Page 64 of Two Thousand Shadows

“Got it. Got it.” Rei held his hands in front of him as if to ward off more of her looks. “I’ll kill Trin for you. Possibly Aire Bira. I’ve got a dragon and a vampire mate who are itching to take out a few elves, so I might have to share with them.”

“Fine, but how are we supposed to keep yet another Trin from rising to take on the humans?” Ellora tossed up her hands and paced a short distance away, only to spin back and glare at her half brother. “This has been an endless cycle of blood and mayhem.”

“I think a dragon eating a large number of Trin’s fighters will be fairly convincing that this is a battle they cannot win,” Junjie offered. “Once you spread the word that Rei defeated Trin and the door is closing, the elves should race to the fae realm.”

“Because staying means death for them,” Xiao Dan finished.

Rei was going to be the one exception to that rule. He didn’t need the magical connection to his own realm any longer, thanks to the gift and spell he’d received from the witch Zelda. Butthey weren’t spreading that knowledge about, because Rei had no desire to see more of his fae brethren running loose in the human world after the door was closed.

Ellora tipped her chin toward her chest and chewed on her bottom lip in thought. “Okay. That will help. But what about after the door closes, in the fae realm? Who is going to lead the fae? Who will wrangle the elves into something coherent and less vicious?”

“I’m sorry, but that sounds very much like a you problem,” Rei said.

Ellora’s head popped up, her eyes wide. “What?”

“I’m staying here even if it means I die. My mate is here. My clan is here. I don’t want to leave.”

Some of the tension that had been gripping Junjie’s lungs in a near-choking embrace eased, allowing him to breathe. Every time this came up, there was some part of him that worried Yichen would choose to accompany Rei to the fae realm. He hated the idea of losing his didi yet again.

“But you’re the heir to the throne! You’re the only one who can lead our people!” While Ellora was adamant about Rei taking the reins of power and becoming the savior to the fae people, she also looked like she wanted to run Rei through with her sword.

“What are you talking about? Only one? That’s some bullshit right there.” Rei spun slowly in place, holding his hands out to the fae that were gathered in this room. “You’ve organized your own underground resistance force. You’re leading them into battle and trying to figure out what is best for your people. What the hell do you need me for?”

Ellora’s mouth bobbed open and closed several times. Her eyes grew impossibly wide, as if the idea of her taking the throne and becoming the next leader of the fae had never occurred to her.

“You have as much claim to the throne as Trin,” Yichen murmured. “The key difference is that you’re not willing to throw away all the lives of your people to kill off humans. Who the fuck cares about humans? They don’t even think the fae are real. The humans are more concerned with killing each other off.”

“Besides, I don’t see how you have much choice. You’re the one elf I’ve seen who gives a shit about whether the fae live or die.” Rei reached over and wrapped his arm around Yichen’s waist and rested his chin on his mate’s shoulder. “I’m content to die here.”

Ellora’s pale face flushed bright red. “Fuck you!” She whirled about and stormed up the stairs, leaving them and the rest of the gathered fae staring in shocked silence.

Olag coughed and wiggled out of his chair. “Allow me to put on a pot of tea to warm you. Rest here for a bit. That will give any trackers who might be in the area the chance to move on before you leave.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Master Olag,” Xiao Dan stated with a bow of his head to the gnome.

“Shixiong…am I wrong?” Rei’s voice was small and soft when he spoke. He didn’t look over at Xiao Dan, but his fingers tightened in Yichen’s clothes as if he were expecting Xiao Dan to announce that Rei needed to return to his realm right this second.

“That’s a hard question. I don’t believe you would be a poor leader for your people. While you may be impulsive and a touch reckless, you’re also caring and compassionate. You might act as if you don’t worry about the fate of all the fae, but we know it is just a façade. That being said”—he paused and cleared his throat—“I don’t believe you are the only person who can lead your people. There are others who must have your strength, knowledge, and compassion. I think you could be correct aboutEllora. Of course…I am biased. I would prefer if you and Yichen remained with our clan.”

“Shixiong, I think I’ll step outside to make sure the area is free of threats. Why don’t you ask for directions from Master Olag?” Junjie suggested.

“Thank you, Junjie,” Xiao Dan said.

His foot had just landed on the first step when Rei called out to him. “Be careful. Ellora appeared to be in a stabby mood.”

Junjie smirked at the elf. “You forget, I grew up with Xiang. He was always stabby.”

At the top of the stairs, he paused, straining to hear any sounds of movement or talking beyond the door, but there was nothing. Crickets chirped and the wind softly rustled the leaves of the trees. The thunder was done, and the rain had even stopped.

Moving quickly, Junjie darted outside and a short distance away from the tree, plunging into the deepest shadows he could see within the forest. He paused there, holding his breath and listening.

“There’s no one out here but us,” Ellora informed him in a dull, flat voice. “You should have stayed inside by the fire. You’re still soaked.”

Junjie silently stepped out from his hiding place and walked toward the tree. The brilliant yellow leaves made the tree appear as if it were a tiny sun bound to the earth. It took him a few seconds to locate Ellora up on one of the thick branches several meters up from the ground. She leaned against the trunk while using the point of her knife to pick dirt out from under her nails. “While I don’t enjoy the cold, it’s not a problem. It’s not as if I can catch a cold.”

“Huh. I’ve heard that not much can kill vampires.”

She threw the silver knife in her hands at him. Junjie didn’t even bother to sidestep it. He caught it easily between twofingers, spun, and flung the knife at her without hesitation. The blade embedded itself in the tree trunk barely a hand’s width from her head. The elf jerked upright, her eyes wide as she stared at the quivering blade.

---