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No, a pissed off, overprotective dragon was the last thing they needed. There would be no stopping him from flying off to stomp on some fae, which would put him right back into their hands. In other words, creating a mess similar to the one Xiang was close to making now.
“Fine,” Xiang grumbled as he stopped trying to break free to kill Rei’s half brother.
“To defeat Belladonna, you must take the dragon from her,” Trin continued, though he didn’t put away his sword, nor did the other elves retreat. “She’s growing more powerful with the elimination of the human towns, but she’s pouring all her newfound power into tightening her control on the dragon. The spells required to summon it…er…him…are very taxing.”
“So, you’re saying she’s at her weakest when she summons the dragon,” Rei leaped in, but Trin was frowning.
“She’s surrounded by guards when she casts the summoning spells. We’d have to take out the entire army to get close, particularly since the dragon fights her commands. Hundreds died the last time he was summoned.”
Xiang barely hid his grin of pride. Yes, Kai had returned to him covered in blood and near death, but his dragon had taken out a hell of a lot of fae before he left.
“If you can’t get near her when she’s casting the spell, can you get the sword she stole from the dragon?” Xiang demanded.
Trin flashed them a look that wasn’t at all reassuring. His lips quirked as if he were laughing. “Would you trust me with that blade in my hand?”
“The only person I trust with the sword is the dragon it belongs to,” Rei replied without a breath of hesitation. “It needs to be returned to him.”
The dark elf stared at them in silence. When he spoke, the answer felt grudging. “She’s rarely without it. When it leaves her side at night, it is heavily guarded.”
In short, Trin hadn’t made a grab for it yet because he’d been unable to devise a workable plan that would allow him to steal it. He needed help, and Xiang was more than willing to provide it. However, that was likely going to mean sneaking into the fae castle, and there was no way he could do that without Rei.
And possibly Yichen.
That would not go over well with the other members of their clan. The idea of Yichen going anywhere near the fae and the doorway to the fae realm unsettled his stomach and squeezed his heart to the point of crushing it. But they were the ones who had a working knowledge of the enemy’s domain.
Xiang shifted his gaze to Rei to find the elf frowning at him, the same worry weighing in his green eyes.
“We need time to plan,” Rei announced. He backpedaled a couple of steps toward the SUV, putting space between Trin and his army. “Contact me in a few days.”
“Do you believe you can beat her?” Trin sneered.
Rei flashed him an overbright smile and held out his hands. “Do we have any other choice? On her present course, she will be the end of this world and the end of our people.”
He didn’t give Trin a chance to answer. Rei turned, spinning on the balls of his feet, and headed for their car, Xiang bringing up the rear. Xiang’s heart sped up, and he kept a close watch on the trees as they left to make sure the many fae hiding in the trees didn’t attack.
“What was the point of this meeting?” Rei whispered, seeming to talk to himself.
“What do you mean? Do you trust him?” Xiang asked in a matching low voice as they moved away from the bulk of the army protecting Trin.
“Nothing in this world could make me trust my half brother. We were both raised in a world of betrayal and torture. It’s all a game to see who can seize the most power. It’s why he’ll never believe me when I say I don’t have any interest in the throne.” Rei slowed his steps and glanced over his shoulder. “Kai fought the queen’s command while he was holding you hostage. Did he say that was the first time?”
Xiang nodded. “It was. I don’t think he could hurt her in any direct way, but he killed a good number of elves before he escaped. When he came back, he was covered in blood and barely breathing. It took him the better part of a week of bedrest of recover his strength.”
A soft grunt escaped Rei, and he picked up his pace. “Trin must have been there to witness it. As a result, he’s grown skeptical of Belladonna’s ability to control Kai.”
Xiang grabbed Rei’s shoulder and forced him to stop walking so he could meet his eyes. “Do you think he’d really try to steal control of Kai from her?”
“If there was an opportunity and if he believed he could control Kai, yes, I know he would.” Just as a growl was leaving Xiang’s throat, Rei held up one finger, stopping the sound. “But I think today’s meeting was about checking to see how solid her hold on the dragon was and if our so-called control is better. Remember, Kai helped us fight the fae when we hurried to defend Bel and Winter Varik. Trin and Belladonna would have heard about that. The dragon has chosen a side.”
He had. Xiang might not feel sure about all of Kai’s reasons for choosing the way he had, but right now, it didn’t matter. His primary concern remained with Queen Belladonna drawing more magical power from the earth to keep control of the dragon.
What did Kai have?
He’d almost died the first time. If he were forced to fight Belladonna a second time, Xiang was afraid Kai was going to die in the fight rather than obey another of her commands.
Rei paused when they were within sight of the black SUV and placed his hand on a nearby tree, his brow furrowing.
“What’s wrong?” Even as Xiang asked, there was something churning within him. His heart raced faster and faster. The knots in his stomach were tightening and there was a new crawling tension along his skin. He’d thought it was his fears for Kai getting the better of him, but this was different, stronger.
