“I hope there will be more females.” Lydia handed Norjee a fresh loaf of bread. “By the end of the last cycle, we had only five females left. That’s why there are five nests.”

Neona sighed. “The cycle before that, we had fifteen nests.”

Zoltan winced. The dragons were dying out.

“What do you mean by cycle?” Emma asked.

“They live for about five hundred years,” Neona explained. “Then the females lay their eggs and die. The males die soon after. If the last male doesn’t manage to survive till all the eggs are hatched and the dragon children are able to take care of themselves, then the whole hive can perish.”

“That’s why they made a pact with us,” Lydia added. “Three thousand years ago, when the original three women came here, there was one male dragon left, and he feared he would die before the eggs would hatch.”

“The old dragon made a pact with the three women,” Neona said. “They were given the Living Water and this valley to live in. In exchange, they were to become the mothers of the new hatchlings. It is our sacred duty to protect the young ones until they can shift and take care of themselves.”

“Then they take care of us.” Freya used her piece of bread to sop up the last of her soup. “They lift the heavy stones to help us build our homes. And they snatch up donkeys and goats and bring them here.”

“And these are the only dragons left?” Emma asked.

“As far as we know,” Neona said. “Thousands of years ago, they existed all over Europe and Asia. But some are hit by lightning and die. Or sometimes they have hunting accidents. When they dive down at great speeds to catch prey, they can crash into each other or into trees. Others are killed by slayers. There was a time when stragglers would fly here from Europe or eastern China, seeking refuge. The last one from Europe came over a thousand years ago.”

Zoltan nodded. “They became extinct there. I don’t recall ever seeing one.”

Norjee sat up suddenly and looked toward the cave.

Emma inhaled sharply. “What was that?”

“Norjee heard the young ones,” Freddie whispered. “I have the gift, so I can hear them, too. Norjee is answering them.”

Norjee jumped to his feet and ran toward the cave just as the oldest dragon shifter dashed out.

The two boys stopped and looked at each other. Norjee reached a hand out to touch Xiao Fang’s shoulder. The dragon boy grinned.

“What is going on?” The queen marched from the cave, frowning. She halted when she saw the two boys.

Neona jumped to her feet. “Your majesty, this is Minerva’s son. Norjee. He has her gift.”

Nima’s face turned pale.

“Xiao Fang is inviting Norjee to sleep in the cave with him and the other children,” Freddie whispered. “Norjee has agreed.”

Norjee glanced back at Neona and grinned. He dashed toward her, gave her a hug, then ran back to Xiao Fang. The two boys went inside the cave.

Freddie smiled, her eyes glistening with tears. “Xiao Fang is calling Norjee his brother.”

The queen stepped toward them, frowning at Emma. “They have told you all our secrets now?”

“We will do everything in our power to keep the dragon children safe,” Emma promised her.

Nima nodded, then scowled at the other women. “Go to your homes to rest. I will watch over the young ones for now.” She marched back into the cave.

“Good night, then.” Tashi poured a bucket full of ashes on top of the fire to extinguish it.

“That reminds me.” Emma watched the fire die. “From now on, no visible fires in this valley or the next. Liao will be looking for us, so the valleys must remain dark.”

“We understand,” Freddie told her. “Good night.” She and Freya gathered up the dirty dishes and took them to the storeroom. Lydia and Tashi followed them with the cookware.

“Where will you do your death-sleep?” Zoltan asked Emma.

“Tiger Town. Most of the Vamps are teleporting there before sunrise.” She tilted her head, gazing at the cave. “Do you hear them, Zoltan?”

“No. I only hear animals. The kind without wings.”

“Maybe it’s because I was a telepath before I was transformed.” Emma turned to him and Neona. “I can hear them. Every word.”

Chapter Twenty-three

It was well after the noon hour when Neona woke up. She stretched in bed, marveling at how much her life had changed in the past week. Zoltan was in his death-sleep, sprawled na**d on top of Minerva’s bed. She smiled, remembering how they had made love again before sunrise; cl**ax number six, he’d called it. When death-sleep had crept over him, he’d moved to Minerva’s bed for fear that any contact between them during that time might cause her to die. She didn’t know if that was true, but it was certainly too big a risk to find out.

She wondered how Norjee was doing and smiled again. He and Xiao Fang had become instant friends.

After dressing, she retrieved the flask of Living Water from her chest and added more to each of Zoltan’s bottles of blood. Guilt nagged at her as she screwed the caps back on. It was wrong to deceive him like this. Tonight she would tell him the truth.

She brushed his hair back from his brow, then smoothed a hand over his broad shoulder to his arm, lingering on the bulge of his bicep. Her gorgeous vampire. Somehow they would have a future together.

After slipping out the door, she made a quick trip to the outhouse, then washed up in the stream. Hopefully, the others were already up and had cooked a midday meal in the cave. The children would be hungry.

The night before, when the others had gone to their homes to sleep, she’d returned to the next valley for target practice. Zoltan had introduced her to more of the vampires and shifters, but there had been so many she had trouble recalling their names. Howard she remembered. The giant were-bear was in charge of the operation during the day. Emma and her husband, Angus, were in charge at night. They had divided everyone up into six teams, each one comprised of three vampires, three shifters, and a woman warrior of Beyul-La.

Neona’s team included Zoltan and two other vampires called Jack and Dougal. They both had odd accents, and one of them was wearing a skirt, but they seemed very friendly. The three shifters on the team were Howard and his twin nephews, Jesse and Jimmy. Howard admitted that the two younger were-bears were still in training, but not to worry. If they messed up, he would clobber them.

Jimmy and Jesse had watched her practice, and each time she’d hit a target, they’d cheered and offered her something to eat from a white box. BEARs, they called them, which stood for Bearrific Energizing Attitudinal Restorative. Howard called them donuts. Apparently, the were-bears had brought a huge supply.

Before leaving for Tiger Town to do their death-sleep, the vampires had teleported a shifter from each team to where Russell was watching Lord Liao’s progress. As a vampire, Russell planned to retreat to a safe place for his death-sleep. During the day, the six shifters would follow Liao’s army, and when search parties went out, the shifters would divide up to track them.

From Neona’s team, Jimmy had been selected to be their scout. After sunset, he would call his team and the three vampires would teleport Howard, Jesse, and Neona to where he was located so the attack could begin. Zoltan had cautioned her to get plenty of rest during the day, for they had a long night ahead of them.

Now, as she strode inside the cave, she found the other women relaxing around a small campfire. Freddie and Freya were reading their books. Nima and Tashi were napping on pallets. Lydia was spooning soup into four bowls for the children. Neona filled a fifth bowl for herself and helped Lydia carry the trays of food into the larger cavern.

At some point during the day, Norjee must have left the cavern to collect pinecones, for there were two dozen of them on the cavern floor, and he and Xiao Fang were running about kicking them and laughing.

Neona stopped to listen to Norjee’s laughter. Even Lydia smiled at the sound of it. But it was Xiao Fang’s laughter that surprised her. Because their throats were designed for breathing fire, the dragon children were incapable of speech. They were taught to comprehend Tibetan and Chinese, but they couldn’t respond. The only way to hear their thoughts was through someone who had the gift, like Nima, Freddie, or Norjee.

The sound coming from Xiao Fang was an odd cross between a bark and a wheeze. It was only the joy on his face that let her know it was a laugh. How sad that he’d been alive for six years, yet this was the first time she’d heard his laughter. She smiled at Norjee. The boy had a way of bringing joy into people’s lives.

He ran up to her, grinning. “I was wondering when you would come. I missed you.”

She set down the tray and hugged him. “I was up all night, so I slept late. How are you?”

“Great!” He wrapped an arm around Xiao Fang’s shoulders. “I have a brother now who’s a dragon!”

“I see that.” Neona motioned to the tray. “Are you brothers hungry?”

Norjee and Xiao Fang sat, side by side, and ate. They kept glancing at each other, so Neona figured they must be communicating. The other two dragon children, Huo and Chu, ate their soup while casting forlorn looks at Xiao Fang. Neona suspected they were feeling left out.

“Can I take Xiao Fang outside to play?” Norjee asked.

Lydia shook her head. “The queen prefers for the dragon children to remain safe inside the cave.”

“Why?” Norjee asked.

Lydia sighed. “Because we have to keep them safe. They are the only dragons left.”

“But Xiao Fang wants to be free,” Norjee argued.

“He can be free when he grows up,” Lydia said. “Finish your meal.”

Norjee frowned, then ate more soup.

As Neona ate, she became aware that Norjee and Xiao Fang were exchanging sly glances. The two were definitely planning something. “When was the last time you bathed, Norjee?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Neona gave him a sharp look. “Did you know that dragons have highly sensitive noses? They can smell prey from miles away. Or dirty little boys.”

Norjee looked at Xiao Fang, who wrinkled his nose, then grinned. Norjee glanced at the other two dragon children and winced. “They say I’m stinky.”

Neona nodded. “There’s a place close by where we dammed up part of the stream to make a small pool. I’ll take you there so you can bathe. And if Xiao Fang wants to come along, he’s welcome.”

Norjee sat up, grinning. “Really?”

“Your mother won’t approve,” Lydia mumbled.

“They’ll be safe. I’ll watch over them.” Neona stood.

Norjee jumped up and hugged her. “Thank you, Mama!”

Her heart lurched, and she froze for a moment while the word Mama reverberated in her head. Tears sprang to her eyes.

Norjee linked arms with Xiao Fang. “Let’s go!”

“Help me carry the dishes back to the storeroom.” Neona leaned over to retrieve the bowls, but Norjee beat her to it, gathering all five bowls onto a tray, then picking it up.

With a smile, she motioned toward the narrow entrance. “This way. And be quiet so you don’t wake up the queen.”

When they dropped off the dirty dishes in the storeroom, Neona grabbed two towels, two clean sets of clothes, and some soap. The boys scampered ahead of her, following her instructions to find the pool a short way upstream. By the time she arrived, they’d already stripped and were bouncing around the pool, splashing each other.

She glanced at the burial mounds situated far up the hillside. “He’s here, Minerva. Your son is home.”

When the sun was lowering in the sky, she walked the two freshly scrubbed boys back to the cave. “You understand about tonight?”

Norjee nodded. “The queen explained it to us. You have to go fight the bad men.”

“Yes, we’ll be busy all night. Take turns watching over the eggs. The queen’s owl will be with you. And my pet leopard, Zhan. If anything happens, send them to the next valley to alert us. We’ll come immediately.”

“Xiao Fang says not to worry. We’ll be fine.” Norjee gave her a worried look. “But you might be in danger.”

She hugged him. “I’ll be fine, too. I’ll be with three vampires and three guys who shift into giant bears!”

Norjee’s eyes lit up. “This place is a lot more fun than the monastery!”

“Is everyone ready?” Angus asked.

Neona checked her weapons once again. Her sword was sheathed, her quiver was full of arrows, her bow rested on her shoulder, and her knife was strapped to her calf. Wedged under her tight sword belt was her dart gun, and the pouch nearby was stuffed full of darts. She was dressed in plain brown linen, topped with a Kevlar vest, and her hair was pulled back into a tight braid.

Angus checked his watch. “The calls will start coming in soon. We need to take out as many as possible tonight. Once Lord Liao realizes his men are disappearing, he will retaliate. That’s when the shit will hit the fan. Be prepared.”

Neona gave Zoltan a worried glance, and he smiled and squeezed her hand. It was dark, since no fires were allowed, but in the moonlight, she managed to spot Winifred with her team. She was standing close to Jin Long Wang. Their team had three werewolves. Freya was on the team that had were-tigers.

A phone buzzed, and Emma answered it. “Got it.” She hung up. “That was Russell. He’s located Liao and the major part of the army. After you’ve neutralized your target, teleport your scout back to Russell so he can follow another search party. Then we’ll start round two.”