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“There are many things that can kill a vampire. It’s just that most of them aren’t easy to accomplish,” Junjie continued.

“I see…” Ellora pulled her knife out of the bark and leaned on the trunk again. She seemed to resume her work on her fingernails, but it felt like she was watching him a little more closely now.

Junjie moved to the other side of the gingko tree and jumped into one of the higher branches. He pulled himself up easily to about Ellora’s level while keeping the wide trunk between them.

“Why are you out here?” she demanded.

“I came out to make sure the area is clear before my clan mates leave for home.”

The elf gave another soft grunt, acknowledging his words. The silence had stretched for a full minute when the words exploded out of her.

“You know I’m right, right? Rei has to return to the fae realm and take over as king. It’s his birthright. Our people will listen to him. I don’t understand why he’s being so stubborn about this. He’s already planning to take care of Trin. Why not just be king?”

Junjie smiled. She made it sound like the most natural thing in the world, and maybe it was for someone who was born into that life.

“I don’t know all of Rei’s history, but I know he suffered for years at the hands of his parents and the court. Even if he’d not found Yichen and fallen in love, I’m not sure he’d choose to be king. That path represents only pain and misery for him. He doesn’t see it ever leading to a place of hope and life.” He stopped and licked his lips, preparing to tread out onto a limbfar skinnier than the one he was on. “But if the fae are to have a true fresh start, to break away from the darkness and bloodshed that has plagued your people, I think their best chance is with someone who didn’t grow up in the court. Someone who is fighting for the survival of all your peoples.”

“You’re wrong about me and Rei.”

“I don’t know. I’ve been around for a long time, and I have gotten quite good at reading people.”

Ellora snorted. “A long time. What? A couple of centuries?”

“Over two millennia, actually.”

“Oh,” she mumbled.

“I’ve witnessed the rise and fall of many kingdoms and dynasties. I’ve known the men and women who would claim seats of great power. They’ve spoken words of justice and compassion, but that’s not what was in their hearts.” Junjie closed his eyes and sighed. “I care greatly for Rei and believe he and Yichen have many years of happiness in front of them. But more importantly, living with my clan means Rei has a good chance of finding the healing he so desperately needs.”

“What do you mean? He seems fine to me.”

Resting his head on the tree, Junjie rocked it slightly to the right so that it would carry more clearly to Ellora without needing to speak louder. “Have you spent much time with Rei?”

“No. This might be the third or fourth time I’ve seen him in my lifetime, but he’s still as sarcastic and sharp-tongued as the first time I saw him.”

“True, but now those snarky comments hide a wounded soul. While Yichen was a prisoner, Rei had to watch the man who held his heart as he was tortured endlessly by his parents and the court. Would you come out unchanged from that experience?”

Neither Rei nor Yichen spoke much about their time together in the fae realm. Just a few words here and there, but it was more than enough to paint a picture of agonizing existence.

“No one would,” Ellora whispered.

“Rei is a good man at heart. That hasn’t changed about him. He is an easy choice when it comes to selecting a new leader. But he carries a new darkness in his soul, and I fear he would take that new darkness out on his people.”

Ellora said nothing for several minutes, leaving Junjie to listen to the creatures of the night moving about around them. An owl hooted and frogs croaked, though there were fewer of them now that the weather was turning cooler with the approach of autumn. Wind stirred the surrounding leaves, sending down random drops of rainwater, but his clothes and hair were still soaked. What did a little rain matter now?

“What are we supposed to do?” All the heat had evaporated from Ellora’s voice, and she sounded much more fragile than the tough warrior they’d first met. “Rei…he was the crown prince. He’s the obvious choice.”

“If you don’t mind an outsider’s opinion,” Junjie hedged, earning a harsh bark of laughter from his companion.

“It hasn’t stopped you so far.”

“The next leader of the fae is a moot point if you can’t get your people back to the fae realm. If you leave Trin and his army to my clan to deal with, you can focus your energy on saving as many of the elves and other races as you can. When the door is closed and your people are safe, you can worry about who will lead your people into a brighter, more hope-filled future.”

Ellora fell silent, allowing the song of the night creatures to swell. A temporary peace had fallen over the world. It was hard to believe they’d been running for their lives less than an hour ago. Or that members of the fae could be lurking close by now.

“It’s something to think about,” Ellora said. “After so many miserable years with King Ash and Queen Belladonna, only to have Trin follow in their footsteps.” Her sigh was heavy,sounding as if it had crawled up from the darkest places of her soul. “You can’t help but want to avoid the next nightmare.”

“Understandable, but you can’t plan beyond the obstacle that lies in your path right now.”