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An answering warmth and happiness radiated from the tree, and soon the others were calling out for his attention. All the trees and plants were conscious creatures with feelings and desires. Most of them were simple desires, such as a desire for the warm sunlight or water from a quenching rain. Some wanted a strong wind to rattle their leaves and give their limbs a good stretch.
Without the fae around to feel their needs and desires, the trees and plants fell into a deep slumber, forgetting they could reach out. He’d always thought this was why the fae had to return to the human world once every hundred years—to wake up the flora from their slumber.
But his parents and the Silver Court had become obsessed with tormenting the humans every time the door opened and less concerned with stirring up the old earth magic to wake the world. Maybe he was the last one left who cared about such things.
That was fine. He could at least give this garden a good drink of magic.
Stepping into a small circle of trees, Rei held out his hands to either side, palms up. With little effort, the ancient earth magic bubbled up, racing into his body from the soles of his feet and through his limbs so that it overflowed. A laugh escaped him as he spun in place, throwing his hands over his head as if reaching for the sky. The magic surged out and rained down on all the trees, kissed the tiny flowers, and caressed each blade of grass.
He spun again, opening his eyes to take in the faint white sparkle that fell from his fingertips to spread out through the wooded land that belonged to the Zhang clan. The earth magic poured through him, picked up a bit of his own fae magic, and soared out with each turn and wave of his arms.
It was an old dance that most believed they were born knowing. Each step and graceful sweep of the arm ingrained in their bones before they took their first breath.
Nature gave life.
The fae were supposed to be protectors of that life.
King Ash and his queen had forgotten that. But not him. This plot of ground offered him sanctuary and solace for a short time. The least he could do was provide it with some nourishing sustenance.
He didn’t know how long he danced. He filled the air with so many silvery sparkles it was as if he’d set free an entire colony of fireflies. The green of the leaves and blades of grass were lusher. Flowers had opened their petals, shucking their evening sleep in favor of a fae feast. Even the splash of the koi in the nearby stream seemed louder, as if they wanted to leap from their home to bathe in the magic.
Sweat trickled from his temple and he panted softly, trying to catch his breath as he ended the dance. All the grounds within the stone walls were now saturated with fae magic. Nothing special. Just a light feeding for all the flora and fauna. A smile played on his lips to where he almost reached up to touch it. The dance had been for the trees, but there was a lightness in his own chest that hadn’t been there earlier. Maybe he needed this as much as the plants.
“I’ve never seen you do something like that.”
Yichen’s voice had him spinning around to find the vampire approaching on the narrow stone path. He was holding something in his hands, but Rei couldn’t identify it. But then, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the soft look in Yiyi’s hazel eyes.
“Until now, everything was about fighting and protection. Swords. Knives. Bows and arrows. But that wasn’t about fighting, was it?”
“No. It was a simple spell to feed the plants some much needed energy from the earth. My way of saying thank you for housing me these past several days.”
“It was stunning. Beautiful.” Yichen looked away from Rei and cleared his throat as his eyes skimmed over the trees. “Everything seems healthier now.”
Rei bit his bottom lip to keep in his teasing comment. Every word out of his mouth didn’t need to rankle the vampire. Just every other one.
Wiping away some sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, Rei took a step toward Yichen. “What are you holding?”
“Oh, this. Something Moon found tucked away with the things he brought to the house. I thought it would help to cool you off.”
Rei parted his lips to ask about it, but the words never got to leave his tongue. Yichen hurled the item in his right hand straight at his chest. The item crashed into him and exploded in icy water that soaked into his T-shirt.
“Apparently, something called a water balloon was invented while I was away from the human world.” Yichen cackled before sending a second one at Rei.
This one he caught, but it was more fragile than he expected. The bright-blue ball exploded in his hand, sending water across his face.
Yichen’s bright laughter filled the garden, making Rei forget about the water dripping from the tip of his nose and clinging to his eyelashes. While the vampire was forever trapped in the body of a twenty-one-year-old man with a face filled with the freshness of youth, the weight of his two thousand years could be found in his eyes. Except for now. As he cackled himself breathless, all those years and worries disappeared, releasing a carefree soul.
And Rei had seen nothing so lovely in all his life. He wanted to bottle that sound and pull Yiyi into his arms. His soul screamed to wrap him up and protect him from everything, just so that this joy never faded.
Rei shook off the thought as soon as it formed. There was no wrapping up Yiyi. The vampire was a force that couldn’t be stopped. Stubborn and brave in equal measures. The best he could do was try to keep up with his vampire for as long as he could stay at his side.
“Oh, that’s your mood this evening,” Rei drawled as he wiped the drops of water from his face. “Please, allow me to reply.” With a brisk wave of his hands up his body, he drew all the water from his clothes. The droplets hopped from his flesh and gathered in a growing ball in front of him.
“Shit!” Yichen swore, though chuckles edged the word. He turned on his left foot to run for the house, but it was already too late. Rei shoved the ball of water at Yichen, sending it slamming into his back. The ball exploded, soaking his clothes and hair.
A hiss escaped Yichen on impact, but it didn’t stop him. He ran for the house, stopping by the stairs to pick up two more water balloons. This time, Rei understood the game. He ducked behind the trees and twirled out of the way as each of the balloons sailed past him.
“I’m not done with you! I won’t be the only one drenched!” Yichen shouted as he headed for more ammunition.
