Blue Dragon

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

John was ugly in Turtle form, but these were monsters. Their shells were twisted with protuberances and indentations; some of them dragged feet that seemed to be only half flipper. Each was about a metre and a half from nose to tail; not physically large, but at least level eighty demons. Enormous.

John raised Dark Heavens, then opened his mouth and released a sound I had never heard before. It was a combination of rage, anguish and grief, and seemed to gather all of the pain that he had suffered since the demon had killed Michelle.

Then his voice was drowned out by the Tiger’s roar and the three of them threw themselves at the demons. I clutched Simone.

‘Don’t look,’ Leo said without turning to me. ‘Some of these are more animal than demon.’ He ducked and a spray of blood shot over our heads and splattered on the wall above us.

‘Has John taken True Form?’ I said, trying to peer around him to see.

‘No.’ Leo ducked again, then raised the sword and sliced the head off an injured turtle that had come for us. It dissipated into black feathery streamers.

Martin moved in front of Leo, blocking any more demons from coming for us. He had filled the Serpent with shen and it sang, but it didn’t seem to make any difference to the demons. He sliced through the turtles with the singing sword anyway.

John stood in the middle of the room and destroyed them in grim silence. He was faster than the demons, and they were incredibly fast. He was almost invisible. The Tiger battled next to him; they guarded each other’s back.

A turtle threw itself at us and Martin blocked it. It landed with all four feet right in the middle of his chest, knocking him over. Leo leaped forward to take off its head, but it was too fast. It lunged its head on its long flexible neck, opened its mouth and snapped it shut on Martin’s throat. Martin gave a strangled cry and went limp.

Leo didn’t hesitate; he took the turtle’s head off, then scooped up the Serpent and held it behind himself without looking back. I grabbed it, and he moved forward again, guarding.

Martin disappeared. Dead.

Another turtle rushed us and Leo readied himself. This one leaped for his throat, knocking him over, and he fell onto his back. I sliced its head off before it could take out his throat.

Leo rolled the turtle away. ‘You always were faster than me.’ He tried to rise but couldn’t. He struggled to pull himself to his feet, then gave up. ‘I think I’m in trouble.’ He crawled to the wall and leaned on it next to Simone, who was still unconscious.

I hefted my sword. I stood in front of Simone.

John and the Tiger still battled back to back, taking the demons out around them. The Tiger’s flank was stained with blood, soaking through his fur, and one ear hung lopsidedly. The side of John’s shirt was dark with blood and there was blood on his face.

I couldn’t do anything. These demons were far too big to take out with energy. The backlash would kill me.

Another turtle approached us and I took its head off before it could attack me.

Only a couple of turtles remained, fighting John and the Tiger. The Tiger lunged, took out the neck of a turtle, and it fell. The Tiger fell as well; his bloodied side heaving. He disappeared.

John ran his sword through the top of the last turtle’s head. All gone. Most of them had dissipated, but some had died like animals, their dark blood spreading over the floor. Even in death they were grotesque caricatures of the natural animals; wrong in the wrong places.

John staggered to us and flopped down next to Leo. ‘Has the barrier gone down?’

I felt behind me. ‘No.’

‘Reinforcements are on the way, we don’t have much time,’ John said. ‘Give me a minute to catch my breath and rebuild my energy, and then I should be able to break it down and the two of you can get Simone out of here.’

‘We could just take Simone home, John, the three of us,’ I said softly. ‘We could just go home and have some more time together.’

John shifted where he sat, and grimaced. ‘My side is cut open. I wouldn’t make it. I’ll use the last of my energy to unseal the door. Once I’ve done it, I will change. You go. Once the barrier is down and the Turtle is released, take them, Leo. Take them and go.’

‘I’m not going anywhere either,’ Leo said. ‘My spine is broken. I can’t feel my legs, I can’t move them. My Lord, quickly. They’re coming. You don’t have enough energy to break the barrier, you know it. Drain me—’

‘No!’ I whispered.

‘He has to,’ Leo said to me. ‘It’s the only way you’re gonna get out of here.’

‘I can’t, Leo,’ John said. ‘You’re Worthy. If I drain you, you can never gain Immortality.’

Leo snorted. ‘My spine is broken and I’ll stay that way, I know I will. All eternity being a cripple pining after something I can’t have? Please. Do it. Quickly. My last request, Lord Xuan: drain me. Allow me to become part of you. Hurry!’

‘Do it, John, it’s what I’d want,’ I said. ‘Quickly.’

John hesitated.

‘Please,’ Leo said, begging. ‘Take my energy. I know I’m big. Take my soul. With what I have you can get Simone and Emma out.’

‘Do it for him, John.’

John shook his head fiercely. ‘I wish there was another way.’ He placed his hand on Leo’s forehead and Leo smiled up at him. A white aura of glowing shen energy surrounded Leo and he began to fade. He became transparent. John was taking all of him.

There was a blinding flash of light and Kwan Yin appeared in True Form next to Leo. John jerked his head back and stared at her, incredulous.

‘The Black Lion is mine,’ she said. She reached out and touched Leo’s head. Leo’s eyes widened and his face filled with wonder. Then his expression changed to a fierce grimace of anger. ‘No!’

He cast around at us, desperate. He became totally transparent. He was gone.

Kwan Yin disappeared.

‘Oh, dear Lord, John. She’s going to Raise him, isn’t she?’

‘She has taken him to be Judged,’ John said.

‘But if he’s Raised he’ll stay as he is. For all eternity.’

‘As a human Raised Immortal, yes. I know.’

‘He’ll fight it every inch of the way.’

‘I know.’

‘Can we help him?’

John looked down and hesitated, then spoke without raising his head. ‘No. There is nothing we can do for him right now.’

‘Oh my God. Poor Leo,’ I whispered.

‘We do not have time to worry about Leo. The best thing we can do is take his gift and fulfil his will. I will break this barrier, and you and Simone can go out.’

‘I hope you’re right, Xuan Wu,’ I said. ‘But what about the energy?’

‘I received nearly all of his energy, and most of hers,’ he said. ‘She nearly drained herself.’ He rose. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m fine.’

John glanced at Simone. ‘She is heavily sedated. I can’t even say goodbye.’

‘Stone, if you can hear me, take a recording,’ I said. The stone didn’t change its shape or say anything. ‘Do we have time?’

‘No,’ John said. ‘I will break the barrier, then you will go.’

‘Will you still transform after breaking the barrier?’

‘Yes.’ John studied the door on the other side of the room. ‘They’re here. We have to move.’ He turned back to me. ‘Hold Simone. Ready yourself to run once the barrier is down. Don’t look back.’

I gathered Simone and rose. John rose with difficulty, grimacing. He reached out and stroked Simone’s cheek, then his face went rigid and he seized her out of my arms, ran to the wall and pinned her against it with his body.

There was a thumping bang and John was thrown away from the wall towards me, spreadeagled. He skidded to a halt next to me. His face and the front of his black shirt were covered with blood.

Something grabbed me, turned me around and pushed me into the wall. He had used PK to turn me away so I couldn’t see him.

Stay there, he said urgently. Don’t look at me, the injuries are major. She was programmed to explode at my touch.

I suddenly understood what had happened. John had shielded me from the blast with his body. He must have been horribly injured.

He still held me. Leo was gone. John was dying. Simone was dead. My insides hurt like I was about to burst, but I couldn’t move or make a sound.

‘That was the copy of Simone,’ John said. His voice sounded completely normal. He released me. ‘I couldn’t see what it really was until I touched it.’

I heard him moving but didn’t turn around. ‘It’s okay,’ he said. I glanced at him, expecting his face to be a bloody shredded mass of flesh, but he was fine. ‘I’ve healed myself. I must be whole, because we need to go in there and get Simone out.’

Leo was gone. John wouldn’t make it. Simone was still held by the demon. We’d lost. We’d lost everything.

Hold, John said silently, but I didn’t really hear him. I concede. Wait.

I slid down the wall to sit on the floor. I was very close to losing it. That monster had Simone. I tried to breathe but my throat was thick and my heart was pounding. I couldn’t see for the tears in my eyes. I was going to lose both of them. I was going to lose all of them. No. No!

‘Emma. Concentrate. Move your chi into your central dan tian,’ John said.

I did as he directed, trying to breathe as I did.

‘Good. Now move it up the major meridian to the top cauldron.’

I concentrated.

‘Don’t open the gate. Leave the chi there. Do you have it?’

‘Yes,’ I said, concentrating, my breath rasping through my dry throat.

‘Now. Slowly. Move it all into your Inner Eye. Concentrate. Carefully. If you lose it then immediately drop it and recentre it. You have time. The demons are waiting for us now, they’re not coming in.’

The world glowed around me.

‘Don’t open the Eye. Leave the chi there. Concentrate.’

I nodded silently.

‘Now. Very carefully, move the chi back down and recentre it.’

I moved the chi and suddenly felt completely relaxed and in control. I was calm and focused and absolutely serene.

‘Thanks,’ I said.

‘I should have taught you that a long time ago,’ he said. ‘I think in the near future, unfortunately, you will be using that skill quite a lot. Emma.’ His voice sharpened and I glanced up at him. ‘You can only do that twice at one time. The effect will last for six to twelve hours. At the end of that time, the stress will return, and it will be worse. If you do it twice, it will be four times worse when it returns. If you do it more than twice in a row, you could easily kill yourself.’

‘I understand.’ As I rose I pulled the Demon King’s phone out of my pocket.

‘I have not gone down, and Simone is not yet in real danger,’ John said. ‘You cannot use that yet. Put it away, I don’t think you will need it.’ He studied the door. ‘We will just go in and get her.’

I hesitated, then shrugged, put the phone away and retrieved my sword. The stupid damn Turtle was right. I had given him my word. Simone was alive and we were getting her out. Right now.

‘Why didn’t you tell us she was a copy, stone?’ I said.

‘I’ve been shouting at you for the last twenty minutes!’ the stone snapped, its voice desperate. ‘I even tried to stab you again, but that hybrid child was binding me even though she was unconscious!’

John collected his sword without saying a word.

I was suddenly full of ice-cold fury. The monster that held my Simone had used a copy child—April’s child—as a weapon, and killed her.

‘That little piece of scum is going to die,’ I growled.

‘No, it isn’t,’ John said as he moved towards the door. ‘We will trade my head for Simone’s safety. That is the only way, love.’ He spoke silently again, and this time I heard what he said and felt a shock of dismay.

I concede. I am willing to trade my head for my Lady’s and daughter’s freedom and safety.

Come on through, Simon Wong said.

The other side of the door was a corridor, empty and featureless. It went for about twenty metres, then there was another door at the end.

‘This is not what I sensed,’ John said. ‘This is different. I cannot sense any large demons now. It was an illusion.’

‘They’re waiting for you at the end,’ the stone said. Its voice changed. ‘My Lord Xuan. It’s been a great deal of pleasure.’

‘Look after her,’ John said.

‘My Lord.’

Wong waited for us with a couple of minor demons and Kitty Kwok. Simone sat quietly in a chair between them. When she saw us she jumped to get away from them, but Kitty grabbed her by the arm and threw her back into the chair.

The room was like a large, modern library: shelves with books, a bank of computers, pale blue carpet tiles on the floor, but no windows. They sat at a meeting table together, with books strewn around them.

Wong rose and came around the table to face us. Kitty Kwok stood behind Simone and held her shoulder.

Wong leaned back on the table and crossed his arms over his chest, quite relaxed. ‘Don’t try taking True Form and coming for me. You wouldn’t make it in time.’

Don’t do anything to attack it, Emma, John said. It’s immensely powerful. You don’t need to use the phone; I don’t think either of you are in danger. We’ll just give him what he wants.

‘No,’ I moaned, my heart breaking, but John ignored me.

He stretched his arms in front of him at eye level and slid Dark Heavens back into its scabbard, acknowledging defeat. ‘One Two Two,’ he said without emotion as he lowered the sword, ‘whatever you want, you can have it. Just don’t harm the child or the Lady. You want my head? It’s yours.’

‘Have they hurt you, Simone?’ I said.

‘I’m okay,’ Simone said, her little voice strained. ‘They haven’t done anything to me.’

Wong moved his hands so that they were on the table either side of him and leaned back. ‘I just want your head, Turtle. That’s all.’

‘I won’t give it to you until I’m sure that my daughter is safe,’ John said.

Wong gestured with his head. Kitty roughly pulled Simone out of the chair and walked her around the table until she was on the same side as us.

‘Is that her?’ I said softly.

John was silent.

‘My, but you are very drained, aren’t you, Turtle,’ Wong said. ‘It’s astonishing you can hold the shape at all.’

‘If I lose the shape my head will be gone,’ John said.

‘Hello, Emma,’ Wong said. ‘You’re a prize in your own right, you know.’

I didn’t say anything.

‘Okay,’ Wong said, crossing his arms over his chest again. ‘Let’s do this, before the Turtle loses it completely. You.’ He nodded towards John. ‘Kneel, drop your weapon. You.’ He nodded towards me and smiled. ‘Take his weapon, take his head and bring it to me. Then you’ll get the girl.’

‘No!’ Simone wailed, a long drawn-out sound of misery.

‘I want to be a hundred per cent sure that it’s her, and I want safe passage out of here,’ I said.

‘Even if he guarantees it, his word’s no good, Emma,’ John said. ‘How about this: we go to the roof of Kowloon City Plaza. I’ll give you my head, you go. But I want you to do it; you take the head, not Emma. End of transaction.’

‘Inside the yamen building,’ Wong said. ‘The girls can go out from there.’

‘Done,’ John said. ‘I’ll have to walk out. I’m too big to carry.’

‘Oh, we’ll come with you,’ Wong said. ‘An afternoon stroll with the family.’

John turned and gestured. ‘After you.’

Wong grinned and concentrated. An enormous hunting knife appeared in his hand. He grabbed Simone, jerked her towards him and put the knife to her throat. ‘By all means.’ He removed his hand and the knife remained at her throat. ‘Kill me and she dies anyway.’

‘I’ve done a deal, I won’t go back on it,’ John said. ‘I am a creature of honour.’

Wong jerked Simone closer. ‘Come on, little girl,’ he said through his teeth. ‘Let’s go see the creature of honour lose his head.’

‘I don’t want you to die, Daddy,’ Simone said as we went back down the tunnels.

‘I can’t die, sweetheart,’ John said. ‘Even if he cuts off my head, I’ll just turn into the Turtle and be gone for a while. I’ll be back.’

‘And we’ll all have a lot of fun in the meantime,’ Wong said. ‘All of Hell will come out to play.’

‘You sure that’s Simone?’ I said.

‘Emma, I’m so drained that I can hardly see anything,’ John said. ‘I can’t be sure, but I’m not willing to take the risk.’

‘Say something silently,’ I said to Simone.

‘I can’t,’ Simone said. ‘He can somehow block me.’

I opened my Inner Eye and turned it on her.

‘It’s me, Emma,’ she said.

‘Is it?’ John said softly.

I asked the stone.

It’s her.

I hesitated.

Yes, of course I’m sure! It’s really her. I had the copy picked immediately. I would know if it wasn’t her!

‘What’s the word, Simone?’ I said.

‘I say “cool” too much,’ Simone said.

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘It’s her.’

‘Shut up. All of you. All I want is the head.’

We went up the stairs and through the floor into the yamen building. A hot humid breeze blew in from the open doors. The park and the glowing clouds of the Hong Kong night sky were visible through the doorway.

So close.

‘Where’s Leo?’ Simone said.

‘Emma will explain after you’re out of here,’ John said.

‘He’s dead, isn’t he,’ Simone said.

‘No, sweetheart, he’s not dead,’ I said. ‘I’ll explain it all later.’

‘Now,’ Wong said. ‘Let’s get this head.’ He gestured to John, still holding Simone with his other hand. ‘Kneel and put your sword on the ground.’

John stood watching Wong expressionlessly. Then he fell to his knees and lowered his head, his hair falling like a dark curtain around his face. He pulled his sword from its scabbard and placed it on the floor in front of him.

Wong gestured to me, still holding Simone. ‘Bring me the sword.’

I moved to John and crouched next to him. Then I had a sudden inspiration. I grabbed his head, turned it towards me and planted my mouth on his.

John pushed me away and I fell. I threw myself up and tried to go back to him, but I couldn’t move. John didn’t have enough energy left to bind me, so it had to be Wong.

Simone shrieked, and then sobbed. Wong had sliced her with the knife, not deep enough to kill, but deep enough to hurt her. Blood ran down the side of her throat. Without shifting the blade of the knife, Wong lifted his other hand to her throat and collected her blood on his index finger. He shoved it into his mouth. He pulled his finger out and smiled at me, the blood still on his teeth.

‘The little ones are always so much sweeter, don’t you think? You’d better hurry up and get me that sword, because she does taste very, very sweet.’

He released me and I completely lost it. The Snake came out.

Wong didn’t move.

I generated an enormous ball of chi and shot it straight at Wong’s head.

He held one hand up, smiled, and absorbed it completely.

I changed back and sagged to my knees. I’d nearly killed myself. I was almost completely drained. I cursed myself for an idiot.

‘You okay, Emma?’ John said quietly.

‘I’ll live.’ I pulled myself back to my feet.

Simone sobbed quietly. ‘Don’t die, Daddy.’

‘Do it, Emma,’ John said. ‘Give him the blade. I can’t hold the shape for much longer. Quickly. Do it. I’m gone anyway. Give him what he wants. Don’t worry, Simone, I’ll be back.’

I moved back to John.

‘Don’t try to feed me,’ he said. ‘It would be a waste of time; I wouldn’t have enough to take him down anyway. Just let him have my head.’

I crouched next to him. ‘I love you,’ I whispered.

‘I will return for you, Emma. I promise,’ he said, without looking up. ‘I would prefer you and Simone don’t see this. Take her and go.’

I picked up the sword and took a deep breath. ‘Pass Simone to me and I give you my word. You can have the sword. I won’t stop you. Let us go, and you can have his head.’

Wong let Simone go and she ran to me. I pulled her behind me.

John lowered his head and closed his eyes, his face serene. ‘Do it.’

I moved carefully to Wong and gave him the blade, preparing for him to attack.

‘No, Emma,’ Simone said softly.

Wong took the sword and smiled viciously at me. He didn’t move to attack me, so I backed away until Simone was behind me. I held her there and backed towards the door.

‘Yes,’ Wong said. He turned the blade over in his hands, admiring it, then grinned at John. He moved beside John, and John stiffened but remained on his knees. Wong readied the blade. ‘About fucking time,’ he said through the grin.

‘I love you,’ I said, choking out the words.

‘Words aren’t necessary,’ John said without looking up. ‘Go. Hurry.’

I grabbed Simone’s hand, spun and raced for the door. I heard the clean whisper of slicing steel behind me. Simone and I fell through the door into the darkness.