Page 4 of Two Thousand Promises

How had the huli jing—no, jiuweihu—gotten onto their property without them knowing it? All the protective spells they’d put in place against intruders were still there.

“You’re not Huli,” Xiao Dan said sharply. “Who are you? What have you done to Huli?”

The fox blinked slowly at him, its nine tails spread out behind it like a peacock’s feathers raised in a great fan. Without a word, the creature shifted into a tall, slender woman dressed in a form-fitting white gown that shimmered in the moonlight. Her black hair cascaded down her back in an inky waterfall to her waist. She blinked, and her red eyes became a sparkling violet. Everything about her held a flawless perfection that was captivating and unsettling. Nothing about her felt real.

“Who are you?” Xiao Dan repeated.

The fox spirit took a step closer.

“Where is Huli? What have you done to him?”

Xiao Dan’s heart hammered, and he balled his hands into tight fists. Where the hell was Huli? If this creature had harmed even one of his tails, Xiao Dan would skin her and turn her pelt into slippers.

“There’s no need to worry about Huli any longer,” she answered in a low, warm voice. “He’s the one who promised me your soul.”

“What?”

“And now I’ve come to collect.”

Xiao Dan retreated a step, his brain locking up at her cryptic words. None of this made any sense. The only way he was getting to the root of this mystery was by talking to Huli and this creature wasnothis huli jing.

“Who are you?”

“You may call me Min.”?1

“What have you done with Huli?”

“I haven’t done anything to Huli other than fulfill my half of the bargain. I have come to collect my payment. That would be you. Or more specifically, your soul.”

Xiao Dan stood his ground, refusing to be unnerved by the magical creature. If she were telling the truth and Huli had struck some deal with her, he needed to have a talk with a certain fox spirit, but his bigger concern was for Huli’s safety.

“You can’t have my soul. Leave here. You’re not welcome,” Xiao Dan bit out.

“I don’t think that matters.”

Min lunged at him, moving far faster than he’d expected. He dodged her outstretched hand. Her long nails were sharp points like claws, and they nearly raked across his face. He continued to block and sidestep each of her strikes while attempting to get to the house. He needed some kind of weapon, even if it was nothing more than a staff.

“Shixiong!”?2 Yichen’s shout cut across the lawn. Xiao Dan caught movement out of the corner of his eye and lifted his hand, snagging the sword Yichen had thrown at him. He deflected Min’s next strike with the scabbard and pulled the sword.

The fox spirit darted away and went after Yichen, attacking him with those clawlike nails. But Yichen was ready for her, wielding his sword. She spun and slashed at them a few more times yet couldn’t gain a clear advantage. It was only thanks to their vampiric speed that they could keep up with her. A human would have been dead in seconds.

“No!”

The scream echoed through the grove of trees a moment before Huli leaped over the wall. He bounced from tree limb to tree limb and launched himself at Min.

Min dodged and shifted into her white fox form. The two chased each other around the yard, snarling and snapping. The noise was horrific, but the crackle and roar of magic that filled the air nearly drowned it out.

Xiao Dan took a step toward the warring pair, needing to do something but unsure of how he could help Huli. A hand clamped on his elbow and pulled him to the house. He jerked his head to find Kai standing behind him while most of the clan peered out the rear door and windows.

“Forgive me, Shixiong,” Kai murmured. “But if you join in, they might injure you.”

Everything within him screamed to help Huli, but there was nothing he could do. His heart rested like a hard knot in the back of his throat as he prayed for Huli to come out of this battle unscathed.

Then, as suddenly as the fight started, it ended. The white and orange foxes stared at each other, chests heaving as they panted for air. Huli gave an angry snort and Min darted away,jumping over the wall with the help of a couple of low tree branches.

Xiao Dan released a shuddering breath of relief. Huli looked unhurt, though he was definitely pissed, judging by the way his fur was standing up and the snap of his many tails. He pulled free of Kai’s hold and took three steps closer to his fox. “Huli? Are you okay? What is going on?”

In a heartbeat, his grumpy fox changed. All of his tails drooped as if weights had been tied to the ends, and his ears flattened. Huli slowly turned his head toward Xiao Dan.

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