Shifting the Night Away (71 page)

“Deal.” The Monkey King chuckled. “I’ve heard great tales about this Cat. Follow me.”

Li tried to calm the prickling on the back of his neck as he trailed the Monkey King down richly marbled corridors. Had he stalled long enough? Gods, he prayed so.

The male paused in front of a set of large, gilded doors. He snapped his fingers and the doors slid open, revealing a dragon’s hoard of treasures. Where Li’s were encased in glass boxes and displayed in a museum-like fashion, the Monkey King’s treasures had been dumped into heaping piles around a hollowed out cavern.

Li followed the male down an aisle, attempting not to cast a curious eye on the talismans surrounding him. The power in this place rang like a vibration through his veins. The collection was at least twice, if not three times, the size of Li’s. A twinge of envy made him fist his hands, but he shoved it aside.

“Aha. Here we are. The potion.” The Monkey King paused in front of a stack and withdrew a vial of glittering liquid. “Your gourd, if you will.” He held out his hand.

Where was Wen’s signal? Li’s shoulders tensed while he withdrew the gourd and handed it to the Monkey King.

“One moment, please.” The Monkey King shifted to give Li his back.

He clenched his jaw at the cautious behavior. The jackass put on a good act, but Li put on a better one.

“Here you go.” The male spun around and offered Li the gourd.

“This potion will return the magic from my body into the gourd?”

“Of course.” A crisp answer.

His heart thrashed inside his chest. If Wen hadn’t been successful, he might be drinking from the true gourd. A second sip of the magic would have fatal side effects—reversing the result of his first drink.

He might be walking straight into damnation. Where the hell was she? His ears strained for the low hum of the gong. The plan was for her to give the signal once she’d successfully thieved the gourd, and then for Li to have a sudden change of heart. In and out. Reclaim his gourd, put his past behind him. He’d focus his vengeance on the true enemy—the Red Death—and begin his atonement.

An object buzzed by his ear, straight into the gourd, shattering it in the Monkey King’s hand. A second later, a glint of metal shot toward the male’s chest.

Water blades.

Despite its speed, the Monkey King caught the dagger by the blade, a millimeter from piercing his chest. He drew back his arm and flung the knife in the direction of its origin.

Wen.

Li flashed in front of the blade’s path, his shoulder whipping backward as the dagger stabbed into his flesh. He slammed into a pile of coins, tumbled forward, and came to rest on his hands and knees. Wincing, Li hopped to his feet and wound back his arm, flaring white. “Don’t you dare.”

“Li!” Wen rushed to his side, another water blade in her hand, aimed toward the Monkey King.

His upper lip curled in a snarl at Wen. “No blade can harm me, foolish wench.”

“Oh really? Look again, you swindling asshole.” Fire blazing in her eyes, she jerked her chin at the blood dripping from his hand where he’d caught the blade.

He turned his hand over and gaped at the gash splitting his palm. A stream of crimson droplets splattered onto the floor as he closed and opened his fist. “It’s not possible. Nothing can harm me,” he muttered to himself as though it would make the illusion disappear.

“Water blades can.” Wen smirked.

Cursing, the Monkey King whirled toward the pile of treasures behind him and tossed aside jewels and coins, smearing them with blood.

“Are you okay?” Wen placed her hand on Li’s arm.

“I’ll survive.” He grimaced and yanked the blade from his shoulder. “Next time, let’s try sticking to the plan,
hmm
?”

She gave a sheepish shrug. “I was improvising?”

He gripped the hilt of the water blade at his side, his jaw tightening at the danger she’d placed herself in. “You were being impulsive again.”

A puff of air blew from her lips. “I know we agreed not to pursue the revenge angle, but that bastard deserves a taste of misery.”

True. Besting the Monkey King would’ve been satisfactory vengeance, but Li didn’t deny the jolt of pleasure at how Wen had made that jackass squirm.

“Where is it?” The Monkey King’s shrill question echoed into the cavern as he spun, glancing from his wound to the shattered gourd on the ground, and back again. He sank to his knees, scraping up the pieces of porcelain. “No, no, no. No!”

“Oh, are you looking for this?” Wen dangled the real gourd in front of him.

“Huh?” His scowl deepened to where his brows drew together. “What have you done?” He lunged for Wen, but Li blocked him, slashing the water blade between them.

“Ah, not so fast.” Wen stepped out from Li’s protection and opened her long leather jacket, revealing a dozen studded blades that shimmered like the ones she’d tossed at the Monkey King. Eyes jerking open, he staggered back from her. “That’s right, little primate. You’re going to listen to us, or we’ll share your weakness with everyone in Heaven. Sell these babies to them.
Hmm?
How does that sound? Pretty sure you’ve made enough enemies there to find buyers for each of these.” She fingered the blades.

The fear erased from his face and his nostrils flared. “What did you do with the gourd?”

“We took a lesson from your playbook.” Li narrowed his eyes. “The old switcheroo, right, Monkey King?”

The male straightened. “Clever, clever. Why don’t we make a deal for those blades?” Grinning, he swept his arm toward a tower of gold. “Anything you desire, Li Tieguai.”

Li pressed his lips thin and forced his gaze not to stray. The Monkey King’s offers no longer tempted him. He didn’t need any treasures. Only Wen. “I don’t think so.”

A glower shadowed the male’s grin. “Well, what do you want then?”

Wen tapped a finger against her lips, shot Li a wink, and lowered her hand to her hip. “
Hmm
, how about your binding oath you will never meddle in another being’s business. Especially not in Li’s.”

Wen’s words burned a warmth through his once-hardened heart. She’d risked everything for him. For them.

“Give me the gourd first, or I may not live to fulfill such an oath.” The Monkey King winced at his wound and his lower lip trembled.

Wen waved the gourd under the fiend’s nose. “
Nah-uhn
. I’ll let you take a sip, but not without that vow.”

“Yes, anything.” A greedy glaze fell across his dark eyes. The Monkey King squeezed his eyes shut and extended his uninjured hand. Gripping his water blade, Li swiped the dagger across the Monkey King’s palm while the male uttered a vow never to trick another being. Wen tilted the gourd and poured a single drop onto the Monkey King’s extended tongue. The smoky liquid evaporated with a sizzle and the gashes on his hands faded. The male shrank back, clutching his hands to his chest.

Li tucked the knife back inside Wen’s jacket and crushed her in his embrace. “I’d begun to fear Cat had failed.” He eased his grip and stroked her cheek. “Well done. You really have earned your namesake, my little cat burglar.” He winked at her.

She flashed him a smile. “You’d be amazed what these hands can do, baby.”

“Oh, I already know.” He swept forward and captured her lips. She kissed him back, opening herself to him with that beautiful tenderness he’d craved for so long.

“Cat? You lied to me, Li Tieguai.” The Monkey King seized one step toward them.

“Ah-ah.” Wen cloaked Cat, swiping one lethal-clawed paw in his direction.

“So it is true.” The male backed off, scowling.

“A trick for a trick, Monkey King.” Li patted Cat, and Wen uncloaked the spirit.

Muttering curses, the Monkey King slunk out of the cavern with his invisible tail between his legs.

The danger past, Li exhaled his relief. He gazed down at her, for the first time in centuries feeling like a whole man, worthy of offering Wen his heart. He’d spend the rest of his immortal days earning hers in return. “You didn’t tell me you were planning to steal something else.” He raised a stern brow.

“What? I didn’t steal anything else.” She planted her hands on her hips. “You going to strip-search me, boss?”

“Definitely later.” Bending forward, he whispered in her ear. “You stole my heart, Wen.” Her gasp was sweet in his ears. “I love you.” He moved to claim her lips, but she pressed a finger to his mouth.

“Damn, I’m good.” She laughed and planted a quick, hard kiss to his lips. “I love you too, Li.”

He growled and seized the back of her head, drawing her mouth back to his. She moaned as he thrust his tongue inside her mouth, his hands roaming to possess every soft inch of her body.

Three slow claps echoed from the far corner of the chamber. He and Wen jolted apart. A figure emerged from behind a pile of treasure. “Well played.” The owner of the cool, feminine voice stepped into the light.

The bloody Matchmaker.

She’d been here, watching, the entire time? He glanced at Wen, but she gaped as well. “You might’ve helped us,” he ground, his chest still heaving from kissing Wen.

The Matchmaker lifted and dropped a shoulder. “You didn’t require my aid.” She faced Wen. “You are exactly the ally I’ve been waiting for.”

Wen stepped forward. “On the Council?”

“Yes.” The Matchmaker’s lips curved like a feline after a successful hunt.

His chest tightened and he gripped Wen’s hand. “You must go with her. It is your destiny.” The words stabbed through his heart as he released Wen’s hand.

“Well, I’ll still need a home. Right?” She arched a brow at the Matchmaker, who inclined her head, and twisted back to grin at him. “I don’t think the Council would appreciate me crashing on their couch.”

Her beautiful smile washed over him, hope and peace soothing over the ache inside his chest at the thought of not being with Wen.

“I’ll be in touch.” The Matchmaker winked and strolled past them toward the exit.

The pieces clicked into place and he shook his head. Well, damn. “You knew, didn’t you?” he called after her.

She paused at the exit and smirked at them from over her shoulder. “I told you she was yours, Li. You only had to wait an eternity for her.”

“How? How did you do this?”

“I do know a thing or two about soulmates, Li Tieguai. That is why they call me The Matchmaker.”

His heart pounded. “Wen is my soulmate?”

“Indeed. You should have been together in her past life, but…” A hint of sadness clouded her features. “Well, you are together now. Cherish her, or I will cut off more than your immortality.” She dropped a pointed stare to his manhood.

He chuckled while the Matchmaker sauntered from their view. Then he turned to the woman he’d sensed had belonged to him, and now was certain did.

My soulmate.

“What am I going to do with you, now?
Hmm?
My reckless, curious, and—”

She skimmed her hands up his chest and lifted on her tiptoes. “I thought we agreed on spontaneous?”

His lips quirked. “I was right. From the moment you walked into my life, you
were
my undoing. You stormed the fortress of my exile, crushed the walls of my repentance, and overthrew every fortification around my heart.” He brushed the backs of his fingers across the softness of her cheek. “
You
are my redemption.”

Wen pressed her forehead to his and closed her hand over his cupping her cheek. “And you are mine.”

About the Author - Rachel Slate

Rachael has explored forgotten temples in Cambodia, kissed the Blarney Stone in Ireland, and stood inside the Roman Coliseum. She loves studying people and cultures, current and ancient. Her appetite for romance began with Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, which she later nurtured with a healthy dose of Jane Austen.

As a writer of scorching hot fantasy romance, Rachael blends the lines between mythology, reality, and fantasy. In her worlds, you'll encounter strong, sexy alpha males and the capable women who challenge them. If her heroines can't meet their heroes toe-to-toe, then they'll bring them to their knees.

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