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)
What was more surprising was that Yichen didn’t say a word to argue with his mate. He stood in the doorway, his arms folded over his chest and eyes locked on the floor.
“Rei? Xiang? How?” Chen stammered as he held up his hands. “It’s just the two of you. Do you even know where Kai has been called to? What chance do you have against the fae army? This is insanity. I like Kai and want to help him—”
“I love him!” Xiang snarled. “I love him completely. He is my mate, and there is no way in hell I’m leaving him in that bitch’s hands longer than necessary.” He marched over to Chen and didn’t stop until he was so close their noses nearly bumped. “Are you going to tell me you’d leave Moon behind?”
Chen took a step back and graced Xiang with a small nod of his head. “No. No, I wouldn’t.”
“Besides, it’s not like we’re going to rush the castle and take on the entire army alone,” Rei stated.
Xiang turned toward the elf and stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate. In truth, that was the only plan Xiang had. It was a stupid one. Even in all his panic-infused madness, he knew his current plan was idiotic and suicidal, but what else did he have?
Yichen sighed heavily, and some of Xiang’s hopes sank.
“Is this like your first plan to escape the castle? Or more like your plan to assassinate the royal family through years of political maneuvering?” his didi inquired in a weary drawl.
Rei huffed and pointed the quiver of arrows he’d just picked up at his mate. “Why do you require everything to be so complicated? That first plan wasn’t terrible.”
“What was his first plan?” Junjie whispered.
Yichen lifted one hand and counted each step off on his fingers. “Find a big rock. Hit the guard with the rock. Escape.”
Xiang cringed. That was as bad as his plan to storm the castle.
“First off, it’s likely she’s called him to the castle,” Rei continued. He attached the quiver to his belt and talked while snagging a few throwing knives. “It’s going to be the place where she feels safest and has the best access to the power from the fae realm and the human realm. Second, Kai is going to remain in dragon form because it’s how he has the most power to fight her. That means she’ll have to keep him outside.” He paused and waved a knife in front of his face. “There’s no fighting a dragon that big inside the castle. Xiang and I will sneak close to get a good view of what’s happening, and it will make our ultimate escape that much easier. From there, we just need some good distractions to create chaos and get Kai out of there.”
“But freeing Kai now will be a temporary measure, won’t it?” The crowd around the entrance to the armory parted to reveal Ming Yu, who had spoken. “Queen Belladonna will have no choice but to allow Kai to leave because she won’t have the magical strength to stop him, but it will be only a matter of time before she calls him again.”
“Yes, unfortunately,” Xiang murmured. “Getting Kai away right now is our priority. We won’t be able to kill her or steal his sword on this trip. We’ll be lucky to escape ourselves.”
Ming Yu nodded. “Then, while you are away saving Kai, we will come up with a plan to defeat the fae and take Kai’s stolen sword. It is time for us to end this battle with the fae.”
Xiao Dan grabbed Xiang’s arm and forced him to turn. Placing both hands on his shoulders, he squeezed tightly. “Please, be careful. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Keep us updated as much as you can. The second the sun is low enough for us to travel, we will hurry to help you.”
Xiang’s throat tightened, and he could only offer a soft grunt. He understood Shixiong’s point of view. This was a stupidly dangerous thing he was doing, and it was worse because he was dragging Rei along, but nothing could make him leave Kai behind.
“I will return with Rei and Kai. I swear to you,” Xiang replied in a rough voice.
“And you,” Yichen grumbled. Xiang glanced over his shoulder to see Yichen pull Rei into his arms. The elf’s smirk fell away as he pressed his forehead to Yichen’s. “Just fucking come back to me.”
“We’re all coming back in one piece,” Rei agreed, and Xiang was going to make sure it happened.
Chapter 23
Kai
Kai closed his eyes as pain radiated throughout his entire body, but it paled in comparison to the shame trying to choke him.
The queen’s guards shackled him to the ground.
A metal ring surrounded his throat, and a short chain ran from it to several spikes driven deep into the earth. The collar was so tight, he couldn’t swallow. He could barely draw in a breath.