Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 105815 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105815 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
The second team comprised Junjie, Leo, Rafe, Philippe, Chen, Moon, Huli, and Xiao Dan. Their goal was to eliminate Jiang Chong and then, hopefully, join the fight against the fae.
The final team of Ming Yu, Fox, Ethan, Marcus, Bel, River, and Wyatt gathered at the Varik mansion with Moon’s old coven. In Junjie’s mind, their only task was to keep Erik and the most vulnerable of their two clans safe.
How Moon had ended up on the team to fight Jiang Chong was still a mystery to Junjie, though. That fledgling was one fast talker when he wanted to be.
Junjie stared out across the large empty field ringed by thick woods. A narrow stream cut through the center. The water wasn’t particularly deep, but Rei suggested that the running water would help to fuel the spell. Kai was hoping to turn that against them. Junjie was looking forward to seeing fae magic take on the magic of an ancient dragon, but right now, his only concern was for Jiang Chong. They had a score to settle.
“Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment,” Xiao Dan said in a tight voice. Shixiong was always good at reading his mind and his moods.
“He killed my mate,” Junjie bit out.
“Your mate is also alive and hiding in the tree above your head. You must remember your duty to your clan and the Varik clan.”
“Movement! Ten o’clock.” They all turned to where Rafe pointed across the field. Shadows shifted among the trees before the pale ghostly glow of will-o-wisps penetrated the darkness at last. Several battalions of armed elves stepped out of the woods. In the middle of the armed fighters was a circle of elves in robes with floating balls of light around them. They were walking slowly but steadily toward the stream in the center of the field.
But there was no sign of Trin or his right-hand woman, Aire Bira.
It was a painful understatement to say that the fae vastly outnumbered them. Even with a dragon on their side. Ellora was supposed to bring her army of resistance fighters, but they didn’t know how many she had on her side or what kind of damage they could do.
“Shit!” Xiao Dan swore suddenly, ripping Junjie’s gaze from the movement of the fae army.
Xiao Dan was kneeling on the ground, curled up in the fetal position. Huli flew from where he’d been lurking in the shadows, shifting into human form the second he reached Xiao Dan. He laid an arm across his bowed shoulders and pulled him in close.
“Gege, what happened? Where are you hurt?” Huli demanded.
“It’s the fae magic,” Xiao Dan panted. “I can’t hold my glamour in place on the field. The closer those wizards get to us, the more their magic burns through mine.”
Junjie swore under his breath and stared at the field. The glamour Xiao Dan had created had been barely noticeable. A few changes to the field and sky. Things that most wouldn’t see even if they were searching for them. The hope was that Jiang Chong would walk into their trap without realizing it, giving himself away. They hadn’t considered that the fae could disperse Xiao Dan’s glamour.
But Jiang Chong would have.
A chill ran up Junjie’s spine and he spun, turning his back to the field and the fae army. He scoured the wooded area where his team waited for the first sign of Jiang Chong. Thunder crashed again; the heavenly boom came closer this time as the storm bore down on them.
“There!” Huli shouted, pointing at Moon.
The young vampire didn’t even have a chance to move. Philippe dove across the short distance separating them, hitting Moon square in the chest and taking them both to the ground. They were briefly lost in the brush while all eyes turned to the blade that poked through a hole in the very air.
Jiang Chong stepped through the opening, a grin slashing wide across his face. “We have unfinished business.”
The monster’s words must have served as a signal, because a cry rose around them in the woods and more than a hundred elves poured through the trees with bows and swords raised. Trin had gifted Jiang Chong his small army to use.
“Leo! Keep your eye on Jiang Chong!” Xiao Dan shouted as they all dove into the fight. Without Xiao Dan’s glamour spell to help give them some warning of Jiang Chong’s presence, Leo was the only one who could see the vampire when he dipped into the dead realm.
A fierce roar erupted from Leo as he jumped from his perch in the tree and raced toward Jiang Chong. Junjie followed on his heels, leaving the rest of his team to fight the fae. Gunshots rang out above the cries of the dying. Philippe and Rafe had no training in bladed weapons but were excellent marksmen. The air crackled with magic from both the fae and Huli. Junjie exhaled, and it came out as white fog. The temperature of the forest had dropped more than twenty degrees in a matter of seconds, thanks to Chen and his ice magic. Frost crawled up the trees and gilded the grasses at their feet.