Page 47 of Two Thousand Blades

“Well, that settles that question,” Yichen announced, straightening. “You’re not leaving the clan house until we figure out how to deal with the fae.”

“Actually, that rule would go for both of you,” Ming Yu stated as soon as Rei’s mouth opened to argue with his mate. “Everyone knows that if the queen were to get her hands on Yichen, Rei would instantly give up.”

Yichen sucked in a breath as though he were preparing to argue, but a second later, his body buckled. “Ugh. Fuck. Fine.”

“I need to reacquire my sword,” Kai murmured. “It’s the one way to remove myself as a threat to your clan. I’ve tried fighting her commands, and the result…” His words drifted off. He lowered his eyes to his fisted hands. “The result is not consistent. I succeeded the last time, but I can’t promise that I would be able to fight her the next time.”

“No.” The whispered word drifted from Xiang’s lips before he could catch it. The image of nearly lifeless, blood-covered Kai sprang into his mind, and it chilled him to his soul. “No, you can’t do that again.” He grabbed Kai’s arm and squeezed. “You nearly died fighting her. I won’t let you do that to yourself again.”

Kai placed his hand over Xiang’s, but his touch failed to chase away the icy bite that sank into his bones. “She ordered me to kill you. Nothing—not even the power she wields—could make me do such a thing. I would rather die.”

“No one is dying,” Xiao Dan declared, drawing all eyes to him. “Defeating the fae is now more than killing Queen Belladonna and pushing the army through the door. We have to regain Kai’s sword so he can be sure he is truly free of their influence.” Xiao Dan turned his attention to Kai and Xiang. “How long has it been since she last issued a command?”

“Roughly a week,” Xiang answered.

“How much time do you think you have until she can make another attempt?”

Kai frowned, his brow furrowing. “It’s hard to say. Two weeks. Possibly longer if I wasn’t the only one injured when I fought her command.”

“Okay. I’ll contact King Aiden and the rest of the Variks, giving them an update on what we know. With a new goal that we have to achieve, we’ll need to meet to make plans for our next attack,” Xiao Dan explained. His long, slender fingers turned his small teacup without him actually taking a sip of the now-cold liquid. “With the humans now in the know, things are definitely more complicated.”

Xiang’s heart sank into his stomach like a stone. “What do you mean? What’s happened to the humans?”

Chen made a disgusted noise. “The spell the fae cast that night in the woods flew east, causing trees the size of redwoods to shoot up. Nearly every city was wiped out from east of Hartford to just shy of Boston.”

“All of Rhode Island is gone. Half of Connecticut is gone. A big chunk of Massachusetts is gone,” Moon listed.

“And the fae have stopped hiding,” Mei Lian added. “They’ve been out in force, attacking any human that dares to set foot in the new forest lands. People have tried to cross it via all-terrain vehicles and even on horseback, but they’ve all been hunted down. Even the ocean is thick with mermaids and selkies capsizing boats. The only way that has worked so far is by plane.”

“What about us?” Xiang inquired.

“Vampires, shifters, and witches are keeping a low profile,” Chen answered.

“But everyone feels like it’s just a matter of time before the last veil is pulled aside,” Moon said.

Xiang’s heart went out to the man. While he had a new vampire family to rely on, he still had friends who fell in the shifter and witch camps who were in danger.

“I’ve also heard nothing from Trin since our last encounter in the woods. He could have been injured, or the queen’s guards could have captured him,” Rei reported, shoving one hand through his long hair to push it away from his face. “I was thinking of asking Huli to make another trip out to find him, but I know things have grown more dangerous with the fae everywhere. It will be more difficult for him.”

“All you can do is ask.” Xiao Dan picked up his tea and took a small sip. “If he thinks it is too dangerous for him, he will tell you.”

Xiang shoved away the swell of dislike that rose at every mention of the huli jing. He didn’t trust the fox spirit, but he had to admit that he had proved useful on more than one occasion. Thanks to his magic, Huli was quite good at slipping by the numerous fae out there. The huli jing’s sudden helpfulness did not fool him. The creature’s motives were purely selfish. He wanted to get closer to their shixiong. If it weren’t for Xiao Dan, the fox spirit would be a pure menace.

“I will,” Rei agreed. “I’ll also try to think of other insiders who might take a stand against the queen.” He glanced over at Kai and smirked. “If she publicly failed to control the dragon, that could prove quite a hit in the confidence her people harbor for her. Some might now be willing to turn back if it looks like the dragon could break free.”

“Very good. I think we all have things we need to work on. I’ll share the news I receive from the Variks.” Xiao Dan turned and smiled at Kai. “We would be honored if you would stay with us.”

“I appreciate the offer, but if the queen were to summon me, I don’t want to put anyone within the Zhang clan in danger,” Kai replied.

“Nope, you’ve gotta stay!” Moon interjected. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “I’ve got some witch friends who might think of some magic spells that could help to block the queen’s commands. Or at least lessen the pull. Make it easier for you to fight her.”

Xiang shifted in his seat so he could stick his face directly in front of Kai’s. “You’re staying here with me, or I go to the hoard with you. Those are your choices.”

One corner of Kai’s mouth twitched higher as if he were fighting a grin. “And if I bring the hoard here?”

Xiang sat up and looked around, eyes wide as he shoved one hand through his hair. Where the hell would they put all those treasures? Kai’s hoard was enormous. Besides all the furniture, there was an entire armory and a library of books that would make Chen drool. Then the piles and piles of gems. He did miss the mountain of pillows and cushions they’d spent hours reclining on, though.

Of course, all the members of his clan would respect Kai’s possessions and guard them with their lives, but really, where would it all go? Even in their home in Luoyang, they would be hard pressed to find a place for it. Their temporary home in the United States was large, but still only a third of the size of their true home.

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