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)
For now, there was only one thing he could do to help Kai, and that was to keep him safe. He strode across the room with a practiced ease and stopped when he reached the armory. With lightning quickness and precision, he tucked four small knives on his body and then grabbed his favorite sword from the collection. In his free hand, he snagged a spear before marching to stand at the foot of the bed.
He stood between the doorway and the bed. If the dragon had it in his mind to finish off Kai, he’d have to go through Xiang to do it. Shixiong was a patient teacher. Chen was a brilliant strategist. Both Yichen and Meimei had their sneaky ways that made them excellent spies and assassins. Ming Yu was their healer and heart. But he and Junjie were born fighters.
Gods, I wish Jun-Jun was here.
There was nothing like having his martial brother fighting at his side to make him feel invincible.
Yet, even without Jun-Jun at his side, he would keep Kai safe.
“Xiang?”
He jerked at that whisper and almost dropped the spear in his left hand to see Kai’s eyes open a slender crack.
Kai licked his lips and spoke softly again. “What are you doing?”
“I’m protecting you from the dragon,” he answered, while trying to get his brain to fully engage. Kai was awake and talking to him. That was enough to throw his thoughts to the winds.
To his shock, Kai’s pale lips twitched into a tiny smile. “Who is going to protect you?”
Some of the twitchy energy that had been zipping through his body for the past several hours released its hold on him and he could drag in a deep breath of relief. Xiang walked around the side of the bed and leaned the spear on the wall near the headboard while still keeping it close at hand.
“How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?” Xiang asked.
Kai’s face scrunched up as he shook his head. He shifted on the bed as if he were trying to sit up, but Xiang was there to put a gentle restraining hand on his shoulder, easing him back down to the mattress.
“You…you need to leave.” He panted, as if that slight movement had worn him out. “Not safe…it’s not safe for you.”
Frowning, Xiang placed the sword on the foot of the bed and sat on the edge beside Kai. He reached out and brushed aside some of the damp hair that had fallen across his forehead. “I’m not going anywhere. When I found you, you were covered in blood. I don’t know what happened between you and that monster, but he and I are going to have words if he dares to show his face.”
“No. Listen. You need to leave.” Kai’s eyes lifted and even their silvery depths were clouded over with pain, as if he couldn’t see Xiang. “I…I can tell you the way out. If…if you start ahead of sunset, you should reach shelter prior to the next sunrise.”
“Kai, stop. I’m not going anywhere.”
“But—”
Xiang tapped Kai’s bottom lip, and the man flinched, his eyes widening and focusing on him. Xiang tilted his head so that Kai could see his smile. “I’m not leaving you. I swore we’d get out of here together, and that’s what we’re going to do. The dragon doesn’t frighten me.”
A soft sigh escaped Kai’s parted lips, and he closed his eyes. “Idiot,” he whispered, but there was a ghost of a smile still lingering on his face.
The laugh that tripped from Xiang’s mouth was mixed with fear and relief as he stared at Kai. He appeared beyond exhausted, as if the life had been drained from him. His color was still too pale. Even his lips had lost all their pale-rose tint. But he was here and breathing, so that had to be a positive step. Or so he desperately told himself.
“Look who’s calling who an idiot,” Xiang teased. “I’m not the idiot who took on a dragon all by myself.” Xiang would do it to keep Kai safe, though. Without thinking, he reached out and threaded his fingers through Kai’s hair because he couldn’t help himself. Touching him meant he was safe and alive. “Can you tell me what happened? Why did the dragon attack you?”
Seconds ticked by as the silence stretched until it was at last broken by the clock chiming the hour. Kai must have fallen unconscious again and Xiang was debating whether to smash the clock to pieces since it was supposedly a gift from the dragon, but Kai’s thready voice stopped him.
“The dragon didn’t attack me.”
Xiang’s gaze jumped back down to Kai to find the man’s eyes had opened a sliver to watch him. “What happened? Is someone else in the cave?” He reached for the sword he’d placed on the bed when Kai’s hand slipped out from the covers and grabbed his wrist with startling strength.