Page 10 of Two Thousand Shadows

At last, the child nodded and stretched out his arms, leaning forward. He fell straight into Junjie’s outstretched hands.Junjie’s heart squeezed almost to the point of being pulverized as he gathered that fragile body against his chest and tucked his head under his chin. The nameless child gave a deep, shuddering breath and relaxed all of his weight on Junjie.

That was all it took. Junjie knew he’d die for this child. He’d destroy entire armies to keep him safe. He didn’t know anything about raising children or caring for them, but nothing had ever felt so right to him.

Seconds later, Kai and Xiang returned to the living room, carrying a reuseable grocery bag. Xiang’s eyes widened and his mouth popped open, but a sharp glare from Junjie was all it took to get him to close his mouth without saying a damn thing.

“There were two rooms upstairs that looked like they belonged to children, but more of the teenaged variety. Nothing for a small one like that. But we found this bag with some diapers and cleaning cloths,” Kai announced.

“The cats were probably squatting here with him until they could come up with a more permanent solution,” Xiang continued.

“That’s fine. We need to get out of here. The sun is coming up,” Junjie murmured. He grabbed the edge of the soft fleece blanket covered in cartoon characters on it and wrapped the boy in it, despite the lingering heat in the air. This wasn’t about being warm but about creating a sense of security in this child’s endlessly changing life.

“Chen is going to lose his shit,” Xiang commented, a hint of evil laughter lurking among his words. He sobered and became serious as he continued. “Da-ge?3 might, too.”

Junjie ignored his warning and marched out of the house, walking straight to the SUV they’d taken. He slipped into his seat, keeping the child held tight against him, while Kai came up behind him and closed the door with a reassuring smile.

Yes, Chen, Xiao Dan, and the rest of his clan were likely to be upset about the addition of a child to their lives, but that didn’t worry him much. Prior to becoming vampires, they’d lived on the grounds of the Zhang family manor and lands. There had been plenty of kids running around—members of the vast Zhang family and the children of the servants. Not to mention, more children had arrived regularly for training under the Sword of the Heavenly Garden sect masters. They might be out of practice when it came to interacting with children, but he was sure they’d find a rhythm soon enough for this little one.

His genuine fear came at the timing of the child’s appearance. Their primary concern right now wasn’t just about the fae. They were also faced with Jiang Chong and the threat that he posed to all of them. Junjie wanted to keep this child safe and help him find a shred of happiness after losing his parents. But how safe could he be with Jiang Chong looming over the clan?

1 Huli Jing – fox spirit, a mischievous spirit that can be an omen of good luck or bad luck

(It is believed to be able to change into male or female human form and seduce humans. Different from a nine-tailed fox—jiuweihu in Mandarin, kitsune in Japanese or gumiho in Korean – just depends on whether you’re a donghua, anime, or K-drama watcher ??)

2 Baba – father

3 Da-ge – senior older brother, a sort of respectful endearment

Chapter 3

Leo St. George

Stale beer, sweat, and old grease filled the stagnant air of the tiny bar. The lights were dim, creating deep shadows in the corners and around the edges. But this was the type of place people came to, hoping to fall into those shadows, never to be seen again.

Leo sat on a stool with worn-out padding and a wobble. He leaned on the damp bar top, glaring at the nearly empty glass caged in by his limp hands as if he were expecting it to make a break for it. Leo planned to spend the next couple of nights here hiding out. He was afraid that if he left, his wandering feet might carry him to those Chinese vampires. He didn’t trust himself.

The door opened, sending bright early-morning sunshine spilling through the room. A series of grunts and grumbles traveled through the room until the door closed, allowing the darkness to wash over the surly occupants.

A familiar scent made Leo’s nose twitch, but it was more than enough warning that he was about to receive a visitor.

“Whiskey, neat. And put it on his tab,” Sage ordered from the bartender, getting the large round man with the balding head moving from where he’d been propped up against the side of thebar, watching the news on the small TV hanging from the ceiling in the far corner.

“Not on my tab,” Leo growled. “Pay with your own money.”

The tall, thin woman plopped onto the stool beside him and poked his arm with her pointy elbow. “Stingy.”

“Whatever.” Leo picked up his glass and drained the last of the cheap whiskey he’d been nursing. As the bartender brought over the glass he’d poured for Sage, Leo held up his empty glass and gave it a shake, ordering yet another. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you think? I was looking for you. Why else would I come in here?”

“Searching for a date,” he sneered, lifting his eyes to take in her shorts and black tank top. Her hair was a strange gray-brown and very thin. She kept it cut short, but no matter the season, it stood up around her head as if it possessed a static charge or she were a human dandelion.

A loud cackle erupted from her, and she rocked on her stool. “Here? I don’t think so.”

Despite her loud words, no one present bothered to argue with her. They all knew they weren’t receiving any roses onThe Bachelorette. In fact, everyone seemed to be rather diligently ignoring them.

“What do you want?” he demanded as the bartender replenished his glass and picked up the card Sage had slapped on the counter.

Sage dropped her jovial attitude and hunched on her stool, matching his demeanor as she leaned closer. “Did the vamps take the bait?”

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