Red Phoenix (17 page)

‘Thanks, Monica,’ I said. She nodded and took the tray out.

‘What did he call me?’ Michael said softly. ‘Three One Five? What’s that?’

‘You’re son number three hundred and fifteen.’

‘He doesn’t even know his own kids’ names?’

‘Frankly, Michael, I don’t think he cares very much.’

‘Where were you, my Lady? Leo said not to worry, you were fine. What happened?’

‘The Tiger took us to his palace in the Western Desert.’ I paused, remembering that beautiful place. ‘It’s on the Celestial Plane. I finally made it there.’

Michael’s eyes went wide.

‘The Tiger wanted to make sure that I’d be safe, so he took me there, where the demons couldn’t get me. When the demon ran from Mr Chen, the Tiger took Mr Chen there too. He is a complete idiot. Mr Chen obviously takes a lot of carrying and now the Tiger has to stay in True Form and recuperate.’

‘And that was it?’ Michael said. ‘True Form.’ ‘Yes, it was.’

‘What was the palace like?’

‘Wonderful. But we didn’t see that much of it, we were busy.’ Michael didn’t seem to hear me; he was obviously deep in thought. ‘If you ever want to go there, you can. He has an army there, the Western Horsemen. You heard what he said. You can go and join any time you like.’

‘I think I’ll stay here and learn from you and Lord Xuan. But I’ll think about it.’

‘Give me plenty of notice if you do decide to go. You’re really very good, and I’d have a hard time finding someone good enough to replace you.’

He lit up with a genuine grin of delight. ‘Thanks, ma’am.’

L
eo brought Michael into the dining room and they both saluted John and me, then sat. ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Before we discuss the revised trip, there’s something I’d like to talk about first.’ I sighed. ‘John, while I was talking to Monica, I assured her that Bai Hu wouldn’t hurt her. That’s true, but I also told her that she was safe. After what happened to Charlie, we know that’s no longer true.’

John’s face went expressionless. ‘You’re right, they’re not safe any more. None of them. This is the first time in my history I have experienced this. I have encountered a demon that is so without honour that it will attack defenceless Retainers.’ He rubbed his hands over his face. ‘Time to do it. I hoped this day would never come. I will dismiss everybody.’ He looked down at his hands, then up at me. ‘I’ll sell the house in London, it’s too far away. With no staff to manage it, it won’t last until I return. We’ll trim back to bare essentials. I can’t afford to put anybody else at risk. I’ll dismiss all the household staff and you can go to the Western Palace. We’ll leave it as just me and Simone.’

‘I’m not going anywhere,’ I said. ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘I want you safe, Emma.’

‘We’ve had this discussion before, John. I’m staying with you and Simone, and there’s nothing you can do about it.’

‘Me too,’ Leo said. ‘You can’t fire me.’

‘What, because you quit?’ I said.

‘No, because I just won’t go,’ Leo said. ‘I’ll camp out on the doorstep if I have to.’ He gestured towards Michael. ‘Michael is safer here with us. The minute he walks out the door he’s a target. Doubly so. If he doesn’t stay here he should go to the palace.’

‘They’re all targets,’ I said to John. ‘He knows you can’t protect your staff now. I think if you dismiss them he’ll just go around and pick them off one by one.’

‘Shit,’ John said, very calm. ‘I must move them all somewhere safe. Everybody should go to the palace.’

‘Give me the choice, my Lord,’ Leo said.

‘Stay or go, Leo?’

‘Stay.’

‘Very well. Done.’ Leo sighed with relief.

‘Michael,’ John said. ‘I would understand if you chose to leave. You would be completely safe in the Western Desert.’

‘Stay,’ Michael said.

‘Are you a hundred per cent sure, Michael?’ I said. ‘This could be rough. Please take some time to think about it.’

‘I’ve sworn allegiance. That was more than just words.’

‘Whoa,’ Leo said under his breath.

‘I will teach Michael to call immediately we return from Paris,’ John said. ‘We will have another energy session as soon as he is ready. We must have you up to speed as quickly as possible, Michael, so that you are able to call for assistance if you need to.’

‘I don’t want to mess around when it comes to Monica and James though,’ I said. ‘We need to move them somewhere safe right now. Will the Tiger take them?’

John’s eyes unfocused, then he snapped back. ‘Yes.’

‘Who’ll mind the house for us?’ Leo said.

‘Ah Yat,’ I said before John could say something stupid. ‘She can teleport, she can sense them coming. She’ll be safe. All the demon staff will be safe, wherever they are.’

‘I’ll tell James, you tell Monica,’ John said. ‘Good. Next item: Charlie,’ I said. ‘Do you still have her?’

‘Yes. She’s in the morgue on the twenty-fourth floor of Hennessy Road,’ John said.

‘You have a morgue in the Academy?’ Michael said.

‘Accidents happen,’ John said. ‘All students and Masters are aware of the risk. Learning about the facilities will be part of your induction when we return.’

‘Has her body been prepared, John?’ I said.

‘All taken care of.’

‘Do the police know?’

‘No. Fortunately no complications there. But I need to…’ His voice changed slightly. ‘…contact her family in England and tell them, and move her over there. There is a Chen plot at a cemetery in London, where all Retainers are interred. But we’ll need to inform her family.’

‘We can do that while we’re there,’ I said. ‘How will we move her over there without customs knowing?’

‘Jade can probably carry her.’

‘And if she’s too big, Jade can just put her on the plane.’

John nodded. ‘Either way, we take her with us.’

‘If we take her on the plane, we’ll need to make sure that the hold is cold enough to keep her in good condition.’

‘I can tell the pilot. Hopefully we’ll have Brian again; he’s usually very careful about that sort of thing.’

‘Good. Will the family want a viewing? Is she in good enough condition for that?’ I smiled slightly. ‘If Wong’s blade was very sharp, it will be a neat cut, easy to fix. But I wouldn’t put it past that bastard to use a blunt blade that made a huge mess of her.’

‘If you don’t mind, my Lord, my Lady,’ Leo said, his voice forced, ‘I’d prefer Michael and myself not be involved in these arrangements.’

I suddenly heard what I’d been saying and dropped my head. ‘Am I being extremely cold-blooded, Leo?’

‘Yes, you are.’ Leo studied me, his face strange. ‘I don’t know how you do it sometimes.’

‘She has to be, Leo,’ John said. ‘It will probably be worse before it is better. Dismissed.’

Leo and Michael rose and left the room together. Leo shot another very concerned look at me as he went out.

I crossed my arms on the table and dropped my head onto them. ‘I didn’t even realise, but Leo is quite right. I don’t believe myself sometimes. I’m just sitting here discussing what to do with poor Charlie’s body as if it was the most natural thing in the world. The thing I’m most worried about is how easily we can sew her back together!’

‘And that is what will make you the perfect Regent when I am gone,’ John said.

‘John…’ I hesitated, then rushed into it. ‘The stone saw something about me. I can do stuff I shouldn’t be able to. This dark thing inside me came out for the Demon King, but not for you. I have these dreams about snakes. There’s something wrong here, I know it. I amaze myself sometimes, I’m so cold-blooded. Look at when we were at the palace: you told me Charlie was dead and I didn’t even grieve for her. I just continued as if nothing had happened—’

‘That was the right thing to do,’ he cut in evenly. ‘You grieve for those you love when you have the time. Grief is a luxury that often we cannot afford.’

‘—And now I’m just sitting here joking about how neatly Wong took off her head!’ I cried, distraught. ‘What the hell is wrong with me?’ I put my head on my arms again, my heart full of misery. There was something terribly wrong with me. Was I even human? ‘It’s like I’m some sort of dark heartless monster.’

‘I am exactly the same way and you do not question me.’ I looked up desperately. He gazed into my eyes. ‘I have been as cold-blooded about this as you have. And yet you all still love me.’

‘You have more than one good excuse,’ I whispered.

‘Wake up, stone.’ John tapped the stone on my finger without touching me.

‘Yes, Turtle?’

‘Is Lady Emma a dark heartless monster?’

‘Yes she is,’ the stone said without hesitation and with absolutely no emotion whatsoever.

John jerked back. That was obviously not the answer he was expecting. He glanced sharply at me.

‘I knew it.’ I closed my eyes with anguish. We remained like that for a while. I had a few options, none of them very pleasant, but at least I knew the truth.

‘I have looked inside her and she is an ordinary human being. You said yourself she is an ordinary human being,’ John said.

‘She is,’ the stone said.

‘Will she ever hurt any member of her family?’ John said with a slight edge of despair.

‘I think you have asked me that before, Turtle, and the answer is still no. Of course not. She loves you more than her life. Look at her; right now she is pondering whether you would be safe if she were to leave forever.
She thinks that’s not good enough, and wants to kill herself to be absolutely sure that none of you are in any danger. You really should talk to somebody about this death wish, Emma. The Dark Lord is quite correct.’

‘But I’m a dark heartless monster, stone,’ I said.

‘My Lady, of course you are. But
so is he
,’ the stone said. ‘You are a perfect match. Dark and heartless together.’

Both of us sat back with relief. He
was
a dark heartless monster. And the Tiger was a white heartless monster.

‘We’re all monsters together,’ John said with amusement.

‘I think what the stone is trying to say,’ I said, ‘is that I’ve been around you far too much, Xuan Wu, and some of your monstrosity is rubbing off on me.’

‘No, Emma, it is quite the other way around,’ the stone said. ‘You are at least twice as monstrous as he is.’

That sobered me. I had an awful thought. ‘Am I a demon in human form?’ The stone hesitated again. ‘Answer me!’ I cried, mortified.

‘You cannot be, Emma,’ John said. ‘I would know immediately.’

‘I could be very well hidden, and you’re very drained.’

‘What you are is beside the point,’ the stone said. ‘You are what you are. You are devoted to your Lord and your family and would give your life for them. That is what is important.’

‘The stone is right, Emma.’

‘What am I, stone?’ I said, miserable. I was thoroughly tired of its games.

‘You are a perfectly ordinary human being, Emma.’ ‘But I’m a dark heartless monster.’

‘That is quite correct. Your true nature will probably emerge over time. The Dark Lord, as I said, will be astonished. You are well on the way to Immortality. Live. Love. Continue your duties. And please leave me alone. I was in the middle of a lovely dream, I dreamed I was a mountain.’

‘Go back to sleep, stone,’ John said with quiet tolerance. ‘You are quite useless.’

‘That is why I was never used.’

‘You are not a demon, Emma. I would know immediately,’ John said. ‘Don’t be concerned. You are not a danger to anybody. It will be fascinating to see how you grow. Trust the stone, it is very ancient and wise. It is even older than me. We all love you, and you love us. That’s what’s important.’

‘I wish I could believe you, John. I hate to think that I’m a danger to anybody.’

‘You will be Regent, Lady Emma, and you will do a wonderful job. And you will be here when I return, and I will Raise you and marry you. We will be happy together on my Mountain. I promise you.’ He ducked his head to see into my eyes and smiled.

‘I only hope I’m worthy,’ I whispered.

‘Would it make you feel better if Kwan Yin looked at you when we’re in Paris? She could examine you and clarify for us. Would you like that?’

‘Yes.’

‘Come on, Emma, snap out of it. We have a lot to do. You need to talk to Monica, and I have to phone James. Get a move on.’

We smiled and sighed together. Things to do, worry later. We rose almost in unison and he hung back to let me through the door first. I went into the kitchen to find Monica. He went into his study to phone James.

Poor Monica. She’d only just become accustomed to the idea of the White Tiger and now she had to live
with him for a while. I made a mental note to warn him to keep his paws off her.

I stopped in the hallway. I was being completely cold-blooded again. The thought made me feel slightly ill. But John and the stone were right. I had too much to do to worry about it. Provided everyone was safe, it didn’t matter what I was. And besides, I had parents. I had a family. I’d grown up normally. I was a normal human being.

Wasn’t I?

T
wo days before we left for Paris, Leo drove me, Michael and Simone to the school to buy their uniforms. We wouldn’t have time to buy them when we came back. Leo waited outside while I took the kids in. Several domestic helpers already had children there trying on uniforms.

One of the volunteer mothers helped Simone find the right size in her little dress.

Michael slumped, miserable, as I selected a uniform for him. When I held the PE shorts up he backed away and raised his hands. ‘Oh no. No way. This is stupid.’ I pushed the shorts at him. He stood his ground. I moved closer and hissed in his ear. ‘Try these on, and that’s an order.’

He glared at me, snatched the shorts out of my hand, and thundered to the change room.

‘You know I don’t need PE anyway,’ he grumbled as he moved inside the room. ‘You know what I can do.’ ‘Shut up and try them on,’ I said loudly. ‘They’re all like that,’ one of the assistants said as she came out of the change booth with Simone.

Simone clapped her hands with delight and twirled in her uniform.

‘You look adorable, darling,’ the assistant said. ‘You and your brother are really cute together.’

Simone scowled and put her hands on her hips. ‘He’s
not
my
brother.’

‘Cousins,’ I said. ‘Large Chinese family.’

Michael came out and shoved the shorts at me. ‘They’re okay.’

The assistant looked from Michael to me, then moved closer to me to speak softly. ‘He won’t be able to dye his hair. He’ll have to dye it back to its natural colour.’

Michael snorted with disdain and stomped away. ‘That
is
his natural colour,’ I said. ‘He’s a natural blond.’

‘You’d better tell his teacher then, otherwise he’ll be in trouble for dyeing his hair.’ ‘Thanks.’

She nodded and returned to the counter.

A Chinese woman entered the shop with a small boy. Simone stiffened and squeaked, then scurried to me and hid behind me. Michael also came swiftly to me, very alert, and I knew what was up.

‘Michael, go to the door, poke your head out and tell Leo to get in here
right now
,’ I whispered.

The female demon ignored me completely, talking to the little boy about what uniform to buy. The boy behaved like a normal child. They paid no attention to Leo and Michael as they came back in.

‘What do you think they’re up to?’ Leo said softly into my ear.

‘I have no idea. You have more experience than I do,’ I said, just as softly. ‘What should we do?’

‘They can’t do anything with so many people around,’ Leo said. ‘Keep Simone close, buy the rest of the stuff, and let’s get out of here.’ He stationed himself against one of the walls and watched the demons.

I took Simone into the booth to change out of her uniform. Michael posted himself outside and guarded, completely professional.

We went to the counter to pay. Simone stayed very close and quiet. Leo didn’t move or speak as he leaned against the wall and watched.

I paid for the uniforms and nodded to Leo. He opened the door for us and I guided the kids out.

The demons dropped what they were doing and followed.

It was still school holidays and the school was deserted. We passed the school cafeteria next to the uniform shop, then stopped. A large open balcony overlooked the playing field. A deserted play area next to the playing field would be a good place to face them.

‘Emma, take the kids down to the car,’ Leo said. ‘I’ll deal with them.’

‘No, there might be more of them at the car.’

‘No more right now,’ Simone said.

‘But they might appear any time. We should stick together, deal with these first, and then go to the car,’ I said.

‘You’re right, my Lady,’ Leo said.

‘Let’s go down to the play area,’ I said. ‘Nobody around, and room to move.’

We went down the steps to the playground. Simone clutched my hand. Michael was tense and prepared. The demons followed us, talking to each other as if nothing unusual at all was happening.

When we reached the play area we stopped and turned to face them. Leo and I put Simone behind us. Michael stood beside Leo, ready. The demons stopped pretending. They retained the form of a mother and child, but went very still and watched us impassively.

‘What are you waiting for?’ I said.

The mother looked around. There was nobody nearby who could see us. They both fell to their knees and touched their foreheads to the rubber matting covering the ground.

‘Dark Lady, I pledge allegiance,’ the mother said. ‘I plead. Allow me to serve you. Protect me. I am yours.’

‘I pledge allegiance,’ the child said in an adult’s voice. The deep voice coming from the child was a chilling sound. ‘I am yours. I vow to serve you. Do not destroy us, we beg you.’

‘Sweet mother of all the demons, Emma,’ Leo said. ‘You just tamed them.’

‘How could I have tamed them? I didn’t do anything.’

‘You don’t have to do anything. It’s a choice they make themselves. Mr Chen always gives them a chance to plead before he destroys them, if they don’t attack immediately. Like you just did. You waited for them to go for you, and they took the opportunity.’

‘Why did she call you Dark Lady?’ Simone said.

My blood ran cold.

‘Because she is the Lady of the Dark Lord, of course,’ Leo said.

‘Oh.’ Simone moved to lean between us and studied the demons. ‘What are you going to do with them, Emma?’

‘I have absolutely no idea. All suggestions welcome. We can’t even fit them in the car.’ I paused. ‘And I’m not sure I even trust them after what Wong did. This could be a trick.’

‘It could be quite easily,’ Leo said. ‘We could destroy them anyway, you know.’

Simone and Michael stiffened at that. The demons didn’t move.

‘That would be totally wrong, Leo, and you know it,’ I said.

The woman demon exhaled with relief.

‘Mr Chen will know what to do,’ Leo said. ‘Let’s send them to Wan Chai and he can meet us there.’

‘You know the Academy building in Wan Chai?’ I asked the demons.

The woman raised her head and nodded, full of hope.

‘Meet us in the car park,’ I said. ‘We’ll go in the car. You go directly. Wait about half an hour before you go. If you’re there first, somebody will probably come out and take your heads off.’

The demons smiled up at me.

‘Are there any more demons around here besides these two, Simone?’ I said.

‘No,’ Simone said. ‘Just these two.’

‘Wait here,’ I said to the demons. ‘We’ll meet you in Wan Chai in half an hour.’

They rose together. Leo braced himself. They bowed to us, then went to the play equipment. The woman sat to watch the child as he proceeded to play on the equipment like a perfectly normal little boy.

We returned to the car park. ‘That was extremely weird,’ I said.

‘You should be used to it by now, Emma,’ Leo said.

‘Has that ever happened to you, Leo?’ I said.

‘Nope.’ He grinned. ‘I’ve seen Mr Chen do it a few times. I wish I knew how you do it.’

‘I wish I knew how I did it too.’ The whole thing had many unpleasant connotations for me. Particularly being called Dark Lady.

John and Gold were waiting for us in the middle of the Academy car park.

‘Hi, Gold,’ the stone in my ring said as we approached them. ‘Still stuck, eh?’

‘Hi, Dad,’ Gold said cheerfully. ‘Yep, still stuck. ‘Bout time you woke up.’

‘You’ve grown,’ the stone said.

‘Three millimetres in the last hundred years, Dad, and I’ve put on three whole grams.’

John saw my face. ‘Forgot to mention that, Emma. The stone is Gold’s father.’

‘We prefer the term “parent”, my Lord.’ Gold’s smile disappeared. ‘Here they are.’

The demons appeared at the end of the car park and approached carefully.

‘Leo, Michael, take Simone upstairs,’ John said. ‘There is an advanced hand-to-hand class on the sixth floor right now. You should be safe with them. Gold, you too. Let’s see what the Lady Emma has gotten herself into this time.’

Leo and Gold herded the kids towards the lift.

‘Gold,’ John said loudly without turning away from the approaching demons.

Gold stopped. ‘My Lord?’

‘Arrange for the seals to be reset on the school. And have the Master who set the original seals come to my office first thing tomorrow morning.’

‘My Lord,’ Gold said.

‘Sixth floor,’ John said, still watching the demons. They went into the lift lobby.

I tried to control my voice. ‘They called me Dark Lady, John.’

‘That is perfectly natural and nothing to be concerned about.’

‘That’s easy for you to say.’

‘Don’t worry about it, Emma. Kwan Yin will look at you in Paris. Until then, don’t be concerned. It is of minor importance. You are a perfectly normal human being, just very talented. Now let’s have a look at your new pets.’

The demons stopped about two metres away and fell to their knees. ‘All hail the Dark Lord. All hail the Dark Lady.’

Damn. I shrugged it off. He was right. ‘You think it’s a trick?’

‘Could be. Rise.’ The demons didn’t move. ‘Good; first hurdle overcome. If they are truly tamed then at this stage they will obey only you. Tell them, Emma.’

‘Rise,’ I said, and they both pulled themselves to their feet.

‘Take True Form,’ John said. Once again they didn’t move. ‘Good. Tell them, Emma.’ ‘Take True Form.’

They were small humanoids in True Form. Nearly two metres tall, red, with smooth skin instead of scales. They had bulging horns and huge bulbous eyes. The one that had appeared as a boy had small tusks.

‘Yuck.’

‘Not too bad, could have been worse.’

‘Yeah, I suppose,’ I said. ‘Could have been worms.’

‘You know worms don’t take human form.’ He straightened and spoke briskly, suddenly the teacher. ‘What level are these?’

‘Three, very low level. I could bind them easily.’

‘Yes. Good. I wonder why they were sent.’

‘Me too.’ He was right. These low-level demons weren’t a danger to any of us. ‘Go back to human form.’

They complied immediately. This time they appeared as a Chinese couple in their mid-thirties.

‘Final test,’ John said quietly. ‘If they can do this then they are truly tamed. If they can’t, they will attack immediately.’ He held his hand out and the demons eyed it suspiciously. ‘Tell them to come and take my hand. One at a time.’

‘What are your names?’ I said.

They didn’t reply, they just watched me.

‘These low-level ones don’t have any names, they never do,’ John said. ‘You can name them later if you like. I ran out of names a long time ago.’

‘Is that why you just give them numbers?’ ‘Yes. Much easier anyway.’

‘You.’ I pointed at the woman. ‘Come and take the Dark Lord’s hand.’

She hesitated, watching John’s hand as if it was something highly toxic.

‘Be ready, Emma,’ John said quietly without moving.

The woman sidled towards John. This was obviously very difficult for her. I had seen what Simone could do when she touched a low-level demon; something much worse would probably happen to this one if it touched John.

‘You won’t kill it?’ I whispered.

‘I could quite easily kill it,’ John said, loudly enough for the demon to hear, ‘but it must take my hand anyway.’

The demon inched to John, reached out gingerly and touched his hand, its face completely expressionless. The other demon flinched.

Nothing happened to the demon and its face filled with wonder. It moved forward with more confidence and clasped John’s hand. It dissolved into True Form and stood holding John’s hand with awe.

‘Well done, Emma,’ John said with quiet satisfaction. ‘You have tamed your first demon. Now you need to work out what you will do with it. Order it back, let’s do the other one.’

‘Let go and move back,’ I said. It nodded and complied. ‘Oh, for God’s sake, take human form.’

It changed into a Chinese woman again. She smiled and bowed slightly. ‘My Lady.’

‘You.’ I pointed at the other one. ‘Come and do the same thing. Take the Dark Lord’s hand.’

The other demon moved towards John, its face rigid with terror. John waited calmly with his hand out.

Just as the demon was within touching distance it went for him, swinging its arm around in a vicious slice at John’s neck.

John blocked the attack with his left hand and caught the demon’s hand in his own. The demon dissolved into True Form and its mouth fell open.

‘Duck, Emma,’ John said. The demon exploded, covering both of us with black stuff. ‘Too slow. Damn. We’ll need to take a shower now. Ask the other demon if it knew that its partner wasn’t tamed.’

‘Did you know that it wasn’t tamed?’

‘No, my Lady, on my honour,’ she said. ‘I honestly thought that he had turned. But he was more hesitant about coming, he knew that this might happen.’

‘Good enough,’ John said. ‘We can shower upstairs. Not together.’

‘I dunno, together sounds like a good idea.’

‘Yes, it does.’ He shrugged. That was enough for both of us; we had more important things to do than brood. ‘Let’s go up and work out what to do with your new little toy.’

I opened my mouth to protest that it was a living thing, not a toy, then closed my mouth again. Low-level demons weren’t really alive. They were more like animated black stuff. Automatons, programmed to take orders, and really only mildly sentient—unless they had a flash of free will, decided to take matters into their own hands, and joined us in an attempt to attain humanity.

‘Come on,’ I said, and the demon followed us to the lift. ‘Why were you following us? Were you ordered to attack us?’

‘My Lady,’ she said, ‘we escaped.’

‘Who was your master?’ John said quickly.

‘One Two Two.’

We shared a look. Simon freaking Wong.

‘Why did you escape?’ John said. ‘Such an act of disobedience is highly unusual. You know what will happen to you if you are caught?’

‘I know,’ she said, miserable. ‘But One Two Two is completely without honour. He treats his thralls worse than he treats his victims. I have already lost fifty nest mates to him. I would be next. Coming to you was my only, slim hope.’