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“What happened to the Dragon Priestess?” Kai asked Zhao.
“You keep referring to the Priestess as a Dragon, but what does that mean?” Louise interrupted, “There’s no such thing as Dragons, they’re a fantasy creature from books.”
Zhao and Kai exchanged an amused look.
“I explained this, Louise. The world that you know is only part of it.” Melanie cast a pleading look at Zhao, “In Te Ling... in most of the cities of the world, there is what is known as the Underworld. Vampires, Werewolves, Fae, Ghouls, Naga, Shapeshifters, Dragons... they all exist!”
“Did you put something in that coffee, Detective? My sister in law appears to be talking nonsense again.” Louise looked at her cup suspiciously.
Zhao sighed, “Mrs Smith, I can assure you that she’s telling the truth. Look at me please.”
Louise looked up him and Melanie slid one arm around her. Kai hid her smile, knowing what he was about to do.
Zhao’s eyes began to glow red, the colour drained out of his face as it took on a decidedly demonic form, with his ears becoming pointed at the top and wider like a bat’s. As he opened his mouth slightly, his canines became fangs.
Louise scrabbled backward in her seat, trying to get as far away as she could, whimpering. Melanie hugged her and whispered in her ear, clearly trying to calm her down. Kai had to admit that while she had seen Vampires and Werewolves change before, watching it happen in slow motion that way really made her shiver.
Zhao grinned at Kai. She could feel that he wasn’t hungry and wouldn’t attack them, so remaining calm was a lot easier, especially when his voice slid into her mind, “I fed last night at Mother’s, so she’s got nothing to worry about.”
Kai nodded.
The detective looked at Melanie and Louise, “The Treaty that governs our city is what stops the visiting humans like you becoming a feast for the Xixuegui and Lángrén.” He closed his mouth and eyes and his face shifted back to normal, “It’s also the main reason that visitors to the city are told to remain in the Tourist District after nightfall.”
Louise looked from him to Kai to Melanie.
“See, Louise? If you accept that Detective Zhao is a Vampire, then you have to agree that all the others are real too.” Melanie stroked her sister in law’s arm soothingly.
The woman nodded slowly. Kai took her cup and went over to the machine, made her a fresh cup and brought it back to her. Louise took the cup but refused to look at Zhao.
“So, what happened to Lady Yutu?” Kai asked again.
“She was found sitting beside the weakest part of the Moon Temple wall. The groundsman who found her thought that she had fallen asleep during a meditation in the fog. It was only when he tried to wake her that he realised that she was dead.” Zhao ignored the gasp from Melanie and the whimper from Louise.
“How do you kill a dragon that easily?” Melanie asked,
“Dragons only have a few vulnerable spots. They’re the most accessible in humanoid form, which explains why they attacked during the fog; had she seen them coming, she’d have changed form.” Kai explained.
“If the Fae would do that to a Dragon, what would they do to Andrew and David? Neither of them came back after the meal.” She put the cup down, “The only reason I didn’t panic is that you said you had people watching them.”
Zhao looked worried and walked out of the office without a word.
“Where’s he going?” Louise sounded relieved that he’d left the room.
“Probably to check with the officers that were supposed to be watching Andrew and David.” Kai said.
After half an hour silence, Zhao returned looking seriously annoyed, “My men were attacked and killed the same night that your menfolk took it into their heads to try and negotiate for Tabatha’s release.”
Kai blinked, “Were they Lángrén or Xixuegui?”
“Lángrén. Something ripped them apart like they were nothing more than stuffed toys.” He looked ill, obviously remembering the crime scene photos.
Kai had a flashback to Chamberlain’s memory of his lover’s murder, “Like Jai-Lo?”
Zhao nodded.
“Who was Jai-Lo in the political scheme of things?” Kai said, “Lady Yutu was the Crystal Dragon, I refuse to believe that Chamberlain’s Lover was just some Lángrén officer.”
The detective’s annoyed expression returned, “Miss Riordan, I believe that your discussion with Mrs Reading-Smith is now over. You’ve clearly linked the two cases and for that I am grateful, but unless I need your aid further, I cannot answer any more questions.”
Kai stood up, “I see. Higher Ups tying your tongue, detective?”
He said nothing.
“Well ladies, it looks like my involvement with both cases is at an end. I’m glad that I could help you this far. The invoice will be in the next post.” Melanie and Louise seemed shocked by Kai’s sudden eviction and looked at Zhao. He remained solemn as she left the office.
She slowly walked back to her hunter’s office, barely noticing her surroundings. The day had warmed up and she took her jacket off, slinging it over her shoulder. So that’s those three cases closed. Now what do I do? I can’t contact Tabatha; Zhao took the t-shirt from me, but I feel responsible for her still, even if I’m officially out of the case.
When she entered the office, Edward sprang out of his chair, “You have visitors, Miss Riordan. They’re waiting for you in your office.”
He only does that for important people. I wonder who... she thought... well there’s only one way to find out.
She strode into her office.
As she entered, three robed figures turned toward her. One wore a grey robe with a dragon mask that sparkled in the light; the second wore a black robe with a black and silver dragon mask and the last wore a pale brown robe with a wooden horse mask.
Kai almost turned on her heel and fled, The Black Dragon, Wood Horse and Crystal Dragon here? Half the Dark Cities Triang in my office. Why? What have I done now? She steeled herself and walked forward, stopped and dropped to one knee.
“No need to stand on ceremony, Miss Riordan.” The Crystal Dragon said in a voice that should have been unrecognisable, but Kai instinctively knew that it was a friend under the mask.
“Yes, please stand up.” The wood horse began to move toward her as if to help her up and she hastily stood, lest he actually do it.
“I am conscious of the honour that your Graces do me by merely being in my office, but why have you come? Have I offended somehow?”
There was a bark of a laugh from the Black dragon, “No child, we have come to ask you something. Please sit down.” The black robed figure gestured toward her desk chair and Kai automatically did as she was told.
Once she sat down, they sat back down too.
“My heir, The White Tiger, offered you the position of The Jade Cat with the Triang,” The Black Dragon said, “we wished to find out why you hadn’t taken up the offer.”
“I’m not particularly keen on being in a position that only ends with Death. I don’t know how much you know about what has happened to me, but the curse that Chamberlain placed on me has made me immortal and the only way I’ll die is to be beheaded... the thought that someone might actually do it deliberately the way that they did to your predecessor,” Kai nodded toward the Crystal Dragon, “fills me with a certain amount of reluctance.”
The three figures looked at each other.
“Understandable at least.” The Wood Horse said, “We are rather prominent targets after all.”
“It is something that has its perks as well as its drawbacks.” The Crystal Dragon agreed with him, and Kai caught a faint air of amusement from... her. I know this person well enough that they can’t hide our connection properly.
“Understand this, Miss Riordan, you would not be as constrained as we are by the tradition and protocol that surrounds our roles.” The Black dragon leaned forward, “The Jade Cat is free to prowl where they will, investigate who they will and find out many things about the Dark Cities. The Mask alone will gain you entry to any place in the Dark Cities and quite often beyond. It isn’t as if the wider world is ignorant of us; the top echelons of government in every country know of us. The Underworlds of every city bow to us. We are the leaders of our world.”
Kai blinked. I didn’t know that. I suppose it’s not something that they can teach outsiders. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her panic at finding them in her office subsiding. A small movement from the Crystal Dragon caught her attention. Were they just casting a spell? I know that the Crystal Dragon has to be a dragon, so it’s either a mage or a member of the priesthood... In a blinding flash of inspiration, Kai suddenly knew who the person wearing the robes of the Crystal Dragon was.
She decided to go on the offensive. “Detective Zhao at Special Division refuses to allow me to help with the Tabatha Smith case anymore. Was that your doing?” she waved one hand toward them.
The Wood Horse nodded, “If you were to go much further in your investigations, you would be in a difficult situation. We know a little more about the plan that removed Lady Yutu and Jai-Lo from our midst than you do, but unfortunately, we are not free to deal with the situation. It is the duty of The Jade Cat to do such things.”
“Do you need me? There is no one else that could possibly take the role?”
Another round of silent glances between the figures confirmed that one for her. Hmm. If it weren’t for Tabatha needing me, I wouldn’t even consider this. I’d just shut my business down and head for Europe or the States.
Then something that the wood horse had said lit up brightly in her mind. He included Jai-Lo in the Triang. Jai-Lo was a Lángrén... a werewolf. That means that he was also The Silver Wolf. Well, no wonder Zhao clammed up when I asked him who Jai-Lo was. I managed to get too close to forbidden information... and that means that there have been two members of the Triang removed.
Letting the silence stretch out a moment or two longer, Kai stood up and moved around the desk. She liked to pace when she was thinking about something important. The three masked figures watched her.
Going by the contents of that folder The White Tiger gave me, I would be free to live wherever I want, do what I wished, travel or otherwise. I wouldn’t even need to work for a living, the stipend would be enough to pay for my lifestyle five times over. She bit her lower lip hard, raising a bead of blood and when she licked it away, the wound had gone. It would make being Immortal a lot more interesting.
She looked at The Black Dragon, “What would I have to do?”
“Well, we generally have a little public ceremony to welcome a new Triang Member, followed by a private party, so that you can get to know us without the encumbrance of the masks etc.” the Wood Horse answered her, “Nothing drastic; just a swearing of the oath of the Triang...”
“Under the circumstances, I think that we would have to postpone that; we would need you to get to the bottom of the Tabatha Smith case first. It threatens our existence you see.” The Black Dragon said.
Kai nodded, “So you’d accept me without the formalities so that I could bring whatever plan it is that the Fae have to an end?”
“Essentially, yes.” All three nodded, although it was the Black Dragon who spoke.
Kai went back to her chair and sat down. I’d be able to help whoever I wanted to help, not just the clients who could afford my charges. The notion appealed to her a great deal. With a deep breath she closed her eyes. As she opened them again, she breathed out and smiled. “Then I accept the position.”
The three figures seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
“Then we shall do two things to seal the deal.” The Black Dragon said, “I will call Special Division and tell them that they have a new boss. Detective Zhao will be relieved to hear that I think, he doesn’t mind being head of department, but he dislikes having to make the command decisions on certain cases.”
Kai nodded, “What’s the other thing?”
“This.” On what must have been a prearranged signal, the three of them removed their masks.
Kai gasped. It’s death to see the faces of the Triang... they’ve just sentenced me to death!
“Don’t worry, Kai.” The dragon in the grey robe said, “You won’t really be put to death for seeing us – after all, you have to know who we are in order to work with us... and I haven’t yet been publicly confirmed as Crystal Dragon.”
“But did you have to spring it on me like this?” Kai groaned.
Amira laughed, “May I introduce Louisa Mendosa,” she waved one hand at the Black Dragon, “and Mr Peter Derwin-Hepler, the Wood Horse.”
“That explains why you didn’t want me to investigate into your problem further. It would have revealed your identity.” Kai said.
“Actually, it would have done more than that – it would have allowed the Fae to find out who I was and put my life in danger.” He sighed, “Melanie is a good soul, but she tells her husband everything and as far as I can tell, he is at the heart of the troubles besetting our company.”
“Well, he hasn’t returned from the negotiation with the Fae that he took Andrew Smith to, so your troubles may be over.” Kai said.
Louisa Mendosa was tapping out a text. She hit send and smiled, “Zhao now knows you are the Jade Cat. He is the only other person that does, apart from those of us in this room. You don’t need to hide your face from anyone until after the ceremony, so for the moment, continue on with your investigations and he’ll give you all the help you need.”
Kai bowed in her seat, “Thank you.”