Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 111252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111252 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 556(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
In its place stood an unbroken stone wall.
The dragon had taken away his only means of escape.
1 Shijie – older clan sister, opposite of shimei
Chapter 6
Kai
Kai hesitated outside the hoard, fiddling with the small box clutched in both hands. It had been three days since he’d tossed Xiang in with the hoard and removed the metal door. Enough time for his temper to cool and to realize he might have overreacted.
Was it any surprise that Xiang was attempting to escape?
No. If their roles were reversed, he would do the same thing. Ugh. He’d be worse. He would promise the moon and stars, tell any number of lies to be free.
And maybe Xiang did need to feed, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t multitask. Grab a bite to eat and coordinate a rescue with his clan.
Xiang probably was telling the truth about wanting to reassure his family that he was alive and well to relieve at least some of their worries.
But beyond his attempt to escape, what stung was the idea that Xiang had been willing to leave without him. The frustrating vampire had been so adamant over the past few weeks that he intended to take Kai with him. That there was no way he was leaving without him. His words and fierce tone had convinced Kai.
But it had all been a lie to get Kai to help him. The vampire didn’t care about him or whether he ever escaped the dragon’s clutches. He was a fool.
All of which was laughable. There was no escaping the dragon. He was the dragon.
And when Xiang discovered the truth, he was going to be so very pissed. Justifiably so. The fragile friendship they’d built on the back of their mutual lies was going to be reduced to ash in the fury of Xiang’s temper.
A smart dragon would cut his losses now and keep his distance, but he didn’t want to. Ever since their last encounter in the park, Kai couldn’t put Xiang out of his head. His angry words kept ringing in his ears while Xiang’s frantic, desperate face filled his mind.
Fate would have them part on bad terms, but for now, he could at least try to mend the bridge between them.
His mind made up, Kai summoned up the brief flicker of magic needed to reappear within the hoard. A quick glance about the massive cavern revealed nothing out of place, but there was an eerie silence, as if he were the only living creature within it. There was no way Xiang had escaped. He checked the time on the clock and confirmed that it was the normal hour for Xiang to be awake.
“Li Xiang?” he called out, letting his voice carry to the farthest reaches of the cave.
“Kai?” Xiang’s ragged voice was filled with surprise, as if he couldn’t believe that Kai had returned.
A flash of movement in the bedchamber caught Kai’s eye, and then it was a blur. A heartbeat later, Xiang’s body slammed into him. Kai didn’t have a chance to react defensively or even in panic. But it didn’t matter. Xiang’s arms wrapped around his neck, holding him in a fierce hug while his forehead rested on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry. So very sorry. I won’t lie and say I wasn’t thinking about escaping, but I changed my mind. I swear. Chen said he was coming to get me, and I was going to tell him not to when you grabbed the phone. I was afraid that if I left without you, I wouldn’t be able to find the dragon’s hoard again to save you.” The words poured out of Xiang in a torrent of words that ran together as they rushed off his tongue.
Kai hesitated, his arms out to his sides. This was not what he’d expected. He thought Xiang would be angry at him for taking him to the cavern. He’d never thought he’d hear an apology from Xiang. After setting aside the box on a nearby table, he folded his arms around Xiang. As he steadily increased the pressure, something cracked inside of him. It was like he could take a deep breath for the first time in his very long life. His eyes burned, and he squeezed them shut as he held Xiang.
“Don’t apologize. I shouldn’t have lost my temper. Any sane man would attempt to escape a dragon when given a chance,” Kai murmured into Xiang’s sweat-damp hair.
Xiang’s arms tightened on him, threatening to choke him. “I won’t leave without you. I swear. We go together, or I don’t leave at all.”
Kai could feel his lips lifting into a small smile. “You’re leaving here one day. I know it.” As soon as he finished speaking, there was an answering ache in his chest. Of course, he’d gotten used to having Xiang close by. He was a pleasant distraction, but he didn’t belong here. He had a clan he belonged to, and he needed to return home.