Steam billowed and curled around Kai as he emerged from the bathroom, thin rivulets of water tracing along an athletically muscular chest to trail down hard abs then into the towel tucked loose and low about narrow hips. Running his hand through his wet hair, Kai plodded damp footprints across the carpet as he went to his crumpled pants on the floor and fished out his wallet.

The wad of bills he tossed onto the mattress was quickly whisked into the diamond studded clutch purse on the side table.

Rising on her elbow, the naked escort thirstily eyed a droplet of water that trickled beneath the edge of Kai's towel. With a flick of her tongue on her rouged lips, she raised glassy eyes to Kai's face.

"Sorry, I have business to attend to." He smirked. "Help yourself to the shower and see yourself out." Kai turned to gather the rest of his clothes off the floor. "The room's paid for till 11."

"What if I said it was a freebie?"

"Maybe next time," Kai replied over his shoulder, walking away from the bed.

The escort's vague look of disappointment shifted to a detached air as she slipped off the bed. Pulling her silk one piece off the top bedpost, she sauntered into the steamy bathroom.

He'd obviously enthralled her completely last night. The leather straps he'd used still dangled off the edges of the mattress. The full effects of the drug he'd slipped her wouldn't wear off for another few hours, when she would notice the angry bruising about her neck. That's why Kai had paid the escort extra just now. She'd know to keep quiet. He'd used her before. What her name was Kai had never bothered to learn. He just called the contact number he had saved on his phone and she would pick up. It was the kind of business arrangement that suited him best.

The drug he used was an ecstasy derivative which served to make his sexual encounters more amenable to his tastes. It also had an added benefit of not only loosening inhibitions but loosening tongues as well. He'd used it quite successfully over the years to turn business dealings to his advantage.

Chen Kai preferred to buy his nights of sex --high end hookers, private escorts. It avoided the messy entanglements of relationships and annoying morning after partings. Of course, the calibre of professional companion he could afford had risen considerably with the money he'd inherited from his mother's estate.

His mother... the witch.

Or so he had discovered once he'd been able to access the contents of her antique chest.

He'd had to travel across the world but Kai had found a locksmith in an old Beijing hutong rumoured to have the knowledge and skill to crack open arcane locks the like of which sealed his mother's box of secrets as he'd come to refer to it; a man who appeared as ancient to Kai as his mother's intricate camphor wood chest. Kai had had to pay a small fortune but it had been worth it. The locksmith managed to crack open the lock without the vial of acid inside it, meant to disintegrate the chest's contents if forced, being triggered.

The precious valuables Kai suspected the chest contained turned up being personal journals of his mother's, journals that Kai had had to have translated for the most part as they'd been written in old Chinese script. He was surprised when the translator doing the work asked him at one point if his mother had been a storywriter. As her journal entries came to light, Kai realized the fanciful stories his mother had told him as a child were far from so. The journals validated a view Kai had always held that he'd been meant for something greater but been cheated of it. 

Wenling "Wendy" Chen had led an amazing life in her over 400 years. Stowing away disguised as a man aboard a Jesuit-commissioned Spanish galleon in the 1600s to reach the coast of Mexico; living in the bayous of Louisiana in the 1700s; spending the early 1800s in Hawaii on the sugar plantations, only to grow bored and head back to the American continent to peddle elixirs and tell fortunes in New York. She'd plied her trade all the while skirting the edges of the Tong wars of the early 1900s in various Chinatowns. Then of all the places she'd been, she chose to settle here, the most boring place on Earth as far as Kai was concerned where, adding insult to injury she'd felt the need to have a child out of wedlock with some handsome rake who'd tickled her fancy for one night.

Kai had never known who his father was. Wenling had never bothered to find the man again after she'd ensured she'd gotten pregnant that night, according to what she wrote. She'd simply wanted to have a child and experience motherhood. Knowing this truth now incensed Kai. Wenling's selfish tryst with a common man had ensured that he'd be of mongrel blood, condemned to never have her powers of clairvoyance or her longevity of life. As far as Kai was concerned, Wenling had robbed him of his birthright.

But then all that lifetime, all those experiences and opportunities, had amounted to nothing in the end for Wenling, had they. For death had still been able to come to the woman who'd referred to herself as a witch born in a remote village somewhere west of the Yangtze River Delta during the final decades of the Great Ming Dynasty.

But as fascinating and infuriating as all that had been for Kai to discover, it was the latter parts of Wenling's journal that captured his attention now. In the last entries, Wenling kept referencing the young woman she'd taken on as a tenant at nearly free rent. His mother had made an arrangement with Xia; an exchange for helping her with errands and landscaping/cleaning as well as the odd language lesson here and there. Wenling described Xia as being lost and how she was desperately working on some way to get the girl back to where she belonged. But his mother gave no more description than that --only stating that she feared what would happen if others ever discovered what Xia was.

What Xia was?

According to the journal, Wenling had been working hard on certain divination spells and it would seem she'd had a breakthrough of sorts. But the date of that final entry had been that of when Kai gone to see her with his proposal.

Kai slipped on his jacket as he exited the room. Checking his cellphone for messages, he made his brisk way to the hotel elevators.

The whole affair had started ironically enough at another hotel just over a year ago.

While waiting for an escort he'd just called, Kai had struck up a conversation with a man at the bar who'd ordered the same rare aged whiskey as he drank. Turned out the man was some foreign investor prospecting real estate in the area. The market in this part of the country was red hot right now for new developments. Properties were being snatched up and sold for condos, hotels, businesses. A handsome amount of money could be made. The investor had been most forthcoming with every subsequent round of drinks Kai had bought for him, slipping drops of the drug he always carried into the man's shot glasses.

It would seem the area where his mother's house was situated was about to become the next hot spot being sighted by investors looking to secure undervalued real estate. The old style charm of the townhouses on that street made them desirable as bed & breakfasts or flip over high rentals. The fact they were so close to the growingly upscale main boulevard made them all the more attractive.

But Wenling had wanted nothing to do with her son's proposal the night he had come to her. She'd refused to consider selling her townhouse to him, wanting nothing more than to spend her twilight years tending her garden and enjoying the company of her beloved tenants.

Her passing the next day had conveniently changed matters for him and opened the door to what were then his initial plans.

Kai had been purposely ignoring the house. He knew the building was falling into disrepair. Hadn't the girl been leaving him messages about the furnace? He was surprised the tenants hadn't all left yet. That had been the plan. Always preferring the easy path, Kai had wanted the tenants to leave willingly. Once vacant, he'd planned to sell the townhouse for a tidy amount with a continued share in future profit. The final transfership of the townhouse's title to him was soon to be finalized in court.

Xia, the young woman his mother was so concerned about what she was... Kai smirked as he recalled her looks when he'd checked her out at the funeral home. Now there was a smoking hot piece he'd thought at the time.

And now, because of what he'd discovered in his mother's journals, Xia had become the reason for Kai's business today and why he was considering a change in his plans. For whatever was of such concern and interest to a 400 year old Ming Dynasty witch had to be of some profitable interest to him in some way.

It should be easy enough to charm her into his bed and find out all he could about her and what made her so special to his mother. At the same time, it would give his wallet a bit of a break too, enjoying some free nights of entertainment for a change. It could be fun too to see how deep he could get Xia to fall for him. He did still enjoy playing the game even if he usually paid for a free pass.

Kai's phone went off as he stepped into the hotel elevator. He glanced at the caller ID. He'd been expecting this call.

"Yeah, I need you for a job tomorrow." Kai pressed the panel button for the ground floor. "Same rate as usual. Meet me at noon at--"

The elevator doors slid shut.

_____

Pulling up to the hydrant in front of his mother's townhouse, Kai parked his Corvette in front of it. He used the master key he had to unlock the main entry door and made his way directly down the stairs, knowing Xia lived in one of the basement units.

The smell of stale cigarettes in the stairwell caught his attention. Hmm, one of the tenants smoked? He filed that detail away in his head.

Once he shoved open the basement stairwell door, Kai headed straight for the apartment whose door was open, recognizing Xia's voice from her messages from therein.

Only to stop short when he heard the accompanying, deeper voice of a man.

A frowning Kai quickly put on his game face and ran his hand through his hair as he resumed walking. He'd taken the time to go to his apartment and change before coming here, choosing his clothes carefully for the best overall effect.

Time to play.

_____

He resisted the urge to kick the black cat that hissed as it rushed past him. Kai hated cats.

"Hey Xia! Long time no see!"

What the...

Xia, whose gorgeous face looked the same as when he'd seen it at the funeral peeked at him... from behind a man who looked like he modelled for Psychos R' Us; a kid's sized t-shirt, retro pants from the Salvation Army reject bin, Santa Claus socks, and what was up with the Cher hair? Was he some nut job?

But the nut job's piercing black eyes suggested otherwise. Kai's instincts told him this man was not crazy... but dangerous.

If Xia had a boyfriend, this would complicate things but Kai always did like a challenge. The game would be boring if everything were too easy, he thought, as he watched Xia try to come out from behind the man's back.

Even in a hoodie and sweatpants, whatever Xia was, her body was definitely supermodel hot. Pert breasts and curvy hips baggily covered the way they were were so much more erotic and arousing than the tight string lingerie of a hooker which left nothing to the imagination.

Kai felt a tightening in his groin as he let his gaze linger on Xia.

A gust of hot air hit his face, making Kai blink from stinging eyes. I thought the furnace wasn't working properly. Where had the heat come from? And what was that sound he heard? Growling? Was it the cat from before? Kai chose to ignore it all for now.

Flashing a warm smile, he extended his hand to the man who continued to block Xia's path. "Hi, I'm Chen Kai, Xia's landlord. Call me Kai. And you are?"

_____

Wanfeng managed to stifle the growl that had begun to emerge from his throat.

This Chen Kai... here was a lecher who brazenly entered women's bedchambers uninvited.

He knew the man had been studying his attire with mocking scrutiny. Wanfeng meanwhile had taken careful note of the man's clothing in return: Black ankle boots with metal buckles, tight pants of a blue hemp-like fabric, leather belt, a white cloth shirt similar to Wanfeng's except its length allowed it to be tucked inside the waistband. The supple brown leather jacket he wore had metal ridging like that which sealed Xia's bag. The man's hair was cropped short, almost to his scalp but with spiked tufts at the top.

But it had been the way the man's eyes had peeled away Xia's clothing that had Wanfeng wanting to rip the smile off his face with his talons.

Wanfeng now eyed the man's extended hand. It must be the custom of men here to introduce themselves to each other in this way. But unlike with the honourable Mr. Antoine, Wanfeng did not want to touch this... Kai, except perhaps with the tip of his sword to his neck if he'd had it with him. But this was not his world and he must continue to bide his time here.

He clasped Kai's hand. "I am Wanfeng."

Expecting a brief shake and release, Wanfeng was startled instead when his hand was gripped tighter with increasing force. He looked up to see the corner of Kai's mouth curl upwards.

A challenge!

A slow, lazy smile broke across Wanfeng's face as he strengthened his own grip in return and the faint smirk on Kai's face began to falter. After several prolonged seconds, Kai pulled his hand back and slipped it into his jacket pocket.

"Is this your boyfriend?" Kai asked Xia directly, a direct slight to Wanfeng whom he chose to ignore for the moment. Wanfeng had been on the verge of breaking Kai's hand... and both men knew it.

Kai took in the blanket pooled around Wanfeng's fuzzy red stockinged feet and the rumpled... single... twin bed behind the two. "You know Xia, you would have needed to let me know. This unit is registered as a single dwelling for one person. If two live here I need to know for insurance purposes."

PLUNK! The empty, unplugged toaster popped. The crumbs that shot out of it settled over those already scattered on the counter.

"Yeah, ignore that," Xia said to both men who'd spun to face it. "The toaster jams and then does that sometimes." She was glaring daggers at Kai.

Wow! Talk about nerve! What business was it of Kai's who Wanfeng was? Let him know?! The jerk never answered his phone or returned her messages! But Xia couldn't afford to lose her temper just yet. There were more pressing matters she had to address with her landlord now that he'd finally deigned to show up.

"Wanfeng isn't my boyfriend, he's my brother!" she snapped at Kai. Wanfeng's dark eyebrows just about flew off his forehead so high did they jump as he turned to look at her. Xia tried not to grimace. "He just arrived yesterday. Wanfeng's visiting for only a few weeks from, uh, out of country. He's crashing here with me because he's, uh, a student on a limited budget... and uh, he had his bags stolen."

Xia groaned inwardly now. Oh god, she sucked at lying. Pete always told her so, especially when she felt frazzled about something. But if Kai believed Wanfeng was her brother then he wouldn't have grounds to give her trouble having him here... and again came the odd feeling deep inside her that she knew Wanfeng somehow...

Kai looked from one to the other. Wanfeng was her brother? Now that was interesting. And a complete lie.

"Uh, so yeah," Xia continued, the slap dash narrative just flowing from her now, "with his luggage lost, we had to scrounge up some items for him to wear temporarily. We have a busy day ahead actually. I'm taking him out shopping for clothes later. And then we have to get groceries, some bedding, a cot maybe, we're going to be quite busy. I have lots to show him around town. It's his first time visiting here from..."

By now, Wanfeng had crossed his arms over his chest, fascinated in this fanciful tale. Xia had to be the worst liar he'd ever encountered. Was the lecherous fool falling for any of it?

"From?" A secretly amused Kai was all ears at this point. He couldn't decide what was more entertaining, Xia's twisted bs or the anticipated expression on Wanfeng's face when the latter realized he'd just been bro-zoned.

"I am from the Disneyland."

Dead silence fell as both Kai and Xia stared blankly at Wanfeng.

It was a name of a land Wanfeng had heard one of the healers mention last night. Now that he could process the language of English, he could recall what he'd overheard. A healer walking past him as he'd sat waiting for Xia to wake up had muttered something about being stuck there that night at "this Mickey Mouse shitshow version of Disneyland". As it was the only "land" name he'd heard since arriving here, Wanfeng figured he would say it to try and add credence to Xia's story. He had no clue what a "Mickey Mouse shitshow" was. Should he have stated that as well?

His declaration was met with stunned surprise. If nothing else, it had been the right thing to say just to be able to disconcert the fool who'd expected to trip him up.

Well, well, well... Disneyland, was it? Kai thought. Space Mountain, perhaps? Wanfeng wasn't crazy but something wasn't right with the guy. Something was definitely going on here, something more than just whatever Xia was. Kai was looking forward to finding out what exactly and how he might use it to his advantage as well.

With a perfect faked air of sympathy, Kai addressed Wanfeng directly now. "Man, that's tough luck about your luggage." He looked back at Xia. "No worries then. It's only for a visit and family comes first. Family is important."

Sensation had returned to his hand, albeit in the form of lacerating pain. Kai casually took it out of his pocket along with his cellphone.

"Listen Xia, I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner and return your messages. I was out of the country as well, having to settle matters of my mother's estate. You said the furnace isn't working properly?"

It took a moment for Xia to answer. Disneyland??!! She finally nodded at Kai. "Poor Mr. Antoine and even Lucy upstairs have been dressing for the outdoors inside. We need it fixed before winter sets in."

Kai pretended to make notes on his phone about what she said when in fact he was video recording what he could glimpse around her apartment.

"Right, I came by just to tell you in person that there's a service technician coming tomorrow for it. I'll also be coming by again with someone to assess the other repairs that need to be made."

Xia was stunned. This was quite the unexpected turnaround! "Oh, something's wrong with Mr. Antoine's hot water too. He told me earlier he didn't have any."

Kai nodded, pretending to add that to his phone notes as well.

Speaking of Mr. Antoine, the Frenchman's door opened across the hallway and the smell of fresh café au lait wafted in along with him as he entered Xia's apartment.

Kai flashed his smile at the old man. "Ah, you must be Monsieur Michaud." The older man gave Kai a wary look as he walked past him to offer the steaming cup of coffee to Wanfeng who took it from him with a bow.

Mr. Antoine turned to Kai. "Yes, and you are Wendy's son, Kai?" Kai nodded, never once extending his hand.

More footsteps came from outside the apartment, a mouthwatering smell of warm cheese and potatoes entering ahead of Lucy who carried a towel-covered plate in her hands. "It's never the same from the microwave as it is fresh from the oven but oh well." Lucy paused at the sight of Kai. "Oh, uh, hello." She glanced at Mr. Antoine who gave her an imperceptible nod.

Lucy's eyes lit. "You're Wendy's son. We only saw you briefly at the funeral. You look just like her." Kai really had to force his smile now. "Yes, I'm Kai. Nice to meet you. You must be Lucy O'Sullivan from upstairs." Lucy nodded then said nothing more.

Xia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This whole TV drama had just become a comedy. If she climbed back into bed right now and pulled the covers over her head, would everyone disappear and she'd be left in peace and quiet?

"Thanks Lucy," she said instead, taking the plate and placing it on her counter with a crunch.

To say the apartment was feeling overcrowded was an understatement. And Kai took it as his cue to leave. He'd set up what he could for today.

"Right, I need to go. Xia, can I leave it to you to let the others know what's happening tomorrow? I know you did a lot for my mother when she was the owner."

He smiled warmly at Wanfeng. "It was nice meeting you, Wanfeng. Your sister is truly an invaluable tenant... of mine now. I know I can count on her lending me her hand where I need it most. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll leave you all to your day. I'll be back tomorrow."

Kai stopped at the apartment threshold.

"Oh, who does the cat belong to?"

"That is Maurice. He is my cat," Mr. Antoine replied.

"I see." Kai shook his head. "I believe the lease states that there are no pets allowed in the building, Monsieur Michaud."

The Frenchman's face went white. "But Wendy allowed it! She loved Maurice. He would always spend time with her when she was in her garden."

"Yes, well, I'm not my mother."

Mr. Antoine's face fell.

With a squeak, Xia grabbed the sloshing mug of coffee Wanfeng shoved at her as he took a step towards Kai.

Kai's gaze narrowed as he backed out into the hallway. "If my mother allowed it then, I'll let it go. But no new animals are permitted." Kai's icy stare met Wanfeng head on as he stepped backwards into the hall only for Xia's door to slam shut in his face with a click of its lock.

Kai's expression darkened as he stared at the closed door. I'll see you again, Wanfeng. And her...

Turning to leave, he caught the pair of feline eyes fixed on him from a dark recess of the hallway. Kai smirked at the cat as he made his way out with a jarring slam of his fist upon the stairwell door bar.

The slitted pair of yellow eyes flashed as the stairwell door closed with an ominous thud.