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That got Yichen’s legs moving again. He returned to the seat and pushed Rei down on the cushion before resuming his spot on the arm.
“What do we need to do?” Yichen demanded.
“You need a bloodstone,” Zelda announced.
“That’s it?” Moon asked first, his voice jumping so high it almost cracked. “A bloodstone? You can’t mean a regular chunk of heliotrope, right? Red and Mad both have tons around their places.”
“Yes, and no.”
Rafe groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Really, Zelda. You’re worse than Bel when it comes to getting to the point.”
“I am talking about heliotrope, but not a regular chunk. This bloodstone has to come from the fae realm,” Zelda continued after making a face at Rafe.
“Shit,” Xiang muttered. “We have to go to the fae realm and find this rock if we’re going to break this bond.”
A giggle broke from Rei’s lips, and he dropped his face into his hands. The chuckle continued to bubble up, growing louder and louder as his entire body shook. This was too much. It was too perfect. And maybe this was his strange, twisted luck in life.
Yichen grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to sit upright and lift his face from his hands. “What is it? What’s wrong? I’m willing to return to the fae realm for this. I won’t ask you to go alone.”
“No. That’s not it,” he panted, trying to catch his breath. “We don’t have to go at all. The biggest bloodstone you’re ever going to find in my home is already here.”
“What?” Xiang snapped. “How?”
Rei turned to face the other vampire, wiping the tears from his eyes. “My father’s crown is set with several precious gems and minerals. One of them is a bloodstone.”
A rough bark of laughter jumped from Yichen as he tumbled from his perch. “That’s perfect. So fucking perfect.”
Chen shrugged his shoulders. “Well, we were planning to kill King Ash, anyway. I guess we have to remember to snag his crown when we’re done.”
“What do we do with the stone once we have it? Should we bring it to you?” Rei asked when he got his chuckles under control.
Zelda sat back on the couch, crossing her legs at her ankles. “No. You don’t need a witch. Wu Yichen should hold the stone against his bare chest. It will gradually draw all the fae magic from his blood and store it in the stone. This may be a little painful, but the process shouldn’t take more than an hour at most. It would be best if it has been several days since you last fed from Rei. After the process is complete, try to feed from one of your clan. If you can keep the blood down, you’re on the mend and the process is complete. If not, do another hour with the stone.”
“Excellent. This is excellent. Thank you, Zelda,” Chen said.
“Is…is this…” Yichen began and then shook his head hard, pressing his lips into a thin line as if fighting to hold in the question.
“What’s wrong?” Rei inquired, putting his hand on Yiyi’s arm. The process sounded simple enough. What was the problem?
“I bet I know what you want to ask,” Zelda almost purred, a smile spreading across her lips. “Is this a one-time thing?”
“Yes,” Yichen spit out, leaving Rei’s mouth hanging open. “What if…we cure me and…something happens and I need to drink his blood again?”
Zelda’s slow smile caused Rei’s heart to pick up its pace. Like she believed Yichen was suggesting more intimate reasons. Thinking that he wanted to bite Rei.
“Why would—” Xiang started to demand, but Zelda’s hand snapped up and the question died a quick death.
“No, this isn’t a one-time thing. However, the stone will only hold so much fae magic. Probably two or three cleansings, maybe more if it’s a larger stone. To empty the stone, bury it in a wooded place under a full moon. The energy will drain into the earth, but it will need to stay buried for at least a year. The longer it’s buried, the more power drains out.”
Rising to his feet, Yichen cupped his left hand over his right and deeply bowed to the witch. “Thank you for your wisdom.”
Rei knew he should do the same, but he was still too flabbergasted by Zelda’s response to his question. Even after Yichen was completely free of him, he might still have one more embrace, a chance to hand part of himself over to his one love. It was more than he could have ever hoped for.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad I could be of help to you and Moon.” Despite talking about others, her eyes remained locked on Rei as if she were expecting him to say something.
Belatedly, he rose and bowed in the same fashion as Yichen. “Yes, thank you for your help. I’m relieved to know that Wu Yichen won’t be bound to me for much longer.”
Zelda huffed. “There’s nothing you want to know?”
