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“That is my hope. But if I do that, what becomes of Wu Yichen? A slow death of starvation? That’s too cruel to do to someone who was drawn into this mess through no fault of his own. I cannot survive in the human realm after the door is shut, and he belongs with his family here. He can’t return to the fae realm.”
“He needs to take the throne if the fae people are to survive,” Yichen snarled as a fist tried to tighten around his heart. “Do you have the magic to help us or not?”
“No,” Olag replied instantly.
“I don’t believe you,” Rei countered. “Olag, you are older than any of us, born of the mountains. How can you not know how to free him from me?”
“Because breaking bonds is not my specialty. My people are in the business of forging things that last for an eternity.”
Yichen narrowed his eyes on the gnome. “But even rocks break. The rush of water can wear them away.”
The gnome stared at him, his dark eyes seeming to soak in the faint flickering light in the small room. Yichen didn’t flinch as he returned his gaze. His master was Jiang Chong. The vampire had taught all of them what it meant to break and be reforged into something unyielding.
“If you are determined to break this bond, you need to seek one who knows the power of blood better than any other,” Olag stated.
A snort escaped Yichen. “Better than a vampire?”
Olag waved a floppy sleeve in his direction and shifted in his seat. “What do vampires know of blood and the power it carries? You drink it to keep yourself alive, but that is all.” The gnome made another dismissive noise. “Track down a blood witch. They’re the only ones who truly understand the magic of blood. Not vampires. A blood witch might be able to break this bond between you.”
Yichen clenched his teeth but said nothing as Rei rose to his feet. His expectations had been low for this meeting in the first place, but Rei had wanted to try.
The gnome sniffed loudly and rubbed his enormous nose with his sleeve. “You should leave. Someone is approaching that will notice the dead you created.”
Rei nodded once and turned to the stairs. He motioned for Yichen to precede him, but the elf stopped with his foot on the bottom step. “If there was a battle between myself and the king, on which side of the line would you find yourself falling, Olag?”
“On the side that guaranteed me a quiet, safe home away from the humans.”
“Very well,” Rei murmured and resumed his climb, Yichen leading the way.
They slipped into the cool night air and Rei took over, directing them skillfully out of the woods and toward human civilization. Yichen didn’t take an easy breath until he felt the concrete under his feet again, the watchful eyes of the fae falling away from them.
“That did not go as well as we could have hoped,” Yichen muttered.
Rei flashed him a smile, the light seeming to return to his emerald eyes. While Olag’s help was questionable, the trip had done the elf good. There was a healthy blush to his cheeks and more color to his lips. Even a small sparkle to his green eyes.
“It wasn’t all bad. I didn’t know about blood witches, but if we’re having an issue with a blood bond, it makes the most sense to seek one out.” He nudged Yichen with his elbow and leaned in. “Besides, wasn’t that man with your gege1 a witch?”
As if his life didn’t have enough questions. Who was that man who’d stared at Chen-ge with such love? And the vampire had clearly returned his affection. Chen was a cold, grumpy sort of person who only ever listened to Xiao Dan, but this stranger could stop Chen with a few words.
“I think he was.”
“Then that means we need to find your family and this witch your Chen-ge knows. Even if he’s not a blood witch, maybe he will know how we can get in contact with one.”
Yichen bit his tongue. This was a horrible idea.
Chapter 2
Rei
Yiyi was pouting.
It would be annoying if the damn vampire wasn’t so adorable.
After bringing up that they should seek Yichen’s family and the witch attached to his older martial brother, Yichen had fallen silent, refusing to give him more than the occasional grunt. If they were going to have another argument, it was better to do it in the privacy of their tiny rental.
“Do we have any more of that tofu?” Rei inquired as he pulled his hoodie up over his head and tossed it onto the back of the lumpy, green plaid sofa.
“Don’t, Rei. We need to talk about this.” Yichen’s soft footsteps followed across the squeaky floor and rough, worn carpet of their one-bedroom apartment. It was such a dingy, rundown spot with plumbing that leaked and rattled, windows that didn’t want to open, and old stains that were better left unidentified. Definitely not fit for the crown prince of the fae who was accustomed to fine silks, gem-encrusted ornaments, and gold filigree.
