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)
“And you could move on from your captivity without me around as a constant reminder…” Rei whispered.
Yichen stopped walking and grabbed Rei’s elbow, pulling him so they were facing each other. “That’s bullshit and you know it. You’re not some dark shadow haunting me from the past. Seeing you reminds me that we’re unstoppable. That we can beat anyone, no matter the odds.”
A tiny twist played on Rei’s lips as he lifted his head to meet his gaze. It wasn’t fair how handsome this man was. Even in casual clothes, there was no hiding this creature was born of royal blood. All his features were cut with precision, combining to give him a cold, untouchable air. And yet, when Yichen looked at him, he saw only laughter, compassion, and a dash of mischief. Someone who lived to thumb his nose at anyone who told him he couldn’t do something.
That included diving into dangerous situations and enduring torture for one another for reasons that Yichen didn’t understand to this day. It left him wanting to gather Rei close so he could protect him. Even from himself.
The elf didn’t give a damn about his own well-being, and he needed someone to watch over him.
“This isn’t something that needs to be decided right now. You want to stay here for a century or two? Sure. Great. You’ll stay with my clan, and we’ll spend the next several decades terrorizing my clan mates. You want to return to the fae realm and sit on the throne? That’s fine too. What I want doesn’t factor into this discussion at all.”
Rei’s lips parted, but no words came out. Instead, Xiang interrupted them.
“Hey! You two coming?”
Yichen glanced about to find they’d stopped in the center of the parking lot. Chen, Moon, and Xiang were all standing beside the black SUV, staring at them. He released Rei’s arm while his companion huffed out a soft laugh.
“You’re right. I don’t need to worry about this now. Our focus should be on dealing with the king and acquiring the bloodstone for you. The other will work itself out.” The smile pinned on Rei’s lips didn’t come close to reaching his eyes. Something there squeezed his lungs, making it hard to breathe. What wasn’t Rei telling him?
Later. Just…later.
They climbed into the car, Chen settling behind the wheel, and Moon in the passenger seat at his side. Poor Rei was stuck in the middle, but he didn’t seem to mind too much as he rested his head on Yichen’s shoulder with what sounded like a happy sigh.
“Okay, so we figured out how to fix Yichen and protect Rei. How do we deal with the fae problem?” Xiang inquired after they were on the road for a few minutes, winding their way toward the suburbs. The highway was empty, allowing Chen to sail smoothly along at a good clip. “Umm…no offense,” Xiang tacked on.
Rei’s body moved as if he’d silently laughed. “No offense taken. Most of us are a problem. I’m not, naturally. It’s why Yiyi adores me so much.”
Yichen snorted. There were many reasons he adored Rei, but the elf’s so-called easiness was not one of them.
For all of his strange behavior earlier, Rei was at least sounding more like himself now. Something about the witch must have rattled him. “Whatever,” Yichen mumbled. “We’ll need to talk to Shixiong and start gathering what intelligence we have on the movements of the fae. The king and queen have had more than enough time to plan.”
“Not to mention, human disappearances are on the rise,” Moon interjected. “They’re up to something.”
“Any guesses, Rei?” Xiang asked, nudging the elf with his elbow.
“Guesses as to what my father’s thinking? I can’t even begin. If I could read my father’s mind, I would have successfully killed him off years ago.”
That was the truth. Yichen had no doubt about that. Rei’s hatred for his father rivaled his own hatred for their maker, Jiang Chong, but they’d escaped the bastard long ago.
“That’s weird,” Moon muttered under his breath.
“What’s wrong?” Xiang leaned forward, gripping the back of Moon’s seat as he shifted.
“The streetlights are all out up ahead. I can understand one or two, but I can’t even see where they kick on again. I wonder what knocked them out,” Moon answered.
Rei sat up straight, coming alive with a suddenness that had the hair standing up on the nape of Yichen’s neck.
“We came this way a few nights ago on that run for food. The lights weren’t out,” Chen added.
“Shit!” Rei snarled as he twisted in his seat to dig around in the open trunk behind them. From there, he devolved into a series of curses as he sifted through whatever they’d piled in the vehicle’s rear.
Xiang leaned forward to stare at Yichen. “What’s he saying?”
It was only then that he realized Rei had switched to elvish for the very first time since they’d settled with his clan. Rei had stuck with English upon meeting his family and never deviated. Until now.