When Russell arrived with Jia, the courtyard of Tiger Town was bustling with activity. Angus and about thirty of his employees were there. Most of the were-tiger villagers were lurking about, curiously watching the proceedings. They greeted Jia’s sudden appearance with cheers and waves.
Russell gave her a wry look. “They’re glad to have their princess back.”
Rajiv ran up to them and gave Jia a hug. “Thank God you’re back.” He nodded at Russell. “You did the right thing.”
“We have bad news.” Russell waved Angus and his men over and switched to English. “I just talked to Wu Shen. Han’s army is preparing to march on Tiger Town.”
“What?” Rajiv turned to Jia and asked in Chinese, “Han is coming here?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “We need to evacuate the women and children.”
A series of gasps echoed around them, then a flurry of whispering as the news spread among the villagers.
“This is rotten timing,” Rajiv muttered. “Your fiancé is supposed to arrive in a little over a week.”
Jia winced. “Can we postpone his visit?”
Rajiv sighed as he looked around Tiger Town. “We’ll wait to see how the battle goes.”
“How long before Han arrives?” Angus asked in English.
“He plans to lead the attack in four nights,” Russell replied. “This isn’t like Beyul-La, in the middle of the Himalayas. There are roads here, and his army has transport trucks, so they’ll be moving faster.”
Angus nodded. “I’ll call in reinforcements. About a hundred of the soldiers we saved over the last year have promised to help.” He turned to J.L. and Dougal. “Can ye contact them?”
Dougal nodded. “My wife kept a record of all their names and villages.”
“If we divide the villages up, we can reach most of the soldiers tonight,” J.L. said, and the two Vamps dashed to the clinic.
“We have three nights to get prepared,” Russell said. “Wu Shen said they would be mutating new recruits tomorrow.”
“Any idea how many?” When Russell shook his head, Angus continued, “Over the last six months, we’ve taken eighty soldiers prisoner. Thirty more last night. We figure Han has close to three hundred.”
Russell frowned. Even with the hundred rescued soldiers, Angus could pull together a force of less than two hundred. “You should continue attacking Han’s camps for the next three nights. We need to deplete his army as much as possible.”
“Agreed,” Angus said. “We’ll start after we evacuate the women and children.”
Something nagged at the back of Russell’s mind. He was forgetting something. Something Wu Shen had said.
Angus turned to Rajiv. “How quickly can ye coordinate the evacuation? I’ll lend you as many Vamps as I can for teleporting.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Rajiv bounded halfway up the stairs in front of the palace and called in Chinese for the villagers’ attention. They gathered around the base of the stairs, complaining.
“We don’t want to leave!” an elderly man shouted.
Rajiv lifted his hands, but the grumbling increased.
“You can’t make us leave our homes!”
Jia rushed up the stairs to be by her cousin’s side. When Russell followed her, he was jostled by angry were-tigers.
“You all heard the news,” Rajiv announced. “Han’s army is coming here.”
“It’s those vampires’ fault,” an old woman yelled, glaring at Russell. “They came here, and now we’re in trouble.”
Another woman pointed at Russell. “Why was this vampire with our princess? I thought she was with Your Eminence’s brother in Thailand.”
Rajiv exchanged a worried look with Jia.
“She was!” Russell replied. “But when I learned that Tiger Town was in danger, I picked her up on the way here. I knew she would want to be with you.”
Jia slanted him a grateful look before addressing the crowd. “I will do everything I can to help.”
“Then send the vampires away!” the old woman shouted. “If they leave, Master Han will leave us alone.”
“That’s not true,” Rajiv said. “Han and his vampire lords have plagued us for many years, long before we met the good Vamps.”
“There’s no such thing as a good Vamp!” An elderly man shook his fist.
“My grandfather, the Grand Tiger, lost three of his sons to Han and his evil vampire lords.” Rajiv motioned to his cousin beside him. “Lady Jia and I both lost our parents to vampires. How many of you have suffered and lost loved ones because of Master Han?”
The were-tigers grumbled.
“Since we met the good Vamps, all three of Han’s evil vampire lords have been vanquished,” Rajiv continued. “Russell here killed Lord Ming. With help from Jin Long, Jia and I were able to kill Lord Qing. The captive dragon shifter killed Lord Liao. Han is the only one left. We are so close to being free from them forever! Bear with us just a little longer.”
“But we have to leave our homes,” a woman whined.
“Yes,” Rajiv told her. “It is the best way to keep you and your children safe.”
“It shouldn’t be more than a week,” Jia added. “Most of you have relatives in the other colonies. Just spend a few days with them until it’s safe to come back. Think of it as a small vacation.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” another woman muttered. “You haven’t met my mother-in-law.”
Everyone chuckled.
Rajiv smiled. “You have my word. Han will soon be dead, and the vampire menace that has plagued our people for forty years will be over!”
The villagers cheered.
“All men with fighting experience should remain to defend our town,” Rajiv told them. “The rest of you, pack only what you need for a few days, then come to the palace. Lady Jia and I will help you get sorted into groups, according to which colony you wish to go to. Then the good Vamps will take you there.”
The villagers rushed off to their homes to pack.
The warrior women, Neona and Winifred, rushed up the stairs. “Can we help?”
“Yes, thank you.” Jia took the two women into the palace.
“You did well,” Russell told Rajiv.
He snorted. “I never expected to become the Grand Tiger.” With a sigh, he headed up the stairs. “I hope I don’t let them down.”
“You won’t.” Russell followed him. “I never realized until now how much some of the were-tigers dislike vampires.”
“Yeah, we had a bad history with them before you guys came along.” Rajiv gave him an embarrassed look. “I apologize for accusing you of kidnapping Jia. I know she probably begged you to take her. She’s lived for revenge for so long. I kept procrastinating, hoping she would get over it.”
Russell nodded. “She’s very . . . determined.”
Rajiv arched a brow. “You mean stubborn? Anyway, I appreciate you keeping her safe. Rinzen and Tenzen are still in the forest hunting for you. If I call them, will you teleport them back? They’re excellent warriors, so I need them here.”
“I can do that.”
“Thank you.” Rajiv glanced at the open palace door and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Jia might insist on being here for the battle, but I don’t want her in danger. Do you have a safe place you can take her?”
Russell nodded. “I can—”
A bright flash in the sky interrupted them.
“What the—” Russell lifted a hand to shade his eyes from the glare.
A glowing ball of light was falling from the sky and seemed headed straight for the courtyard. The people there dashed to the edge, watching and shouting with great excitement.
“Jia!” Rajiv yelled. “Come see this!”
Jia, Neona, and Winifred emerged from the palace and gaped at the sky.
“I’ve seen this before.” With a grin, Jia clasped her hands together. “When Dou Gal’s wife was captured. They helped us rescue her.”
“They?” Russell asked.
Rajiv nodded, smiling. “They can help us.”
“Who are they?” Neona and Winifred both asked.
As Russell watched, the bright light suddenly split into seven balls of fire that shot down to the courtyard, then hovered just inches above the pavement. Each fireball assumed the shape of a man, holding a sword extended to the sky. Six of the fiery men were in a line, while one stood in front. With a whoosh, the fires extinguished, receding up the men’s bodies till only their swords were left ablaze.
Russell shook his head, hardly believing his eyes. In the courtyard below, there was hushed talk about angels. Some of the villagers fell to their knees and bowed.
The men in question wore pants and sleeveless tunics of royal blue. Their upper arms and wrists were banded in cuffs of gold. Their chests were covered with golden armor, and their heads were crowned with slender gold circlets.
What the hell? Russell raked a hand through his hair. “Who are these guys? Do they always make such a grand entrance?”
Jia nodded. “When they want your attention, they do.”
In unison, the seven men turned their swords of fire, pointing them down to the ground. They lowered their arms, and when the tips of the blades hit the pavement, the fires extinguished.
“I must greet them.” Rajiv ran down the stairs.
Russell and Jia followed him, then Angus joined them.
The six men in line sheathed their swords while the man in front spoke. “Greetings, dear souls. I am Briathos, commander of the Epsilons, fifth unit of God Warriors.”
“I bid you welcome.” Rajiv bowed.
“We’re glad to see you again,” Angus added. “Ye’ve been a great help to us in the past.”
“What exactly did they do?” Russell whispered to Jia.
“They sent Darafer back to hell,” she whispered back.
Russell snorted. “Too bad they didn’t keep him there.”
Briathos turned his head toward Russell and gave him a curious look.
Russell raised a hand in greeting. “Hey, guys. I’m guessing you know where Han is. Tell me, and I’ll get rid of him. Then you can banish Darafer again, and we’ll be done with all the bad guys within an hour. Tiger Town will be saved, and you can go back to heaven to . . . play your harps. Everybody will be happy. What do you say?”
Briathos continued to study him, while the Epsilons behind him exchanged looks.
“Russell,” Rajiv whispered. “You don’t talk to angels like that.”
Russell scoffed. “I’m still trying to believe they’re real.” The more he looked at the so-called angels, the more detailed they appeared, but there was something off about them. They seemed to shimmer in and out of focus, as if they weren’t quite there.
Briathos turned to Angus. “Approximately two hours ago, there was a rupture in your Earth time. As always, these phenomena must be investigated. We have come to report our findings. The demon Darafer stopped time and killed a great number of birds in order to frighten the dragon shifter, Xiao Fang. We will continue to monitor Darafer’s actions. That is all.” He bowed his head. “We bid you good evening.”
“What?” Russell stepped forward. “That’s it? Aren’t you going to do something?”
Briathos arched a brow.
“Why are you carrying around those awesome weapons if you’re not going to use them?”
Briathos sighed. “There is always one like this. You remind me of Dougal Kincaid.”
“I’m Russell.”
“Yes, I know. Allow me to explain—”
“You know me?”
“Yes. In His infinite wisdom, the Heavenly Father has bestowed the gift of free will upon His children. Because of that decree, we are not allowed to interfere in the course of human events—”
“Well, I can believe that!” Russell interrupted. “ ’Cause a lot of crap has happened to me over the years, and where the hell were you?”
Briathos frowned. “We cannot interfere unless someone’s free will has been violated to the point they are forced into evil.”
“My free will was violated when Han put me into a coma for thirty-nine years. My free will was violated when I became a vampire!”
“Yes,” Briathos agreed. “But remember this, Russell Ryan Hankelburg. You did not become evil.”
Russell gulped. This angel guy seemed for real. “What about Xiao Fang? He’s being held prisoner. Isn’t that a violation of his free will?”
“The boy remains strong,” Briathos said. “He has not been forced into evil. We are watching the situation, and the second Darafer crosses the line—”
“Why do we have to wait?” Russell yelled. “Tell me where Han is, and I’ll rescue the boy.”
“All will be revealed in due course. Prepare yourself. Your time is near.”
“I’m ready now! I’ve been ready to kill Han for two years! The bastard took everything from me!”
Briathos regarded him sadly. “You still have more to lose. But even more to gain.”
“What does that mean?” Russell demanded, but Briathos and his band of angels vanished. More to lose? He glanced at Jia. God, no. He couldn’t let anything happen to her.
She stepped closer to him, her face pale. “Han put you in a coma for thirty-nine years?”
He winced. In his anger, he’d said too much.
“Jia.” Rajiv waved her over. “We must hurry with the evacuations.”
She touched Russell’s arm. “We’ll talk later, okay?” She turned and accompanied her cousin up the stairs to the palace.
Russell watched her go, his gut twisting into knots.
“ ’Twill all work out,” Angus assured him. “When Han comes with his army, ye’ll have yer chance to avenge yerself. And when the God Warriors send Darafer to hell, there will be no one left here who will want to call him back. We will finally have peace.”
“I hope so.” Russell started up the stairs. There was something still bugging him, something he’d missed. He replayed the conversation with Wu Shen in his mind. The officer had recited Han’s orders quickly and precisely. What was there to be confused about?
With a jerk, Russell came to a halt. Wu Shen had received those orders tonight. He couldn’t teleport, so he must have taken one of those trucks to see Han. When Russell had talked to Wu Shen, the sun had been set for about an hour and a half.
Russell charged up the stairs and into the palace. Rajiv and the women were taping up signs on the wooden pillars, a different sign for each of the were-tiger colonies. “Rajiv, do you have a map?”
“In my office.” Rajiv pointed to a hallway to the right. “First door.”
Russell ran into the office and spotted the big map on the wall with all of Han’s campsites marked. He located the northernmost one where he’d been earlier that night.
Within driving distance, he thought. Han was hiding close to that camp. Probably within an eighty-mile radius.
“I have you now, you bastard.”