Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 123477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 617(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 617(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 412(@300wpm)
Moon leaned to the side to smile at Jun-Jun. “Oh, I am a witch.” He turned his attention to Chen, the smile growing even larger. Some of the heaviness weighing on Chen’s chest eased. “I’m the wrong kind of witch for what you need.”
“There are different kinds of witches?” Jun-Jun inquired, his voice rising higher in pitch. It was still better than Chen, whose tongue was dead in his mouth.
He’d never heard of such a thing. Different kinds of witches? How was that even possible? Witches were people who did magic. End of story. How could there be different kinds of them?
“No!” Chen barked. “I don’t believe you. I demand that you help us locate the fae. If you refuse, I swear I will make your last days the most painful of your entire existence. Do you understand me? I will keep you alive for years, turning your every waking moment into pure agony.”
Moon reached up and patted him on the cheek. “Look, Sexy, I’m happy to help the guy who saved my life. Besides, the threats are only making you hotter. Putting this kind of snowy sparkle in your eyes. You don’t need to try so hard. You’ve got me,” he ended in a whisper.
All the righteous indignation and rage left Chen in a giant whoosh. He didn’t know what to say. How could he threaten a man into obeying him if he refused to be threatened? He didn’t know how to handle Moon in the slightest. Every other person who’d dared to cross him in his very long lifetime would quake with fear and drop to their knees as they begged for mercy.
But Moon grinned at him as if he were cream and Moon was waiting for the chance to lick him up.
The so-called witch straightened and even winked at Jun-Jun. Chen glanced over his shoulder to see his shidi red faced and appearing as if he might hurt himself in his efforts not to laugh at Chen. Just wonderful.
“But yeah, my magic doesn’t work with the fae. Though…” Moon paused, and that tilt of his lips turned more devilish. “If you’ve got a member of the fae tied up in your basement, I might be able to work something out. However, if that’s the case, I might also be a little jealous.”
Again, speechless.
A choking noise erupted from behind Chen, but he didn’t dare look. Jun-Jun’s restraint had crumbled, and the laughter broke free. At least Xiang wasn’t here, or he’d never live this down.
“Chen? Jun-di? Who is this?”
Shit…
All sounds from Jun-Jun stopped in a flash and they both whipped around to find Xiao Dan stepping outside, with Xiang and Mei Lian following close behind him. They were staring at the man who was supposed to be a witch, the one Chen had thought would help to save their missing brother.
Instead, all he’d done was expose them to the vampires of the region and possibly alert the witch population to a new potential threat.
“Shixiong…” Chen started, but his throat closed up. He didn’t know what to say, how to explain that he’d failed the clan so horribly.
“Hi!” Moon greeted from beside him with a wave of his hand. “I’m Moon. Chen said that you needed a witch.”
Xiang, Mei Lian, and Zhang Xiao Dan blinked at him in heavy silence.
Moon leaned toward Chen and whispered, “They speak English, right?”
“Yes.” Zhang Xiao Dan paused and cleared his throat. “Yes, we speak English. You’re a witch?”
“Yep, though I might not—”
Chen fell to his knees and cupped his hands in front of his chest, bowing his head in shame. He couldn’t go on another second without admitting how he’d put the clan in danger. “Shixiong, it’s all my fault. I went into town and stole this witch from two other vampires, but he says he lacks the ability to help us. I didn’t know there were different types of witches. My ignorance and impulsiveness have endangered our clan. My actions are unforgivable.”
Xiao Dan’s weary sigh cut through him like a knife. He was supposed to be his shixiong’s right hand. His support. The one person in all the world he could rely on. And he’d failed.
“Wait! Wait!” Moon shouted. A soft scrabble of rubber on concrete had Chen jerking his head up to find Moon had stepped in front of him, putting his body between Chen and Xiao Dan, who had approached. The witch was trying to protect him. Moon held up his hands in front of him. “He didn’t steal me. Chen saved me. Those two assholes were planning to drag me into the closest alley and drain me dry. I don’t care if they said it was going to be a nibble.”
“You killed two vampires? Where?” Xiang demanded.
“Outside of Phoenix,” Chen mumbled.
Moon jumped in before anyone could react. “It’s a nightclub in downtown Hartford. He was fucking amazing. He did this smooth motion with his hand and bam! Instant vampire popsicles.”