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Kai hummed and waved one hand at the gardens, using his magic to replant and mend the trees he’d uprooted. Displaced tiles flew from the ground and returned to their home on the roof. “It seems we both must be faster next time.”

His sword still gripped in his left hand, Junjie raced to the back door and through the house. Erik’s terrified cries echoed through the halls, crushing Junjie’s heart. He followed them to the armory. A smile squeezed his heart. Moon had followed his instructions to the letter. The armory was located centrally, with only one entrance and exit. It was the easiest room to defend if Jiang Chong reached them.

“It’s me. I’m alone,” Junjie called out before he unlocked the door and pulled it open.

Even with the warning, he was still greeted with the point of a sword in his face. Moon stood in front of the door, his face pale but his expression stern. Ming Yu was at the rear of the room, a short sword in one hand and Erik resting in her other arm, tears streaking his bright-red face.

Junjie slipped in through the narrow crack in the doors and closed them behind him. “Kai scared Jiang Chong off.”

“Are you sure?” Ming Yu demanded, still not lowering her sword.

“No. He’s keeping watch in the garden, trying to detect where he’s gone. The rest of the clan is returning.” Junjie turned his gaze to Moon. “Can you call Winter Varik? Ask him to come over. He’s the only one who can check the manor ground within the dead realm to make sure Jiang Chong has truly left.”

Moon nodded. “That Jiang Chong. He can’t get through solid objects like doors and walls, right?”

“Correct. We should be safe for now.”

Moon put aside his sword and pulled out his phone. “I’ll get Winter here. Otherwise, no one is going to be able to sleep when the sun rises. I’ll also see if I can get my old coven here to improve the spells on the walls.”

Junjie placed his sword on the display table in the center of the room with some other weapons and reached out his left hand to Erik. “Here, let me hold him.”

“Jun-Jun, you’re injured,” Ming Yu argued, also lowering her weapon.

“It’s nothing. Nearly healed. Let me hold him. He’s terrified.”

Ming Yu looked as if she were going to argue with him further, but Erik was already leaning toward Junjie, arms outstretched. He so easily slipped into Junjie’s good left side, wrapping his arms and legs around him like a koala. Fresh tears slipped down his flushed cheeks, and he sniffled loudly.

Junjie lowered his voice and pressed kisses to the side of Erik’s head and cheek. “It’s okay. That was Kai being noisy. What do we tell that noisy dragon? We tell him ‘Bad dragon. Don’t be so scary!’ That’s what we say, don’t we?”

“Bad dragon,” Erik mumbled against Junjie’s throat. He turned his head and sniffled again. “Gege ow.”

Junjie lifted his head to see where Erik was staring. He’d been wearing a long-sleeved white shirt, but the right arm was now torn and soaked in blood. Not the prettiest thing for a child to see. Ming Yu moved to his right side to inspect his wound, tsking and making disapproving noises as she worked.

“It still has quite a ways to heal. You’re losing a lot of blood,” she chastised.

“I’ve survived worse. Once the rest of the clan gets here, I’ll clean up.” He smiled at Erik, whose tears had stopped. “The only thing that matters is that you’re all safe.”

The pain in his arm had faded to nothing, falling to the back of his mind as he watched Erik finally take in his surroundings. His wide eyes marveled at all the weapons they’d collected over the years. And this was a small portion of what they possessed. Most remained in their home in China. One day, Erik would be old enough to begin his training. He would learn the name and history of each of the weapons, be taught how to use them. Erik would carry on the proud history of the Zhang clan and the Sword of the Heavenly Garden sect.

But only if they killed Jiang Chong.

Tonight, he’d proved it was easy for him to slip onto their grounds. Moon’s spells had provided a warning, but just that their walls had been breached. They had no way of knowing where he went once he stepped onto the property.

Winter and Moon’s witch friends could provide them with a sense of security for a short period, but to be free and safe, he needed to kill Jiang Chong at last.

Chapter 12

Leo St. George

Something was wrong.

Very, very wrong.

It was the kind of wrong that would send Leo running off in the opposite direction, his tail down and tucked close to his body.

But he couldn’t do it. Not so long as he was unsure whether something had happened to Junjie or Erik. When he was sure they were okay, he could scurry off.

For now, he was stuck pacing outside the giant double doors that barred his entrance along the driveway. His tiny paws padded along on the concrete as he debated what he should do. Normally, he’d climb a few trees, taking one of the limbs that grew close to the wall that surrounded the property.