Year of the Dragon (Changeling Sisters Book 3)

by Heather Heffner

  Suddenly, Ankor found himself holding a thrashing wolf. I bucked him to the floor and then snarled in his face, planting a pinning paw on his chest. Ankor’s eyes narrowed. I saw motes of color begin to swirl inside them like a brooding tempest. Too late, I realized that he was all-in, too. Desperate, I tried to scramble to safety, but Ankor seized my forelegs and shot a bolt of electrocuting energy. It tore through my chest and crippled my brain with blistering, white-hot pain.

  I whimpered, twitching sporadically on the floor. Panting, Ankor jumped to his feet with sparks hissing from his fingertips. He spared me one regretful glance. Then the rogue dragon prince was gone.

  Chapter 36: Call to Arms

  ~Raina~

  The streets of Siem Reap were heavily crowded for so early in the morning. They were weighed down by groaning carts, rickshaws, and rivers of people carrying baskets of colorful wares. I gazed at the third scar on my palm, which was from a macaque monkey’s tooth. It stood out puckered and red next to the jackdaw’s footprint and the tiger’s claw mark. Remembering the savage darkness deadening the Monkey’s eyes, I prayed it wasn’t infected.

  And that I’d still have a hand left after facing the final guardian: the Serpent.

  Heesu stood on tiptoe beside me, scanning the throngs of people for any sign of our taxi. I remembered how she had kept a cool and steady head during the Third Trial while Sun and I had quarreled. Heesu had been shaken by our fight’s intensity, but on the morning of our departure back to Seoul, she was calm and free from the night’s terrors. It seemed so inconceivable that I had come so far in the Trials of Wisdom, and even more so that the older, indomitable twins had failed. Yet watching my younger half-sister stand alert and unfazed in the dawn’s dusty light, I realized how foolish I was for not noticing earlier— Heesu was a leader. She didn’t alienate others; they were drawn to her. She could do something the rest of us couldn’t: she could inspire.

  Sun Bin wound her way through the bustling hotel lobby and joined us by our luggage. She tipped up her sunhat to reveal giant sunglasses that she hadn’t taken off since yesterday, and I knew it was to hide her reddened eyes. Glued to her hand was an old flip phone. She had reluctantly settled for it at a thrift shop after making me pinkie-swear that I would buy her another one at Dongdaemun Market the second we arrived home.

  “Nyssa took a flight home last night,” our older sister greeted stiffly. I couldn’t tell because of the sunglasses, but it seemed to me that her gaze was fixated on our marked palms. “I tried calling Appa to see if she made it home safely, but he won’t pick up. I guess I’ve disappointed him, too.”

  Heesu tucked her marked hand into her pocket and put the other on Sun Bin’s shoulder. “Nyssa just needs time to cool off, unni.”

  Sun Bin sniffed and looked away. “I always knew someday Nyssa wouldn’t want to be with someone like me. I don’t think I can fix this. I’ve always been this way. It’s who I am.”

  “Who wouldn’t want to date a raging bitch?” Heesu said blithely. I nearly choked, but the comment made Sun Bin smile.

  “You’ve got a mouth on you now. Who is to blame for that? I know it isn’t Raina,” the Winter Dragon joked, putting Heesu in a mock headlock.

  I smiled and turned away as my cellphone rang. I hesitated—international rates were an astronomical pain—but then I recognized Citlalli’s number.

  “We have a problem.” My half-sister’s voice was rigid and unsteady, as if she’d walked into a wall. Or been thrown into one. “Are the Yong girls with you?”

  “Of course.” I gestured for Sun Bin and Heesu before putting her on speaker. “What’s up?”

  “It’s Ankor.” Citlalli’s voice choked up with pain, and I watched both Yong sisters move protectively closer to one another. “He’s gone on a crazy solo mission to bring down the Emerald Veil himself.”

  “For Christ’s sake!” Sun Bin swore and hunched close to the phone. “I knew my brother wasn’t right in the head after losing the Second Trial. You couldn’t stop him from leaving, wolf?”

  There was a pause. “I tried,” Citlalli finally admitted. “He pumped me full of electricity.”

  “Bollocks.” Sun Bin turned and began texting rapidly on her phone. I gripped Heesu’s hand and said in a low voice, “Citlalli, why does Ankor think he can bring down the mist?”

  “Fred told him how,” my half-sister said bitterly. “That nine-tailed rat convinced him that there is such a thing as an ‘Imugi’s Pearl’ that the vampyre princes are searching for. Ankor believes that if he can find it, he can heal his broken soul and become a whole dragon again.”

  Sun Bin pushed her way up to the phone. “I’ve changed our flight,” she said breathlessly. “Citlalli, can your pack meet us in Busan? We’ve got to go after him.”

  Heesu looked at her sister in alarm. “We can’t fly with an army of wolves on our backs.”

  “We’re taking Appa’s boat. I have access through the company.” Sun Bin’s eyes hardened into silvery diamonds. “If those bloodsuckers think they can trap my brother and get away with it, then they’re in for a scaly surprise.”

  It was a plan born out of pure adrenaline and panic. I began to shake my head, but Citlalli spoke up excitedly: “Rafael used to be a boat captain back in Hawai’i. He would take divers out all around O’ahu.”

  “Isn’t Rafael not speaking to you right now?” I pointed out, but Citlalli refused to be deterred.

  “He will come,” she insisted. “His hatred of vampyres is greater than his quarrels with us.”

  I threw up my hands in exasperation, but Sun Bin nodded approvingly. “Think about it,” she said. “If Ankor does know the way through the mist, then we must be there to see it.”

  I sighed, but Heesu stomped her foot impatiently. “It’s settled, then. Our brother needs us, Raina. TAXI!” she yelled, jumping in the face of a startled cart driver.

  I glanced at the clouds brooding overhead, remembering the Monkey’s warning to proceed to the Final Trial off the coast of Bongil Beach without delay. The first few patters of rain began to fall, and I hurried to load our suitcases with doubt twisting like a knife in my heart.

  Chapter 37: Out to Sea

  ~Citlalli~

  The sleek, white catamaran was docked in southern Busan’s harbor, a giant amongst the smaller sailboats and fishing vessels. Navy blue characters spelled out Sun Young on its bow.

  “Our mother’s name,” Sun Bin told me as our two groups met. “The boat moves like a dream, in honor of her. My mother was a rare dreaming dragon with three sets of eyes: one pair to see back into the past, one to look upon the present, and the third to gaze ahead into the future. Most of the time her present eyes were closed, and we didn’t know where she was or what she saw.”

  I shivered. The frustration of having a mother present physically but never mentally at home when you needed her… “I’m sorry, Sun Bin. I had no idea.”

  Sun Bin played with her hair absent-mindedly as she gazed at the boat’s name and then shook herself, all business once more. “I checked the company’s log. My brother already signed out the smaller fishing boat.”

  I glanced behind her, and there were Raina and Heesu. My younger sister looked sunburned and exhausted from the flight, but her smile glowed with quiet pride as she fell into me for a hug.

  “You did it,” I whispered, turning her palm over. “You’re going to the Final Trial.”

  “In Eve.” A slight twitch in Raina’s brown eyes betrayed her fear. “Heesu and I will go to Bongil Beach to find the Fourth Guardian after we stop Ankor.”

  “We can drop you off on the way there,” I said quickly.

  “No, we’re going with you first to save our brother,” Heesu chimed in fiercely. “If there’s any flying involved for a quick escape, then you’re going to need us. The dragons are done hiding from these rotting corpses. Let’s show them what happens when they mess with the East.”

  I caught Sun Bin’s eye, and she shrugged, grinning. I began
to ask where Nyssa was, but Raina hastily intervened with a shake of her head.

  Yu Li, Taeyang, and my pack approached in camouflage gear with tote bags slung over their shoulders. I hadn’t known what else to do with Taeyang except to bring him along. If Khyber wanted me to protect his soul, then the least Taeyang could do was be useful with his healing powers. As for Miguel, he had grumpily stayed behind in Seoul, resigned to his fate as the pack’s honorary babysitter. I’d advised him that Young Soo could be placated by marathons of Angry Birds.

  Bae hurried to grab Yu Li’s bag and load it with the others. Yu Li bowed to the Yong girls, who inclined their heads in turn.

  “So you’re the new Alpha who took Citlalli down a peg,” Sun Bin said cheekily. “Welcome aboard.”

  Yu Li snorted. “Citlalli knew she had it coming.”

  Su Bin’s eyes lit up. ‘That’s right! Raina told me you two had a thing for the same guy. Now, where is this notorious Rafael whom I’m supposed to entrust my father’s boat to?”

  I glanced at Yu Li. She sighed. “I left him another voicemail this morning.”

  “Same,” I muttered.

  “Alpha Ahn! Beta Alvarez!”

  We turned to be greeted by the gray-robed monks of Peomeosa Temple, led by Una’s uncle, Won Hyeon Bin. His followers bowed and presented us with several lacquered boxes that had the eternity symbol engraved upon them.

  “So. You set sail to take the fight to the vampyres.” Hyeon Bin glanced out across the rain-tossed bay, where early morning ferries had just returned from attempting to cross the Emerald Veil—and failed. Their passengers cheerfully disembarked, already forgetting the reason for their travel.

  I grabbed his hand. “Don’t worry. We will bring Una home. This may be our one chance to see how to cross the mist.”

  Hyeon Bin nodded. “We have been experimenting since the Emerald Veil appeared. I do not know what charm or spell the kumiho gave Ankor to survive the crossing, but within these boxes you will find a special tea. When you approach the Emerald Veil, even though your company has the spirit sight, the mist’s power will be very great. It will urge you to forget your purpose. The ginseng tea will help keep your minds clear.”

  I bowed. “Kamsahamnida, Brother Hyeon Bin. Your order has been most kind to us.”

  Hyeon Bin’s broad features broke into a wry smile. “Your fight is ours, Citlalli. I will alert the White Tiger to begin gathering the Elder Life Spirits. They must be ready to strike if you are able to destroy the Veil.”

  “Can She keep out the part where I’m borrowing Appa’s boat?” Sun Bin shrugged as we glanced at her. “Hey, your lover boy isn’t here, so I’m going to have to get creative to drive this thing.”

  Raina’s phone pinged, and she looked up quickly. “Rafael just arrived. The bus dropped him off.”

  I stared at her in disbelief. “How did Rafael get your number?”

  She opened her mouth, but I was already overriding her: “Hang on, why is he texting you?”

  “Well, Alvarez, your younger sister didn’t stab me in the back,” a casual, smooth voice replied. Rafael brushed past me with a hefty bag on his shoulder, and I caught a whiff of his spiced sandalwood scent, regaling me with memories of sweet intimacy. Shaking myself, I shot a glance over my shoulder to make sure Taeyang was already on board. I wasn’t sure how I was going to keep them apart, but there was no way I was going to let Rafael gut the ship’s one-and-only medic.

  The tall rogue werewolf sauntered up to Raina’s side and threw an arm around her shoulder. “As far as I’m concerned, anything you have to say to me can go through Miss Dragon Princess here.”

  “Really, Rafael,” Yu Li said coolly. “This isn’t the time for displays of immaturity.”

  He snapped his fingers in her direction. “Neh, Alpha— Oh, wait. You banished me. So excuse me if I make a point of doing the opposite of everything you say.”

  Sun Bin stepped between us and folded her arms. “He’s charming. I can see what you both saw in him. Now listen, tough guy: they didn’t call you here for the company. Can you captain this boat or not?”

  Rafael gazed out to sea, still standing uncomfortably close to Raina for my liking. “Not much of a wind out there. It’s dead. Unnaturally so. Lucky for us, that means we won’t face adverse conditions far out at sea.” He snatched a phone out of Bae’s hands. “That doesn’t mean you should plan to catch up on your reading. Unless your plan is to get seasick on the vampyres, keep your eyes on the horizon.” He tossed Bae’s phone up and down and nodded at Sun Bin. “How much of a lead does your brother have on us?”

  “Ankor left yesterday at 06:00,” Sun Bin said in a low voice. “We can track him by radar. My father had all company boats fitted with trackers.”

  Rafael gave a low whistle and looked the Sun Young up and down. “Your brother’s fishing boat could go up to thirty knots. We’ll catch him by midnight, if all the wolves can march their tails onboard, please.” He paused beside Yu Li and me to gesture up the ramp, his eyebrow raised in challenge. “As captain, I expect all orders to be followed without question.”

  “Congratulations. You finally have your own crew for the next twenty-four hours. But captain or not, you touch my sister again and I will stage a mutiny,” I growled, elbowing past him and ignoring his insufferable grin.

  “What did we see in him?” I muttered to Yu Li as Rafael’s slender shadow departed through the pilothouse door with Sun Bin. “Besides the great body.”

  Yu Li placed her chin on her hands. “And the caring, sensitive eyes that get very sexy when angry.”

  I hesitated and then folded my arms tightly. “I am sorry, Yu Li. I was young and stupid, but I shouldn’t have messed with your relationship.”

  “You should be sorry.” Yu Li brushed past me. “Now I am stuck with your brother. And you will always be stuck with me.”

  “I shudder to think about it.”

  “You are the most horrible little sister anyone could wish for,” she agreed.

  “I would rather take sisterly advice from a vampyre.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her smile, and I turned away before she could catch mine.

  Chapter 38: Sun Charm

  ~Raina~

  I leaned over the rail of the catamaran. The dark indigo of the night made it impossible to discern how far out we were at sea. Citlalli, Heesu, and the Seoul werewolves had fallen asleep in the bunks, while Sun Bin and Rafael manned the cabin. Guilt twisted in my gut. Somewhere out there, Ankor’s eyes would also be stung wide awake by the salt of the sea as an encroaching green mist slowly eclipsed his vision.

  I shook my head. We would find him before the vampyres got him, even if I had to choke down another kettle of that potent ginseng tea. The others had passed out after their first cup, but for some reason, it stimulated my senses until I was unable to sleep. Idly, I twirled my finger. As if on cue, dolphins made out of froth and moonlight sprang forth from the sea to race the waves.

  “Impressive.”

  I stiffened, regaled by the unnatural coldness that descended upon the warm summer night. Slowly, I pivoted and found myself meeting the storm-washed eyes of Vampyre Prince Khyber.

  He descended upon our boat soundlessly, leaving only a faint scent of cold, dead skin to signal his presence. I shook my head. I should have known Khyber would mysteriously appear if his life partner was in danger.

  The eldest vampyre prince was dressed for war, garbed in black-plated armor with slots for his midnight wings to beat like leaping shadows above his head. Khyber’s skin was sallow white, and his jet-black hair tangled around his ears, looking frayed at the edges. I swallowed. Khyber may have worn armor, but it couldn’t hide the fact that he looked like a fading specter wearing it. I wondered, not for the first time, if the vampyre prince would continue to weaken while Taeyang grew in strength.

  Khyber glided over to join me at the railing. His pale marble lips smiled as he watched my dolphins, which was a sight as rare as a blood mo
on. “The spirits whisper of your great powers. I see you are growing into them.”

  “Not much to do right now but practice.” I plunged my hands into the pockets of my sweatshirt self-consciously.

  Khyber shrugged casually out toward the ink sea. “So? Why don’t you help the boat move faster?”

  I glanced at him sideways beneath my lashes. My left hand traveled out to where I could feel the wind whistling around my fingertips. Suddenly, I snapped my hand into a fist and pulled. The wind obliged, chasing the tide into a rising wave the boosted us like a royal chariot towed by dolphins of foam and starlight. I felt the sharp tip of Khyber’s wing graze my skin, and the dolphins stuttered.

  Khyber turned toward me, and his look was pitying. “Are you afraid of what will happen with us out here alone? Together?”

  I should have been. The thick cloak of night, the scent of a vampyre so close—but ocean spray continually flecked across my skin, keeping my head clear and making my breathing easier. I was safe. I wasn’t there.

  So I said instead: “Is that why you haven’t come to see me before now?”

  “Yes.” Khyber smiled sadly out at the playful dolphins. “You are poised to become the next Celestial Dragon, Raina. You no longer need protecting from anyone. Except me.”

  I stared at him, anger and confusion churning in my stomach. “But you asked me to keep it safe for you.”

  He raised an eyebrow. I revealed the ancient sun charm bracelet I’d kept hidden in my pocket. It was unbearably old, from back when Khyber had still been human. It was woven with bird’s nest twigs that had begun to fray. Upon the charm, an old Hanja character spelled out the word for sun.

  “You told Citlalli,” I continued, staring at the deck with hot tears blurring my eyes. “You said one day I would give this back to you. I thought on that day that you—that we—”