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Yichen nodded, his voice trembling, “I will. I promise. Don’t worry. I’ll come home soon.”
“Yiyi, we need to go. The king…he’s coming,” the elf broke in.
“Go! We’ll hold him back while you run,” Chen ordered, shoving him away.
Yichen didn’t listen. He threw himself at Chen, hugging him for a couple of heartbeats. “Thank you, Er-ge.”
And then his brother was gone again.
The warmth of that embrace faded too quickly, and he was forced to watch Yichen running into the deeper shadows of the forest with the elf at his side. He didn’t understand it. Didn’t like it. But he would trust his didi and do whatever he could to keep Yichen safe.
Turning toward the castle, he smirked at the sight of Moon already drawing a protection symbol in the air. It glowed an angry red for a second as he finished it. The surrounding air took on a sharp, familiar bite. A buzz like an electric fence waiting for someone dumb enough to touch it.
“Are you ready for some payback?” Moon asked, flashing a wicked grin.
Chen hefted his sword and called on the icy magic that wrapped around his soul. “More than ready.”
“Just remember that we don’t have to get all of our payback now. We only need to hold him for a few minutes to give them a chance to escape. Then we need to get out of here and give the all-clear signal to the others.”
Yes. As much as he would like to spend the rest of the night taking King Ash apart, time was dwindling. The people who were supporting them needed to be allowed to retreat to safety.
“Moon, do you have any bars?” Chen inquired.
“What?”
“Check your phone. We can release them now. Yichen is away,” Chen replied.
Moon nodded and grabbed his phone. “I do! I’ll text everyone I can.”
As his mate lost himself in his device, Chen positioned himself in front of his lover. His eyes stayed locked on the quiet forest. A glow leaked between the trees from the castle and the door between words, but all the sounds were dulled and distant. No animals dared linger nearby.
There was so much magic hanging in the air, he felt as if he could taste it on his tongue. It clung to his skin like a coat of soot. He wanted nothing more than to be away from these woods and back in the safety of their home.
“Sent! They should begin retreating now.”
The last word was still ringing in the air when a loud roar assaulted their ears. Sharp, biting air rushed toward them from the castle and a blur of white light slammed into Moon’s barrier. The flash receded, and they found King Ash standing on the other side, his face twisted with rage and splattered with blood. His long blond hair was tangled and matted behind him.
With a second shout, he rushed the barrier again. This time, it shattered. But Chen was ready for him. He blocked the slash of his sword with ease and blasted him with an icy wind.
They exchanged blow for blow. The ring of their swords clashing echoed through the woods. Chen lost himself in the fight. Pressing his advantage where he could, retreating when he had no choice.
As they fought, King Ash ranted. “You’ve stolen from me. I will steal from you.” Chen wasn’t sure what he was talking about. Yichen didn’t belong to him. Would never belong to him.
Chen didn’t answer him or attempt to argue. There was no point. For now, he was only looking for an opening to injure the elf so they could make their escape. His arms were already trembling. Sweat poured along the sides of his face, and his legs ached. He needed rest, but he couldn’t stop.
At last, the mad king provided him with the opening he’d been waiting for. The elf lunged, overextending himself. Chen dodged the thrust of the sword with ease and brought his own down in a great whoosh. The blade slashed straight through the king’s forearm, severing it completely.
But King Ash didn’t scream or curse.
The madman smiled as he stumbled back, his eyes never moving to look at Chen. No, he was staring past him.
Chen followed his gaze and his heart stopped.
King Ash’s sword was embedded in the center of Moon’s chest.
Chapter 30
Moon Mullins
For a breath, there was no pain.
Just shock.
The sword. The king’s sword was sticking out of his chest.
His brain kept repeating those words as if saying them enough times would force them to make sense.
Chen’s scream broke through the jam in his brain, but with clear thought came excruciating pain. He gasped, but it ended in a harsh cough as he choked on blood. King Ash became a shadowy blur as he ran off, chuckling as he held the stump where his forearm had been. Moon was falling and he couldn’t catch himself. The world blurred, and he was drowning. If only he could get to Chen. His lover. His mate could help him fix this.
