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Moon pulled an arm free, caught Chen’s hand, and lowered it from his mouth. “I can do this! I swear. We’re talking a tiny bit of magic to dig into their problem. Nothing big.”
“Baobei,”1 Chen pleaded, rubbing the tip of his nose across Moon’s cheek. “It’s dangerous. We agreed you would refrain until you improved your meditation skills and we spoke to that witch, Zelda.”
“Pfft. No one knows when Zelda is going to pop up. The old witch does what she wants on her own schedule. Yichen and Rei need help now.”
“Baobei,” Chen repeated, his voice softening even more.
“You’re playing dirty. This isn’t nice,” Moon grumbled. “You know I can’t argue when you call me that.”
“Aarrrggghhhhh!” Xiang moaned loudly before flopping down on one sofa with a bounce, covering his face with both hands. “Newlyweds! I swear to the gods and ancestors, if you keep this up, I’m going to throw up in the corner like Didi.”
Lovely.
Xiao Dan cleared his throat and partially covered his mouth as if trying to hide his smile. “I think if Moon is cautious and only uses a little magic, he can safely attempt a minor spell. Outside. We’ll be vigilant and stop the spell if it has an ill effect on him.”
“Yes! I’ll go get my knives!” Moon shouted. He broke out of Chen’s embrace, proving that the vampire hadn’t been restraining him that tightly, and darted from the room. Chen threw a dark look at Xiao Dan as he followed his mate.
Yichen opened his mouth to ask what the hell was happening, but Ming Yu chimed in first. “Shidi,2 would you like me to show you to a bathroom where you can clean up? Shixiong can give Rei a tour of the gardens while we wait for you and Moon.”
He glanced at Rei, and the elf smirked. “I think I’ll be safe with your shixiong for five minutes. Go clean up.”
Rei was right. Now that they all knew his life was tied to Rei’s, they wouldn’t allow anything to happen to the elf. And just maybe they would now stop watching Rei as if he were the enemy.
After ordering Xiang to clean up the blood on the floor, Ming Yu threaded her arm through Yichen’s and led him along several halls and turns to a lovely bathroom. She was about to step outside the room and wait for him, but he held on to her arm and closed the door behind them both.
“Nope. You’re staying here. You’ve got to help me catch up.” He dropped his voice to a harsh whisper. “What is going on with Chen Bo Cheng? Has his mind snapped? I’ve never seen him act like that. We’ve known him for two thousand years. I was gone for a century, and it’s like he’s acquired an entirely new personality.”
Ming Yu giggled, lifting her hand to cover her mouth as if she were still wearing a wide-sleeved robe. “His mind hasn’t snapped. He’s in love.”
“Love?” Yichen repeated dully. Maybe Chen wasn’t the only one to have lost his mind.
Ming Yu lightly slapped his shoulder. “Clean up. I’ll try to catch you up.”
He didn’t hesitate to turn on the water and scoop some into his mouth. After swishing it about, he spat it out, trying to remove the taste. Normally, the taste of blood wouldn’t bother him, but ever since he’d become dependent on Rei’s blood, any other upset his stomach. He repeated the process several times while Ming Yu picked up a soft, ivory-colored hand towel and placed it on the dark marble counter.
“Er-ge located Moon a few days before the fae door opened. Through his friends, he helped us locate where the door would appear. We hoped to rescue you the moment the fae entered the world, but things proved to be more complicated than we’d planned for. Moon helped us fight the fae army and protect our home. He saved Chen’s life more than once,” she explained, her soft voice a soothing balm over his frazzled nerves. Gods, how he missed listening to her talk. So calming. Like Rei when he wasn’t being a playful shit.
“So, they fell in love?” His hands muffled his words as he rubbed them over his face, washing away the blood.
“They did. Chen is so much happier now. Moon lifts his soul and fills him with laughter. And I think Moon has found a home in Chen that he’d not enjoyed for a very long time.”
Yichen’s brain was struggling with the idea of it all. Chen…well, he loved Chen as a brother, but he’d never thought of the man falling in love with someone. First, it would mean noticing someone outside their clan, and the only thing that had ever mattered to Chen was the clan. And second, it would mean making himself vulnerable. That never happened.
At least, it hadn’t until Moon.
“What’s his problem with the blood witch performing magic?” Yichen grabbed the towel and straightened as he dried the drops of water from his face.
When Ming Yu remained silent, he lifted his eyes to her reflection in the mirror to find her frowning.
“You must not have noticed. It was chaotic when you arrived.”
“What?”
“Moon isn’t just a blood witch. He’s a vampire now. Er-ge had no choice. He had to change him to save his life. King Ash nearly killed him during the battle to rescue you.”
The towel tumbled into the sink from his dead fingers and he whipped around to demand to know how that was possible, but in the next heartbeat, his brain conjured up the answer. Chen and Moon had remained behind to cover his and Rei’s escape.
“Moon…did he…” The words fractured in his throat, making it impossible for him to continue.
