Page 66 of Two Thousand Blades

“Is this what Gao Mei Lian meant when she used the phrase ‘spilling tea’?”

Xiao Dan jerked upright, a flush coloring his cheekbones and a strange sputtering noise escaping him. Yichen had no problem bumping him aside and leaning toward Kai. “Yes, that’s exactly it. We’re gossiping. Right now, the hottest tea is you and Xiang sleeping together. Everyone is dying to know how long this has been going on. Did Xiang immediately jump into your bed? Are you?—”

“Yichen!” Xiao Dan gasped.

“Oh, come on,” he moaned, glancing over his shoulder at his shixiong before grinning at Kai. “You know you want all the tea too. When Xiang was grabbed, we were sure he was dead. If the dragon didn’t eat him, we thought he’d piss the dragon off until he stomped on him.”

“I considered it,” Kai admitted, only to wonder if maybe he should have kept that thought to himself. “He was very annoying in the beginning.”

Yichen snickered. “That’s Xiang’s charm. He’s annoying to everyone. Chen has attempted to murder him several times.”

Xiao Dan smacked Yichen on the back of the head. “He does not mean that seriously. Chen has never attempted to murder Xiang.”

The idea of talking to Xiao Dan and Yichen about his relationship with Xiang was very tempting. They’d known Xiang for centuries. They understood him, were familiar with all the things that Xiang liked and disliked. Information was what he lacked right now, and they had it.

“Very well.” Kai picked up his tea. He took a small sip and sighed as the warmth and delicate flavors danced across his tongue. It had been a while since he’d enjoyed some excellent tea. “I will tell you things, but you will help me. Sleeping with and kissing Xiang is new. First, he was my prisoner. Later, we became friends. I’m not sure when it began. I just know that one day I woke up, and he wasn’t as annoying any longer. Then, I was excited to see him each day. And now…” He paused and licked his lips. “Now I do not wish to ever let him go. I feel he belongs in my hoard, and I want to keep him there, so he’s with me always.”

Xiao Dan and Yichen exchanged another look.

Xiao Dan cleared his throat and took a sip of the tea Yichen placed in front of him. “Ummm…”

“You can’t keep him in your hoard,” Yichen said flat out. “He’s a living thing. Not a sword or a treasure chest of gems.”

This time, Xiao Dan exchanged a glance with Kai before he smacked Yichen on the head again.

“I know Xiang is a living, breathing creature with desires, dreams, and a clan who needs him,” Kai replied as evenly as he could. “It’s just that anything I’ve ever wanted has gone into my hoard. It’s the safest place I can think of. There, Xiang would be surrounded by all the beautiful and valuable things I’ve collected. I would focus all my magical spells and all my power on protecting him.” Kai paused and sighed, feeling he was falling so short of what Xiang needed, and yet he was still unwilling to let him go. “I’m a dragon. I don’t have another frame of reference. How do I keep him?”

Yichen drained his cup of tea and refilled it. “I don’t think you’re going to have much trouble with that. He was playing weiqi with you. He hates that game.”

“Yes, but how do I court him? How do I convince him of my affection and win his? How…how do I keep him?” There had to be more to this than they were letting on. All the anxiety and tension washed out of him like a wave retreating from the shore. “I’ve never done this before. There’s never been anyone I’ve met that I’ve wanted to keep.”

“It’s not hard. I think you need to tell him how you feel,” Xiao Dan said. His hand reached across the island as though he wanted to place it on Kai’s slumped shoulder, but he pulled back and smiled. “I get the impression Xiang cares a great deal for you.”

“No.” Kai huffed. “It has to be more complicated than that. He needs treasures. Maybe his own hoard. Or servants. There are still some rare magical items hidden in the world. I could find those and?—”

“No, Kai. Seriously, just talk to him,” Yichen pressed.

That couldn’t be right. Xiang deserved to be showered with all the finest things in the world. He needed to be cared for and protected. There was nothing in all the world more precious to him than Xiang, and he needed to show him.

“Yichen is correct. If you give Xiang gifts, he might think they’re an apology for kidnapping him or a dragon custom. It is better if you tell him directly how you feel,” Xiao Dan explained. He paused and gave a little wince. “I wouldn’t trust Xiang to read subtle signs and fully understand your intent.”

“Yep. Xiang is a great fighter, but he doesn’t possess great people skills. You need to say it plainly to him.”

Was that the problem? Xiang didn’t understand naturally that they belonged together?

Kai nodded. “Got it. I will tell him he is my mate from now on and he may not kiss anyone else or have sex with them.”

A sound like a choked laugh escaped Yichen, and he dropped his face into his hands, his shoulders shaking. Xiao Dan elbowed Yichen and flashed Kai a tense smile before speaking. “Maybe you could give it a softer touch. Tell him how you feel and how important he is to you. That you want to spend more time getting to know him.”

“I want to spend all my time with him.” He paused and frowned again. “But I can’t. He needs to live here with his clan.” And eventually, Kai would need to return to his hoard. He would, of course, keep his hoard close to Xiang if the vampire returned his feelings.

“I’m confused,” Yichen announced.

“So am I,” Xiao Dan chimed in. He cocked his head to the side. “Aren’t you planning to stay with us? Particularly if you view Xiang as your mate. You would leave him here while you lived somewhere else?”

“I don’t wish to leave his side ever, but I don’t want to force my presence upon him or his clan. I don’t belong to this clan.”

He’d never been a member of any clan or sect.

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