Chapter Twenty-eight
The next evening, Zoltan woke up in his bed at the castle. He quickly shaved and showered. Tonight the Vamps and shifters would need to decide how to handle Master Han’s army of three hundred. And if all worked out well, he’d find time for the date he’d promised Neona.
In the kitchen, he drank a bottle of blood while he packed an ice chest with more blood. There were chocolate chip cookies left over from feeding the dragon children. Neona and Norjee might like them. Then he recalled Zhan, her pet leopard. He tossed some tuna into a plastic container. The ice chest was stuffed full when he teleported back to Beyul-La.
And missed. He looked around. He was in Frederic’s valley, close to the rock wall.
Damn. Was the Living Water doing this to him? He couldn’t afford a mistake like this in battle.
Hey! Zhan trotted up to him. How is Neona? I miss her.
Zoltan smiled at the leopard. She’s fine. I brought you some food. He removed the plastic container from the ice chest and set the tuna in front of the cat.
I love this stuff! Zhan butted his head against Zoltan’s leg, than proceeded to eat with gusto.
Zoltan rubbed the cat’s head. With Neona gone, I was worried you wouldn’t have anything to eat.
The cat looked up and licked his mouth. The other women feed me. And the were-tigers give me food, too. They think I’m cute. He went back to eating.
Zoltan snorted. The rascally cat was working both valleys, probably getting twice the food he was used to. Keep this up, and you’ll be too fat to hunt.
“Zoltan!” Howard strode toward him. “We were wondering when you’d get back. Can you tell the warrior women to come over here? Angus wants a meeting in thirty minutes.”
“All right.” Zoltan teleported to Neona’s house and set the ice chest down next to the old one that was now empty except for a half-full bottle of Living Water. He had intended to spike his new bottles of blood, but he decided against it. He couldn’t afford to mess up his teleportation abilities. And Neona’s wish to revive his sperm was probably hopeless.
He found the four remaining women in the cave and walked with them to the rock wall. He levitated down as they climbed down the rope ladder. Angus was gathering everyone in front of Frederic’s cabin. The evacuation team had made it back from their trip around the world, but they looked exhausted.
“Have you found Xiao Fang yet?” Freddie asked as she took a seat on a rock by the stream.
“He could be traveling with Han’s army,” Angus replied. “Or he may be hidden at one of Master Han’s military bases. I’ll ask for some volunteers in a moment so we can check Han’s compound in Myanmar, in case Xiao Fang was left there.”
Angus waited for everyone to take a seat, then he continued. “First off, I can report that Nima and the dragon children and eggs have been safely delivered to their new home. Master Han doesn’t know that, so his army is still moving this way. Russell is following them now, and Carlos tracked them during the day. They estimate the army will be here in three nights. That gives us tonight and tomorrow to get ready.”
Carlos’s adopted son and young trainee, Emiliano, raised his hand. “If the dragons are safe, why don’t we just leave? Wouldn’t Master Han give up and go home if he doesn’t find the dragons here?”
“There’s still the Living Water,” Angus replied. “Han may not know about it, but we can’t risk him moving into Beyul-La and taking control of it.”
“And we have to fight him sooner or later,” Howard added. “If we can get rid of this group of three hundred, Han will have only four hundred left.”
Lydia snorted. “How do we get rid of three hundred? There are only fifty of us.”
“We got rid of two hundred,” Freya reminded her.
Angus nodded. “We’ll use a similar strategy. According to Russell, Han’s army isn’t sending out search parties. There’s no need when they know exactly where they’re going. They’re moving quickly, so they’re light on supplies. In order to feed three hundred, they’re sending out raiding parties to loot the local villages as they pass by.”
“Then we attack the raiding parties?” Howard asked.
Angus nodded. “That’s what I’d like to do, but I have to warn you. Russell says the raiding parties number from twenty to twenty-five, and they’re all armed with AK-47s.”
“We confiscated a bunch of AK-47s from the monastery,” Jesse said. “We could just shoot ’em down!”
“We may have to do that,” Angus admitted. “But I still prefer to keep them alive and transform them back to normal. If we can capture four or five of these raiding parties, we can whittle the army down to two hundred.”
“Then what?” Jimmy asked. “We’re so outnumbered. And we can knock out only one at a time with those darts.”
“Is there something that would knock them all out at once?” Zoltan asked.
Angus winced. “A gas that strong runs the risk of killing them. And us. ’Twould be hard to control outdoors.”
“How about an enclosed place . . .” Zoltan’s breath caught as an idea struck him. “What about the cavern? It’s big enough to hold two hundred soldiers. We could trap them in there.”
“Why would they go in there?” Jimmy asked.
“They’re coming for the dragons, right?” Zoltan replied. “Darafer will know from Xiao Fang that the dragons are living in the cavern.”
“So the army makes a beeline for the cave,” Angus thought out loud. “How do we trap them inside?”
“I’ll rig some kind of trapdoor,” Howard offered.
“But what about the Living Water?” Lydia asked. “It’s in the first cave room. They’ll pass right by it.”
“Can we drain it?” Angus asked.
Lydia shook her head. “It’s fed by a spring. The water would come back.”
“We need to drink a cup every month or we’ll start to age,” Freya said.
“We could hide it,” Howard suggested. “We’ll build a floor over it and cover it with sand and rocks.”
“And we’ll keep the area dark,” Jesse added. “They’ll run right past it without seeing it.”
“Once we have the soldiers trapped, they’ll start panicking,” Angus warned. “ ’Twill be too dangerous to teleport in.”
J.L. raised a hand. “Stun grenades. The blast of light will blind them, and the bang will deafen them. We can use ones with multiple detonations and tear gas. They’ll be so dizzy and disoriented that they’ll be easy to shoot with darts.”
Robby nodded. “A good idea, but we’ll have to be verra careful. Our sight and hearing is even more sensitive than theirs.”
“So we go back in to shoot them with darts and take them— Wait.” Angus winced. “The clinics are almost full. Where will we put two hundred more soldiers?”
“We could leave them in the cavern,” Zoltan suggested. “We teleport Leah and her team inside, put the soldiers into stasis, and start the treatment. In a few weeks, the soldiers can leave the cave, back to normal.”
“All right. We’ll work out the details later.” Angus looked everyone over. “I want the women and shifters working on the cave. Vamps—ye’re coming with me. Let’s go!”
Over the next few hours, everyone was busy. Howard and the other shifters went over the rock wall to Beyul-La, and there they worked on disguising the Living Water and making a trapdoor that would fall down and close off the cavern.
Zoltan teleported with Angus and the other Vamps to Han’s compound in Myanmar. Only a few soldiers were there, and they were easily knocked out and delivered to Tiger Town. Xiao Fang was nowhere in sight.
Russell called with the location of a raiding party, so the Vamps teleported there. After a few tense minutes of dodging bullets, they managed to capture twenty-three soldiers. An hour later, they repeated the mission and captured twenty-two more. Between missions, Zoltan teleported to Tiger Town to deliver the chocolate chip cookies to Neona and Norjee. They were staying in a guesthouse now, for every bed in the clinic was taken.
After a third mission, Angus called it quits for the night. Zoltan grabbed his ice chest and went back to Tiger Town. Thankfully, he’d experienced only one more problem with his teleporting. He’d teleported to a tree to escape a barrage of gunfire, and his feet had missed the branch. He’d managed to grab anther branch with his hands to keep from falling.
It was after three in the morning, and Norjee was sleeping on a pallet in the guesthouse. Most of Tiger Town was asleep. Quietly, Zoltan led Neona through a maze of buildings.
“Where are we going?” she whispered.
“The bathhouse. I made arrangements with Jia so we could have it to ourselves.”
“Who is Jia?”
“She’s the one in charge right now while the Grand Tiger is gone. She’s his cousin.” Zoltan escorted her up the steps to a small building and kicked his shoes off at the door.
“I haven’t had a chance to meet her. It’s been very hectic here with all the soldiers coming in.” Neona stepped out of her shoes. “Which one is the Grand Tiger? Rinzen or Tenzen?”
“Neither. They’re Rajiv’s uncles. He’s the Grand Tiger.”
Neona gasped. “Rajiv? But he’s so young.” She winced. “I don’t think Freya knows.”
Zoltan shrugged. “I’m sure he’ll tell her when he’s ready.” He led her inside the bathhouse, then closed the door and slid the bar into place. “I promised you a date. I hope this will do.”
She looked around. “It’s lovely.” The room was dominated by a large sunken tub. The surface of the water glimmered in the light from two candles.
She knelt down to touch the water. “It’s warm.”
With vampire speed, Zoltan threw off his clothes. She straightened slowly, watching him. Then she smiled as he approached her.
“I won’t undress you that fast. I enjoy it too much.” He untied the sash at her waist and peeled off her tunic.
She smoothed a hand down his chest. “I enjoyed watching you. If I were a vampire, my eyes would be glowing red.”
“Like this?” He cupped her bare breasts, and his vision turned pink. His groin tightened at the thought of giving her climax number eight and nine. He teased her taut nipples, pinching gently at the hardened tips.
“I want you. Now.” She wiggled out of her pants. “Actually, I’ve wanted you since last night. Ever since you came to rescue us at the monastery.”
“Did I tell you how terrified I was? I thought I’d lost you.” He climbed into the tub and pulled her in with him. “I’ve been desperate to hold you.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I didn’t realize how much I loved you till I feared I would never see you again.”
He kissed her hard, and she kissed him back. He couldn’t get her close enough. Couldn’t kiss her enough. Or touch her enough. He lifted her so he could suckle her breasts. Then lifted her more till she was perched on the edge of the pool and he could dive between her legs. Within seconds, she was crying out and her core was throbbing against his mouth.
With a satisfied growl, he plunged inside her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him. His pace was fast and hard, but she urged him to give her more. Desperation drove their desire. He pumped harder, faster, deeper, and she bucked against him, matching his every move.
With a shout, he grasped her hips and ground himself against her. She shattered with a scream just as he climaxed.
They slumped back into the pool, clinging to each other as their breathing returned to normal. And still they held each other, even as the water began to grow cold.
The first tug of death-sleep pulled at Zoltan. “The sun will be up soon.”
She nodded. “When will the army arrive at Beyul-La?”
“The night after tomorrow. Can I talk you into staying here, where it’s safe?”
“No.” She kissed him. “I’m going to be with you.”
The night arrived, and everyone was in their appointed place. Russell confirmed the army was crossing into Frederic’s valley. Zoltan waited with Neona at the top of the rock wall. Lydia, Freya, and Freddie were there, along with Angus, Robby, and J.L. Tashi was in Tiger Town, helping Emma take care of the dragon babies.
Zoltan squeezed Neona’s hand, then they readied their weapons. The Vamps were using dart guns. The women had bows and arrows, with the arrowheads treated with the same drug as the darts.
With his superior hearing, Zoltan could detect the soldiers coming down the hillside. “Just a few more seconds,” he whispered.
Neona drew back her bow. He readied his pistol.
As soon as the soldiers cleared the forest, Zoltan and his companions let loose the first volley. Eight targets hit, and they reloaded to fire again. Eight more.
“Down!” Angus yelled just before a spray of bullets went over their heads.
“Let’s go,” Angus ordered, and each Vamp grabbed a warrior woman to teleport away. They’d done their job, luring the soldiers to the rock wall, which was the best way to access Beyul-La.
Zoltan materialized with Neona at the fire pit. Damn. They were supposed to have landed next to the cave entrance. He picked her up and zoomed to the cave at vampire speed.
“What the hell was that?” Angus asked. He and the others had arrived at the right place.
“Long story,” Zoltan muttered.
A series of explosions sounded at the end of the valley. Han’s army was acting just as expected. They’d used grenades to blast away the rock wall. Any second now, the soldiers would be streaming into the valley.
“You know what to do?” Angus asked the women.
“Yes,” Lydia whispered. “We scream ‘Save the dragons’ and run into the cave.”
“Start screaming as soon as they draw close to Nima’s house,” Zoltan said. “By the time they reach Neona’s house, you’ve got to be in the cave.”
They nodded. The night before, the Vamps had tested the range of the AK-47s to make sure the women would be out of range of the approaching army.
Zoltan squeezed Neona’s shoulder. “Be careful.” He and the other three Vamps slipped inside the cave.
Since they wanted to lure the soldiers quickly into the cave, it had seemed best to make them believe that only a few frightened women were guarding it. Then they would charge straight for it, thinking an easy victory was in their grasp.
Zoltan waited, his fists clenched as he imagined an army charging straight toward Neona. He and the other Vamps had captured more raiding parties the night before, so Han’s army now numbered around one hundred and ninety.
He heard the women scream, then shout in Chinese. Then explosions burst so loud that he could no longer hear their voices. His heart lurched. Had the bastards shot some sort of rocket at the women? He lunged toward the cave entrance.
The women stood just outside, staring at the valley with stricken looks on their faces.
“Neona!” he shouted. “Hurry!”
She and the other women ran inside, and he grabbed her.
“What’s wrong?” His heart clenched at the tears in her eyes.
“They blew up my house!” she cried.
“Let’s go!” Angus shouted.
They teleported the women away before the soldiers could reach the cave. The designated landing spot was the forest above the burial mounds.
Zoltan landed with Neona behind Minerva’s burial mound. Quickly he pushed her down so they were flat on the ground. Below, in the valley, soldiers were charging for the cave. Smoke rose from the ruins of the houses.
“What’s wrong?” Neona whispered. “We’re supposed to be in the forest.”
He winced. “My teleportation is off. I think it’s because of the Living Water.”
He scooted to the edge of the mound and peered down into the valley. As expected, many of the soldiers ran straight into the cave, hoping to be the first ones to find the dragons so they could share in the glory of pleasing Master Han. To lure them into the second, larger cavern, the shifters had moved the empty nests there and hidden a tape recorder that played the sound of crying babies.
Some of the soldiers lingered outside the cave. It was the shifters’ job to make them go inside. The shifters were hidden in the nearby woods and fired AK-47s at the ground in front of the soldiers. The soldiers retreated inside the cave but remained in the first cavern room. Tremendous roars shook the forest, then three grizzly bears, three tigers, and two panthers charged toward the cave. The men screamed and ran toward the second cavern.
A trapdoor had been tied in place along the ceiling in the corridor. Ian was levitated and hidden on the ceiling, and once all the soldiers entered the cavern, he would cut the rope, and the heavy door would swing down and block the only entrance. Then he would slide the steel bars into place, and the men would be trapped inside.
Zoltan stood and helped Neona to her feet. The valley was empty now, except for the shifters in animal form who prowled around the entrance of the cave.
Angus and the others emerged from the forest to join him by the burial mounds.
“Is something wrong with yer teleporting?” Angus asked.
Zoltan sighed. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“I do worry. Ye’re no’ going into the cave with the rest of us.”
“Angus—”
“I mean it, lad.” Angus scowled at him. “If ye’re off a few feet, you could materialize into solid rock.” He turned to look at the rest of the Vamps. “Jack, ye’ll take his place.”
With vampire speed, Robby carried a large duffel bag from the forest and handed out earplugs and gas masks with eye protection to Angus, J.L., Dougal, and Jack. He kept one set for himself, then passed out the stun grenades.
Zoltan cursed inwardly as the five men got ready to teleport without him.
Russell cursed out loud. “I didn’t see Han with the army. Did anyone spot him? He always has that stupid gold mask on his face.”
“I was looking for Xiao Fang.” Freya sighed. “But I didn’t see him.”
Down below, the shifters returned to the forest to turn back into their human form. Dressed once again, they ran toward the burial mounds to join the others.
Ian materialized beside them. “The trapdoor is down! They’re all inside.”
The five Vamps vanished. Zoltan knew exactly what they were doing, since he was supposed to be with them. They would teleport close to the ceiling, levitate instantly to keep from falling, then drop the stun grenades and teleport out.
Neona gasped. “Someone’s appearing!” She pointed toward the fire pit.
Zoltan whirled around to look. Master Han had materialized in the valley, and he was holding Xiao Fang. Either they were escaping the cave, or they had just arrived.
“Han!” Russell teleported downhill and drew a pistol.
Zoltan zoomed down the hillside.
Han turned to face Russell, holding the boy in front of him as a shield.
Zoltan ran up behind him, cursing silently that the only weapons on him were a dart gun and a knife. He shot a dart at Han, then threw his knife.
Han stiffened as both struck his body, then he vanished, taking Xiao Fang with him.
“Dammit!” Russell shook clenched fists at the sky.
Angus and the other four Vamps materialized by the fire pit. As they removed their gas masks, a series of loud bangs sounded inside the mountain. The stun grenades were going off.
“Han was just here with Xiao Fang,” Zoltan told them. “He’s injured, but he escaped.”
Angus sighed.
“Poor Xiao Fang,” Freddie whispered. “He must be so afraid.”
J.L. patted her shoulder. “We’ll get him back.”
The bangs inside the mountain stopped.
“Ready?” Angus asked the four other Vamps. “We shoot as many soldiers with darts as possible. If they look like they’re recovering from the stun grenades, we toss in more tear gas. And shoot some more.”
A loud explosion shook the ground. The mountain rumbled.
“What the hell?” Zoltan asked.
“The fools!” Angus shouted. “They’re trying to blast their way out of the mountain.”
More explosions sounded as the disoriented and frantic soldiers detonated more grenades. The mountain shook. Rocks tumbled down.
“Run!” Zoltan picked up Neona and zoomed toward the burial mounds at vampire speed. Beside him, other Vamps were carrying women. The shifters were right behind them. The ground trembled under their feet.
Zoltan stopped close to the forest and set Neona down. They looked back at the rumbling mountain. With a huge creaking sound, the mountain imploded, the top part caving into the giant cavern, crushing the men inside. The impact was strong enough to shake the ground where they stood.
Zoltan grabbed Neona as she stumbled beside him. Smoke and debris rose into the air, clouding their vision, yet they all continued to stare, stunned by a mountain that was suddenly half the size it used to be.
“The devil take it,” Angus whispered.
“The devil will take them,” Robby said. “I doona think any of them survived.”
“Bloody hell.” Angus ripped off his gas mask and threw it down. “We were trying to save them.”
“Our . . . our Living Water,” Lydia whispered. “It’s gone. We cannot get to it.”
“Oh, my God!” Freya cried. “We’ll grow old now!”
“The dragons can never come back,” Freddie added. “Their home is gone. And our homes are gone.”
Zoltan winced as he saw the tears on their faces.
“What will we do?” Freya sniffed.
Lydia heaved a forlorn sigh. “I suppose I’ll have to live with Tashi and that farmer of hers.”
“But we’ll be separated,” Freddie protested.
“It is the end of Beyul-La,” Neona whispered.
Zoltan closed his eyes briefly. What had he done to these women?
“And we didn’t even save Xiao Fang,” Freddie mumbled.
“But he’s still alive,” J.L. told her. “We’re all still alive. And we beat the bad guys.”
“We creamed them!” Jimmy shouted.
“Yeah!” Jesse yelled.
“They creamed themselves, the puir bastards,” Angus muttered, looking at the crumbled mountain.
“We’ve lost everything.” Lydia collapsed on the ground by the burial mounds where her mother and two of her daughters were interred. “What did they die for? After three thousand years, it’s over.”
Neona sniffed as more tears rolled down her cheeks.
Zoltan’s heart twisted in his chest. It had been his idea to trap the soldiers in the mountain. Now the dragons had lost their home. His beloved Neona had lost her home. All the women of Beyul-La had lost their homes and their Living Water.
Queen Nima had been right all along. He had destroyed their world.