10. Kai

Kai drifted toward consciousness. His head throbbed and his mouth was pasty. Water. He needed water.

Peeling dry, scratchy eyes open, his first sight was of a sleeping Xiang. He froze, all those little needs forgotten as he focused on the slumbering vampire lying on his side, his handsome features relaxed in sleep. Dark brown hair tumbled across his forehead and stuck up in various directions.

But the important thing was that Xiang was alive and safe. There didn’t appear to be a scratch on him. Kai hadn’t tried to kill him when he’d returned to the cave. He hadn’t attacked him in any way. Somehow, he’d beat the magic.

How?

That shouldn’t have been possible. At the very least, he should have been dead. Not that he was complaining. He was feeling very grateful that he was still alive and had a chance to destroy the fae queen.

Something was wrong. Or had changed.

What?

“Hey, you’re awake.” Xiang’s slurred voice pulled Kai from his swirling thoughts. He blinked to find the vampire stretching and smiling even as his eyes fell shut again.

“Why are you in bed with me?” Kai demanded, simply because he didn’t know what else to say.

Xiang huffed a sleep-rough laugh. “Because I was tired. You’ve been unconscious for two full days. I was going to sleep on the cushions, but I was afraid I wouldn’t hear you if you needed something. It was better to be close.” He pushed up on one arm and smirked. “Besides, the bed is enormous. I didn’t touch you in your sleep.”

Kai opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He didn’t know what to say to that. So he chose the safer route and closed his mouth. This was all very unexpected and weird. None of this should be happening. He didn’t recall making it to the cave after leaving the fae. There were flashes in his mind of Xiang and an overwhelming feeling of panic mixed with the pain.

“I think…I would like to get up,” Kai mumbled.

“I’ll grab you a change of clothes.” Xiang bounced up off the bed and crossed the room to where several bureaus stood filled with a variety of clothes. With his attention elsewhere, Kai pressed his hands into the soft mattress and pushed himself into a sitting position. His head spun and his arms shook, forcing him to lean on the headboard. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t as healed as he thought he was.

“Do you need some help?” Xiang asked as he returned with a pair of soft pants that appeared to be pajama bottoms and a heather-gray sweater.

“I think I can manage. Could you get me a glass of water?”

While Xiang left to fetch the water, Kai kicked off the covers and pulled on the pants as quickly as he could manage. He was still fighting with the sweater when Xiang returned to his side. He placed the glass on the nightstand and helped him pull the sweater over his head with gentle hands.

“I get that you want your privacy, but you’re still weak. I won’t take advantage of you in your weakened state.” Xiang’s tone was playful but also full of concern. At least until he smirked at Kai. “I like my men with some fight in them.”

Kai stiffened, while his heart leaped in his chest. “Do you?”

A bark of laughter broke from Xiang’s throat. “I’m teasing you!”

“Oh.” His stomach sank, and he wanted to growl in frustration. What was this disappointed feeling weighing on the pit of his gut and tightening his chest? None of this made sense.

“Wait. What were you asking?” Xiang cocked his head to the side, his brow furrowing at Kai.

“Whether you like men?”

“Oh! Yeah!” They both blinked at Xiang’s shout and a bright blush dusted his cheeks as he awkwardly chuckled. “I mean, I’m attracted to all types. It was the fight part I was teasing you about.”

“Mn. I think they call that being pansexual.”

Xiang grunted and picked up the glass of water, handing it over to Kai. “I call it being a vampire. I’ve met very few in my lifetime that are attracted to a single gender. Most of us get curious and widen our horizons a bit after enough time.” He paused and stared off into space. He clicked his tongue. “Except for Chen. As far as I know, he’s only ever been attracted to men. Very stubborn about that, too.”

Kai coughed, almost choking on the water he handed back to Xiang. It helped to rid him of his dry mouth, but Xiang was also in a mood right now and it didn’t seem safe to drink beverages around him.

“Bathroom?”

“I think I can make it on my own.”

Xiang snorted. “How about I help you walk there? I won’t go in unless you want me to.” The vampire didn’t give him a chance to argue. He looped one of Kai’s arms across his shoulders and lifted him to his feet. Slowly, they crossed the cavern to the bathroom, where Xiang left him leaning against the sink before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Kai risked a brief glance in the mirror to find that he was as pale and sunken looking as he’d expected. After that, he finished his business while listening to Xiang outside the room, telling stories about his clan members and their sexual exploits. All things Kai very much didn’t want to know about people he’d never met, but Xiang’s stories did an excellent job of distracting him from the weakness in his limbs and the lingering ache in every muscle.

Fighting the queen had drained and damaged him inside and out. The one thing he was afraid to check was his magic. Could he even shift into his true form? What about his other magic? Were the spells he’d placed on the hoard still in place? Right now, he couldn’t sense them, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there. Fatigue and pain were the only things he was feeling right now.

And that scared him more than he cared to admit. If he was in this much pain, how could he keep Xiang and his hoard safe? As a dragon, he was completely and utterly useless.

“Kai? You need some help in there?”

His shoulders slumped at the worried note in Xiang’s voice. Maybe he should take this chance to lean on him a bit. If only to speed up his own recovery. As the thought crossed his mind, a memory flashed across his brain of Xiang standing at the end of the bed with a sword in one hand and a spear in the order, prepared to destroy anyone who came near him. The vampire was more than willing to keep him safe.

“Yes, please,” he answered softly.

He’d barely finished speaking when the door swung open and he found himself wrapped in Xiang’s arms, leaning on his shorter frame as he was ushered to the bed. Once Xiang tucked him under the blankets and had the pillows propped up so he could sit with his back to the headboard, Xiang stood beside the bed, opening and closing his fists at his sides.

“Are you hungry? I could make something.” He shoved one hand into his messy hair and shifted from one foot to the other. “I can’t make any of the really good stuff my jiejie does, but I know a few things.”

Kai shook his head. “Maybe later. I’m okay now. Just tired.” He patted the space on the mattress next to him. “Sit. Tell me about after you found me. Have you had any problems?”

“Nope,” Xiang replied as he eased onto the bed, seeming to try not to jostle Kai. “The dragon hasn’t shown his ugly mug.”

It was a fight not to glare at Xiang. He was not ugly. He was majestic and regal among all dragons. His scales were the shiniest, and the horns were the very best. Not that he could say these things to Xiang.

“You haven’t heard anyone else in the caves?”

Xiang jerked a bit. “I thought no one else was here but us.”

He clutched the blanket covering him, twisting it in his fingers. “There shouldn’t be, but after everything that has happened, I’m worried that maybe the fae have found the hoard.” It wouldn’t be the first time.

His companion surprised him by picking up his hand in both of his, forcing him to release the blanket and relax into his touch. “After I brought you to the hoard, I kicked the door shut. I’ve heard no other movement in the cave. We’re safe.”

For the first time since waking, Kai felt like he could release a calm breath. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander in a blankness while soaking in the tender touch of Xiang’s fingers as they moved over his, massaging away the last of the tension there.

“Could you tell me what’s going on? How is it that the fae queen can summon and command the dragon in the first place?” Kai swallowed hard and opened his eyes to find Xiang staring at their hands, a frowning spreading across his lips. “It doesn’t make sense to me. I grew up with all kinds of dragon myths.” His head popped up, and he glared in Kai’s direction. “I’m from China, dammit! We’ve got more dragon stories than anyone else. Dragons are the most powerful creatures ever. No one should ever be able to control them. Except for maybe the gods, and even they had trouble.”

Xiang’s obvious anger left a smile tugging at the corner of Kai’s mouth. He could appreciate the man being pissed on his behalf, but the amusement faded.

“It’s because of the sword,” Kai murmured.

“The sword controls dragons?”

Kai sighed and pulled his hand free of Xiang’s touch. “While you might know a lot of dragon myths, did you know that not all dragons create hoards? Most actually don’t.”

His friend glanced over his shoulder at the giant cavern of collected treasures and laughed. “Clearly, this is one of those dragons that does.”

“Dragons start most hoards to protect a single, rare and priceless treasure. Of course, the dragon begins to obsess about the other items, but the focus remains on that one treasure. That item is the heart of the hoard.”

“Why do I have a terrible feeling? I’m not sure I want to know anymore.”

Kai lifted an eyebrow at him. “Want me to stop?”

“Of course not! Keep going,” Xiang ordered with a wave of his hand.

“The legend is that if you can sneak into a dragon’s hoard and steal the heart, you can gain control of that dragon.”

“Fuck,” Xiang whispered.

“That’s why dragons build up such enormous collections. It’s nearly impossible to find a hoard in the first place and sneak past the dragon, but once you’re there, you must locate that one thing among all the thousands of things.”

“So, Queen Belladonna somehow found the dragon’s hoard and stole the sword that is the heart of the hoard?” Xiang jumped to his feet and paced away from the bed, his hands shoved into his hair. “That’s…that’s crazy. How were the fae even able to find the hoard? Or gain knowledge of which item to even take?” He stopped and glanced around the treasure collection before whipping his gaze to Kai. “Unless they took a bunch of stuff.”

“The thief didn’t,” Kai grumbled. “It happened more than a hundred years ago when the door between worlds was last open. I don’t know how the hoard was located, but I have a guess as to why the sword was taken.”

Xiang paced to the bed and sat. “Well?” he prodded.

“The sword…it has a certain special magic energy. It was a gift for some assistance the dragon provided a very long time ago.” Kai hesitated. It was so strange talking about himself in the third person. Most of the time, he’d skirt conversation about the dragon, so he wasn’t in danger of making any slips, but Xiang needed to know what was happening. Unfortunately, his brain was still so foggy after his fight with Queen Belladonna. It was getting harder and harder to keep himself separate from the dragon.

Xiang’s eyes widened and pointed toward the door. “Are you telling me the dragon who kidnapped me is Shenlong?”

Kai groaned and covered his face with his hand. Shenlong was one of the highest ranking of all the dragons in Chinese mythology. He was the thunder god with control of the weather. He had been heavily worshiped because the old agrarian culture relied on benevolence for the survival of their crops. Shenlong was right up there with Tianlong, the celestial dragon who guarded the heavens.

“No, he is not Shenlong,” Kai said, his voice muffled under his hand. “The dragon…” He paused and dropped his hand to glare at Xiang. “All the details about the dragon’s past aren’t important. The key thing here is that the sword was a gift for helping some people out. The dragon felt honored by the thoughtful gift, so he treasured it. However, years later, the man who gave him the sword became a god, so the sword gained some extra power. It’s that power the fae likely latched on to. I doubt they knew they’d gained the ability to control a dragon.”

Xiang’s mouth opened and closed without him making a sound. He stood up and pointed at Kai, then sat down again.

Great. He’d broken the vampire.

It was a lot to take in. This was thousands and thousands of years of history dropping on his lap. Xiang took pride in being over two thousand years old. That was an impressive accomplishment, but when it came to Kai’s lifespan, that was still only a blink of an eye.

Xiang held up one hand and tried to speak, but still no words left him.

Kai grabbed his hand in his own and squeezed. “Just let it go. Forget everything I told you. It’s not important where the sword came from. The key here is that the sword is the heart of the hoard. With an accumulation of magical power, Queen Belladonna can wield the sword, commanding the dragon to do all sorts of things.”

After dragging a shuddering breath into his lungs, Xiang nodded, and it seemed to break through the block in his brain. “Okay. You’re right. Putting all that stuff aside, what we need to focus on is getting that sword.”

His fingers twitched around Xiang’s hand, and he fought the urge to withdraw from him. “And what do you think we should do with the sword once we get it away from the fae? What would you command the dragon to do? Kill the queen and all the fae?” It was a struggle to keep the bite from his voice, but the smile that spread across Xiang’s face said that he’d failed pretty miserably.

“Tempting. But why would I get the dragon to do the one thing I’ve been dying to do ever since the fae stole away my didi?” Kai pulled his hands away, but Xiang caught one of them and threaded their fingers together, holding him tight. “The fae held Wu Yichen, my shidi, for a hundred years. They tortured him and his mate, Rei, before they could escape. And it’s pretty clear the dragon isn’t fond of the fae queen issuing commands. He could have killed me at any time, but he didn’t.”

“The dragon doesn’t kill innocent people,” Kai whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from Xiang’s. There was a burning light in their dark depths that touched a cold part of his soul. Even as that light threatened to set him on fire, he couldn’t turn away. Didn’t want to.

“Queen Belladonna and her followers need to pay for the deaths and pain they’ve caused. I’m looking forward to handling that personally.”

Kai’s heart raced and the last of the fog in his brain burned away. There was something about Xiang’s bloodthirsty nature that was such a turn-on. Not that he’d let the vampire anywhere near the fight with the fae. No. No. Xiang needed to stay here in the hoard where he was safest.

“So, you wouldn’t command the dragon to do anything if you had the sword?” Kai inquired, shoving aside those stray thoughts.

“I didn’t say that.”

With Kai’s hand still held in his left hand, Xiang put his right hand on the mattress next to Kai’s left hip, leaning across his body and putting their faces incredibly close.

Why was he so close?

Kai was trying hard not to show his panic, but what the hell was happening here? He placed his free hand against Xiang’s chest, intending to push him away or at least restrain him so he couldn’t lean any closer. Except he didn’t push. His traitorous hand ended up resting there on his chest.

“I would ask the dragon to take us to my clan. You’d stay with me until we found your people.” Xiang’s voice had dropped to something low and husky. It was almost hypnotic. At the very least, Kai knew he wasn’t thinking clearly anymore.

“I-I told you before. I don’t have any people left.” That was what he’d said, right? Or was it that he didn’t remember who his people were? Fuck. Everything was getting confused. His thoughts were a mess. He couldn’t think with Xiang sitting so close.

“Then you’ll just have to stay with me from now on,” Xiang murmured.

Kai tried to huff out a derisive laugh, but his throat was growing more constricted and the sound didn’t come out. “I doubt your clan would have room for me.”

“We’d make room for you,” Xiang said, his voice full of sweet confidence. He leaned in and Kai’s breath caught in his throat as Xiang’s soft lips brushed across the center of his forehead in a tender kiss. As he spoke, his hot words caressed the slight dampness there. “I’d even let you bring along all of your hoard.”

With a broad smile and a twinkle in his eyes, Xiang pushed off the bed and turned toward the kitchen. “I’ll go make you some tea. That’ll help you feel better.”

“Okay,” Kai mumbled, his mind still reeling. Xiang kissed him.

He raised trembling fingers and lightly touched the spot, almost afraid that if he touched it too much, he’d rub off the residual tingling feeling. No one had ever?—

Wait a fucking minute!

Bring along all of your hoard?

Did Xiang know he was the dragon?