Read Online Autumn Moon by Karen Michelle Nutt - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karen Michelle Nutt
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killed, was she the one I met yesterday?”
“Yes. She’s worked with me for the last three years. She was my friend, Jairec.”
“I’m sorry. This will be harder on you then. You do realize we need to stop her from rising.”
“What do you mean?”
“You see what happened to me. Whoever is orchestrating these attacks, isn’t taking precautions to make sure his victims don’t rise. My brother and I are proof of that, don’t you think? Do you really want Loann to suffer our fate?”
“Better than being dead.”
“Autumn, I am dead. This isn’t living. I’m dangerous.”
“Not to me, you aren’t.”
He let out a deep sigh. “I don’t know why but you keep me grounded so to speak.”
“Yin-yang.”
“Aye. Good and evil.”
“No, I bring out the good in you—balance your existence, stop you from teetering to the dark side and you stop me from suppressing all my feelings.”
His mouth curved into a grin and she caught a glimpse of his fangs. “I make you a bad girl.”
Heat surged to her cheeks and she knew she blushed. “You’ve made me appreciate living and … being a woman.”
“Wow, all that from a dead man. Seriously, I think you need to see someone about that.”
“I wish you would stop saying that.”
“Autumn, it’s true. I’d like to say there’s a future for us, but how can there be when you’re living and I’m destined for hell.”
“We’ll figure this out. Don’t give up hope yet.” She walked into his arms and leaned against him. “There must be something I’m missing. Something that will help us break the curse.”
“Autumn, what is going on?” Chin’s voice boomed from the door, the chime overhead, warning Jairec and Autumn a moment too late that they were no longer alone.
Autumn and Jairec pulled apart and faced him.
“Grandfather,” Autumn squeaked.
Who is this man?” He eyed Jairec suspiciously before his eyes widened.
“Grandfather, this is—”
“Shush.” He waved his hand at her, silencing her. “He’s the one you spoke of, the chiang-shih. Step away from him.”
“No.” She had never defied her grandfather so blatantly before, but the murderous glint in his eyes had her fearing for Jairec’s safety.
Her grandfather narrowed his eyes. His face turned a shade of red. He had always prided himself in how well he spoke English and refused to speak anything else, but now he broke into Putonghua, the mainland language of China or better known to the Western world as Mandarin. She had angered her grandfather big time.
She answered him back, hoping she remembered the translation. Her grandfather eyed Jairec again.
Jairec lifted his chin and stood tall. “I mean her no harm, sir.”
Chin mumbled a curse under his breath. “Fool. You endanger her by being here. Loann is dead, isn’t that proof enough you cannot control who you are.”
“He didn’t do it, Grandfather.”
“No? Then who?”
“We don’t know.” Autumn looked away.
“But you suspect,” Chin insisted.
Jairec spoke up. “My brother started all of this or at least he had something to do with unleashing another being, a stronger chiang-shih who controls him. I will find my brother. I promise.”
Chin eyed Jairec as if deciding his worth. “You fight the change well, boy, but in the end you will lose. Your two souls cannot be separated for long. If not reunited, you will succumb to the nature of the chiang-shih.”
“I’ll leave before then. I need to stop my brother and whoever he’s working with.”
He glared for a half a second longer, his gaze traveling over Jairec, judging him. Finally, he nodded. “Okay then. I will help to keep that promise.”
“Grandfather?” Autumn questioned.
“I know a thing or two about the chiang-shih. Jin and I fought to bring down one of the fiends, imprisoning his spirit in a jar. He went by the name of Heng. If what you say is true, I fear Heng’s been released from his captivity.”
“You fought with Uncle Jin?
“Yes. She’s worked with me for the last three years. She was my friend, Jairec.”
“I’m sorry. This will be harder on you then. You do realize we need to stop her from rising.”
“What do you mean?”
“You see what happened to me. Whoever is orchestrating these attacks, isn’t taking precautions to make sure his victims don’t rise. My brother and I are proof of that, don’t you think? Do you really want Loann to suffer our fate?”
“Better than being dead.”
“Autumn, I am dead. This isn’t living. I’m dangerous.”
“Not to me, you aren’t.”
He let out a deep sigh. “I don’t know why but you keep me grounded so to speak.”
“Yin-yang.”
“Aye. Good and evil.”
“No, I bring out the good in you—balance your existence, stop you from teetering to the dark side and you stop me from suppressing all my feelings.”
His mouth curved into a grin and she caught a glimpse of his fangs. “I make you a bad girl.”
Heat surged to her cheeks and she knew she blushed. “You’ve made me appreciate living and … being a woman.”
“Wow, all that from a dead man. Seriously, I think you need to see someone about that.”
“I wish you would stop saying that.”
“Autumn, it’s true. I’d like to say there’s a future for us, but how can there be when you’re living and I’m destined for hell.”
“We’ll figure this out. Don’t give up hope yet.” She walked into his arms and leaned against him. “There must be something I’m missing. Something that will help us break the curse.”
“Autumn, what is going on?” Chin’s voice boomed from the door, the chime overhead, warning Jairec and Autumn a moment too late that they were no longer alone.
Autumn and Jairec pulled apart and faced him.
“Grandfather,” Autumn squeaked.
Who is this man?” He eyed Jairec suspiciously before his eyes widened.
“Grandfather, this is—”
“Shush.” He waved his hand at her, silencing her. “He’s the one you spoke of, the chiang-shih. Step away from him.”
“No.” She had never defied her grandfather so blatantly before, but the murderous glint in his eyes had her fearing for Jairec’s safety.
Her grandfather narrowed his eyes. His face turned a shade of red. He had always prided himself in how well he spoke English and refused to speak anything else, but now he broke into Putonghua, the mainland language of China or better known to the Western world as Mandarin. She had angered her grandfather big time.
She answered him back, hoping she remembered the translation. Her grandfather eyed Jairec again.
Jairec lifted his chin and stood tall. “I mean her no harm, sir.”
Chin mumbled a curse under his breath. “Fool. You endanger her by being here. Loann is dead, isn’t that proof enough you cannot control who you are.”
“He didn’t do it, Grandfather.”
“No? Then who?”
“We don’t know.” Autumn looked away.
“But you suspect,” Chin insisted.
Jairec spoke up. “My brother started all of this or at least he had something to do with unleashing another being, a stronger chiang-shih who controls him. I will find my brother. I promise.”
Chin eyed Jairec as if deciding his worth. “You fight the change well, boy, but in the end you will lose. Your two souls cannot be separated for long. If not reunited, you will succumb to the nature of the chiang-shih.”
“I’ll leave before then. I need to stop my brother and whoever he’s working with.”
He glared for a half a second longer, his gaze traveling over Jairec, judging him. Finally, he nodded. “Okay then. I will help to keep that promise.”
“Grandfather?” Autumn questioned.
“I know a thing or two about the chiang-shih. Jin and I fought to bring down one of the fiends, imprisoning his spirit in a jar. He went by the name of Heng. If what you say is true, I fear Heng’s been released from his captivity.”
“You fought with Uncle Jin?
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