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“Formidable.” Jean-Luc picked one up to examine it.
Zoltan looked at the other. “Why would you part with these?”
Russell shrugged. “They’re from the past. Right now, I’m more interested in having a future. With Jia, I hope.”
Howard nodded. “We’ll get her back.”
“I’ll give you two hundred thousand,” Jean-Luc said.
“Two-hundred fifty,” Zoltan countered and smiled when Jean-Luc gave him an annoyed look.
“Sold,” Russell said quickly. He liked the thought of the pistols being here in Zoltan’s castle, where he could look at them whenever he liked. “I have an account at your bank in the village, if you would transfer the money there.”
“Sure. Not a problem,” Zoltan replied.
“I’d like to spend some of it right away.” Russell took Jia’s bracelet from his pocket. “I want to have a necklace made that matches this.”
“Impressive.” Jean-Luc took out his cell phone and started taking photos. “I know a jewelry designer in Paris who could do it. I’ll send him the photos.”
“Thank you.” Russell smiled to himself. Now he would have a wedding present for Jia that was as good as any from the were-tiger prince. “I also need some wedding rings.”
Howard chuckled. “You’re in a hurry.”
“You’re in luck.” Zoltan grinned. “I’ll take you to the jewelry store in the village.”
Two hours later, Russell returned to the bat cave. He set Jia’s bracelet on the table next to its twin, then placed the box of wedding rings next to them. Now he needed to buy some land from Rajiv. It was near dawn, so he would wait till sunset before returning to Tiger Town.
When Russell awoke, he realized this was the sixth night since Jia’s kidnapping. Maybe Briathos and the God Warriors would return tonight with news. He quickly dressed, guzzled down some blood, and teleported to Tiger Town.
Although the courtyard was crowded with tents, it was eerily quiet. The treatment to turn the supersoldiers’ DNA back to normal worked best when they were unconscious.
Down by the river, the were-tigers were in groups, talking in hushed voices as they pointed at and admired a row of four black SUVs. Standing next to each SUV was a guard dressed in a black suit.
“Hey, Russell.” J.L. walked up to him, a bottle of synthetic blood in his hand. “You got here fast. You must have heard the news.”
“What news? Did Briathos return?”
J.L. shook his head and motioned to the SUVs. “The were-tiger prince and his entourage arrived about an hour ago.”
Russell groaned. And Jia wasn’t here to tell the precious prince to get lost. He doubted Rajiv would do it. As far as he knew, Rajiv might want the wedding to go through. “Where are they?”
“In the palace.” J.L. finished his bottle of blood. “Rajiv is hosting a banquet in their honor.”
Russell tamped down a surge of anger. It seemed that the prince was still the preferred choice for Jia’s husband. “Then we should go.” He marched toward the stairs.
“Wait.” J.L. followed him. “It’s an official were-tiger affair. I don’t think we’re invited.”
Russell snorted. “Think again.” He needed to meet this prince.
Chapter Twenty-three
“You’ll need to make a formal greeting,” J.L. warned him when they reached the double doors to the palace. “If you don’t show your respect, it’ll be taken as an insult.”
Russell snorted as he heaved open one of the doors. He didn’t mind being polite to Rajiv, but the prince was another matter.
“Don’t speak until you’ve been spoken to. Follow my lead,” J.L. whispered before stepping quietly into the throne room.
Russell followed, trying not to recall the awful events that had happened here. Right over there, he’d killed his brother. And there was the spot where he’d realized Jia was gone.
The room looked different now, bright and sparkling with candlelight. Tall brass candelabras were positioned between each of the red painted columns, and two more flanked the throne that sat on the dais at the far end of the room. Candlelight gleamed off the golden tigers that decorated the ornately carved wooden throne.
Along the perimeter of the room, red silk banners hung from the ceiling, each ending with a golden tassel. On the banners, embroidered tigers were either crouching or leaping. On the floor, a series of low tables had been lined up to make one long banquet table. A red silk table runner with gold tassels extended down the length of the table, although it was barely visible for all the food. There were enough platters of meat and bowls containing vegetables and sauces to feed twice the number of guests present.
Rajiv, dressed in a purple silk robe, sat on a floor cushion at the head of the table. His long black hair had been pulled up into a topknot, encircled with a gold ring and pierced with a long hairpin in the shape of a golden tiger. Twelve guests were at the table, six on each side, all sitting cross-legged on red silk cushions.
To Rajiv’s right sat a young man with a gold crown on his head and an entitled smirk on his face. That had to be the prince. Russell fought an urge to wipe the smugness off his face, and not with a silk napkin. The rest of the people on the right were probably his entourage. The last in line was a woman. Russell assumed that the further down the line a person sat, the lower his rank. Behind the seated guests, six men in black silk robes were standing and eyeing him and J.L. with suspicion.
Russell smirked. How many bodyguards did the prince need? He had to be a wimp.
To Rajiv’s left sat his uncles, Rinzen and Tenzen, plus four more elderly gentlemen. All the guests had stopped eating to look at the intruders.
Russell felt a tug on his trouser leg and noticed that J.L. had knelt. So this was the formal greeting? With an inward groan, he knelt. Then, to his surprise, J.L. planted his hands on the stone floor and bowed forward till his forehead touched the ground.
Damn. No way was he prostrating himself before Jia’s fiancé. He glanced at Rajiv, who looked tense but was keeping his face expressionless. There was no help for it, Russell realized. Rajiv was a future in-law, so Russell couldn’t embarrass him in front of his own kind. Gritting his teeth, Russell bowed low.
“I bid you welcome,” Rajiv said.
“Your kindness is beyond measure, Your Eminence,” J.L. said. “Please forgive our ill-mannered intrusion. We merely wish to pay our respect.”
Russell rolled his eyes. Enough with the groveling. He started to stand but noticed that J.L. was still sitting on his knees, so he followed suit.
“Allow me to introduce you to my esteemed guest.” Rajiv motioned to the right. “This is Prince Kim Mi-nam of South Korea. Your Highness, these gentlemen are Wang Jin Long and Russell. They are both Americans.”
The prince sniffed. Russell was tempted to cure the prince’s sniffles, and not with a tissue.
Rajiv gestured toward the Vamps. “Would you care to join us?”
The prince stiffened and set his chopsticks down with a loud clunk. “You intend to share this table with vampires?”
Rajiv gave him a conciliatory smile. “Don’t worry. They won’t be eating any of the food.”
“That is not the point,” the prince growled. “They’re loathsome, filthy creatures.”
Russell gritted his teeth. He was tempted to wash out the prince’s mouth, and not with soap.
Rajiv’s hand gripped his chopsticks so hard that his knuckles turned white. “These are my dear friends and trusted allies. Perhaps you have heard of our troubles? For over forty years, my people have been plagued by Master Han and his three vampire lords. Many of my people were hunted and slaughtered, including my parents and the parents of your betrothed.”
The prince shrugged. “We have heard the horror stories of Master Han and his three lords, but that sort of loathsome behavior is hardly surprising for vampires.”
Rajiv’s smile looked forced. “Then you may be surprised to learn that there are good vampires. Jin Long helped me kill one of the vampire lords, Lord Qing. Russell killed Lord Ming, and just recently, he killed Master Han. With that one brave act, he succeeded in doing what my people have been unable to do for forty years. And by killing Han, he stopped an army from attacking my village. To me and my people, these men are heroes.”
