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)
Besides, destroying the humans meant destroying the vampires. It meant death for the witches and the shifters who would fight to protect the humans.
No, as strange as it felt, he couldn’t question that he was on the right side of this war. His father and mother weren’t doing anything to help their people.
But what good was one elf against an army?
Something shifted in the air, and it was as if a mysterious hand forced his lungs to expand, dragging in a fresh breath. With it came a hint of that hypnotic smell that was pure Yiyi.
Of course, his vampire had come searching for him. He’d accompanied Xiao Dan as they showed their guests to their car, thanking them for their help in rescuing him from the fae. Rei had taken the chance to escape to the rear gardens to think, even if it meant those thoughts were spinning in useless circles.
“Did Bel make another request for your blood?” Rei inquired as Yichen drew close.
He ducked under a low branch and came up grinning. The smile was lopsided while his eyes sparkled in the starlight with laughter. Gods, an eternity looking at that smile wasn’t long enough.
“I think he wanted to, but Marcus kept a tight grip on his didi as they left. We didn’t even get the chance to talk about our blood bond issue.”
Rei snorted as he walked around the tree, dragging his right hand along the rough bark. “If we’d done that, there’s no way he would have left prior to sunrise.”
“True.” Yichen chuckled and when he stopped, he cocked his head to the side. “I like him.”
“Really? Should I feel threatened?”
Yichen shoved his shoulder and then grabbed his hand, pulling him away from the tree to walk deeper into the shadows and away from the garden lamps glowing along the stone path. Warmth spread up his arm at that simple touch. Yichen had taken his arm or hand plenty of times to pull him along, guide him, help him, but this was different. Their fingers tangled together and Yichen’s thumb caressed the side of his palm, threatening to melt his brain. So many years dreaming of exactly this and now he had it. Nothing could ever make him let go.
“Ridiculous,” Yichen scoffed. “I didn’t mean it like that, and you know it.”
Squeezing the vampire’s hand, Rei moved closer as they walked, letting their arms brush. “What do you mean? He was definitely sweet and eager. Like a puppy.”
“Just that I didn’t get the impression that he hated being a vampire. He’s accepted it. Revels in his immortality. He wants to study and understand everything, which you can only do if you’re going to live a very long life. And yet, he’s trying to cure vampirism. Most of us who’ve become vampires either learn to accept it as an unchangeable fact, or self-destruct, usually within the first few decades. I can almost hear his brain rationalizing, ‘I was turned into a vampire. Logic states that I can be turned back.’ ”
Rei moved to stand in front of Yichen. “It’s not so much that you like him, but you admire him. You admire his persistence.”
A slow grin spread across Yichen’s lovely lips and his eyes widened as he said, “I do. I’ve got a thing for strong, persistent people.”
A low groan rolled from Rei’s throat, and he tried to leave the damn vampire behind. He stepped right into that bit of corny nonsense. “Have a heart, Yiyi! You can’t say such things while holding my hand. My heart can’t…I…”
Yichen’s answering laugh followed him while he tightened his hold on Rei’s fingers, refusing to let him escape.
“I couldn’t help it. I figured you’d be out here brooding about our current situation.”
“Don’t laugh! You shouldn’t feel so proud of that nonsense!” But there was no point. His rebukes rolled right off Yichen like beads of water.
As the laughter faded away and they resumed their stroll between the trees, Yichen bumped his shoulder. “What is on your mind?”
“Mostly how useless I am,” Rei muttered. “As a single elf, I can’t do much against the fae army or my father’s plans. My only use is as an assassin sneaking into the castle—”
“Which isn’t an option unless I’m also at your side, protecting you,” Yichen interjected.
“I can’t even warn those who want nothing to do with the king’s plan to take over the human realm. Most of the fae just want to go about their normal lives. They don’t want power and destruction, which is all this promises to be.” Glaring at the ground with his teeth clenched, he wanted to shout at the unfairness of it all. “There’s no way to warn them. To give them a chance to return home before they’re killed or trapped here. Warning them means giving my father a heads-up of what we’re planning.”