Chapter One: Sabina. Trust A Stranger Only When Pigs - Or Dogs - Fly

Trust A Stranger Only When Pigs - Or Dogs - Fly
Jace and I were just walking through town when it began.

"So what's the next place on the list?" he asked, as though I actually had a list. Which I didn't.

I shrugged, then looked at the sky. "You see that?"

Jace looked up at the semitransparent dogs that floated through the air. "See what?"

Some random person behind Jace looked right at me and shook his head. The message was clear: Don't tell him about the dogs.

"Nothing," I lied, immediately feeling guilty. I've lied before, of course, but never to Jace. Honesty was the one thing we'd always encouraged.

Jace looked around. "Kay, then. So... catch you tomorrow, then?"

It was sort of early - barely three o'clock - but there was nothing else on the list that I didn't have. "Sure. See you tomorrow." I kissed him on the cheek and waved goodbye.

"Yùwàng de qìxí," a hoarse voice said. It was distant, yet seemed sort of - pointed at me, I guess. I didn't know what the words meant, but they sounded Chinese.

The person who said the words was average-sized and very pale. He stared at me with hungry eyes. More of a vicious, deadly, cannibalistic hunger than the kind I'm used to from guys.

The pale guy walked incredibly fast toward me and opened his mouth to reveal a set of fangs. Obviously, my first thought was vampire. My second thought was How do I get out of here?

"Run," the guy who'd had me lie to Jace said. "But hold your breath."

I sucked in a gulp of air and moved silently through the street with the guy following. When the vampire guy was out of sight, I released my breath. "What's going on?"

The guy looked around to make sure nobody was listening. "That was a Jiang Shi. A Chinese vampire. If it had gotten you, it could have consumed your qi, your life force. They are blind, though, so they cannot notice someone who is holding their breath."

"What about those words... yùwàng de qìxí?"

"It means desire's breath in Chinese. Therefore, it is possible you could be an alter for Yue-Lao, the Chinese love god. As for the dogs, those were T'ien Kou. Omens of great disaster."

Oh, swell.

"So now what?" was my final question.

"I will be returning to Mount Penglai. If you wish, you may come as well. Now that you know of your connection to Yue-Lao, the Jiang Shi will be just one of many foes coming for you. Mount Penglai will provide safety, should you choose to come."

I remembered the way the vampire had come so close to catching me. I couldn't just bring more of them out. "Sure. I'll go."