20. Li Xiang

“You can’t do that!” Kai’s laughing voice rang out through the room. “You can’t move my piece because you don’t like where I put it.”

Xiang cackled and held up the black weiqi stone between his thumb and forefinger. “I’m pretty sure you didn’t mean to put it there.”

“I am very sure I did.”

“Then I guess you’ll have to come get your stone.” He popped the stone into his mouth and grinned at the dragon.

Just as Kai placed a hand on the corner of the board, looked as if he were planning to climb over it to steal his stone back, Yichen’s dry voice cut through their chaos.

“Oh, please tell me you’re using Chen’s board. I can’t wait to tell him you’re putting the stones in your mouth and begging Kai to fish them out with his tongue.”

Kai froze. Xiang’s head snapped up, and he gasped to find Yichen and Rei standing in the doorway, watching them with amused expressions. Something hit Xiang’s throat, and he swallowed without thinking.

“Fuck! You made me swallow it!”

Rei fell into Yichen, cackling so hard he couldn’t stand up on his own, while Yichen wrapped an arm around his slender waist, supporting him as he chortled as well.

Xiang turned his attention to Kai and winced. “Sorry about that.”

Kai shrugged one shoulder and sat on his cushion. “It’s no big deal. And the stone is tiny. I’m sure it will pass soon enough. If not, I can fish it out with magic.” He lifted his left hand and waggled his fingers at him.

“Nah, we’ll let nature take its course.” He shifted his gaze to the two intruders. “For your information, it’s Kai’s weiqi board and stones. He brought it up from his hoard.” His eyes narrowed on Yichen and he pointed at the vampire. “And don’t tell Chen I’ve been playing weiqi with Kai, or he’ll get pissy. He’s too serious when he plays.”

“Whatever,” Yichen mumbled. “Rei needs your help with something.”

“Sure, but what are you doing up?” Xiang glanced over his shoulder to the one window where the shades were drawn to allow in the morning light. The sun was casting its early glow in a square on the floor, still a suitable distance away from Yichen, but more than enough to prove that it was daytime. “The sun rose a couple of hours ago.”

Yichen grumbled something incoherent, which earned him a kiss on the cheek from Rei before the elf resumed their conversation. “My half brother Trin has sent a message that he wants to meet, but he’s only willing to do it during the daylight hours.”

“Because your half brother is under the mistaken impression that it would force you to travel alone,” Kai filled in.

Rei made a face and huffed a faint laugh. “Probably.”

“Of course I’ll tag along,” Xiang agreed, pushing to his feet. “I’ve already swallowed one stone. I can’t imagine this game is going to end the normal way from here. Kai and I can play later.”

“I will accompany you as well,” Kai volunteered, rising smoothly to his feet as if marionette strings had pulled the dragon up.

Xiang spun toward him, hands held out as if to ward him off. “Whoa! I need you to stay here.”

In a heartbeat, Kai’s eyes seemed to grow, and he drifted to his cushion in the same boneless manner. His full bottom lip jutted out, and Xiang worried that his heart was about to shatter into a million pieces under the force of the dragon’s prodigious pout.

And because Kai was evil and manipulative to his core, he doubled down.

“You don’t want me to come with you?” he asked in a small voice.

“What?” Xiang’s voice cracked like glass, earning a snicker from Yichen. Clearing his throat, Xiang started again, fighting hard to ignore his audience. He picked up one of Kai’s hands and wrapped it in both of his. “Of course I want you with me. It’s just that I need someone here to help protect the clan. Plus, Yichen is going to be here stomping about and threatening everything that moves until Rei returns. I need you to monitor him so he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

Kai’s eyebrows drew together over the bridge of his nose and his lips tightened into a frown. “You will be careful?”

“Very careful. I have to return so we can resume our game.”

The dragon sat silent for a moment, then gave a soft grunt. “And I must keep you from eating more stones.”

Not the most graceful exit, but Xiang would take it for a win. Kai was stubborn and less inclined to allow Xiang out of his sight. Especially since they’d had sex for the first time two days ago.

Xiang wasn’t complaining, technically, because he had no desire to be separated from Kai. However, a meeting with Trin and possibly more elves was not something he wanted Kai there for. So far, the fae hadn’t seen Kai in his human form, and Xiang wanted it to stay like that for as long as possible.

Plus, he really wanted to keep the dragon at the clan home for protection. With him and Rei gone, there was no one else who could walk into the sunlight safely if there was a problem. Well, other than Huli, and there was no depending on the fox spirit.

After stealing a quick kiss, Xiang grabbed a handful of weapons from the armory—all under Kai’s close supervision—and his phone off the charger. The dragon even pressed some special blades from his own collection into Rei’s hands before they could leave.

The drive was short to the location that was halfway between the clan home and downtown Hartford in an older wooded residential neighborhood filled with enormous trees. Bits of yellow and orange were peeking among the green leaves, whispering the promise of autumn and cooler temperatures.

A new season in America.

Xiang had been sure they would be in Luoyang by now, with Yichen among them once again.

Instead, they’d picked up a blood witch who’d been turned into a vampire and an elf but couldn’t yet leave the country for home thanks to the ongoing fae problem.

Also, where did that leave Kai?

It made sense that Kai was sticking around because they were going to help him retrieve his sword from the fae and ensure his freedom. But what about after that? He couldn’t assume the dragon was going to remain with them after the fae were gone.

Sure, they were having fun, but Kai couldn’t really see it as more.

He was a fucking dragon.

If he wasn’t technically a god, he was only a half step below that level. His powers were immense, and his dragon form was breathtaking.

Why in all the world would Kai be interested in him? His own ancestors would cackle themselves all the way into their next lives at the thought of him being able to win the attention of a dragon.

Besides, he’d done some not great things while he followed the command of Jiang Chong.

He’d done some not great things in his long lifetime without needing Jiang Chong to command him.

How could he ever be worthy of someone like Kai?

“Xiang!”

“Huh?” His head snapped up, and he blinked at Rei in the passenger seat, who was watching him with a very confused expression.

“I said the light turned green.”

As if to emphasize his point, the driver behind them blasted them with his horn.

Xiang cringed and stepped on the gas, leaping out into the intersection and into the flow of the rest of the traffic.

“So, your mind is not even remotely on this task,” Rei drawled. “That’s reassuring.”

“No, sorry. I’m paying attention now. I’ll keep you safe,” Xiang argued, his hands tightening on the wheel as he wove them deftly into traffic that was dwindling as the morning commuters reached their final destinations. He adjusted the visor to block some of the sunlight reflecting off the cars and tried to push Kai to the back of his mind.

“I’m teasing.” Rei chuckled. The elf stretched out his long, lanky body in the seat and tweaked a vent, so the cool air blew on him. “You know, it might help to talk about it.”

“It’s okay. I’m good now.”

Rei groaned and somehow slouched even more in his seat. “Come on. I’m trying to be nosy. Tell me what it’s like to fuck a dragon.”

Heat rose in his cheeks while Xiang sank in his seat, his eyes barely above the top of the steering wheel. He’d told himself that they weren’t that loud. That his clan didn’t know he was having the best sex of his life.

Pretty much every chance he and Kai could find even a modicum of privacy.

Wonderful…

“I’m not discussing my sex life with you,” Xiang grumbled.

Rei sighed and rolled his head across his seat so that it was tilted toward Xiang. “Yeah, Yiyi said that you’d say something like that. No fun.”

“And you can drop the pout. I now know that no one can pout as well as Kai, so it won’t work on me.”

The elf rubbed his bottom lip with one finger and nodded. “You’re right. He has some serious pout game. I’m going to need to take some lessons from him.” Rei dropped his hand to his lap and turned his attention to Xiang again. “Fine. No sex talk. Does this mean that Kai is now your mate and he’s going to join the clan?”

“I…I don’t know. No. I mean…we haven’t talked about anything like that. His focus is on getting his sword back and stopping the fae,” Xiang stammered and pushed through, trying to make it sound like his own comments weren’t twisting knots in his stomach. Because until now, his mind hadn’t dared to think about a day when Kai would fly out of his life. His heart blissfully believed he’d always open his eyes, and the first thing he’d see would be Kai’s handsome face. It was even better now that they were sharing a bed. All he had to do was roll over, and Kai was right there on the next pillow. That was assuming Xiang wasn’t already using Kai’s chest as a pillow.

Thankfully, the GPS chirped that their final destination was five hundred feet up on their right. No more time to talk about this. Time to focus on Trin. The elf either had valuable information to share, or he was scheming to backstab them.

Ignoring Rei’s attempts to pull more information out of him, Xiang parked the SUV on the side of the road and turned off the engine. Tree limbs reached across the residential street, creating a green tunnel that allowed through only thin rays of sunlight to spot the worn asphalt. Birds sang, and a dog barked in the distance, but there were no sounds coming from the humans. No cars rushing down the street. No lawnmowers or other mechanical things that made their lives easier.

He leaned forward so that his chest brushed the steering wheel, and he squinted at the houses, only now noticing that some of them were boarded up as if against a typhoon forecast to blow through their town. There were few cars parked on this street and no signs of human life.

“Are there any humans here?”

“Not on this street,” Rei replied as he opened his car door and climbed out. Xiang followed him around to the rear. He opened the door, and they both pulled out weapons, strapping them on their bodies as Rei spoke. “Ever since that night when Kai took you, the humans have been moving away. According to the news reports, they’re going west and piling into the bigger cities where they feel safer. On the local news, they say there isn’t an empty bed to be found in downtown Hartford.”

“And the cause of this explosion of nature and trees overtaking cities and towns?”

Rei snorted. “God. Satan. The Russians. The gays. Government experiments gone wrong.”

“Mn. The usual suspects.”

The elf checked the edge of a dagger before slipping it into its sheath on his waist. “There have been videos and images posted of actual pixies, hobgoblins, and trolls, but humans are still in denial about what they’re seeing.”

“Whatever,” Xiang muttered. “As long as they aren’t hunting vampires during the day with wooden stakes and fire, I really don’t care what they believe any longer.”

“That’s true,” Rei conceded. The elf with the black beanie pulled low on his head to hide the points of his ears, led the way between a pair of silent houses and into the deep shadows of the woods.

The temperature dropped several degrees as they walked through the shadows, their footsteps barely making a sound on the soft earth. Xiang kept his eyes peeled for any trace of movement while one hand rested on the hilt of a short sword on his hip. He’d opted for shorter blades because of the potential closeness of the trees.

“So, all this return of nature is making Queen Belladonna stronger. Are you noticing any difference?” Xiang inquired in a low voice.

“Definitely. My magic is much stronger now. The boost is appreciated.” Xiang glanced over at the elf with one eyebrow lifted. Rei lifted a hand to his lips and patted them twice, as if smacking away some bad comments. “I mean, it’s bad what’s happening to the humans. Terrible. The queen should definitely be stopped.”

Xiang sighed and rolled his eyes. “Do you even like humans?”

“It’s a complicated relationship. I hate what they’ve done to the earth, and they’ve been slow to learn. Even slower to correct their mistakes. It’s frustrating to come back every hundred years to find the world you left behind is in even worse shape.” Rei held up a hand, as if he thought Xiang was going to argue with him. “However, I like all their little gadgets and new technology. Plus, I love my Yiyi. He was a human once and still has a human’s sense of humor.”

“I knew you were beyond help,” an icy voice on their left cut in.

Xiang drew his sword, but Rei was even faster. A dagger left his fingers in a flash, slicing through the air to embed in the tree’s bark. An elf with long black hair stepped out from behind.

“Trin,” Rei greeted through clenched teeth. “Always a pleasure. I don’t think you’ve met my new clan mate, Li Xiang. He’s one of Yichen’s brothers, and I’m sure he has a few things to say about Yichen’s treatment.”

That was putting it lightly. Yichen might never talk about his experiences at the hands of the fae, but the scars and the haunted look in his eyes said plenty.

Trin’s eyes passed over Xiang before wandering to Rei, only to snap to him again. “A vampire…wandering around in daylight. I didn’t think there was such a thing in all the world.”

“And yet here I stand,” Xiang smirked. “Fully prepared to cut your heart from your chest if you even glance at your half brother wrong.”

Rei extravagantly sighed and tipped his head toward Xiang. “Ah, family. Isn’t it nice when someone gives a shit about your well-being?”

Trin’s expression soured as his narrowed eyes leveled on Rei. “There isn’t time for your nonsense. I need information.”

“Funny that. So do we,” Rei countered, his voice hardening at the end. “Have you chosen a side? Are you sticking by her side, even though you know she’s going to betray you in the end?”

“We’re both working angles to come out ahead.” Trin strolled farther away from the tree, moving into the small clearing where they’d stopped. The rest of the world had fallen away from them, making it so easy to forget that humans even existed.

“This isn’t an angle. When I tell you I don’t want to the throne, I’m serious. As you can see, I have a new family and a mate that I plan to remain with. To do that, I have to make sure mother dearest doesn’t destroy the fucking world.”

Trin’s lips twisted into a frown, and he glared at the ground. He remained silent for a couple of heartbeats before giving a shake of his head. “I’m not here about that. It’s the dragon.”

“What about the dragon?” Xiang barked, his heart leaping into his chest. What the hell was Belladonna planning now? Protecting Kai was hard enough when the dragon was so damn stubborn and didn’t believe anyone should need to protect him. It was made worse by the fact that they couldn’t guess when the fae queen would strike next.

“Can you control it?” Trin shot at him.

Xiang’s hand tightened on his hilt to the point of his knuckles cracking. Muscles ached and twitched, demanding he attack the elf standing opposite him right this second. “Kai is not some animal you can force into being your attack dog. He’s a sentient, intelligent being, and he doesn’t appreciate having his hoard raided by a pack of thieves.”

Trin blinked at him, his lips parting, but nothing came out. A moment later, he regained his composure enough to speak. “The dragon talks to you. I’ve only been there when she summoned the monster once, and it just roars at her.”

That was it. Xiang tightened his fist on his sword as he charged Trin. Unfortunately, he didn’t get more than two steps before Rei collided with him, wrapping his arms around his waist to hold him.

“He’s not a monster!” Xiang bellowed, not caring that Trin was now holding a blade in his right hand. Or that several other elves popped out from behind trees to point drawn arrows at both of them. “Would you be all that willing to talk to your captor?”

“Whoa there, lover boy!” Rei cried, trying to cajole Xiang into getting a hold of his temper. Not the easiest thing. These assholes were not only the source of Kai’s suffering, but they thought he was a simple beast to be ordered about.

“I just want to kill them a little bit,” Xiang snarled as he ground his teeth together.

Rei pressed his head against the side of Xiang’s and lowered his voice, “I’m sure you do, but you’re going to get hurt, and Kai won’t like that. Can we afford to piss him off right now?”

No, a pissed off, overprotective dragon was the last thing they needed. There would be no stopping him from flying off to stomp on some fae, which would put him right back into their hands. In other words, creating a mess similar to the one Xiang was close to making now.

“Fine,” Xiang grumbled as he stopped trying to break free to kill Rei’s half brother.

“To defeat Belladonna, you must take the dragon from her,” Trin continued, though he didn’t put away his sword, nor did the other elves retreat. “She’s growing more powerful with the elimination of the human towns, but she’s pouring all her newfound power into tightening her control on the dragon. The spells required to summon it…er…him…are very taxing.”

“So, you’re saying she’s at her weakest when she summons the dragon,” Rei leaped in, but Trin was frowning.

“She’s surrounded by guards when she casts the summoning spells. We’d have to take out the entire army to get close, particularly since the dragon fights her commands. Hundreds died the last time he was summoned.”

Xiang barely hid his grin of pride. Yes, Kai had returned to him covered in blood and near death, but his dragon had taken out a hell of a lot of fae before he left.

“If you can’t get near her when she’s casting the spell, can you get the sword she stole from the dragon?” Xiang demanded.

Trin flashed them a look that wasn’t at all reassuring. His lips quirked as if he were laughing. “Would you trust me with that blade in my hand?”

“The only person I trust with the sword is the dragon it belongs to,” Rei replied without a breath of hesitation. “It needs to be returned to him.”

The dark elf stared at them in silence. When he spoke, the answer felt grudging. “She’s rarely without it. When it leaves her side at night, it is heavily guarded.”

In short, Trin hadn’t made a grab for it yet because he’d been unable to devise a workable plan that would allow him to steal it. He needed help, and Xiang was more than willing to provide it. However, that was likely going to mean sneaking into the fae castle, and there was no way he could do that without Rei.

And possibly Yichen.

That would not go over well with the other members of their clan. The idea of Yichen going anywhere near the fae and the doorway to the fae realm unsettled his stomach and squeezed his heart to the point of crushing it. But they were the ones who had a working knowledge of the enemy’s domain.

Xiang shifted his gaze to Rei to find the elf frowning at him, the same worry weighing in his green eyes.

“We need time to plan,” Rei announced. He backpedaled a couple of steps toward the SUV, putting space between Trin and his army. “Contact me in a few days.”

“Do you believe you can beat her?” Trin sneered.

Rei flashed him an overbright smile and held out his hands. “Do we have any other choice? On her present course, she will be the end of this world and the end of our people.”

He didn’t give Trin a chance to answer. Rei turned, spinning on the balls of his feet, and headed for their car, Xiang bringing up the rear. Xiang’s heart sped up, and he kept a close watch on the trees as they left to make sure the many fae hiding in the trees didn’t attack.

“What was the point of this meeting?” Rei whispered, seeming to talk to himself.

“What do you mean? Do you trust him?” Xiang asked in a matching low voice as they moved away from the bulk of the army protecting Trin.

“Nothing in this world could make me trust my half brother. We were both raised in a world of betrayal and torture. It’s all a game to see who can seize the most power. It’s why he’ll never believe me when I say I don’t have any interest in the throne.” Rei slowed his steps and glanced over his shoulder. “Kai fought the queen’s command while he was holding you hostage. Did he say that was the first time?”

Xiang nodded. “It was. I don’t think he could hurt her in any direct way, but he killed a good number of elves before he escaped. When he came back, he was covered in blood and barely breathing. It took him the better part of a week of bedrest of recover his strength.”

A soft grunt escaped Rei, and he picked up his pace. “Trin must have been there to witness it. As a result, he’s grown skeptical of Belladonna’s ability to control Kai.”

Xiang grabbed Rei’s shoulder and forced him to stop walking so he could meet his eyes. “Do you think he’d really try to steal control of Kai from her?”

“If there was an opportunity and if he believed he could control Kai, yes, I know he would.” Just as a growl was leaving Xiang’s throat, Rei held up one finger, stopping the sound. “But I think today’s meeting was about checking to see how solid her hold on the dragon was and if our so-called control is better. Remember, Kai helped us fight the fae when we hurried to defend Bel and Winter Varik. Trin and Belladonna would have heard about that. The dragon has chosen a side.”

He had. Xiang might not feel sure about all of Kai’s reasons for choosing the way he had, but right now, it didn’t matter. His primary concern remained with Queen Belladonna drawing more magical power from the earth to keep control of the dragon.

What did Kai have?

He’d almost died the first time. If he were forced to fight Belladonna a second time, Xiang was afraid Kai was going to die in the fight rather than obey another of her commands.

Rei paused when they were within sight of the black SUV and placed his hand on a nearby tree, his brow furrowing.

“What’s wrong?” Even as Xiang asked, there was something churning within him. His heart raced faster and faster. The knots in his stomach were tightening and there was a new crawling tension along his skin. He’d thought it was his fears for Kai getting the better of him, but this was different, stronger.

“The magic in the air has shifted,” Rei whispered. “Fuck! We need to hurry home now. I think she’s summoning Kai!”