Page 75 of Two Thousand Shadows

His visions almost never provided an exact time when the events would happen. There was no way of telling if Jiang Chong was going to attack tonight or in a week, or possibly even a year. The trees in the background had looked about how they were right now. They hadn’t changed to a deep orange and gold with the progression of fall. That meant Jiang Chong was likely to attack any day now.

Sadly, Leo was right in that he didn’t know how to find Jiang Chong. There was no way he could track down his creator andchallenge him to a fight to the death. They were left waiting for the asshole to appear.

But there was one other option. If he couldn’t stop Leo from dying, was there a way to make sure that the death wasn’t permanent?

And he knew of one person who might have the answer to that question.

He drew in a shaky breath as he drove up the long curving driveway to the Variks’ mansion. As far as he knew, the only members of the clan not currently living within the mansion’s walls were Rafe and his mate, Philippe. Bel and Winter had moved in with their mates after the fae had burned their homes to the ground.

Junjie had visited the Varik home once before, but then he’d been with several other members of his clan. This time, he was alone. He’d been afraid to draw anyone else into his desperation, mostly out of fear of someone trying to talk him out of it. There were no other options, and there was no time to wait. Bel Varik was the one person who could help him now.

He jumped out of the car and hurried up the broad staircase. The front doors burst open and Winter rushed out. He was wearing a black hoodie that threatened to swallow up his smaller form, but there was no missing the worry that filled his bright-blue eyes.

“What happened? Has Jiang Chong struck?” Winter demanded.

Junjie shook his head. “No. Everyone is fine. I need to speak to your brother Bel.”

Winter blinked at him, his mouth open, but no words were coming out. He blinked again, and it was like his brain engaged. “Uh…yeah, he’s inside.” Winter motioned for Junjie to enter the house, and he followed behind him.

The youngest Varik showed him into one of the parlors while shooting a text off to his sibling. Junjie’s gaze skimmed the elegant decorations that covered the walls and the thick rugs that stretched over the floors. There was a regal opulence about the place that reminded him of pictures he’d seen of European palaces.

“Your clan is okay? The fae haven’t attacked?” Winter repeated as they stepped into the parlor. A dark mocha-brown tufted sofa and a matching pair of black rounded-back chairs waited for them. It was a warm and inviting room with a more modern feel, as if the Variks reserved this area for close friends rather than strangers.

“Yes, everyone is fine. There have been no encounters in the past several days.”

“And the little boy? Erik? He’s adjusted to living with you?”

For the first time since seeing Jiang Chong plunge the sword into Leo’s chest, Junjie felt like he could take a real breath. His lips moved into a soft smile, and he nodded, letting the joy he always felt when he thought about Erik blossom in his chest.

“Erik is good. Adjusting well. His sleep has improved, and he’s loving nearly everything Shijie makes for him. His toy collection has become enormous.” As he spoke, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He swiped through a series of frantic text messages from his clan mates and pulled up the photo gallery to show off several pictures he’d snapped of the boy while he played. “One of his favorite things continues to be feeding the fish each day. They look forward to seeing him too.”

“Wow! Could that kid be any more adorable?”

Junjie’s head popped up suddenly. “I’m sorry. I forgot to ask. How are you and Fox?”

Winter’s grin became crooked. “Don’t worry about it. We’re good. Fox is adapting to being a vampire faster than I am. He’s eager to discover what his vampiric power is going to be.I’m praying it’s something benign like Yichen’s language skills, but with his luck, we’re going to have another pyromaniac like Ethan.”

“Hopefully, the gods will take pity on you.”

Brisk footsteps echoed through the hall a second before Bel appeared in the open doorway, followed by his two shifter mates, River and Wyatt. Bel seemed to be his usual frazzled self with his wild hair of loose curls that were completely incongruent with his neat bow tie with tiny yellow lightning bolts on a dark navy background. The wolves were more informally dressed in T-shirts and jeans. Both were even barefoot. That was something he noticed Leo seemed to enjoy. The first sign of the cat shifter growing comfortable in the Zhang manor was that he eschewed anything on his feet.

Even little Erik was the same. Every chance the child got, he was pulling off his shoes, socks, and slippers.

“Junjie!”

“Hello, Bel, River, Wyatt. I’m sorry to come over unannounced. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“No! No! No!” Bel answered with a wave of his hands.

“Your timing is perfect. Bel needed a break from work,” Wyatt said, causing Bel to throw him a disgruntled look.

“I’ll let you guys talk. Shout if you need me for anything,” Winter interjected and quickly left the room, closing the door behind him.

Bel motioned for Junjie to sit in one of the chairs. He took the sofa with his mates on either side of him. “What can I do for you? Is everything good with your clan?”

The warm feeling he received at Winter’s questions about Erik continued to swell. Their concern for his clan was so very touching. Leaving behind a vampire clan who had become such good friends was going to be hard when they returned home to China.

“Everyone is good. Thank you.”

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