Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 117167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
He didn’t know how long they remained cuddled together in comfortable silence. Yichen might have dozed, listening to Rei’s heartbeat under his ear. Strong fingers threaded through his long hair, brushing it from his face, leaving him lost to Rei’s loving touch.
“I don’t know if you recall him, but Sayra was one of my mother’s lovers and errand boys,” Rei began.
Yichen grunted, not wanting to even move his lips, he was so comfortable. He’d only glimpsed the elf before Rei killed him, but he’d looked vaguely familiar.
“She wants me to kill the king. Sayra reported that King Ash plans to attack and take over the town of Coldwater in the next few days.”
That forced him a little more awake. He pressed a kiss to Rei’s throat just over his Adam’s apple and leaned up, his head resting on his palm as he braced his bent elbow on the ground. “This is a trap.”
Rei’s vibrant green eyes were barely open as he smirked at Yichen, as if he were fighting back sleep, too. “Oh, definitely.”
“But for who? Is she setting a trap for you or her husband?”
“It’s a trap for both of us. I die trying to kill Ash, and she gets what she wants. I kill Ash, and she’s happy. We both die, and she’s fucking ecstatic.” Rei lifted his hand to brush his fingertips along Yichen’s cheek in a gentle caress.
Yichen grumbled and caught his hand, pressing a kiss to his fingers. “You dying is not an option.”
“I’ll agree with you on that point. I’m very much enjoying my new, nonroyal life with my very own vampire prince. Why would I give that up?”
Yichen watched Rei as he closed his eyes and seemed to fall asleep, but he wasn’t fooled. There was a new tension to his body that hadn’t been there before their discussion of the fae royals.
“Despite knowing it’s a trap, you still plan to go after the king in Coldwater, don’t you?”
Rei’s full lips parted on a silent sigh and the smile he flashed Yichen was lopsided as he opened his eyes. “Do I have any other choice? Even if this is a trap, it could be my one chance in a very long time to attack him. King Ash needs to be taken care of now. The more time he’s allowed to run free, the more humans who die.”
“And we all know how concerned you are about the humans,” Yichen teased.
“Of course I am! The humans are inventing all the interesting things like microwaves and fast cars and those tiny packets of lubricant. We need the humans.”
“So very true,” Yichen murmured, and he lay down again, wrapping himself around his lover.
The fight was coming.
This time it would be in a place called Coldwater.
As much as he wanted to see King Ash dead, Yichen knew his primary concern was going to be keeping his Rei alive. Nothing was coming between them. Not even the entire fae army.
Chapter 28
Rei
Coldwater was not what Rei was expecting when they reached the outskirts of the tiny, remote town in southwest Connecticut.
First, the town abutted a state park that was rich in old trees and growth, touched only by the occasional hiker. It was as if the place had been stewing in its magic for centuries, forgotten by most of the world.
Second, the town and all of the park resided next to a river, which only added to their problems.
“This is bad,” Rei whispered, talking mostly to himself.
Yichen put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “What’s wrong?”
“Old trees. Old growth. Old magic,” Rei muttered. “Not to mention the bubbling energy churning all the magic up from the river.”
“I take it you mean that the king and his army will be at an advantage here,” Xiang drawled from where he stood near Yichen.
“Very much.”
It took some effort to turn his back on the tiny town that numbered no more than a dozen old homes and a convenience store with a pair of antique gas pumps out front. A metal sign let out a high-pitched squeak as the wind gave it a nudge. The magic from the old forest crept out and ran soft fingers across his spine, beckoning him closer, teasing him with a taste of magic he could only find in his own realm.
Rei ran a hand across his face to clear his head and forced himself to gaze up at the gathering of the Zhang clan a few feet away.
“I can see why my father chose this as a starting point for his newest conquest efforts. If he can claim this land entirely from the humans, it will provide him with even more magical fuel to expand his reach. Both him and his army will become harder to kill, harder to track.”
“Harder to stop,” Chen finished.
“Even though I suspect my mother has been poisoning him, he won’t be easy to defeat tonight. And neither will his army. While my informant says he’s bringing only a squadron, I don’t trust that information. He may bring hundreds of fighters…”