Page 89 of Two Thousand Blades

Weapons remained at the ready and footsteps were silent as they moved. They expected guards at every turn and out of every doorway, but nothing moved. If Kai didn’t know better, he would have guessed that they were walking through an abandoned castle, and all the rest of the fae had returned to their realm.

He didn’t know whether they’d been told the truth or if a bigger trap was waiting for them past the next corner.

Sadly, they had no way of contacting the rest of the team without alerting the fae. This deep in the forest, there was no cell signal for sending text messages, and a message through magic would have tipped off the fae that there were non-fae members in their midst. They could only pray that by this time, the others had finished their sweep of the outer parts of the castle and were working their way to the throne room. It had been the one spot they’d all agreed to meet if Junjie didn’t send up the signal for the exit diversion first.

With one last nod and a smile, Xiang turned the knob and pushed open the door to the throne room as quietly as possible. Bright light flooded the black hallway, blinding Kai as his eyes struggled to adjust. When he could take in the surroundings, his heart clenched.

Standing in the center of the room was the Zhang team who’d entered the castle. Huli had abandoned his human fox and stood as a multi-tailed fox about the size of a pony in front of Xiao Dan, his teeth bared. Hands were on weapons, but nothing was drawn, as they all locked eyes on the dais.

“Ahhh…and there are our stragglers,” purred a low voice. Not the voice Kai had expected at all.

Xiang led the way into the throne room, past guards who barely spared them a glance to stand next to the rest of his clan. As they moved closer, Kai almost stumbled over his own feet as he took in the sight before them.

Trin stood in front of the throne while Queen Belladonna was on her knees next to him, her white hair wild about her head and her pale-gray skin as thin as paper. And in Trin’s right hand was Kai’s sword.

“Now that we’re all gathered, it seems we have some things to negotiate,” Trin announced. “And there’s an old friend here who’s been very much looking forward to seeing you.”

Kai’s nostrils flared. That scent he’d noticed earlier was back and so much stronger. Close. Everywhere around them. He grabbed Xiang’s arms, unsure whether to pull his sword with his free hand or if he should shift into his dragon form. As promising as this scene appeared, something was very wrong here.

Chapter 30

Li Xiang

Kai’s fingers dug into Xiang’s biceps, but he didn’t dare tear his eyes from the dais where Trin stood over his kneeling mother while her bodyguards lay dead in growing pools of blood behind them. Trin’s ever-present personal guard, Aire, was a couple of feet away, a scowl twisting up her features.

This had the potential to go their way and be concluded at long last without a need for a major fight.

But then why was the tension so thick it could nearly choke a man? If someone were to sneeze, there was a good chance this stalemate would explode in earth-shattering destruction.

Rei and Yichen stood at the forefront of their group. The elf’s relaxed posture did nothing to hide his narrowed gaze and the tight muscles of his jaw. Yichen’s hands were wrapped around blades, which could be drawn in the blink of an eye if anyone so much as looked at his mate in a threatening manner.

For now, Xiang hung back, measuring up the guards and getting an accurate count, as well as marking the various exits if they needed to make a hasty retreat.

“Color me surprised,” Rei said with a low chuckle. “I thought you were going to leave it all to me to clean up. I never expected you to make such a bold move. Especially against your mother dearest.”

Leave it to the sassy elf to take a big pointy stick and poke the person in the power position. If Yichen didn’t smack his mate, Xiang was going to.

The grin that spread across Trin’s lips was sharp and sent a chill through Xiang’s soul. “Well, it looked like you were having so much fun upsetting the plans of our parents that I thought maybe I should join in.”

“So, you’ve taken over the palace and you have the queen in your hands.” Rei paused and the tip of his tongue licked the corner of his mouth. “What’s the next step? What are your grand plans now that you’ve gone this far?”

Trin’s smile dimmed as he watched the woman muttering to herself, eyes unfocused and face splattered with blood. Her elegant gown was wrinkled and ripped. There was little sign of the brilliant shining woman he’d glimpsed on the unicorn with a sword raised over her head. A feeling of intense power swirled around her, but it was wild and without direction, as if it were dissipating into the world after touching her. The mind that wrangled the reins of the natural world was broken, and it was all slipping through her fingers.

“Did you know I spent some time watching the humans?” Trin said in a conversational tone. “Their idea of maternal instincts and a mother’s love differs greatly from ours.”

“Though there are exceptions, humans can be very warm and nurturing, especially toward their offspring,” Rei agreed.

Trin grunted, his gaze seeming to soften as he stared at his mother’s bowed head. “I guess that’s why they’re so easy to conquer.” As soon as he finished speaking, Trin swung Kai’s sword, slicing through Belladonna’s throat in a single fluid motion that sent up a wild spray of blood. The former queen didn’t make a sound in her death. Her body collapsed at Trin’s feet and her head bounced down the three steps that led to the dais and throne. It rolled awkwardly across the floor until it came to a stop at the toe of Rei’s boot.

A tremble ran through Xiang as images from a very distant past flickered through his brain of a night so-called traitors met to discuss the future of the royal line. The night he’d killed his father.

The bite of hard fingers jerked Xiang from the bleak memories, and a bump against his shoulder had him looking up to see Kai’s concerned eyes moving over his face. Clenching his teeth, Xiang gave Kai a tiny nod to show that he was okay, and forced his attention to the present-day royal drama.

“Congratulations,” Rei called out, though there was a new flatness to his tone. “You’ve freed us both at last.”

“Have I, though?” Trin held out his free hand toward Aire. She stepped forward and placed a small square of cloth into his palm, which he used to wipe the blade clean of any spec of blood from his mother. “The line of ascension is very clear, and all our people know it. You’re the only living child born of King Ash and Queen Belladonna. You will always be their first choice to sit on the Dawn Throne.”

A scoff erupted from Rei’s throat. “Oh, yes. Let’s put the traitor and vampire lover on the throne to guide the fae people. That makes sense.” His snide expression hardened into a snarl. “I’ve told you I have no intention of taking the throne. Do you want me to renounce my right to rule officially? Fine.” Rei kicked his mother’s head aside and took a step forward, his arms raised above his head. “I, Wistari Elnaril Reymaris, Crown Prince of the Fae, son of King Ash and Queen Belladonna, hereby renounce any and all claim I have to rule over the many peoples of the fae nation. From this day forward, I am just a common elf with no home, no family, and no people to call my own.”

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