Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire (Love at Stake) (6 page)

Chapter Five

I
am Xiao Fang. One of the last of my kind. Centuries ago, there were many of us. We roamed the earth. We ruled the skies. Men feared us.

Now I fear man.

Three months ago, I breathed fire for the first time. Soon I will shift for the first time. I wish I had my wings now so I could escape. And fly home.

With a black pen, I slowly draw a Chinese word on a sheet of white paper. The man with the golden mask has given me several black markers and reams of paper. He has given me children’s books with pictures and words. Each day, I am to learn how to write a new word, he says, so we will be able to communicate.

As a dragon shifter, I cannot speak. My throat is designed for fire, not words. The women who raised me in Beyul-La spoke Tibetan and Chinese, so I understand those languages. They taught me how to write a few words. Two of them had the gift of communicating with winged creatures, so they could read my thoughts, as I could read theirs. Queen Nima and Winifred. They were like mother and sister to me. And then there was Norjee, the mortal boy who could talk to me in my mind. I called him my brother.

I finish writing the word, then set it next to the other papers I have written. They all say the same thing.

Home.

I pace about the small room. We are in a new place now, completely underground. Last night, someone tried to kill the man with the golden mask—Master Han, he calls himself. He teleported me here, where he claims we will be safe. He will protect me from the evil vampires and shifters. I should trust him, he says. He will let no harm come to me, for I am special.

I am a prisoner. I have all the food I could want. I have clothes and a warm bed. But the door is always locked. When I am allowed to wander about the camp, I am closely guarded.

Some of the guards take pity on me. During the day, when Han is not awake and watching, they bring me freshly baked bread. One officer named Wu Shen gave me a roll of tape, so I started taping my written pages on a wall in my small room. I have four rows now that stretch across the wall. With nothing else to do, I start a fifth row. Soon the wall will be completely covered with the same word.

Home
.

I have been to many different camps in the last two months. The guards are always the same. They wonder why Master Han wears a mask. During the day, when Han locks himself up for his death-sleep, it is safe for them to speculate. Some say he wears the mask to hide a hideously disfigured face. Disease or fire, they say, and it must have happened before he became a vampire. Some claim he is simply ugly as a reflection of his evil soul. Others argue that cannot be, for no one is more evil than the demon Darafer, and he is fair of face.

I believe Master Han wears the mask to hide his many faces. There is the face he adopts for me. Kind, caring, gently spoken. He wishes to keep me safe. He will take care of me. His words are always warm, but his eyes are cold. I am unsure whether to trust him.

There is the face he uses when he addresses his army. He is fearless, masterful, in charge. When I see it, I believe he is strong. I am tempted to trust him.

Then there is the face that reacts whenever there is trouble from the evil vampires and shifters. He claims they are persecuting him for no reason. They want him dead. He doubles the guard and goes into hiding. When I see this, I believe he is weak. I know not to trust him.

When his soldiers are defeated, he screams in rage and his men cower, for he will seize a man and take him into his private room for feeding. We can hear the man scream before he grows quiet. Then Han returns with the dead body, ripped to shreds and sucked dry. When I see this face, I fear him.

I complete the fifth row of papers taped to the wall just as I hear the lock being turned. I have no windows in this underground lair, but I sense it is nighttime. Han visits me every night, so I step away from the wall and steel my nerves.

The door opens. He stands in the doorway, and the candlelight in my room makes his golden mask gleam. He enters, and the guards close the door.

His cold eyes inspect me while he speaks softly, his voice laced with kindness. “How are you today, son? Did you sleep well? Do you have enough to eat?”

I bow my head in greeting, wishing he wouldn’t call me “son.”

“Did you learn to write any new words?” He glances toward the wall, and his body stiffens.

I feel the anger growing inside him, and I step back.

“Why do you persist in this nonsense?” His hands curl into fists as he turns back to face me. “Why can’t you do as I ask? I take good care of you. I told you to trust me!”

He lifts a hand as if to strike me, and I flinch. This is the angry face that I fear. I have seen men die when Han is like this.

His fist shakes, as if he is fighting for control. Then, with a growl, he attacks the wall, ripping the papers down. “How many times do I have to tell you? Your home is gone! I’m all you have left now.” He turns to me, his eyes glowing with rage. “If you want to live, you will trust me.”

Tears sting my eyes. I am tired of being alone, tired of being afraid. I am tempted to give in. Give up. He will be kind to me if I give up.

My head hangs in shame, and my gaze falls on the torn papers scattered across the floor.
Home.

How can I give up my home, my heritage? Anger burns in my chest and simmers through my veins. I am dragon. I belong with my own kind. My dragon brother and sister, Huo and Chu, are still in Beyul-La. More eggs are waiting to hatch. I am the oldest. I will be their leader.

I snatch a paper off the floor and show it to Han.
Home.

He rips it from my hands. “Your home is gone!”

A tear rolls down my face as I grab another paper and lift it to my chest.
Home.

“You stubborn—” Han growls, then walks away a few feet. His hands clench and unclench, then abruptly he turns to me. “Fine. I’ll take you there. You can see for yourself.”

My heart lurches with hope. He’ll take me home?

He grabs hold of my arms, and everything goes black.

When we land, my nostrils fill with the familiar scent of home—crisp mountain air, pine trees. The sky is clear, lit up with a trillion stars and a moon almost one-third full.

But no one has come to greet me. We have landed by the central fire pit, and it is cold. I spin about, surveying the valley. The houses are destroyed. My breath catches in my chest. Where are the warrior women of Beyul-La? This has been their valley for thousands of years. They would never give it up. They have a sacred pact with the dragons.

“The women are gone,” Han says. “If any of them are still alive, then they abandoned you.”

I shake my head and run toward the sacred mountain. The women will be in there. Norjee will be there, along with Huo, Chu, and the eggs. I look up, expecting to see the top of the sacred mountain covered with snow.

It is gone. I stumble to a stop. How? How could a mountain disappear?

“It happened after we left,” Han says as he approaches me. “I brought you here so we could rescue your dragon brothers and sisters. When the evil vampires and shifters trapped us inside the mountain, I knew it wasn’t safe, and I teleported you out. I was injured. A knife in my back from one of the evil ones. But still I managed to get you out in time.”

I gasp for air. I have a vague memory of being trapped inside with screaming soldiers. But what happened to the women? To Huo and Chu and the eggs?

“The evil ones blew it up.” Han stands beside me, pointing at what used to be the sacred mountain. “Look at it. Nothing left but a pile of rubble. No one could survive that. Those bastards murdered my soldiers. Everyone inside the cave died. The women of Beyul-La. The dragons.”

I stumble back as if I have been struck across the face.

“You would be dead, too, if I hadn’t saved you.” Han turns toward me. “Your home is gone. The dragons are dead. You are the last of your kind.”

My body shakes so hard that I crumble to my knees.
The last of my kind.
How can this be? How can I bear it? My brother and sister gone. The eggs gone. Norjee gone. My mortal mother and all the women who raised me—gone.

I am alone.
Alone,
the word echoes in my mind, and I grasp my head in pain. I open my mouth to cry out, but no sound can emerge.

Alone. Alone
. My skin grows hot. Heat gathers in my chest, then sizzles up my throat. Smoke escapes from my nostrils. I want to scream fire.

“I’m sorry.” Han reaches out to touch my shoulder but quickly jerks his hand back.

The heat of my skin has burned him.

“You should have trusted me,” he growls. “It would have spared you the pain of having to see this.”

I curl up, hugging my knees to my chest, resting my head on my knees. Last of my kind. I can live for five hundred years. I will be alone for a long time.

“Your home is with me now,” Han says. “I will take care of you.”

Is there any point in resisting? My despair runs deep. I might as well give up.

He lies,
a voice slips into my head. It is soft, but insistent.
He lies
.

I lift my head. Is someone speaking to me?
Who are you? Where are you?

Movement in the sky catches my attention, and I see a large bird land on the branch of the nearest tree. It is an owl. Queen Nima’s owl!

Where is my mother?
I ask the owl.
Where are my brother and sister? Are they truly dead?

The queen left before the mountain was destroyed,
the owl answers.
She took Huo and Chu with her. And the eggs.

I scramble to my feet, my heart beating fast.
Where are they?

Far away where they will be safe,
the owl tells me
. After you were taken, two of the eggs hatched. The vampire woman, Emma, bonded with the babies and took them far away so they would be safe.

I am not alone. Tears run down my face and cool my hot skin.

“I know this must be upsetting for you,” Han grumbles. “Let’s go back now. To your real home.” He reaches out for me, but I step back.

Is Norjee nearby? Or any of the women?
I ask the owl.
Can you find them for me?

I believe they left with the tiger shifters
. The owl cocks his head.
If I ask the eagles, they might know where the tigers live.

Find them,
I urge the owl.
Find Norjee. He can talk to you. I am being held in an underground camp. I know not where it is. I will call the birds that live close by so they can tell you where I am located.

The owl rustles its wings.
It has been boring since everyone left. I am proud to be of service again.

Thank you,
I tell the bird as it flies away.

“Let’s go home.” Han grabs my arm. “I hope you learned your lesson, that you can trust me.”

I nod my head, my shoulders slumped as if I have surrendered. But inside I am filled with hope. I will escape. I am dragon.

And I am not alone.

Chapter Six

T
he following day, Jia initiated Plan D. Since she was finding it too difficult to escape the guards, she would convince her cousin to call them off. She spent the day in the palace, playing the role of the delighted bride-to-be. For hours, she worked in the kitchen, helping the cooks, pestering them with questions, and practicing elaborate dishes to impress the prince. Then she brought the red and gold silk, neatly folded, to the court seamstresses and asked for their assistance in making the most beautiful wedding gown ever.

The women twittered with excitement as they discussed different patterns and headpieces. Jia pretended to be enthralled by it all, and soon, the whole of Tiger Town was gossiping about her betrothed’s upcoming visit. When the next gift arrived by courier, everyone gathered around to see what the prince had sent her. A lovely pearl necklace. Jia ended up having to put it on for everyone to see. All the villagers agreed that the prince would fall madly in love with their princess the second he saw her.

Jia endured all the talk with a plastered smile on her face. She could barely eat a bite all day, but the court ladies interpreted that as wedding jitters. In truth, the prospect of marriage to a total stranger was making her stomach churn. And the repercussions if she turned him down were making her head ache.

Back in her room, she took the necklace off. Her mission remained unchanged. Escape, find, and destroy Han. Finding and killing Han would be a challenge, but the escape part would be easy if Rajiv called off the guards.

Unfortunately by that evening, the guards were still there. After dinner, Tenzen and Rinzen taught a martial arts class in the courtyard, so Jia decided to join them. The class was mixed gender now, but when Jia had begun the class at the age of eight, she’d been the only female. Her grandfather had allowed it, thinking the physical activity and focus would help her recover from her grief. He hadn’t realized she’d started formulating her plan for revenge.

Her uncles considered her more of an assistant now than a student, so she helped them. Anything to convince Rajiv that she was so content with her life right now that she no longer planned to escape.

There was one new student whom she enjoyed teaching, a seven-year-old mortal named Norjee. She could relate to the boy, since, like her, he’d witnessed death and destruction at a young age. He’d been adopted by his aunt Neona, one of the warrior women of Beyul-La, and her new husband, Zoltan. The family was living here in Tiger Town, since Beyul-La had been destroyed.

According to Neona, Norjee felt responsible for the kidnapping of his dragon friend, Xiao Fang. Since Norjee had inherited the gift of communicating with winged creatures, he and Xiao Fang had become close, calling each other brother. Norjee’s guilt rested heavily on his young shoulders, making him fiercely determined to master martial arts so he could help rescue his friend. Jia assured him that Xiao Fang had looked healthy when she’d seen him two nights ago. Even though she gave Norjee an encouraging smile, inside she also nursed some guilt. Because of her failure to kill Han, the dragon boy was still captive.

Even more reason she had to succeed. She glanced over her shoulder to see if the guards were still at the edge of the courtyard. They were. Since it was now dark, torches had been set up around the perimeter of the courtyard. Parents were congregated in small groups, chatting with each other and watching their children practice. Just as she spotted Norjee’s parents, he landed a roundhouse kick to her hip.

“Oof!” She jumped back, and Norjee grinned at her.

She smiled back. “Show-off. That’s what I get for not paying attention.”

He stiffened suddenly, his grin disappearing as he scanned the sky overhead.

“Norjee? We were talking about paying attention.”

He didn’t seem to hear her. He pivoted, looking frantically about.

“Norjee, what’s wrong?”

“The owl! I hear the owl!” He ran across the courtyard just as an owl swooped down and landed on top of one of the tiger statues that guarded the stairs leading up to the palace.

Jia followed him, and soon his parents joined them.

Neona reached out to softly stroke the bird’s wing. “It’s my mother’s owl. He’s found us.”

“He’s come a long way,” Zoltan said.

The owl cocked his head, concentrating on Norjee.

After a moment, Norjee glanced at his parents. “He says Master Han brought Xiao Fang to Beyul-La last night.”

“What happened?” Neona asked, and her son turned back to the owl.

Jia ran over to her uncles to ask them to stop the class and bring Rajiv and Jin Long. Soon everyone was gathered around the tiger statue, waiting to hear the news.

“The owl is weary from his long journey,” Norjee said. “He has gone without food since last night.”

“I’ll bring him something,” Jia offered and rushed up the stairs to the palace. In the kitchen, she tossed some rice and boiled chicken legs in a wooden bowl, hoping the owl wouldn’t mind his meat cooked. As she ran back, she realized she hadn’t been followed. Her guards had remained with the crowd around Norjee.

“I hope this will be all right.” She set the bowl on a step, and the owl fluttered down to peck at it.

Apparently, Norjee had already related the owl’s story, for some of the men were asking him questions.

“You say Xiao Fang doesn’t know where he is being held?” Jin Long asked.

Norjee shook his head. “He told the owl it was underground, but he didn’t know where.”

“None of the thirty camps that we know about are underground,” Rajiv said. “This must be a new place.”

“I’ll try calling Russell.” Jin Long pulled out a sat phone. “If he still has the same number.”

“Xiao Fang is going to ask the birds nearby to spread the word about him,” Norjee said, his eyes bright with excitement. “When the news reaches here, I’ll be able to tell you where he is!”

“This is wonderful!” Neona hugged her son. “Then we’ll be able to go rescue him.”

“I can go with you, right?” Norjee asked.

Neona exchanged a worried look with her husband, and Zoltan shook his head.

“It would be a battle against Master Han—” Zoltan began.

“But I have to go!” Norjee cried.

While Norjee’s parents tried to dissuade him and Rajiv asked him more questions, the whole scene became loud and chaotic. Villagers were excited about this new way to locate the dragon shifter, but they worried about going to war against Master Han. Jia’s guards were in the midst of it all, arguing with their neighbors and forgetting to watch her.

Slowly she backed away, debating whether she should flee. If she stayed here and the news arrived about Han’s location, the were-tiger men and Vamps would go to fight him. The last time they’d battled Master Han, she hadn’t been allowed to participate. Chances were they still wouldn’t let her fight. No, if she was going kill Han, she’d have to do it on her own. Now.

She ran to her house and changed into her hunting clothes and boots. Her heart racing, she strapped on her knives and slipped on her backpack. She peeked out the front door, half expecting her guards to be there again.

They weren’t! Headed north, she sprinted along the bluff till she found the path that wound down to the riverbank. All she had to do was cross the river in her uncles’ canoe, and she would be on her way to finally completing her mission.

R
ussell was hidden on a high bluff, watching camp number twelve, when he felt a buzzing in his pocket. The sat phone? It had been two months since he’d last received a call. He pulled it out and whispered, “What?”

“Russell? This is J.L. Something’s come up at Tiger Town. I thought . . .”

His words faded as Russell stiffened with alarm. Had something happened to Jia? Had she escaped? Was she wandering about the forest alone? Or had she attempted to repel down that cliff again and fallen? A vision leaped into his head—Jia lying on the ground with broken bones, blood seeping from her head.

Not my problem,
he told himself, but the vision kept replaying in his mind. “I’ll be right there.”

Two seconds later, he materialized in the courtyard of Tiger Town. Immediately, he scanned the noisy crowd, looking for Jia. He spotted her guards, Rajiv, J.L., Zoltan, and Neona. The townspeople were jabbering about birds and the dragon shifter. No mention of Jia. No sight of her, either.

J.L. waved him over, so he strode toward the tiger statues that guarded the stairs to the palace.

“We have news,” J.L. began, motioning to an owl that was eating from a bowl on the stairs. “This is Queen Nima’s owl from Beyul-La. It saw Master Han and Xiao Fang last night. Han was showing the boy how the valley is destroyed and trying to convince him that the warrior women and all the dragons are dead.”

So the news had nothing to do with Jia. Russell didn’t want to acknowledge the relief that swept through him. Instead, he concentrated on what J.L. had just said. “Han is trying hard to gain the boy’s trust. That’s a good sign. It means the boy is resisting.”

Neona grimaced. “It was cruel of Han to tell Xiao Fang that all the other dragons are dead. Thank God the owl was there to tell him the truth.”

“So the dragon shifter can communicate with birds?” Russell asked.

“Yes,” Zoltan replied and motioned to a young boy. “Norjee can, too. He’s the one who gave us the information from the owl.”

“Xiao Fang said he and Han are in a new camp, one that is entirely underground,” J.L. added. “He’s going to ask the nearby birds to spread the news of his location, and hopefully, that news will eventually reach us here.”

A bird grapevine? Russell wasn’t sure it would work. It wasn’t like the birds could relay the latitude and longitude. Their directions might end up somewhat vague in translation. Still, it was worth a shot. “You say Han has gone underground?”

“Yes,” J.L. replied. “No idea where.”

“If we could just find the general area,” Rajiv said, “then my uncles could sniff him out. They can pick up a vampire’s scent from three miles away.”

“I’ll do some eavesdropping,” Russell offered. “Maybe I can figure out the location of this new camp. See you later.” After the others thanked him, he strode back through the crowd.

He was going to have to step up his game. If the Vamps and were-tigers discovered Han’s location first, they would attack, and he might miss his chance at killing Han himself. There were others equally determined to kill Han. Like Jia.

He scanned the crowd once more. Where the hell was she? He moved to the top of the stairs that led down to the riverbank. From here, he could see her house at the edge of the bluff. No rope hanging from the window. No movement on the riverbank or among the houses on the river. Everyone was behind him in the courtyard.

A movement caught his eye. To the north and barely discernible, there was a canoe crossing the river. One occupant. It had to be her. A strange spurt of pride erupted in his chest, and he smiled. Jia had done it. She’d managed her escape. Clever, courageous girl.

Foolish girl. His smile faded. How did she think she was going to find Han on her own? How could she endanger herself when she had family and a whole town who loved her? Why couldn’t she be happy playing princess? A
betrothed
princess.

He glanced back at Rajiv. One word and he could end Jia’s great escape. His chest tightened at the thought of disappointing her once again.

But he couldn’t let her do this. He would talk to her, convince her to go back on her own. Then she wouldn’t have to endure the humiliation of being caught and dragged home. He focused on the far side of the river, selecting a place to teleport. No doubt she would be angry when he appeared. She might even slap him.

A little pain was worth it if he could keep her safe.

The thought gave him a small shock. Why did he care what happened to her? What was this woman doing to him that she occupied his thoughts so much?

He shook his head.
She’s not my problem
.

Her canoe reached the shore.

“Dammit,” he muttered and teleported.

Jia was a few feet away, her back turned to him as she heaved the canoe up onto dry land. Her boots had gotten wet when she’d disembarked, and now they squished with every step she took. On her back, she had a pack with a bedroll strapped to the bottom. Her long hair was braided and swayed each time she gave the canoe a tug.

“Going somewhere?”

With a squeak, she spun around to face him. “Russell!” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Good God, you scared me.” She took a deep breath, then her eyes widened and she eased back a few steps. “Don’t you dare . . .”

He moved toward her. “What?”

She held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t come any closer. I know not to trust you now. I won’t let you teleport me back home.”

“Then get back in the canoe and paddle yourself home.”

“I will not! I’m heading west, and you won’t stop me.”

“I can—”

“No!” Her eyes simmered with anger. “I’ve come too far. So help me, if you stop me now, I will shift and rip you to pieces.”

“You can shift now?” Russell glanced up at the moon that was less than half full.

She glowered at him. “I’ll shift in two and a half weeks. And then I’ll hunt you down. You won’t be able to hide from me. I’ll track you down and—”

“Wait.” Russell held up a hand. “Can you really track a vampire by his scent?”

“Yes.” She lifted her chin. “I can track just as well as my uncles. I can do everything the men do, but they won’t let me.”

Russell winced. “I’m sure it must be frustrating—”

“You have no idea. There’s no one telling you what to do. You’re . . .” Her eyes shimmered with tears. “You’re free.”

Free? Didn’t she realize his obsession was like a prison? He couldn’t be free until he killed Han. “Jia.” He stepped toward her. “They’ll be worried sick about you. You can’t endanger yourself. You’re a princess.”

Her eyes flashed. “Don’t call me that.”

“For God’s sake, Jia, you have family that loves you. Don’t you know how fortunate you are? I would give any—” He stopped midword, not wanting to think about all the people he’d lost.