Markhor let the illusion vanish as the taillights faded into the distance. He turned to the wimpering, wounded man and roughly dragged him to the center of the room, bringing forth another agonizing scream.

Dai She stepped clear of his hiding spot. Moonlight illuminated the frightening duo as the men scrambled desperately to get away. The last night of a waxing moon was clear of clouds and they raised their arms in unison, allowing their auras to absorb the full force of evil moonbeams. They began to glow as brightly as the moon overhead, feeling the power surge within them.

“We don’t appreciate uninvited guests.” Markhor’s voice dripped with venom. He looked back at the battered car, a wicked smile creasing his face. “Perhaps we should teach these hooligans a lesson.”

And the screaming began anew.

And the only one who heard it was bound and hanging from the outer back wall in a burlap sack. Several hours later, shivering uncontrollably, Randall heard the unmerciful end.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Markhor had urged Dai She to get back on the road as soon as possible, just in case more people showed up. Shortly after midnight, they resumed their journey. The car rumbled and moaned, but it ran. The battering at the hands of the unfortunate vandals only served to make it look more ominous as it fought the rock-strewn roads that resembled horse-drawn paths.

Inside the car, the air was tense with a darkness that mirrored its exterior. The two occupants glowered in silent reflection of the evening’s events. Neither felt any remorse. If anything, they felt slightly giddy with power, having absorbed an abundance of moonbeams.

Dai She concentrated on one of the myriad spider cracks in the splintered windshield. He focused, making it lengthen millimeter by millimeter. He pushed it upward, where it connected with another and another.

“Stop that.” Markhor had been watching, his heightened senses aware of every subtle use of energy. He was acutely aware of the increase in Dai She’s power—as well as his own. But the level of Dai She’s cruelty far surpassed anything Markhor would have done. Interfering would have been a sign of weakness, something he could not afford. He angrily slammed shut the image in his head and snapped at Dai She. “I still have to be able to see where I’m going.”

Dai She bristled. He turned his attention to the rear window, snapped his stubby fingers, and watched it explode into tiny fragments that glittered like diamonds in the road.

Markhor jerked the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes, wiping the smirk off Dai She’s face as he banged his head on the passenger window.

“I get it,” Markhor said while grinding his teeth. “You’re feeling happy with yourself. You had a good night. But unless you plan on walking the next thirty miles, I suggest you flex your muscles in another direction.”