I sighed and moved out of Wang Chao's arm that had grown slack as soon as he recognized the man in front of us. Going to sit down on the couch, I waited for things to either explode or calm down, but either way, I was not going to get into the middle of it.
Only soldiers could be shot at one moment and then be best friends the next second. Sometimes I had no idea what was going on in their heads. I wonder if they would still be so buddy-buddy if I had been shot and killed.
Hearing Wang Chao growl, I raised my eyebrows in his direction. But it wasn't like I was wrong, and even if the boys didn't let me go in first, they would have, which meant that they would be the ones killed. Was I just supposed to let that happen simply because they worked for the same company?
Letting out a huff, I sunk back into the couch, enjoying how comfortable it was. Huh, maybe I would put this in my space for future use. Rubbing my hand over the soft fabric, I purposefully ignored the looks that the men were sending me.
That was until Liu Wei cleared his throat loudly. Sighing, I looked over at the man in question that wanted my attention but couldn't bother to come over to get it. In fact, not a single one of my guys came over, not even Chen Zi Han. "What?" I snapped, more than done with the day. Any type of energy I felt this morning had been completely depleted. Taking out an energy drink from my space, I opened it and took a quick chug. Praying that it would help wake me up, I waited for whatever was going to come out of Liu Wei's mouth next.
"Would you mind dropping your flames, Sweetheart?" asked Liu Wei, like calling me Sweetheart was going to get me to do what he wanted. Part of me was demanding to engulf the man in fire again, but this time let him burn while the other part of me just wanted to leave the room and go to bed.
Huh, why was my energy draining so fast? Was it because I was using my fire like this? Should I kill them and just be done with it? We had at least 10 other apartments on this floor to get through and if everyone was going to be like this, then I would be overdrawn in under an hour.
I continued to just stare at Liu Wei, not really seeing him. All of a sudden, my head started to spin and I collapsed on the couch, all of my funnels of flames disappearing in an instant, and my energy drink spilling from my limp hand.
----
Chen Zi Han had to lock his knees as he and Li Dai Lu started walking toward where everyone was waiting for them. His legs were getting progressively weaker and weaker with every step that he took, but he refused to show any hint of what was going on. He let go of her hand as she approached Zhou Hui Fan at the door and managed to relax even more when he saw Wang Chao going up behind her.
As soon as everyone's attention was drawn to whatever was going on inside, he let himself slowly collapse to the floor as his head started to spin. "Chen Zi Han?" came a voice from his right. He tried to turn and look at Liu Yu Zeng, he could hear the concern in the voice of his friend, but he simply couldn't. Without a sound, he slowly slumped down to the floor, using the wall as a guide.
"Chen Zi Han!" came a panicked shout before the darkness engulfed him.
---
When he next opened his eyes, he was stunned by what he saw. He was in a beautiful meadow surrounded by green fields, cool water, and a majestic mountain range off in the distance. When he turned his head to one side he could see a forest of trees so tall they seemed to reach the sky. But his line of sight was incredibly limited.
He spun around quickly, making sure that there was no one around and immediately became aware of what he was, or was not, wearing.
Looking down he saw black silken pants that hung off his hips and tapered in at the ankles while on his shoulders were gold armor plating, similar to those that he found on his forearms. Hanging on his left arm was a giant shield that had seen a lot of combat judging by the number of scars and nicks in it.
Hefting the shield up, he noticed that there was almost no weight to something that was almost the size of him as if his body was so used to carrying it that it didn't even register anymore. The only thing that made him uncomfortable was the helmet on his head, it greatly reduced his line of sight. There were only thin vertical slits in an otherwise solid helmet that allowed him to look out and see what was around him.
He rolled his shoulders back trying to get comfortable in this unknown location. Looking around to try and find somewhere to go, he spotted a figure standing in a pergola on the banks of the water. Even if he couldn't make out anything more than the flowing white dress that she was wearing, his body demanded to be near her.
"Li Dai Lu," he breathed, picking up his pace until he was almost at a run. "Princess!" he yelled and watched as she turned around to face him. He stumbled mid-step as his breath caught at the sight before him. Her hair hung down her body like a waterfall, begging him to run his hands through it just to see if it was as soft and silky as it appeared.
She was adorned in gold jewelry from her ankles to her wrists and even up her biceps. A gold belt clinched in her waist, and her white, floor-length, one-shouldered dress had a slit up the front that made him want to fall to his knees and pray at her altar. On top of her head, she wore a delicate gold tiara, saying what he always knew; that she was royalty.
"Li Dai Lu," he breathed as he approached her. Setting his shield down against one of the pillars, he got down onto one knee, folding his arms on his remaining knee, and bowed his head.
"Why did you leave me?" came the anguished cry of a woman that should never know such pain. He stiffened in realization. That was the exact words and tone that she had said two nights ago when she scared the crap out of all of them.
He wanted to deny the fact that he had ever left her, that he could never even consider leaving her, but what came out of his mouth was completely different. "I was called," was all he could get past his lips no matter what he wanted to say. Even his body was frozen in this position, no longer willing to obey his commands.
"So every time they call, you will leave?" came the choked response.
"It is my duty," he felt something inside him replying. But Chen Zi Han refused to be overtaken by something that could cause his princess to feel such heartache and devastation.
"So, the humans are more important to you," she said, completely crushed. He watched as a single tear fell from her eye as she looked at him like he wasn't even there, as if she was prepared to be completely annihilated by him.
"Fuck that," Chen Zi Han growled as he forced his unwilling body to stand up and take his woman in his arms. Having her curled up against his chest, he felt like he could finally breathe again. "Let them die," he growled down at her. "You are mine." That statement, that fact that she was his just as much as he was hers snapped something inside of his chest and he tilted his head back to let out a roar.
Li Dai Lu seemed to feel the same as she too arched her back as much as his arms would allow and let out her own scream. "Yours!" she said as she calmed down enough to look at him. "And you are mine."
The band that seemed to snap inside of him felt like it was reaching out to the person in his arms only to be entangled in her own band. As the ties between the two of them tightened, a rush of power and energy filled him up and he couldn't help but let out another roar to the heavens. "Yours," he yelled before he bent down and captured her mouth in a soul-searing kiss. "Forever and always," he promised against her lips as he broke the kiss for just a second before diving back in.
Li Dai Lu was so soft in his arms, pliant to his every need as he deepened the kiss, trying to draw every part of the woman he loved into himself so that they would never be apart. "I will never leave you," he declared just as the world went back and he lost consciousness.
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