Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 65856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65856 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Huli had dedicated his entire existence to making himself into something worthy of Xiao Dan.
But as he stood on the brink of claiming the vampire’s heart, an evil deal he’d made centuries ago was coming due.
Min wanted Xiao Dan’s soul.
Would he lose Xiao Dan when he confessed his ugly promise? And could he stop Min before it was too late?
Two Thousand Promises is the fifth and final novel in the Kings of Chaos series. This book contains a reluctant vampire who is finally giving in to the thousand-year seduction of a sly fox spirit determined to claim his mate, a nosy family who wants all the spilled tea, snark, angst, magic, found family, brotherly bickering, chaos, cuddles, secrets, and an endless love.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Prologue
ZHANG XIAO DAN
913 CE
Luoyang, near the Zhang manor
Adry, brittle branch snapped under Xiao Dan’s foot as he strolled through the forest. The early morning air was brisk with a bite to it, as if a late winter chill had tried to rear its head during the night and now didn’t want to leave. Birds were stirring, singing the first greeting of the day.
There was no sense of urgency in his steps. He knew exactly where he was going and how long it would take him to get there. He’d picked out this spot many years ago on one of his ambles through the woods.
A breeze rose and pushed against his chest before lifting to caress his cheek and then moving on. A damp, earthy scent clung to the air with a hint of something green. Spring was still newborn. The plum blossoms hadn’t finished falling from the trees yet, and the cherry blossoms had yet to bloom. Winter had loosened its grip on the world, and spring was restoring green to the forest.
After walking for close to half an hour, he reached a spot on the side of a hill where there was a wide break in the trees, giving him a clear view of the eastern sky. A tree had even fallen here some years ago, as if a forest spirit had prepared a bench for him to sit and watch the sun rise one last time.
Xiao Dan stepped over the old log half-covered in new growth, moss, and dead leaves, and took a seat. A long, slow breath pushed out of his lungs, draining all the air from his body. With it, centuries of turmoil, pain, fear, and doubt poured out. It felt as if the giant ball of knots that lived within him untangled one at a time.
He lifted his eyes to stare at the distant horizon. The sky had begun to shift from a deep slate gray to that very first touch of pale blue and dark orange.
There was nothing special about this day. It wasn’t an anniversary of Shifu’s1 death or the anniversary of his own death and rebirth as a vampire. It wasn’t even the anniversary of Jiang Chong’s demise. Just a Tuesday on the threshold of spring, and he’d realized that he’d run out of energy to wake to see another starlit sky.
His clan was as secure as it was going to be. They had no more need for him or his fumbling, useless guidance.
And maybe he was ready to end his lonely torture. He’d had enough of the dead haunting his dreams and casting doubts at his every action. He’d done the best he could to protect his clan. If that wasn’t enough, he was prepared to spend another thousand years being peeled and boiled in oil as punishment. So long as he took a step forward to reincarnation and the Naihe Bridge.2 As much as he loved his clan mates, he was ready to forget this world and this life.
A rustling in the bush to his left tore his gaze from the distant horizon. It looked to be a knot of old branches and dead leaves. Had he chosen his place of final repose next to some poor animal’s den?
He continued to watch, wondering if it would be a squirrel or a rabbit that broke free of the cover. No, it had to be something bigger. A pheasant, maybe.
The thought had no sooner formed in his mind when a flash of orange burst from the bush and leaped into the clearing a few meters in front of him.
A fox!
It ran a short distance away and just as Xiao Dan was sure it would disappear completely, the fox turned. It stood with its legs spread, its head low, and its ears flat as if challenging him, but that fluffy tail flicked from side to side in what seemed to be excitement. Or maybe even playfulness.
For a moment, Xiao Dan could only blink at the creature. He’d not expected to find himself faced with a red fox—and a young one at that. It looked to be still a pup with some of its baby fluff sticking out, making him appear even more cuddly.
“What are you doing by yourself?” he inquired in a gentle voice. He turned his gaze from the fox to search the immediate area for its mother. It wasn’t old enough to be on its own, but there was no additional flash of orange or rustling in the brush. Not even a warning bark to get away from her child.
Had he been abandoned?
Or was his mother killed while out searching for food?
“Where is your mama?”
The fox answered with an equally adorable bark that left Xiao Dan biting his bottom lip. He was obviously trying to be fierce, but it made him even cuter.