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)
“Erik has been in good hands for almost a month now,” Xiao Dan countered. He turned his head to pin Junjie with a hard stare. “He might spend more time with Erik, but you’re the one who has his full attention.” He sighed and rocked to the side, bumping his shoulder into Junjie’s. “I understand not wanting to get your hopes up too high. Leo is a fascinating person. You should get to know him better. I think I might have been premature in suggesting that Erik leave for China early. Jiang Chong has no actual interest in the boy, and the clan is stronger with you here to help fight him and the fae.”
Junjie nearly threw his hands up in the air. Had Xiao Dan been sounding him out with this idea, or had he been fishing for information about him and Leo?
“You’re a damn evil vampire when you want to be,” Junjie grumbled. “It’s not just about you being a good influence on Huli. He’s also been a bad influence on you.”
“Possibly,” Xiao Dan replied with a wide, wicked grin. He stood, turned to face Junjie, and bowed. “Thank you for the sparring match and conversation. They have helped to clear my head.”
“You’re welcome.” Junjie also rose, intending to go inside to put his sword away. “Do you know if Winter is coming over to check the grounds this evening?”
“I believe that is his plan. They’ve done the best they could to protect us, but we can’t keep asking Winter to check over the grounds every night.”
A knot formed in Junjie’s stomach. The last of his slightly irritated amusement disappeared. “I’ve noticed that Leo hasn’t been leaving for long periods since Jiang Chong’s attack. He’ll leave for a bit during the daylight hours, but quickly return by sunset.”
“We’ve done what we can to warn us about intruders.”
The silence that followed held a new heavy weight. Xiao Dan didn’t need to say it. Each of them had been blessed with a unique gift when they’d become vampires. All useful in their own way. Xiao Dan could create glamours to confuse and frighten attackers. Chen could control ice and use it as a weapon. Yichen could read, speak, and understand any language. Xiang could walk in daylight. Ming Yu could aid their healing, speeding up the closure of the very worst wounds. Mei Lian could actually walk on water. She wasn’t too enamored of her gift because there had been almost no call for it.
They’d all initially believed that Junjie had the very best of all their gifts. He could follow the thread of life for a person, giving him a glimpse into the future. Sadly, all he seemed to see was death, so he’d stopped looking.
There was more to the future. He sometimes saw battles and could glimpse sneak attacks prior to them happening. It was just that he’d soon discovered that he had no way of stopping the death of a clan mate, no matter how hard he tried.
He knew Xiao Dan and all the rest of his clan wanted him to use his gift to steal a peek into the future, gain a hint of when Jiang Chong might strike again. Anything to give them an edge or at least allow them to sleep while the sun inched above the horizon.
“I’ll…think…about using my gift. I can’t promise anything.”
Xiao Dan’s hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed. “We all understand, and we don’t wish to pressure you.”
Junjie nodded, unable to speak past the tightness in his throat. He would do anything for his clan, but to peer ahead and see someone’s death, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop it…
No, he wasn’t ready. He had to, but not yet.
Chapter 14
Leo St. George
“Psst…Leo.”
Leo’s ears perked up, and he looked around for the person who’d whispered his name.
It was that golden time about an hour or two before the sun rose above the horizon. All the little vampires and one tiny kitten were snuggled in their beds, snoring. The only exception was usually Xiang, who was waking up and grumbling about the earliness of the day.
It was also the time when the Zhang household lowered its guard against Jiang Chong. If the wily asshole had been plotting something, it was too late. He needed to scurry off to his hidey hole if he didn’t want to burn up in the sun.
The one fear that remained was a fae attack, but there was enough magic tingling in the air that there was no way the fae were getting inside without setting off a hell of a lot of alarms.
Leo had been padding across the wooden floors on silent cat paws. He’d just slipped out of Erik’s bed and poked his head into Junjie’s room to make sure the vampire was also sleeping. Normally, he would make a few patrols through the house and grounds, staying until the sun rose. Afterward, he would leave for a bit. Maybe pop by his studio apartment and wonder why he even kept the damn thing. Within an hour, he was wishing he was with Junjie and headed back to the Zhang compound.