there would be a next time. Queen Belladonna had come so close to breaking him. She would not let this go. Not when she could possess him completely. All she had to do was strike during the daylight hours—the time the vampires were at their most vulnerable. She’d be able to snag herself a dragon and the son who’d turned on her.

No, this had to stop. He couldn’t continue to put Xiang and his clan in danger. This was his mess. He’d been the one who’d not taken adequate steps to protect his hoard. He was the one who’d lost the heart of his hoard, making him vulnerable to the fae. If this disaster was to end, he had to be the one to fix it.

But that meant leaving Xiang.

His entire body ached at the idea of not holding his Xiang again. He’d rather have died spiked to the fae’s courtyard than not see the vampire.

He could tell himself that he could return to Xiang’s side after he destroyed the fae, but he knew deep down he wouldn’t survive that confrontation. He only hoped to at least take Queen Belladonna’s life before he lost his own.

Carefully, Kai slid out from under Xiang’s arm and climbed to his feet. His legs were weak and wobbled under him, but most of the pain was now gone. With a wave of his hand, he dressed in a pair of jeans, a black T-shirt, and soft boots—something to match his bleak mood.

Looking at Xiang, he drank up the sight of the man’s bare skin and his tousled dark hair as it covered tiny glimpses of his face. He would cherish every memory he had of their time together. Every second of their shared past was a rare gem, more valuable than all the treasures in his hoard.

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