Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 105815 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105815 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
“You’ve abandoned your people,” Trin snarled as their swords clashed against each other. “What right do you have to interfere in their future?”
“I may not want to be their king, but I also won’t allow you to drive the fae to complete ruin.” Rei blocked a slash from Trin and spun away from him. As he did, he swung his sword out so that the tip sliced between two silver plates at the back of Trin’s right knee.
The king shouted and his leg gave out beneath him, sending him to the ground on one knee. But Rei didn’t race in for the kill. He lingered several feet away, as if waiting to see if Trin still had some trick up his sleeve.
“Thousands upon thousands of years ago, when the stars were still being born, and the goddesses walked through our realm each spring to wake the flowers, the door between worlds first opened,” Rei said in a low, firm voice as he circled his half brother. “Bridging the two worlds was never to conquer the human world, but to provide them with a brief gift of our magic. It was to teach us to appreciate the world we have and be grateful that we don’t have half the messes the humans do.”
“We have magic. We are stronger, faster, and more skilled than humans. They don’t deserve this world they are destroying,” Trin countered, sounding as if he were chewing up each word before firing it at Rei. The elf king didn’t rise. He just watched each step Rei took, reminding Leo of a crocodile waiting for the perfect moment to strike its prey.
“We have no right to judge what they do with their world,” Rei snapped. “And by trying to conquer their realm, you have drained our home of its magic. Your greed is killing our people. Take. Them. Home.”
“Lies!”
Trin soared to his feet, lunging straight at Rei. The elf had been waiting for him to act because he had no problem backpedaling and spinning out of the way.
Leo dragged his claws through the dirt, part of him aching to jump in and end this struggle at last. He might not be big on fighting, but the mounting tension was driving him mad. How was Yichen even standing still? If this were his Jun-Jun, he would have charged in twice already. Muscles shifted and tensed under his fur as he prepared to pounce all of his considerable girth onto Trin, but a gentle hand came to rest on the top of Leo’s head. Long, slender fingers threaded through his fur, stroking away some of the unease winding up in him like a spring. Leo tipped his head up to see Junjie staring at him. A smile played on his pale lips while worry still weighed heavily in his eyes.
“Rei will succeed,” Junjie murmured.
The words were barely off Junjie’s tongue when horror struck.
Rei was in retreat and the heel of his boot caught on a divot of dirt. The entire world seemed to slow as Trin rushed him while Rei fought to regain his balance. Rei lifted his blade to block Trin, but the elf king batted it aside with his own sword before plunging it right at Rei’s heart. The elf twisted his body at the last second, narrowly dodging the blade.
Yichen’s panicked scream rang out across the silent field, but Leo’s eyes remained locked on Rei as he flashed his half brother a wicked grin. Rei brought up his left hand to reveal a small knife clutched in his fist. Trin had no time to react as Rei slammed it into Trin’s neck up to the hilt.
Blood sprayed out across both of them. Trin released his hold on his sword, allowing it to fall to the earth with a heavy thud. He staggered back three steps, a horrible wet gurgling and choking sound rising from him. He collapsed to the ground, and a heavy silence crashed over the field. The fae king was dead.
Yichen ran to Rei and caught him as he fell. One arm cradling him from behind, Yichen eased him to the ground while checking his wounds. Leo ran with the rest of the vampires and shifted as he reached Rei and Yichen. Philippe muscled his way to Rei’s other side and began pulling gauze and bandages from a black bag.
“Shhh, Yiyi…I’m okay,” Rei crooned, though his voice sounded breathless with fatigue.
“You’re covered in blood,” Yichen growled.
“Come on. You know it’s not all my blood. They’re just little wounds, and they’re already healing. Look at how Philippe is bandaging me up nicely. The bleeding will stop in a minute. Besides, who here hasn’t been stabbed?”
“Um…not me,” Rafe interjected.
“Me neither,” Aiden chimed in.
“Shut. Up.” Rei ground out those two words between his teeth. He turned his attention to Yichen, who was still too pale and seeming as if he wanted to kill a few more fae as payback. “My Yiyi, I will heal and we are going to spend eternity together. Possibly annoying your family the entire time. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?”