‘Can I shoot chi into the ground?’ I said. ‘Are we on the ground?’
‘Good idea,’ the stone said. ‘Yes.’
‘Into the ground,’ I said, and John nodded, understanding.
We readied ourselves. The Tiger used PK to open the door, then he and Leo stepped back.
All I saw was a writhing black mass on the other side of the door; they were silent, not hissing. They must have been at least thirty centimetres across.
Using my sword, I shot a bolt of chi into the floor and it went right through the middle of the snakes, blowing them up. It popped out of the floor about three metres away at the other end of the room, and I managed to make it swerve through a few more as it returned to me. I’d taken out about five of them. I sent the chi into the earth; if I retrieved that much it would kill me.
John and Leo raced through the door, swords swinging. The Tiger leapt. I followed them in and threw another bolt into the floor, destroying another three demons. Eight down. Seven to go.
The room was about three metres to a side, plain concrete. Just us and the snakes.
John had no difficulty with the demons he faced. He backed into a corner and only one at a time could battle him, they were so enormous. Dark Heavens destroyed them easily as it sliced through them; just its touch seemed to be enough to make them dissipate.
Leo had trouble with the demon he was attacking, so I took it out with a bolt of chi, then threw the result into the floor at another one.
The Tiger was a white blur. He leaped at them, tore their throats out, and worried them as they fell.
The demons moved back from me, obviously concerned by the energy. John, Leo and the Tiger continued to battle.
I sent another bolt of chi through the snakes, then more into the ground.
John ripped Dark Heavens through the demon he was facing and it fell.
All gone.
We all stood, panting, trying to regain our breath. Leo stumbled to me and leaned against the wall next to me. John came and stood with us, the Tiger backed to us.
‘Anybody injured?’ John said.
‘Poisonous,’ the Tiger said, panting. ‘Fangs. Leo?’
‘Yeah,’ Leo said.
The Tiger transformed into human form and went to Leo. Leo slid down the wall to sit on the floor, his face ashen. The Tiger took his hands, lowered his head and concentrated. Leo’s face screwed up with agony and he gasped.
‘Hold,’ John said, putting his hand on Leo’s forehead. ‘The pain will pass.’
Leo was completely still, his face stiff with control.
‘Breathe,’ John whispered.
Leo took a deep gasping breath and arched his back, then went limp. The Tiger concentrated again, and his hands filled with the golden glow of chi. The energy grew like a nimbus around his hands, then moved onto Leo, creating an aura around him. He appeared to be surrounded by golden fire for a split second, then it was absorbed into him.
Leo exhaled a huge deep breath, snapped open his eyes and smiled. ‘Thanks.’
‘It wasn’t as bad as I thought,’ the Tiger said. ‘The fang just grazed you. You were very lucky.’
Leo raised his left forearm and examined the long red mark where the fang had sliced across. ‘Gone.’ He pulled himself to his feet. ‘Any more between us and Simone?’
John and the Tiger faced the door at the end of the room and concentrated.
‘No idea,’ John said. ‘Stone?’
‘What you just faced was nothing compared to what is on the other side of that door,’ the stone said grimly. ‘Twice as many. Much bigger. Turtles.’ Its voice softened. ‘They are guarding Simone. She is on the other side of that room, in a holding room.’
Everybody looked blankly at me, so I relayed the message.
‘Emma, Leo,’ John said, ‘you two will go straight through, grab Simone and take her out. Take her straight home, both of you. The Tiger and I will finish our business here. Just make sure Simone is safe.’
I didn’t say anything, I just studied the door.
‘Emma?’ John said.
I nodded. ‘Okay. I suppose this is goodbye.’
‘No, it isn’t,’ John said. ‘Because I will return for you. I promise. Now.’ He hefted his sword. ‘Let’s get Simone out of this.’ He didn’t look away from the door. ‘Leo, I am giving you a direct order. You do not have permission to give your life. Simone will need both of you. I order you to stay alive.’
‘My Lord,’ Leo said, expressionless. ‘It’s the least I deserve.’
‘Tiger, on the count of three, open the door,’ John said. ‘One, two—’
The door flew open by itself and Martin threw himself through, holding Simone, unconscious, in his arms. His eyes blazed. ‘Go!’ he shouted when he saw us. ‘Get out of here!’
John ran to them and turned to bring up the rear. ‘You heard him, run!’
We all turned and raced for the door. Leo hit it first and went down. The Tiger crashed into it as well. The rest of us managed to stop before we reached it.
I put my hand out. There was an invisible barrier
where the door should have been. The door appeared to be open, but we couldn’t go through.
‘Move,’ John said. He raised Dark Heavens, filled it with brilliant white shen energy and tried to break the barrier with it. The sword glanced off.
John pulled the energy back out. We all faced back into the room. The door on the other side was open, but the demons weren’t coming in yet.
The Tiger shook his shaggy head and pulled himself to his feet. ‘Never seen that before.’
‘Leo?’ I said.
Leo grunted, then pulled himself up to sit, shaking his head as well. The Tiger moved next to him. ‘How many paws am I holding up?’
‘Two,’ Leo said.
‘Close enough,’ the Tiger said.
Leo clumsily pulled himself to his feet and staggered to the white katana to retrieve it.
I went to Martin. Simone lay limp in his arms.
‘Is she okay?’ I said.
‘Yes,’ Martin said. ‘I broke out of my cell and found her. But—’ He glanced at the other room, then gently put Simone onto the floor next to the door. ‘Give me your sword, and stand back with Simone. Let us deal with them.’
I glanced at John. ‘Do as he says,’ John said.
I passed the Silver Serpent to Martin and he studied it. ‘It’s been a long time.’ He hefted it and faced the centre of the room with the other men.
‘You two stay back,’ John said. ‘Emma, lean on the doorway. If the barrier is taken down, grab Simone and run. Leo, stay with them, stand your ground. Go with them if the barrier falls.’
They all stiffened and faced the open door.
‘Here they come,’ Martin said softly.
J
ohn 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.