Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 111252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
If there were even a shred of goodness within him, he would dive into the ocean and curl up on the murky floor, lose himself to time and the world, only daring to return a thousand years later when everything that had been was gone.
Yes, he knew he was dying. Fighting the magical spell that controlled him was killing him as surely as a knife to the heart. And if he were to die, he wanted to see his hoard one last time. He wanted to hear Xiang’s giggling, teasing voice. To smell his musky scent and feel the cool touch of his skin brush against his.
A choked, blood-filled laugh escaped him. His last act of defiance would be to tell Xiang how to escape the cave.
In the blink of an eye, Kai was diving into the river and swimming up into his cave. On a gasp, he crawled a few feet and with the last strength he could muster, he changed into his human form. At least, if something went wrong, and he attacked Xiang, the vampire would have a slight chance of defending himself.
A roar morphed into a scream of pain as he collapsed onto the floor, exhausted and bloody. His vision was so dark, he could no longer tell if his eyes were still open. With a deep exhale, Kai laid his head on the cold stones and allowed the darkness to swallow him.
I’m sorry…
Chapter 9
Li Xiang
Xiang lingered near the open doorway, his hands opening and closing at his sides. Here and there, he would dart out into the dark cave with the flashlight on his cell phone shining in front of him, but he never got more than a few dozen meters before he was cursing himself and returning to the hoard.
With each new step into the cave, he would argue that he was trying to find his way out so he could later show Kai.
But then he was backtracking, calling bullshit on his reasoning. If anyone knew his way along the twisting paths of the cave, it was Kai. He wouldn’t need Xiang to show him the way.
Minutes later, he was stepping out again, arguing that he wanted to find the man to make sure he was okay. He hadn’t looked good in those last minutes.
But if Kai wanted to be found, he’d appear in the cavern.
Back and forth he went. Even with the clock ticking in the middle of the treasure room, he had lost all track of time. His mind was a mess. What the hell had happened to Kai? Where was he? What was going on with the dragon? He’d mentioned something about the queen summoning the dragon, yet none of this made any sense.
A summons from Queen Belladonna couldn’t be good for any of them, though. It was clear she had control of the dragon. Was she right this second ordering the dragon to attack his clan?
That image alone sent him running into the darkness, but his feet carried him only a couple of meters and he was stopping again. What the fuck was he supposed to do against a dragon? And that was assuming he could even find his way out of the underwater cave.
What about Kai? He’d promised the man that he’d take him to his clan. There was no way he was leaving him behind.
With a shout, Xiang stomped to his glittering prison. He paused, his eyes snapping over to the section that housed all the dragon’s weapons. Countless blades of all shapes and sizes glinted in the flickering candlelight, as if calling his name.
He could fight his way out.
If the dragon was going to decimate his entire clan, he could at least try to take his revenge on behalf of his brothers and sisters.
Heart pounding in his throat, Xiang took a step toward the weapons when a horrendous noise echoed through the entire network of caves. A chill rushed along his spine and the hair on the nape of his neck stood on end. Even the rushing heartbeat threatening to choke him stopped.
It had begun as a dragon’s roar, but ended in the anguished cries of a man.
Kai!
That had to be Kai.
Without another thought, Xiang raced forward, the flashlight streaking across damp stone ahead of him, shoving aside shadows where it could. He didn’t know where he was running or how he could even find the man. There were no other sounds. He tried shouting Kai’s name, but there was no answer except for the drip of water and the slap of his shoes on the rocks.
He had to find him. It couldn’t be too late.
As he moved deeper into the cave, he cursed himself for not grabbing a sword. How was he going to fight off the dragon with his bare hands? It didn’t matter. Nothing did. His only thought was to reach Kai before it was too late.