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)
But Junjie didn’t let his gaze waver from Jiang Chong and Leo. The jaguar was almost a liquid black blur as muscles stretched and danced under smooth fur. He leaped at Jiang Chong, and the vampire moved to bring his sword down. Yet Leo shifted from a massive jaguar to a tiny house cat in the blink of an eye. The vampire didn’t have the chance to adjust his attack. Leo landed right on his face and kicked off, supplying Junjie with the perfect distraction to attack.
Their blades clashed, and Junjie laughed at Jiang Chong’s surprised expression. His haughty demeanor was long gone. He might have caught them off guard, but they were not about to be beaten so easily.
“I never expected to have another chance to kill you,” Junjie bit out as he deflected each of Jiang Chong’s slashes. His old creator had gotten faster over the years, but so had Junjie. For two thousand years, he’d regularly trained with his clan, determined to be a powerful defender of his brothers and sisters. He was not about to let such an evil threat defeat him now.
“You would never have gotten so close the first time if it had not been for the rest of your clan,” Jiang Chong snarled. “You could never defeat me one on one.”
“That may be true, but I don’t care. I will always have my clan and my mate at my side to see me through any adversity. Together, we will destroy you.”
Just saying those words lifted an ancient weight from his chest. It was as if the words Shifu Shi Lei had whispered in his ear a hundred times had clicked into place. He wasn’t alone or an outsider because of his birth. The Zhang clan was his family and his home. Leo was his mate. They would always be there to support him. There was no need for him to face Jiang Chong alone.
It began as a small bubble. A giggle. But soon the laughter broke forth, shaking Junjie’s entire body as he continued to match Jiang Chong.
“Have you gone mad?” Jiang Chong demanded, taking an extra step back to disengage from Junjie. He stared at Junjie as if he’d lost his mind, but for the first time in his entire life, everything felt right.
“No. I finally figured out how little you matter.”
Jiang Chong snarled and lunged at Junjie. The clashes of their swords rang out again and again as their battle raged over the woods. Junjie was vaguely aware of the rest of the clan fighting swarms of fae around him, but he couldn’t take his eyes off his creator for even a second.
He caught flashes of orange in his peripheral vision. Those flashes were usually followed by horrific screams as Leo, now in his Bengal tiger form, took down any member of the fae who got too close to him and Jiang Chong. No one could aid the monster across from him. Tonight, this had to end.
Muscles burned, and a cold sweat tricked down from his temples. A knot formed in his stomach, and a realization rose in his mind. He was slowing down. The fight was stretching too long. Jiang Chong was giving him no opening to steal the advantage.
Patience.
It was almost as if Shifu were whispering in his ear as he fought with Xiang back in the training ground of their youth.
“Patience…and trust in your training.”
The panic receded, and he could breathe a little easier. Jiang Chong had never trained with them. He’d always stood on the sidelines and barked orders. Only Shifu—and later Xiao Dan—had actively participated in their drills, gently correcting their stances and movements so they were perfect. Jiang Chong had never practiced the Sword of the Heavenly Garden sect techniques and fighting style.
The more he trusted in his training, the more fluid and natural his motions became, while Jiang Chong’s started to be rushed and sloppy. The elder vampire’s face twisted with rage, and his waxy pale cheeks grew slick with sweat.
At last, Jiang Chong made a misstep and Junjie was there for it. He slashed, catching the vampire across the chest. The rich scent of blood blossomed in the night air, but it was foul like rotted meat to him since he’d discovered the sweetness of his mate’s blood.
Jiang Chong cried out in pain, and a black doorway opened behind him. Junjie tightened his hand on his sword, mentally preparing to follow his maker into the dead realm. He would follow him wherever he must to end his life.
But before Jiang Chong could slip away, Leo bit down on the vampire’s leg and tossed him back toward Junjie, away from the black doorway. The vampire stumbled, barely catching himself and blocking Junjie’s strike.
For the first time, real fear flashed across his face, widening his eyes and parting his lips in a soundless cry. There was no escape. Leo was patrolling the area, forcing him to remain in the living realm.