‘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.
‘
S
he moved,’ a voice said.
I tried to pull myself upright but was completely incapacitated. Again. I had to stop doing this to myself. I tried to open my eyes, and managed it. Okay; not completely incapacitated. I felt for John’s or Simone’s hand holding mine, but they didn’t seem to be there. First time for everything.
‘Quickly, restrain her. We haven’t finished.’
Strong hands moved to bind my wrists and ankles. Hold on; that was wrong. What the hell was happening? I tried to struggle but the bonds were tight. I stopped struggling and attempted to focus.
There was an enormous gleaming silver face right in front of mine. I felt a shock of panic and tried to escape. I couldn’t. I was about to struggle, then I saw it properly. It wasn’t a face at all. It was a huge hospital examination light, like the ones used in operating theatres.
I looked around. Dark shapes…I couldn’t quite make them out. Green. Lights. Okay. I took a few deep breaths. Concentrate. Hospital. I tried to remember what had happened.
Oh my God—John. I must have cried out because
suddenly there was a grinning face jammed right in mine.
‘Hello, sweetie,’ Simon Wong said. He turned to my left. ‘Are we nearly finished?’
I turned to see who he was talking to. It was a small humanoid demon in True Form, checking an IV bag. Kitty Kwok was behind it, looking smug.
‘Still a while to go,’ Kitty said. ‘We should knock her out again.’
‘Let me watch her first,’ Wong said. He moved his face very close to mine and nuzzled into my cheek. ‘Mm. Sweet.’ He bit me on the cheek, and I clenched my teeth to stop the sound from coming out. He dug his teeth in harder. I used the energy meridians to block the pain. There, eat that, demon. I couldn’t feel anything.
‘She’s used energy to block the pain, my Lord,’ the smaller demon said.
‘Damn,’ Wong said softly into my face. He licked the blood off my cheek, then pulled away.
I moved my awareness back into my face and checked the damage from the inside. He’d torn a gash in my face. I quickly healed it using chi, but something didn’t feel right. There was a blockage. The chi wasn’t moving the way it should.
‘She shouldn’t be able to still do that,’ Wong said. ‘How much more?’
‘Still a while to go, I said, Simon,’ Kitty said impatiently. ‘She’s only absorbed about a litre.’
‘Well, make it go faster!’ Wong said.
‘Can’t, we’ll kill her,’ Kitty said. ‘This is already five times faster than any other we’ve done before. Obviously the preparation we did when she was working for me was effective.’
‘How long will this take?’ Wong said.
There was silence. Then Kitty said, ‘About two hours.’
‘And we’ll have her when we’re done?’
‘Should be,’ Kitty said.
‘What do you mean
should be?
’
‘You know she’s the first adult to survive it. The others died. If she survives it, we should have her.’
‘Damn, Kitty, you should never have let her go in the first place,’ Wong said.
‘It was really sudden. I wasn’t able to stop her,’ Kitty said. ‘She just turned around and moved in with the Dark Lord without any warning whatsoever. There at work one day, providing samples and being fed like a good little thrall, then not working for me the next. Always was an impulsive little bitch.’
‘Do you think she knew?’ he said.
‘What we were doing to her?’ Kitty hesitated. ‘If she knew, I think she’d kill herself. I honestly think she loves that bastard more than her life.’
What were they doing to me?
I looked around. Then I realised with an ice-cold shock. The IV was
black
.
Okay. Deep breaths. I was bound, I couldn’t move. If they moved away, I could try escaping, but with them right on top of me like that it was a waste of time. I moved my consciousness into my arm where they were feeding me with the demon stuff. I felt what was going into me and gagged.
My head was grabbed and raised just as I vomited. I couldn’t help it. I hoped I’d hit one of them but apparently they were ready for me. I retched for a while, then stopped. They dropped my head. I desperately wanted to rinse my mouth.
‘Yum,’ Wong said.
‘You are completely disgusting, Simon,’ Kitty said.
I took deep breaths and weighed my options. I had another couple of hours before they gained control, Kitty had said. I checked my energy level and nearly
panicked again. No wonder it had felt so strange when I healed my face. My chi was disappearing. It was like my dan tian was filling with the black stuff, replacing the chi. About a third was gone.
I felt my shen. It was perfectly normal. I felt my ching. Same.
I quickly considered trying to use shen, but dismissed it. Maybe if there was no other option, I’d try. Ching; I knew what would happen if I tried to work ching
,
with essence. It would be like an implosion. I would die quickly, cleanly and without leaving a trace.
I thought at the stone. It wasn’t there. No, wait: a very small voice, right on the edge of consciousness.
Can you hear me, Emma? Make a sound if you can hear me.
I made a very small squeak, hoping it could hear me.
Do that again if you can hear me.
I squeaked again, and Kitty glanced at me.
‘Are we hurting you, dear?’ Wong said into my ear. ‘I do hope we are. Does it burn as it goes in?’
I am here, Emma
, the stone said. I concentrated on its voice, focusing, and managed to bring it to me more loudly.
You have only been unconscious for about half an hour
, it said.
I don’t like the look of what they are doing to you though.
I asked it a question silently.
Simone is fine. They haven’t done anything to her. They want control of you first, that way she will cooperate. They have her heavily sedated but unharmed. I think they want to do something similar to her.
I tried to control my fury. Then I felt a shot of anguish.
Yes. He’s gone. He was gone anyway, dear. Either way, he would be in True Form by now.
I thought another question at it.
Yes. He is in True Form. He is gone, but remember, he will return. Simone is alive. You need to work out what you’ll do. I will do what I can to help.
Another question.
What happened? It was all a ruse. That wasn’t the
yamen
building at all. The Dark Lord was too drained to tell. It was the real Simone, and that’s all he cared about. Even Simone was too distressed to look closely at the surroundings. The demon took the Dark Lord’s head, then they somehow knocked you out and brought you here. You are still under Kowloon City Park.
I tried not to let my face betray my despair. After all of that we had lost, and Simone was in this demon’s hands. I frantically considered my options. First, get free. Then find Simone. Then get her out of there. Or find the phone and use it. Either way, I had to make sure that Simone was safe.
‘My, but look at her thinking. This is
such
fun to watch,’ Wong said.
‘We should sedate her again,’ Kitty said.
‘How much longer will it take if she’s conscious?’ Wong said.
‘About half an hour longer,’ Kitty said. ‘Two and a half more hours and she’s ours.’
‘Then let’s watch,’ Wong said, his voice full of satisfaction. ‘I want to see her try something. Come on, Emma, try something. Can you break the bonds? They’re rated at a hundred kilos, dear, I really don’t think you can.’
That was what he thought. I could do it, but not with him there. It would be a waste of time trying to escape while he was there.
I wondered if they had the short attention span of typical Hong Kong people. It was worth a try.
I willed myself into a very deep trance for exactly thirty-four minutes.
I snapped back but remained perfectly still. I tried opening my Inner Eye to see how many demons were around me, but it was gone. I couldn’t use it any more.
I checked my chi. More than a third gone.
I could try to remove the black stuff internally, burn it out with my own chi, but that was a thing to try only if they weren’t watching.
I had an inspiration. I asked the stone.
Just the humanoid. Kitty and Simon became bored and went off to have sex. He finds this incredibly arousing.
I nearly chuckled. Then I realised that I would probably be next. I checked myself, and breathed a very quiet sigh of relief.
That’s right. Not yet. But he certainly does have plans for you. He wants you cooperative though; he’s too frightened to try taking you before you’re fully converted. Even bound, he won’t try you.
What?
That’s the word they used: converted. And the humanoid is about level thirty. He doesn’t have many high-level demons left—you destroyed most of them.
Gotcha.
I used every ounce of speed I had. I ripped my hands free of the bonds, shot upright, spun and took its head off with both hands: snap.
I looked around. Operating theatre.
I ripped the IV out of my arm and nearly gagged again when I smelled its contents.
I jumped off the bed. Only one way to go: out.
I crept to the door, opened it and poked my head out. I asked the stone.
Next on the right. Nobody else is around. Kitty and Wong are still busy. He can go for hours if he
wants. Simone: I’m not completely sure. Let’s go and find her.
I crept out into the hallway and listened. I really wished my Inner Eye was working. Not a sound.
I moved stealthily up the hall to the next room, opened the door and entered. Dark.
The stone glowed for me, a small pale green light. I used it to light the table holding my stuff. I grabbed the phone and shoved it in my pocket.
I asked the stone.
Your diagnosis is correct. I don’t know if you can burn the demon essence out with your
chi
. It doesn’t seem to be harming you, or giving them control. Your unusual nature is limiting its effectiveness. But if they manage to fill you more than half full, I fear that they will succeed.
I went back to the door. I opened it a crack and looked through. Nothing. The hall had plain beige walls and a linoleum-tiled floor, like a hospital.
There are demons at the entrance to the hallway, about level fifteen or twenty. Two of them.
Easy. I crept down the hall towards the door at the end. It was double doors, like a hospital.
No. Not a hospital. You are still underground.
I had an inspiration.
Sorry, Emma, I can’t call anybody. I’m underground, remember.
I threw open the doors. There was a demon on each side. I used my speed again; I hit the right one with a spinning roundhouse kick that destroyed it completely, then dropped my kicking foot and lashed out with the other foot. Both gone.
I had black stuff on my legs, but it wasn’t seeping through my jeans onto my skin. I should be okay. I gasped. The black stuff made a very quiet sucking sound and disappeared into me. I looked at my hands.
The black stuff from the first demon was gone too. I checked my dan
tian
. Holy shit.
By the Grandmother herself but you are in very serious trouble, Lady Emma Donahoe.
I couldn’t help but agree. But first: Simone.
Left.
How far?
I have no idea. Probably a few metres.
I wanted to hug the wall but it would be a waste of time. If anyone came they would see me anyway. There were doors on either side of the hallway.
Do not go into any of those rooms, Emma,
the stone said.
You do not want to see what is inside them.
At the end of the corridor there was no door; it just opened into a larger area. It was about three metres across and disappeared to the right. I crept to the end and poked my nose around the corner. The larger area opened out to the right for about five metres. It was devoid of any furniture, with beige walls and a tiled linoleum floor, like a hospital. I wondered why it seemed so different to a hospital when it had so many similarities; and then realised. No windows. Underground. There was a glass wall with a large glass door at the end on the right. The wall directly across from me had three doors at regular intervals. I asked the stone.
Let me look. The middle one. There is an anteroom with a level forty demon in it. Then something similar to a hospital ward, with Simone in it.
I shot across and threw open the door. The demon wasn’t expecting me. I went for its head but it blocked me, twisted my arm down and grabbed my throat.
I tried to head-butt it but it had me. I lifted myself on my pinned arm and neck and lashed out with my feet. Both my feet thumped into its abdomen and the force of the blow broke its grip. I somersaulted backwards
and landed on my feet, but I was hit with the black stuff anyway as it exploded.
I looked down at myself. Another quiet sucking sound. The demon stuff disappeared, absorbed into me. Damn. I checked my dan
tian
. Holy shit. Nearly half full.
I tried to imagine Simon Wong giving me an order and felt only disdain. Good. I hoped this control business wasn’t as bad as they thought it was. I didn’t want to try it though.
I opened the door on the other side of the room. Simone was sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed, her face full of angelic innocence. She still wore her little blue dress from that morning, when she had gone into safety with Martin. I grabbed her and pulled her up and crushed her into me. My eyes stung with tears that I really couldn’t afford.
Then I shrieked with agony and dropped her. She fell like a rag doll. I sobbed with the pain. My arms went black; then they rippled and returned to normal.
I bent over the bed and leaned on it, gasping for breath between the sobs. ‘No. No. No.’
I took deep breaths and tried to control it. Okay. I gingerly reached out and touched Simone on her hand. I jerked away again; the touch was like acid.
I tried her dress. That didn’t hurt.
I carefully put my hands around her middle under her arms, where the dress was, ready to lift her and get her out of there.