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Winter stared at him for another couple of seconds before the tense lines in his youthful face eased and he smirked. “Gotta say,this maker of yours? I’m looking forward to killing him, and I haven’t even met the guy yet.”

“Count yourself lucky. Every fiber of his being is evil. This realm,” Junjie lifted his free right hand and motioned to the misty darkness surrounding them. “It was a punishment, a constant threat. My clan was much larger than it is now. Many he slaughtered rather than change. Others he killed after changing them into vampires because they were still not powerful enough. And then more, he killed and drove mad by bringing them here and leaving them for hours or days. You never knew when he was lurking near you unseen. Never knew if or when he would grab you for some imagined disobedience.”

“Yeah, we’re definitely going to need to kill this fuckstick.”

Junjie allowed himself a slow grin as he repeated the slur over in his head. Yes, that was a very good nickname for Jiang Chong. Fuckstick.

“So, is it the same? Is this what you remember it being like in Jiang Chong’s dead realm?”

He wouldn’t say he was feeling relaxed by any stretch of the imagination. At least, Junjie wasn’t on the verge of a panic attack. He could inspect his surroundings in a somewhat detached manner. “It feels the same. The cold. The darkness. Being able to see others and hear them talking, but they can’t see or hear me. The only thing missing are the spirits.”

“Yeah…” Winter drawled. He glanced about, his frown returning. “Your clan bought this land and cleared it for this house, right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s likely that anyone who died in this region moved on years ago. I doubt we’re going to see any ghosts here, unless your clan killed some trespassers.”

Junjie grunted. “Not within the walls, no. But I’m sure this is the same. You and Jiang Chong have the same power.”

“Okay. I might be able to help. We should return. Your clan is getting antsy waiting for you.”

“Wait! Can you tell if Jiang Chong has been inside our home without our knowledge?”

That thought alone was more frightening than the idea of Winter leaving him here to die while watching his family futilely fight for a way to bring him home. Since his return, the fear had lingered in the shadows of Junjie’s mind each day and night that Jiang Chong might lurk somewhere close by, and they would have no way of knowing it.

Winter narrowed his eyes and seemed to search the room. “I’ve never known another vampire to have the same power as me. I’m not sure what I’m looking for. Nothing appears out of place, and there’s no feeling of additional magic that shouldn’t be here.” He shrugged a shoulder. “You’ve got witch magic, fae magic, and dragon magic layered on your home, though. I’m not sure I’d spot something if it was here.”

“I understand. Thank you for checking.”

The vampire flashed him a stiff smile. “Let me get you to your clan, and I’ll take a peek around the rest of the building and grounds.” He’d barely finished speaking when a bright-white slit formed on Junjie’s right. As it widened, more light from the meeting space poured in. The voices of his family were less muffled. Without being told, Junjie hurried through the opening, pulling Winter with him. As soon as he stepped through, Winter slipped free of his hand.

“Be right back!” Winter called, and the opening between the two realms disappeared.

“Where’s he going?” Xiang demanded.

“I asked him if he could tell whether Jiang Chong has been in our home through the dead realm. He couldn’t tell standing in the room we are in, so he’s gone to check the rest of the grounds,” Junjie replied.

Xiao Dan zoomed across the room and jerked him into a tight embrace, his entire body trembling. “Didi,” he choked out. “You are to never do that again.”

Junjie returned the hug, closing his eyes as they burned with unshed tears. “Winter kept me safe the entire time. He brought me home to you and our family.”

His shixiong released him, and Junjie lifted his gaze up to find Xiao Dan’s eyes glistening and his smile crooked. “Of course. Just…bad memories.”

Yes. They all had terrible memories for Jiang Chong.

Chapter 7

Zhang Junjie

“Was it the same?” Chen demanded the moment Xiao Dan released Junjie and allowed him to return to his seat.

Junjie nodded. “It was. The darkness, the cold, the ability to see and hear you, but you can’t see or hear me. The only thing missing were the spirits, but Winter stated that’s likely because no one has died on our grounds in a very long time.”

“While we’re waiting for Winter to finish checking over your manor, we can share what we’ve learned about the fae recently,” Aiden said. “They have been doing more small attacks in suburbs surrounding Hartford, and there has been an increase in elves hunting in the forests.”

“But this time, their focus isn’t solely on humans. They’ve been targeting shifters and witches,” Ronan continued.

Moon shot to his feet. “No!”