Year of the Dragon (Changeling Sisters Book 3)

by Heather Heffner

  Across the aisle, Ae Cha’s close pack mate Iseul moaned for Yu Li’s help. Dark eyes sharp and unforgiving, Yu Li stepped between Kang and the grandfather. She spoke in short, crisp sentences. I caught something about “custody,” “unmarried,” and “in court.”

  Kang sneered at Yu Li. He caught my brother watching and made a derogatory motion toward him before gesturing obscenely at Yu Li. The word “devil foreigner” was being thrown around, as well as “single mother,” and I doubted Ae Cha’s ex meant anything nice by it.

  Yu Li stayed remarkably calm. However, I spotted the tension seizing her muscles, especially when Kang’s smirk fell upon Young Soo. I caught her eye, and she gave a quick shake of her head. With Kang’s obvious distaste for foreigners, I would only add fuel to the fire if I stepped in. However, we had to quell this dispute soon. Heads were turning on all ends of the hall.

  “Rafael. Namkyu. Kaelan. Bae. Escort this man from the memorial,” Yu Li suddenly spoke in English. “He is disturbing the dead’s rest.”

  Kang’s sneer faltered as the four formidable fighters stepped forward. Selfishly, I realized it couldn’t have been a better display of pack unity. Our pack men didn’t hesitate to answer Yu Li’s command. Kang spit at Miguel’s feet as he exited.

  “Hey.” I put a hand on my brother’s arm. He was shaking. “Are you okay?”

  “What a dick,” Miguel spluttered. “At a memorial, of all places! Ae Cha’s parents better win custody.”

  Yu Li gripped Young Soo’s shoulders. “They will. Even if I have to represent them myself.”

  Across the way, Iseul and Moon hesitated, and then inclined their heads to Yu Li. She smiled in return, and for a moment I felt the distance between our pack mates shorten. However, the moment Yu Li made the effort to walk across the aisle, Iseul and Moon busied themselves in prayer.

  “Your pack handled that man well.”

  I turned to see Xiang approach me, alone. I straightened despite myself. I’d always found Xiang’s hawk-like stare intense, but now I knew he was one of the Elder Life Spirits of Eve. The White Tiger Herself had named him “Fastest Wings in the East.” I’d always resented Xiang’s appointment as leader of the International Were Alliance over Jaehoon, but I couldn’t deny he knew what he was doing. In his presence, no one had one hair—or feather—out of place.

  “I apologize your flock had to witness such an event during our time of mourning,” I replied stiffly.

  Xiang shrugged and gestured for us to step outside. “Many times, the Werefolk come from broken places,” he said, opening a silver tin with a pair of wings inscribed on the lid. “One usually does not become Were by walking the straight and narrow path. Cigar?”

  “No thanks,” I said.

  “They say you always smell like smoke,” Xiang observed, his yellow eyes trained on me as he stuck one in his mouth. I hurried to help him light it but kept silent. I wasn’t about to confirm anything he’d heard about the fractured state of my soul.

  When I bowed and offered Xiang his lighter back, he grabbed my hand. I could feel the energy crackle beneath his wizened skin. I knew his fingers could explode into merciless talons at any second. Goshawks weren’t anchored to the moon the way we wolves were; their shapeshifting powers were attached to the winds. Unfortunately, that meant they could turn during the day. And from the stories I’d heard about Xiang, he wasn’t any ordinary goshawk. His Were burned with the fury of a phoenix.

  “No matter what I may think about a young, inexperienced foreigner leading the wolves at a precarious point in Were history, you are a warrior,” Xiang said softly, his eyes as gold as coins. “We will need fighters. The Lady of Eve spoke to me about the green mist that hides your islands away. The Were War may be over, little girl, but we may have awoken something more terrible still.”

  “The vampyres’ creators. I’ve heard. They are angry we’ve dissembled the Vampyre Court in the East.” I jerked my hand free from his grasp and glared. “We are united on this, Xiang. I may be the new Alpha, but I would never endanger the Were Alliance. I don’t know what more you want from me.”

  Xiang smiled and ruffled my hair. “Be a good dog,” he said, taking short puffs on his cigar. “I will only warn you once, child: disobedience will not be tolerated. So do what you are told and fight when I need you to fight—or you will be replaced by someone who will.”

  I caught Rafael’s scent before I saw him returning from escorting Kang out. He and Namkyu flanked Kaelan, while Bae trailed behind like a lone shadow. Rafael caught my eye and then threw an arm around Kaelan’s shoulder. He leaned in to the Irishman’s ear, no doubt whispering up more trouble.

  “Your wolf Rafael is an avid supporter of hunting down the last vampyre princes, isn’t he?” Xiang asked casually, scuffing the last of the cigar into the memorial’s courtyard. “I never understood why you appointed that Korean woman as your Beta and not him. You two are from the same country, are you not?”

  I held my ground. Demon bubbled up, but I forced Her back with calm, measured breaths. “Understand this, hawk: I will not endanger the Alliance, but I will not sell out South Korea, either. Now is a time for healing and reaching out to others of our kind. There are too few wolves already.” And too many goshawks and tigers. I hadn’t overlooked the North Korean weretiger clan’s absence today.

  “Yes, but South Korea isn’t really your home, is it?” Xiang’s smile broadened as he looked me up and down. “I take back my misgivings about you. Having the little foreigner girl in charge will be fun after all.”

  Demon unfurled in my chest like a cobra. However, before Her acidic words could spew from my mouth, an old, dusty truck rumbled up in the parking lot. None other than the fighting monk Hyeon Bin jumped down from the driver’s seat.

  He helped ten others clamber out of the back. They all had identical grim expressions, coarse black hair, and backs bent from doing harsh labor under the sun. However, their gait was the smooth lope of a wolf’s. My nostrils flared in approval. Our outreach was working. Hyeon Bin and the monks had coaxed out more wolves.

  And a peacock, from the looks of it. The last boy who jumped down landed woozily in his suede shoes. His short black hair was gelled back to reveal a homely face that looked too innocent for the wild violet tuxedo vest and cashmere scarf he sported. A violent shiver ran through his body, which made him tremble every time he took a step. The young man came to stand with the others in line.

  “Mistress Citlalli Alvarez.” They bowed as one. “Annyeong hashimnikka.”

  I smugly brushed past Xiang. “Alpha Alvarez is fine. Where do you come from?”

  “They come from a long, long ways: Jeju-do.” Hyeon Bin’s worried eyes met mine. The closed-off island. “This one used an invention to break the mist for a short time so they could escape. However, it came at a price, and now he can’t stop shaking or remember how he broke through.”

  Hyeon Bin’s finger pointed at the shy young wolf I’d mistook for a flashy peacock. The lad fell forward to grasp my hand. He trembled as if he were being held captive by the icy claws of winter. “It is an honor to meet you, Alpha Alvarez. Your sister is the daughter of the Great Mun Mu. Please: is there any way you can help me? It feels like my heart…is about to go out.”

  I looked up to find a man who was most likely the boy’s father staring pleadingly at me, his horsehair hat gripped between his hands.

  “His name is Ko Siwoo,” he whispered.

  I straightened to find all eyes on me. The heat of Xiang’s gaze scorched my neck. But fire was nothing to me. It had already consumed my flesh and soul. “I may not be able to,” I said, straightening proudly, “but the Great Mun Mu you speak of, Guardian of the East Sea and my kin, will help you, Siwoo-ssi. Your bravery will not be in vain. I swear it.”

  Chapter 15: Mr. Kim

  ~Miguel~

  We were balls deep in the peak of dinner rush when Paulo slouched up and muttered that we were out of tortillas.

  I slapped a hand on the co
unter, sweat rolling down my neck and dampening the color of my freshly pressed manager’s uniform. “You did inventory last night, Paulo. You reported enough tortillas to last the week!”

  My head chef grunted and chewed his gum faster, the only sign his stoic face betrayed that he was upset. “I know, boss. I no know what happen.”

  Spiro’s sarcastic sneer cut through our conversation. “Oh, you ‘no know’? What happened is half of our inventory disappeared overnight. And tortillas don’t just magically roll themselves up and walk away.”

  I struggled to hold back my temper as the seedy night shift manager slouched up. The only thing that could make this situation worse was Spiro. Just because we were a Mexican Restaurant didn’t mean we had to hire the first Mexican who came along! Yet Spiro ‘magically’ spoke fluent Korean, so Mami had promoted him to be my peer.

  I would sooner work alongside a vampyre. At least you could stake them to make them shut up. I wasn’t sure Spiro had a heart to stab.

  Spiro tsked as he looked Paulo’s greasy apron up and down. “Report to the office for disciplinary action immediately. We do not tolerate incompetence here.” His beady little eyes slid slyly in my direction. “Why, just ask Miguel’s sister.”

  “Boss, I no know what happen to tortillas! You must believe me!” Paulo insisted and then switched to trying to explain in Español. I nodded impatiently and held up a hand.

  “Just report to the office, Paulo. I’ll sort this out with Ms. Alvarez.”

  Spiro gave Paulo a half-wave. “Nice knowing you.”

  I rounded on Spiro the moment Paulo’s deflated shoulders disappeared through the swinging doors.

  “Hey. Amigo. What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded.

  Spiro busied himself with sanitizing Paulo’s work station. “Just a little house cleaning. It’s what your madre hired me for.” He paused in the midst of polishing the gleaming butcher’s knife. “Know anyone else who has earned the chopping block?”

  The door flapped in the wind long after I’d slammed it, but I could still see that stupid grin on Spiro’s face between every swing. Jesus Christ, where the hell did Mami find these people? These Koreans were fast learners; surely we could train a few who wouldn’t talk back and swagger around like they were King Dick. Look at Yu Li. I showed her a few tricks with tortillas, and next thing I knew, she was frying up a batch of kimchi tacos for Young Soo.

  This wouldn’t be the first time I’d think Yu Li was too good for me.

  I lit up a Marlboro, leaned against the wall, and waited for Mr. Kim to come out.

  It only took him five minutes. He always needed a smoke break whenever his wife worked the double shift with him at the neighboring convenience store.

  “Amigo, it’s finally happened. My old lady’s gone blind,” I told Mr. Kim after our second cigarette together. “Hired a man who couldn’t land a job as a janitor back home. Somehow the little monkey has the balls to talk shit about my sister and make puppy-love eyes at my mom? Why’s he in Korea in the first place? Did that question slip Mami’s mind when he showed how far he would bend over to kiss her ass?”

  We each exhaled. Mr. Kim’s wife began hollering again. Mr. Kim squatted and clutched his shaven head.

  “Aigoo!” he moaned. “Michigetda! Eotteokhaji?”

  I listened sympathetically, because Mr. Kim’s rants were always very passionate. Even though I had no idea what he was saying, I imagined it had something to do with the set of belting lungs stuck on replay inside. When he paused for breath, I started again:

  “Co-managers, my ass. Doesn’t Mami understand that I have a high-class girlfriend to take care of? Yu Li’s amazing. Been a journalist all over the world. Killed her own vampyre husband to save her son. And now she’s building a case against Ae Cha’s ex-drunk-of-a-boyfriend? She’s amazing, my friend. Girls like this are never interested in me.”

  The moment the words left my mouth, a feeling of deep shame enveloped me. Somewhere out there, Una was a slave to a demon fox. She was doomed to stare through the spirit veil back at the life she’d sacrificed hers for—mine.

  I swallowed hard. I hadn’t grown fur like Citlalli or sprouted wings like Raina, so how the hell could I go after her? I was just your average guy who knew how to use a shank better than most people, but I was still only that: average.

  But I could be a better person. I would take care of Yu Li. For her. Una hadn’t saved me so I could get myself killed going after her.

  Mr. Kim’s speech built to its climax as well. Both of us finally sank against the wall, the last of our cigarette embers chasing dirty napkins and broken pride down the street.

  Ae Cha’s husband lurched out of the nearby soju bar. I stiffened as he crouched and spat, ran sticky hands through his thinning hair, and then spat again. I’d asked Yu Li how Ae Cha had ended up with him, and she’d typically refused to say until the man began threatening to take Ae Cha’s children. Ae Cha had been a comfort woman in one of Itaewon’s most popular “night clubs” before she turned Were. I always asked Daniella if she had heard anything about certain clubs before heading out, even though she made me feel guilty just for asking.

  “You have a proper girlfriend for once in your life, Miguel,” she would lecture me sternly. “One who has led a fascinating career and does extraordinary things. I like her. Now, set an example for Citlalli and Raina for once: quit playing around.”

  She had no way of knowing that Raina had no interest in boys right now, and Citlalli had shown incredible maturity by kicking that Rafael guy to the curb. However, given Citlalli’s unpredictable dating streak, I decided that maybe Daniella did make sense. As usual.

  Maybe she could think of a way to deal with Kang.

  “You!” The soju high unfortunately gave him the impression that he could speak comprehensible English. “You! Bad, devil foreigner! You try and take my children! I take you!”

  “You’ll take me? Where, Kang-head? I’d suggest the bar, just so you can have one last drink to shut you up.”

  He glared at me and tried to take another step, which turned into a stumble. “I kill you!”

  “So you finally found the right word. Congratulations. Just to let you know, you might want to get in line for that one.”

  Disappointingly, his buddies caught up to him, and they were in much soberer spirits. Shooting me distrustful looks, they escorted the babbling Kang away, who repeated, “I kill you,” over and over again. I blew him a kiss.

  Mr. Kim had peeled an entire persimmon and eaten it while watching the show. He put down his knife, leaned forward, and said in slow, methodical English, so there was no way I could misunderstand:

  “Dude. You in deep shit, man. Very deep.”

  Chapter 16: The Job Interview

  ~Citlalli~

  A fishing boat deck creaked beneath my feet. The voices of fishermen were a distant echo in my head. I heard the hard slap of wet rope as the crew hauled up their catch, and the scent of salty fish brine burned my nostrils. I didn’t care. For as far as my eye could see, a greater net spread before us: the malevolent green mist. It shrouded the sea beyond in shadows, and our small fishing trawler was heading straight toward it.

  I tried to warn the fishermen, but then the mist struck. It darkened to the color of angry thunderheads and then poured into my open mouth, choking me. I struggled to shift, but more tendrils wrapped around my wrists and ankles, elevating me into the air. I gagged as the mist thickened into something solid: burnt hair. Maya’s.

  I fought to break free of her inky black hair, but the strands expanded to eclipse the horizon. The fishing boat rocked on the waves. Suddenly, it turned around, the fog bidding it to return to port. I screamed soundlessly, and more mist poured in.

  “Citlalli!”

  Una. Her voice was small and distorted, as if held prisoner underwater. Snarling, my canines dropped, and I bit through the hair binding me. I thrashed around in the terrifying nightscape, but there was only one place the Doorkeeper could
be: on the other side.

  “Beware, Citlalli!” Una cried again. “None can pass unless They wish it.”

  Don’t worry, Una. I’m coming. Holding my breath, I pushed one toe through the mist. And then another. The fog congealed as if I were wading through blankets of blackcurrant jelly, and I stumbled. Demon swelled up within me, and then one of my hands exploded in flame: a lone candle flickering upon the midnight sea.

  The mist began to writhe in pain, and the tendrils of black hair parted. For an instant, I saw the age-old, rheumy eye of a giant tortoise with an obsidian shell staring back at me. Then the hair snapped back in place. I pushed frantically through the inky waves until I touched what felt like human skin. Then the deathless, pale face of Maya screamed in my ear.

  My flaming hand went dark. Trapped, I did the only thing I could think of: I dove. The waves rushed up over my head, but I felt the icy claws of the Vampyre Queen scrape my scalp, ripping out a piece of my hair. The infinite well of the ocean spread deep and dark below me. Terrified out of my mind, I paddled as fast as I could until the pressure built up inside of my head.

  Then the world exploded.

  ***

  I woke to Siwoo shaking my shoulder.

  “Are you okay?” he exclaimed. “The group interview is about to start!”

  A jolt of reality rushed through my body. The Yong Enterprises job interview. Springing to my feet, I realized I was standing in the stark white lobby of the secretive company dressed in a pencil skirt and blouse. Thankfully, the receptionist hadn’t returned yet.

  “How long was I out?” I whispered.

  Siwoo shook his head. “You start acting funny after we pass through Rainbow Room.”

  The place where the veil between the waking world and Eve was the thinnest. I shook my head again to clear it of sleep. The White Tiger was right. Unsolicited journeys to the spirit world were becoming more common the longer Una was under the vampyre princes’ control. When I touched my scalp, I felt a raw bump where a piece of my hair had been torn out.