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)
Until the vampire had come shouting, the only sounds to intrude on his solitude were the whisper of the wind through the leaves and the occasional soft splash of the large koi as they swam in their pond. It was stunning to discover that humans could create such a space filled with lush energy rising from the earth. Personally, he would have made a couple of changes if he’d been arranging this garden, but those changes were just tiny, nitpicky things because he refused to believe humans were capable of such perfection.
The one thing keeping him from reaching a point of blissful peace was a nagging need to reach out for his Yiyi and reassure himself that the vampire was safe.
Well, now there was also the shouting annoyance.
“The fae have surrounded Moon’s house and are about to attack Yichen and the others. Get your ass moving! You’re coming with us!”
Rei was on his feet and darting toward the house before Li Xiang finished talking. “Of course I’m going with you!” Rei snapped. “But first, you must show me to your armory. I refuse to believe you don’t have an exquisite collection of weapons stored somewhere in this house. It would be uncivilized.”
Xiang’s perpetual scowl morphed into a grin as he motioned for Rei to follow him. The vampire led him along a set of corridors he hadn’t walked yet to a set of large double doors with a riddle lock. After sliding a variety of flat metal pieces this way and that, followed by two turns of a knob, a metallic click echoed down the hall, announcing that the room was unlocked.
He pulled the doors open with a flourish, and Rei’s heart gave an unseemly skip as his eyes danced over hundreds of shining blades for swords and sabers. There were countless rows of daggers resting on tabletops and hidden away in drawers. And then there were the bows. Dozens of bows, each expertly crafted and carved by hand.
“Yiyi said your clan was a great collector of weapons, but this…this brings a tear to my eye,” Rei whispered as he stepped farther into the room to explore. He wanted the chance to inspect every blade and touch every bow, but now wasn’t the time. With a sigh, Rei grabbed a couple of daggers and strapped them to his body. A short sword followed with its sheath tied to his back. A soft leather quiver full of arrows came next. He was still tying it in place as his eyes skimmed for a bow.
“Third and fourth from the left are Yichen’s favorites,” Xiang volunteered.
Rei’s lips turned up. His eyes had kept returning to those. That would explain why. He chose one and quickly inspected it. “How long will it take us to reach Moon’s home?”
“About twenty minutes. Less if traffic is light, which it should be.”
“We must hurry. It will take about twenty minutes for reinforcements to reach those attacking if they send out a request for help.” Rei breezed by Xiang, leading the way to the front of the house.
As he stepped out the door with Xiang on his heels, the other SUV parked in the driveway reversed from its space. A rear window lowered, and Meimei stuck her head out.
“Hurry up or we’re leaving without you!”
Rei needed no more coaxing than that. He ran for the car, pulled open the back door, and slid in next to Meimei. He looked around as Xiang jumped into the passenger seat. Junjie gunned the engine, and they launched forward.
“Is Su Ming Yu not coming with us?” Rei inquired when he saw it was just the four of them.
Meimei shook her head. “Shijie’s gift is strongest when protecting the home. She’s got this weird hearth and health gift. She can strengthen Moon’s protective spells on the house, and she can provide some healing through her cooking.”
Rei nodded. “It makes sense. Her presence in the house makes the place feel very welcoming and safe once you’re invited in.” He held out one hand in front of him and rubbed his thumb against his fingers. “I can feel her magic when I’m in there.”
“You can? I don’t think anyone has ever said they can feel her magic like that.”
He flashed a grin at Mei Lian. “I can feel its existence and that its protection does not apply to me.”
“Because you’re not a vampire?”
“Perhaps.” Rei paused and tilted his head to the side. “Or perhaps it’s simply that I am not part of the family she is trying to protect.”
“This is all lovely, but there’s something more important that we need to discuss,” Xiang interrupted. He shifted in his seat to meet Rei’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “How willing are you to kill your own kind? Because if you’re not, we’re letting you off right here. We don’t need any dead weight in this fight.”