AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Maybe it’s time I brought the goo out of retirement,” Bel whispered, his small voice sounding so dejected.
“You said you destroyed all your notes and the recipe for the goo,” Marcus growled.
“What’s the goo?” Moon asked in Chen’s ear.
“I have a very good and accurate memory,” Bel said, not reacting to Moon’s question.
River cupped Bel’s cheeks with both of his hands, turning his face so that the vampire was forced to meet his hazel gaze. “No, my sweet Bel. This is too dangerous, and you gave your word you’d never make it again.”
“Why am I suddenly afraid of the goo?” Yichen mumbled, throwing questioning looks at Chen and Xiao Dan, who could only shrug at him in return.
“Bel was working on a cure for vampirism and he accidentally invented this goo that melts people. It’s…it’s…” Ethan shivered. “It’s pretty horrific to see.”
“Well, now that stuff sounds like fun,” Rei chimed in. He rubbed his hands together and gave a wiggle on the sofa next to Yichen, bumping their hips together.
“No,” Xiao Dan declared, and it was like a hammer being slammed down. “I cannot place restrictions on the actions of the Varik clan, but the Zhang clan will not use such a weapon.” As he mentioned their clan, his eyes locked on Rei and stayed. Yichen’s heart stopped, his mouth going dry. Was Shixiong including Rei within the Zhang clan?
Yichen ripped his eyes away from Xiao Dan to find the same shocked expression on Rei’s pale face. His lips parted and moved, but for a moment, no words came out. At last, the elf swallowed hard before bowing his head low to Xiao Dan.
“I will abide by the wishes of the Zhang clan leader,” Rei said in a trembling voice.
Xiao Dan nodded and turned a soft smile to Bel. “I see no reason for us to give up hope just yet. We will defeat the fae and push them back without needing to use a weapon that has left a mark on your soul.”
But that still left them with no clear answer on how to get rid of King Ash. There was no way he was letting Rei go into fae territory alone.
Chapter 18
Rei
Raindrops glistened on leaves as he walked through the garden. A steady drip, drip, drip, accompanied the nightly song of the frogs and crickets. A brief rainstorm had moved through the area while they were talking with the other vampires. Just enough to clear the heavy pollen from the air and wash away the last of the day’s heat.
As refreshing as he should have found it, the lovely garden did nothing to lift the weight squatting on his chest.
He was one elf.
What good was a single elf against an army?
Against the king?
Against his own people?
Shame should be eating him alive for daring to stand up to the oak and holly crowns. He was the fucking crown prince of the fae people, heir to the Dawn throne. He should be standing by his father’s side as they fought to usher in a new era of growth and power for the fae. The Earth in human hands had suffered. Wiping out the humans and claiming the land for the fae would help to restore nature.
But the Earth had never belonged to the fae. They were supposed to be occasional stewards, nudging things along here and there. A vacation spot to visit before returning home.
There was nothing wrong with their home. It wasn’t as if it were dying or that it was too small for their needs. No, King Ash had grown greedy or gone insane. Possibly both.
Besides, destroying the humans meant destroying the vampires. It meant death for the witches and the shifters who would fight to protect the humans.
No, as strange as it felt, he couldn’t question that he was on the right side of this war. His father and mother weren’t doing anything to help their people.
But what good was one elf against an army?
Something shifted in the air, and it was as if a mysterious hand forced his lungs to expand, dragging in a fresh breath. With it came a hint of that hypnotic smell that was pure Yiyi.
Of course, his vampire had come searching for him. He’d accompanied Xiao Dan as they showed their guests to their car, thanking them for their help in rescuing him from the fae. Rei had taken the chance to escape to the rear gardens to think, even if it meant those thoughts were spinning in useless circles.
“Did Bel make another request for your blood?” Rei inquired as Yichen drew close.
