Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire (Love at Stake) (15 page)

Within driving distance, he thought. Han was hiding close to that camp. Probably within an eighty-mile radius.

“I have you now, you bastard.”

Chapter Fifteen

F
or two months, I have believed that it is possible to escape Master Han. When the moon is full, perhaps this month or the next, I will shift into dragon form for the first time and gain my wings. Somehow, I will escape this underground prison, and as soon as I see the sky, I will fly away.

But last night, I saw Darafer make all the birds plummet to their deaths. What if he does the same to me? I know Master Han is dangerous and I should fear him. But I fear the demon even more.

When Lord Liao and his guards formed a circle to bring the demon back from hell, I shot fire at them to stop them. The flames burned the vampire lord and his guards, but they had no effect on Darafer at all. I have no defense against him.

In the morning, I hear the soldiers grumbling. They wait until Master Han is hidden away in his death-sleep before they dare to complain. They have orders to shovel all the dead birds into a pile so they can be burned.

I mourn for the birds and wonder if the eagles have left behind little ones. Are the eaglets in a nest, hungry and calling for parents who will never return?

My hope is waning. The only comfort I can find is the knowledge that the other dragons survived. They will live on. The remaining eggs will hatch. Queen Nima will raise them well. They will fly and breathe fire for five hundred years.

As for me, I hold on to the truths I repeat to myself every day. I am dragon. I can never surrender. Nor will I submit.

I used to think those truths would set me free. Now I fear they will cost me my life.

Breakfast and lunch trays are brought to me, but I do not eat. In desperation, I consider breathing fire upon the soldiers in order to escape. But I cannot bring myself to harm the soldiers, who have been good to me.

After lunch, half of the soldiers prepare to leave. I hear them grumbling about a long drive to Darafer’s secret enclave, where he is growing the demon herb. They have to be there to guard Master Han during the ceremony. Tonight Darafer is changing more mortals into supersoldiers.

A spark of hope ignites inside me. Master Han and half of his soldiers will be gone tonight. Darafer will be occupied, too, at the ceremony. If I set this place on fire, the remaining soldiers will be busy putting out the flames, and I can make my escape.

I pace my room, waiting for sunset. Waiting for the man in the golden mask to leave. When my dinner tray arrives, I eat. I need my strength tonight.

Master Han knocks on my door and enters. “How are you today, son? Did you sleep well? Do you have enough to eat?”

I bow, hoping I will never hear those words again.

“Are you ready to go?”

I stiffen at his question. Does he know I plan to escape?

Master Han extends a hand toward me. “Come. I want you to attend the ceremony with me.”

Panic flares inside me, a spark of fire simmering in my belly, and I step back.

Han keeps his arm stretched out. “You didn’t think I would leave you here alone, did you? We’re family now. We will go together.”

I shake my head and retreat another step.

His extended hand curls into a fist. “Come here.”

Hot tears burn my eyes. My feet refuse to move.

With a whoosh, Master Han swoops toward me and grasps me by the arms. “Don’t think you can defy me. I’ve been good to you so far. That could change in a second.”

The spark in my belly withers away, and I bow my head. I will not escape tonight.

“That’s my boy.” Han pats me on the shoulder.

Everything goes black as he teleports me away.

When we arrive, I look around. The moon is half full. The sky is clear. The land is green. A field stretches out before us, line after line of carefully tended green bushes. Workers move between the plant rows, their shoulders slumped, their eyes devoid of life. Like me, they are trapped by a power greater than them.

A thick forest surrounds the field. I am tempted to slip away into the trees, but Han does not release his grip on me until his guards encircle us and escort us to the end of the field. Wu Shen is waiting there with about thirty soldiers. They have brought the mortal volunteers who will be changed.

A stage has been erected at the end of the field. Wu Shen’s soldiers position the mortals in a row facing the stage, then they form a line behind the mortals. They are armed with swords, and I fear they will strike any volunteer who changes his mind. Wu Shen orders the mortals to kneel.

Master Han leaves me with his guards as he inspects the mortals. “This is it?” he yells. “There are less than fifty. I need at least a hundred!”

Wu Shen bows. “My apologies, master. This was all we could gather on short notice.”

Han marches down the row of kneeling mortals, eyeing them with disdain. “Some are too old. Or too sickly to be soldiers.”

“That is why they volunteered,” Wu Shen says as he follows Han. “They want the potion that will give them superstrength so they can be healthy again.”

Han clenches his fists. “They should come for the honor of serving me!”

The mortals bow down, their foreheads touching the ground. I suspect they have been warned not to anger Master Han.

With a deafening crack of thunder and flash of lightning, Darafer suddenly appears on the stage. I have seen Darafer arrive quietly and stealthily, so I know his theatrics are designed to illicit fear. And they do.

The workers in the field run to hide in the forest. The mortal volunteers tremble with terror. Some sneak looks at the soldiers behind them. The soldiers grip the handles of their swords.

Wu Shen comes to stand beside me. He glances at Han’s guards, who are still close by, then asks, “Is this your first time to see the ceremony?”

I nod.

On the stage, Darafer waves his hand, and with another crack of thunder and bright flash, a black cauldron appears beside him.

During the crack of thunder, Wu Shen leans close and whispers, “I will try to help you.”

I look at him, surprised, but he is watching Darafer as if nothing happened. I follow his example and keep my face expressionless even though my heart is pounding.

Master Han climbs onto the stage and bows to Darafer. “Your servant, always.”

The demon gives him a twisted smile. “Together we will rule the world.” He turns to inspect the mortals. “Tonight, you will join us on our noble quest. No longer will you be mere mortals. Your strength, speed, and agility will be greater than you ever imagined. You will live longer and be superior in every way. While I will be a god among men and Master Han will be emperor, you will be kings. Are you willing?”

The mortals say yes. They are willing.

Darafer lifts his arm, and a golden chalice suddenly appears in his hand. He dips it into the cauldron. “By drinking my potion, you will be transformed. You will be so powerful that no mortal will be able to defeat you. In exchange for this gift, we require only two things. The first requirement: you will give your complete obedience to Master Han and myself. Are you willing?”

The mortals murmur yes.

“I should warn you that disobedience will be severely punished,” Darafer says, and he turns his head toward Wu Shen. “Is that not true, Officer?”

Wu Shen stiffens. His face grows pale. “Yes, my lord.”

“How is it that the Vamps and shifters know of our impending attack on the were-tiger village?” Darafer asks.

Wu Shen steps away from me. “They have been attacking our camps in order to lure Master Han out of hiding. If they are preparing for a retaliatory strike, it simply means they believe their strategy will work.”

“Is that so?” Darafer’s eyes take on a greenish glow, and I fear for Wu Shen.

I step toward him, but Wu Shen lifts a hand to stop me. With a sad look in his eyes, he shakes his head slightly.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know?” Darafer shouts. “This is what happens to those who betray me!” He shoots an arc of lightning at Wu Shen, who is instantly engulfed in flames.

I stumble back. I close my eyes to block out the sight, but I can still hear Wu Shen’s cry of agony. I can still smell the stench of burning flesh. My stomach roils, and I fall to my knees. I make wheezing sounds as I gasp for breath.

“That brings me to the second requirement,” Darafer says calmly.

I open my eyes and see that the mortals are upset and mumbling among themselves. Wu Shen’s body is no longer on fire, but it lays there black and lifeless.

“Silence!” Master Han shouts, and the mortals grow quiet. Their eyes are wide with fear.

Darafer lifts the chalice high. “Once you drink of my potion, you will become powerful. And your soul will belong to me. Are you willing?”

The mortals hesitate.

Behind them, the soldiers draw their swords.

“I am willing!” one cries and runs toward the stage. “I will serve you, my lord.”

Others rise and edge toward the stage.

I cannot bear it. There will be more soldiers who will follow the evil commands of Han and Darafer. More men who will go to hell when they die, their souls forever bound to a demon. I look at Wu Shen’s dead body, and rage ignites inside me. Fire burns in my belly and races up my chest to my throat.

No more!
My thoughts scream in my head. Even if it costs my life, no more!

I spring to my feet and dash wildly toward the field of demon herb. Fire erupts from my throat, and soon the field is ablaze.

“No!” Darafer shouts, and with a wave of his arm, the fire dies out.

But it is too late. The bushes are black and dead like Wu Shen.

In an instant, Darafer is in front of me. His eyes are glowing, his face harsh. He strikes me so hard that I fly back and land on a burned bush.

“Don’t kill him.” Han zooms toward us and yanks me up by the arm. “We need him. If a village dares to defy us, he can burn it to the ground like he did this field. He’ll be our weapon of terror.”

They expect me to kill for them. I try to pull away, but Han slaps me, then grabs me in an iron grip.

“You will suffer for this,” he growls and teleports me away.

Chapter Sixteen

“
I
t looks deserted,” Jia said as she peered around the boulder. Russell had brought her back to the camp where he’d talked to Wu Shen the night before. “You think Han is hiding around here somewhere?”

“I’m sure of it.” Russell was crouched beside her. “I’ll check the camp out. You stay here and do your sniffing, okay?”

She nodded, and he teleported into a dark shadow beside the camp’s wooden barricade. He levitated to peer over the wall, then climbed over.

Jia closed her eyes a moment to concentrate on her sense of smell. No vampires or humans in the vicinity. Only the scent of Russell nearby. While she waited for him to return, her thoughts shifted to Tiger Town and the impending battle.

A great deal had been accomplished last night. All the women, children, and elderly had been evacuated. After the Vamps had finished teleporting the evacuees, they’d started bringing in Han’s cured ex-soldiers, who had offered to help. Over a hundred of them were now in Tiger Town. After being changed back to normal, they were no longer supersoldiers. They knew they were at a disadvantage fighting Han’s army, but they were determined to rid their homeland of Han once and for all.

Meanwhile, the call had gone out to more Vamps and shifters around the world. They would be arriving tonight. Angus MacKay hoped to gather an army of two hundred.

Russell had remained in Tiger Town to help, even though Jia had known he was anxious to get back to tracking Han. As dawn had approached, Rajiv had convinced her to spend the day in Tiger Town, partly to help with all the work and partly to keep her reputation intact. Too many were-tigers were watching. Russell had understood and, after promising to return for her this evening, he’d teleported back to the bat cave for his death-sleep.

She’d missed him. And she’d been so relieved when he’d arrived at her house a few minutes after sunset. His excitement had been contagious. Tonight, he claimed, they would complete their mission. Han was hiding somewhere near this camp. An eighty-mile radius, Russell insisted. He and Jia had a chance to prevent the battle of Tiger Town from ever happening, for tonight they would find Han and kill him.

After teleporting her to the bat cave, Russell had quickly explained the plan to her. With gloves on his hands to keep from getting burned, he’d given her a thick silver chain. “When we find Han, loop this chain around him to keep him from teleporting away. Then I’ll stake the bastard.”

At first Jia had objected. For thirteen years, she’d envisioned herself as the one to plant the stake in Han. Why should Russell have the honor?

“My need is greater,” he’d replied.

“Greater than losing my family?”

“I don’t explain myself.” When she’d raised a hand to swat him, he’d continued, “We’ll be killing him together, so half the honor will go to you.”

She made a noise of frustration now as she waited behind the boulder. Why did Russell want revenge so badly? Last night, in anger, he’d admitted that Han had put him in a coma for thirty-nine years. She suspected there was a lot more to the story than that.

Russell materialized beside her. “The camp is completely deserted.”

“Didn’t Wu Shen say something about a ceremony tonight to change more soldiers? What if Han is there?”

“I have no idea where the ceremony will take place. I do know Han’s hideout is around here. Once we find it, we can wait till he returns.”

Jia frowned. “It could be hours before he returns.”

“It could be hours before we find his hideout.” Russell patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. Once we find his hideout, we’ve got him. If he doesn’t show up tonight, we’ll kill him tomorrow night.”

Jia nodded, her heart pounding. Thirteen years of planning and training, and it was finally happening. Not only would she have her revenge but killing Han now would also keep him from attacking Tiger Town. She could save all her friends and family there. But why was it so important to Russell?

“We’ll teleport five miles out and do a loop around the camp. Ready?” He grabbed her shoulders.

“Wait. I—” She took a deep breath. “If I’m going to help you kill someone, I deserve to know why.”

Russell gave her an impatient look. “You know why. He killed your family.”

“Yes, but what did he do to you?”

“You’re wasting our time.”

“He put you in a coma for thirty-nine years. What else happened?”

Russell gritted his teeth. “I don’t explain.”

She swatted his shoulder just before he teleported her away. When they arrived, they looked around. Dirt, rocks, a few scraggly, parched trees.

“Can you smell anything?” he asked.

She couldn’t but didn’t want to tell him. “I’m going on strike until you talk to me.”

He groaned. “We don’t have time for this. We have a lot of territory to cover.”

“Then you’d better start talking.”

He scowled at her. “You’re driving me crazy.”

“Ha! You’ve been driving me crazy for a week!”

“You’ve known me for only a week.”

“Exactly.”

He crossed his arms, glaring at her.

She crossed her arms and glared back.

“I’ll take you back to Tiger Town.” He reached for her. “The partnership is over.”

“No!” She jumped back. “You need me to find Han. Come on. Tell me what he did to you.”

“Dammit, woman!” Russell reached for her again. “Why do you need to know?”

She moved out of reach.
I need to understand you.
She gave him an entreating look. “Please.”

His arm dropped to his side, and he stared at her a few minutes before letting out a resigned groan. “You know what he did. He put me in a vampire coma for thirty-nine years.”

“Why? Why did he leave you like that for so long?”

Russell snorted. “I’ve been wanting to ask him that since the minute I woke up.” A pained look crossed his face. “While I lay there in a cave like a helpless lump of meat, everyone I cared about died. My parents died believing both their sons were dead.”

Jia swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.”

With a sigh, Russell turned away from her. “I was on leave in Phuket when I received the news that my brother was missing in action. I made plans to go to Saigon to see what I could find out, but something happened.” He shook his head. “I don’t remember. I just remember waking up in a cave in Thailand.”

“You don’t know how you got there?” Jia asked.

“No. But we know it was Han’s cave. Inside, he’d put hundreds of men into vampire comas and encased them in clay. They were laid out in a huge cavern like a burial ground of terra-cotta warriors. I was the only one who survived. For some reason, Han had separated me from the others. I was in a small cave by myself.”

Jia tilted her head, considering. “He took extra care with you. He must have thought you were special.”

Russell turned back to her with an exasperated look. “If I was so bloody special, why did he leave me for so long? While I was there, my men in Vietnam were drawn into an ambush. Every one of them slaughtered! If I had been with them, I might have—”

“You can’t blame yourself for that,” she interrupted.

“I should have been with them!” he shouted. “And I should have gone home. I was gone so long, my wife—”

Jia gasped. “You’re married?”

“I was. She had me declared dead.” Russell waved a dismissive hand. “She waited seven years before remarrying. I don’t blame her. I checked up on her when I finally made it back to the States. She has children and grandchildren. She’s happy. She’s better off thinking I’m dead.”

Jia winced. “I see.”

“But she had a daughter.” Russell’s eyes glimmered with tears. “Our daughter. I was scheduled to go home to meet her after she was born, but I never made it. She grew up without me and died of breast cancer at the age of forty.” His hands clenched into fists. “I never got to meet her!”

Jia’s chest constricted as she felt his pain, and she pressed a hand to her heart. “Oh, God.”

“Now you know.” He blinked away tears. “I lost my daughter. My parents. My brother. My men. My mortality. Even the fucking ranch is gone. I lost everything, thanks to Han.”

“I’m sorry.” With tears in her eyes, she ran up to Russell and placed her hands on his face. “He didn’t take everything. You still have your honor and courage. You’re still a good man.”

He snorted. “Does a good man kill for revenge?”

“A good man seeks justice.” She gave him a tremulous smile. “A good woman does, too.”

A corner of his mouth curled up, and he cradled her face with his hands. “Jia, what are you doing to me?”

“I’m trying to be a good partner.” She patted his shoulder. “We’d better get back to work.”

He studied her quietly a moment, then kissed her brow. “You’re the best partner a man could hope for.”

As her heart swelled, he teleported her to the next spot.

T
wo hours later, Russell was finding it increasingly hard to focus on the mission. Each time he took Jia into his arms to teleport, he held her longer than necessary. Whenever she closed her eyes to concentrate on sniffing, he found himself watching her, memorizing every curve and line of her face. If they killed Han tonight, the partnership would be over. Tiger Town would be safe, and she would return home and prepare for her betrothed’s arrival in a week.

Was this his destiny—to always lose anyone he cared about?

Frowning, she opened her eyes and pointed to the west. “There’s something about three miles that way. It smells like burned feathers and death.”

Dead birds? “Didn’t the God Warrior say Darafer killed a bunch of birds to scare Xiao Fang?”

Jia nodded. “We must be close.”

Russell teleported her west until he, too, could smell the stench of death. Using that as a beacon, he zeroed in on a pile of burned bird carcasses. They were stacked waist high.

“Oh, my gosh.” Jia covered her nose and mouth. “There must be over a hundred of them.”

“Can you smell Han?”

She shook her head. “It’s hard to smell anything but death.”

Russell looked around. The land was hillier, but still desolate. Large boulder formations. There was a dirt road leading east with tire tracks on it. Beyond the pile of birds, he spotted something big, covered with a camouflage tarp. He zoomed over and discovered a hidden army truck.

Han’s hideout had to be close by. It was underground, but there had to be an entrance somewhere. He checked underneath the truck. Nothing but dirt.

He glanced back at Jia to make sure she was all right. She was waving at him.

He dashed over, and she pointed at footsteps leading uphill toward a boulder formation. He spotted what looked like a cave.

“Be ready.” He drew his sword. “Stay behind me.”

With a nod, she yanked a knife from her belt.

He approached the cave silently from the side, then paused, his back to the boulder by the entrance. A quick peek told him they’d found the right place. Inside the cave was a small structure made of rusted sheet metal. A camera was positioned over the door.

“We’ll teleport just inside,” Russell whispered. “Then they won’t know we’re coming.”

She bit her lip. “What if Han isn’t there? If he finds out we know about his hideout, he won’t come back.”

“We’ll have to question the soldiers, then I can erase their memories.” He gave her a wry look. “Try not to kill any of them.”

She snorted.

“You could always slap them. You’re good at that.”

Her mouth twitched. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Relieving some of my stress.”

“Let’s go.” He sheathed his sword so he could hold her, then he focused on the metal door.

They materialized just on the other side at the top of a partially enclosed stair landing. He peered around the edge of the wall. Below them was a guardroom. One guard was seated at a desk, his arms folded on top, cushioning his head as he snored away. The other four guards were immersed in a card game, sitting on the floor around a low coffee table.

Russell drew a knife from his coat pocket, then teleported down to the card game. He slammed the knife hilt into one guard’s head, knocking him unconscious, then yanked another guard up, his knife poised at the man’s throat. “Don’t move. Don’t shout,” he warned the guards.

Meanwhile, Jia ran down the stairs and pointed her knife at the remaining guards. The whole act had taken only seconds, and the guard at the desk continued to snore.

The guard with the knife at his throat was breathing heavily, but he remained silent.

One of the other guards raised his hands in surrender. “Are you here for the dragon boy?”

“Xiao Fang is here?” Jia asked. “Where?”

“Three flights down in the dungeon,” the soldier replied. “Han locked the kid up in a cage.”

Russell eyed the soldiers with suspicion. “Why are you being helpful?”

The soldiers exchanged weary looks, then the second one said, “Han slapped the kid around and said he’d starve him for a week. We’d rescue him ourselves if we could.”

“Why haven’t you?” Jia asked.

The first soldier sighed. “How can we betray Han? He’ll kill us, and then our souls will go to hell.”

“Yeah,” the second soldier muttered. “If you piss Han off, he takes you into his private room and sucks you dry.”

The first soldier nodded. “If he doesn’t kill us that way, then we’ll end up dying for him in battle.”

Russell glanced quickly around the room. There was only one door. “Where is Han?”

“He was hungry, so he teleported to a nearby village,” the first soldier said. “He always kills anyone he feeds from because he has to remove the mask.”

“Yeah,” the second soldier agreed. “No one is allowed to see his face and live.”

“What’s wrong with his face?” Jia asked.

The soldiers shrugged.

Russell wondered briefly if Han had been scarred or mutilated before becoming a vampire. “We’ll take the boy and wait for Han to return. I suggest you guys take the truck outside and leave.”

The first soldier snorted. “Where can we go that Darafer can’t find us? We’re doomed.”

“Go to the were-tiger village,” Jia suggested. “There is a doctor there who can return you to normal. You’ll no longer belong to Darafer.”