Solstice Souls Book 2: Black Fire, White Flame

Fight to the Death

Dark whispering tentacles of black smoke whirled around a single body, a form that, as soon as he was revealed, made Lan Zhan's breath catch, his heart stuttering painfully in his chest. Drawing a single lung full of air was hurting him.

Wei Ying, magnificent in all his glory, was raised high by the resentment energy he could control like child's play. His hair coiled and curled around his face, ebony serpents as alive as he was.

Lan Zhan was so relieved to see him, such a primal emotion, that he sank back further in his seat as the crowds surged forward, shouting their cheers on. They hooted and whistled, and the sound was deafening.

Wei Ying looked around and Lan Zhan wondered if he could sense his presence...but in the next moment...something was happening down there.

Lan Zhan hated that these Wens had taken away Wei Ying's robes, no colour on his bright, beautiful body except for plain black trousers hanging deceptively low on his lean hips, and he was bare-chested...but for a strange neck piece. Designed like a choker, Lan Zhan could see that it was tight around Wei Ying's throat...like a noose...

Lan Zhan loathed that mental picture but the more he studied it, the more he was certain it was not just some piece of jewellery. The droplets of ruby stones were weighing his beloved down, each drop clinging to his beautiful skin...but there was something sinister about it. Those red stones caught the light of the muted sun, fiery and bright, shining like...blood.

And its peculiar size, covering his bare shoulders and the top half of Wei Ying's chest, made Lan Zhan grow concerned.

Moreover, Lan Zhan was incensed at the nerve of these Wens, to keep his Wei Ying in this state of undress so that all and sundry could look their fill at his beloved. Like some circus animal...

His fists were clenched so tightly, Lan Zhan was surprised to see crescent shaped indents on his palm. A little more and he would have drawn blood.

Xiao XingChen quickly placed a warning hand on his knee. He squeezed...enough to catch Lan Zhan's attention back from his spiralling thoughts.

The next tests weren't so bad; of wind and the cold...Lan Zhan supposed they were checking how efficiently Wei Ying controlled the resentment energy...in all climates.

All climates...?

Cold...equalled Cloud Recesses...hot could mean YunMeng and Lotus Cove....wind meant the Unclean Realm.

The Wens were really and truly preparing for something big.

Dread unfurled like a tangled flag in his stomach as Lan Zhan struggled with the implications of his thoughts.

If the Wens were getting ready to attack, that meant they had already made the decision to betray the other Sects...and the attacks could happen at any time, without warning.

Sudden and quick...

A part of Lan Zhan wanted to send immediate messages to all the clan leaders, warning them of what he was seeing...but the rational part of him won out.

By attempting to warn the others, he would be putting himself, his new friends and Wei Ying in danger.

He knew this.

And yet, it didn't make it any easier.

His hand clamped around the red ribbon wrapped around his wrist, holding onto the most tangible connection to Wei Ying he had, praying that whatever he had to face now would be over with fast, with an assured victory.

His heart called out to Wei Ying, sure and true...because if he believed, then good times would come to them. Next month was Wei Ying's birthday and after that...they would marry. Lan Zhan did not dare to think more than that, but he held onto these thoughts like a lifeline. There was his birthmark too, more proof that they belonged to each other.