We waited until the next day for the Dragon to look inside me. John had some indoor things to teach us as well. These required privacy and quiet, so the Dragon chased all the staff out of one of the large function rooms and gave it to us.
The function room was like a ballroom, with a huge chandelier and elegant wallpaper and carpet. We took a corner, and had an area of about five by five metres partitioned off. Chairs had been stacked against one of the walls and John pulled a few down for us to sit in the centre of the room.
John sent Leo, Simone and Michael off to the country club while the Dragon looked inside me. The Dragon sat me in a chair and sat behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. I relaxed and let him in.
‘I am honoured that you permit me to do this when you dislike me so much,’ the Dragon said.
‘I don’t dislike you that much,’ I said.
The Dragon didn’t reply.
He hunted around inside me, same as John and the Tiger had. I was accustomed to the feeling and stood back to watch as he rummaged around.
‘And the Tiger could bring the Serpent out?’ the Dragon said.
‘Yes,’ John said from his chair in front of me. ‘He dug his claws into her and dug deep. It came out.’
‘Depth. Depth,’ the Dragon said softly. ‘Depth.’
‘Interesting,’ John said. ‘You seem to become deeper every time one of us looks inside you. The stone was correct.’
‘Of course I was,’ the stone snapped.
‘And I will be astonished,’ John said. ‘I think I am astonished already, stone.’
‘Why will he be astonished?’ I said.
‘Please remain silent, my Lady,’ the Dragon said. ‘Stay still so I can look at you.’
I subsided and let the Dragon see me.
‘And the taste of blood brings it out as well,’ the Dragon said. ‘I have some here. Just hold on, I’ll get someone to bring it.’
‘No,’ John said. ‘I forbid it. That is wrong.’
‘Very well,’ the Dragon said, shrugging inside my head. ‘Would have been an interesting experiment, though.’ He continued to shuffle through my thoughts and feelings. ‘Worthy.’
‘Of course,’ John said. ‘Anything?’
‘No … no.’ The Dragon stopped and pondered inside my head. ‘Hold out your hands and generate some black chi. Let’s see what happens from the inside.’
‘Are you sure that’s a good idea?’ I said.
‘Don’t move shen into it, just make the chi,’ John said. ‘Shouldn’t hurt you. Ordinary chi can be generated in these circumstances without any risk, and watching the process from the inside can be very informative.’
I held my hands out and generated a small ball of black chi. I could tell that it was black without even looking at it.
The Dragon ripped himself out of my head, tearing the inside of my brain and making my entire head explode with agony. He moved swiftly behind me and his chair fell over. He held me bound, with my hands out holding the black chi.
‘Destroy it,’ the Dragon hissed fiercely. ‘Do it now!’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ John said calmly.
I snapped open my eyes. John still sat in front of me. He had turned the chair sideways and was leaning one arm over the back. He appeared perfectly calm and relaxed. He smiled at me. ‘Don’t worry, and don’t move.’
‘Destroy that thing now!’ the Dragon said more loudly. ‘It will be the end of you all!’
‘You don’t even know what she is,’ John said. ‘You’re just panicking.’
Oh my God, he was talking about me. I tried to remain still but my throat was thick and I found it difficult to breathe.
‘I saw that,’ the Dragon said, somehow indicating something. ‘I don’t know what it is, but I really don’t like the look of it.’
‘Am I a demon?’ I whispered. ‘If I’m a demon, please, John, destroy me now.’
‘No demon can come into the resort, Emma,’ John said. ‘The Dragon is just being an old woman about this. You are not a demon.’
‘No. She isn’t a demon. If she were a demon I wouldn’t be reacting like this.’ The Dragon’s scales rattled behind me. He’d transformed. ‘You should destroy that thing now.’
‘You are a Serpent yourself,’ John said mildly, not shifting from his relaxed posture.
I reabsorbed the chi, but couldn’t turn to speak to the Dragon. He still had me bound. ‘What did you see?’ I said.
‘It cannot be put into words,’ the Dragon said.
‘Well then, show us,’ John said.
He did. Right in my centre, at my very core, was a heart of deepest darkness that seemed to absorb everything around it. It was a roiling ball of such merciless destructive power that it terrified me. It thirsted for blood and slaughter and would stop at nothing to get it. It was huge and dark and monstrous and scared the living daylights out of me — and it was me.
I inhaled sharply. The Dragon was right. I knew what I had to do. I desperately struggled to move, but the Dragon had me bound tight. I had a quick inspiration. I generated an enormous ball of chi and threw it straight at John. He’d absorb it, drain me, kill me: easy.
I closed my eyes. I knew it.
I saw a blinding flash of white light through my eyelids and then everything faded. I heard sounds, but they disappeared. No vacuum vortex this time, just a gentle fade. Goodbye.
Ms Kwan spoke, full of her sad smile. ‘Emma.’
‘Wake up, Emma!’ Simone’s little insistent voice.
‘And if you do that again, I will be extremely cross with you,’ John said.
I opened my eyes. I was still in the chair. All of them were there: John, Simone, Michael, Leo, Ms Kwan. Even the Dragon was behind them, in human form, watching.
‘What happened?’ I said.
‘Daddy says you did something really silly and nearly died,’ Simone said, her voice miserable. She climbed into my lap, threw her arms around my neck and put her head on my chest, burying her face into my shirt. ‘Please be careful, Emma. Daddy and Leo will leave me and you’ll be all I have left.’ She shook soundlessly, and I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her little tawny head.
‘Promise me you won’t do anything silly like that again,’ Simone said, gasping through the sobs.
I was silent.
‘Promise me!’ Simone said, jamming her head into my chest. ‘Promise!’
I pulled her tighter into me. ‘I promise,’ I whispered into her hair.
‘’Cause you’re all I’ll have left,’ she whispered. ‘And I don’t want you to leave me.’
‘I won’t leave you,’ I said.
‘You are a complete fool,’ the Dragon said, and disappeared.
‘Who was he talking to?’ I said.
‘I think, all of us,’ Ms Kwan said.
‘Now that Emma’s finished being extremely silly,’ John said with an amused edge, ‘it’s time to learn our last few lessons. Emma and I can talk in private about her extremely advanced silliness later.’
Simone squeezed me but her head didn’t move from my chest.
‘I promise, Simone,’ I whispered. ‘I won’t do it again.’
‘Good,’ Simone said, a huge gasp. She climbed down off my lap, took Ms Kwan’s hand and led her out.
‘I have something I want to teach you, Simone,’ John called after her.
‘I’m going to the bathroom to wash my face and blow my nose,’ Simone shouted back, irritated. ‘Don’t do anything without me. Ms Kwan’s looking after me. You stay there and tell Emma that she’s very silly.’
I couldn’t help myself. I laughed softly.
You will never harm them, Emma, Ms Kwan said into my ear.
I sighed. She was right.
‘When I am back at full strength I will make that Dragon suffer most dearly,’ John said with amusement.
‘But what was that inside me?’ I said. ‘It was horrible.’
‘It wasn’t horrible,’ John said, the small smile still there. ‘It was just you, Dark Lady.’
‘But it was dark and heartless …’ I stopped, speechless.
‘Precisely,’ John said.
‘See?’ the stone said.
‘Did she freak the Dragon out?’ Leo said, pulling one of the chairs over and sitting with us. Michael grabbed a chair as well, spun it around and sat backwards on it.
‘Yes,’ John said. ‘He was ready to kill her. He was terrified of her.’
‘Whoa. Excellent,’ Leo said with a huge grin. ‘I wish I’d seen that.’
‘And then the stupid human tried to kill herself by forcing me to drain her,’ John said softly. The amusement was gone.
‘Stupid’s the word, my Lord,’ Leo said.
‘Was it really that bad, Emma?’ Michael said.
‘Yes,’ I whispered. I dropped my head and ran my hands through my hair.
‘One: you will never hurt any of us. Two: Simone needs you. Three: let’s see if the dark and heartless monster can turn itself invisible,’ John said.
‘Invisibility? Sweet,’ Michael said.
‘You can try first, if you like,’ John said, turning to Michael without rising from the chair. ‘Nothing to do with energy, but I can’t do it right now. Just concentrate and think yourself transparent.’
‘Is this how the dragons fly around without being seen?’ I said, curious despite myself.
‘Sometimes, yes,’ John said. ‘Most of the time, though, they don’t hide themselves at all, because frankly most humans don’t look up much; they’re usually looking at the ground or straight ahead. If the dragons are seen, they take the form of a bird, or a plane, and then they’re simply not interesting.’
Michael had his head down, concentrating. He was already getting there; he rippled like thick glass bricks.
‘Excellent,’ John said. ‘You are very talented, Michael.’
I lowered my head, centred my chi and concentrated on being transparent.
Simone came in, still holding Ms Kwan’s hand. She stopped close to us.
‘Boo!’ Michael shouted behind her and grabbed her around the waist. She squealed and jumped, and turned to shout at him, but he was invisible.
‘Don’t you dare do that again, Michael,’ Simone huffed, ‘or I’ll tell my Daddy. You could have hurt me. I’m only little, you know.’
I had to laugh. She could take him down with one hand tied behind her back using either physical or energy skills.
‘Come and learn to be invisible too,’ John said. ‘That way you can sneak into his room and steal all his games CDs.’
‘She keeps stealing my copy of MOHAA, logging onto my server and playing as me anyway,’ Michael said from somewhere in the air above me. ‘The guys in my clan are always emailing me asking what happened, my average went through the floor.’
‘You shouldn’t be playing so much during term time anyway,’ I said. ‘Now. Simone and me. Whoever is first to be invisible wins an ice-cream beside the pool.’
Simone dropped her head and concentrated. I did too. She was invisible within five minutes. I never got there.
‘Give up, Emma, let’s try ordering,’ John said. ‘We need an ordinary human to practise on and unfortunately we only have one.’
‘You’re not practising coercion on Leo; that is simply not fitting and I won’t let you,’ I said. ‘Do it to me, or find somebody else.’
‘That’s why I’m here, Emma,’ Leo said softly. ‘So that you guys can try this skill on me.’
‘But you don’t know what this involves, Leo,’ I said with desperation. ‘This is thoroughly inappropriate.’
‘I volunteer to be a subject in coercion training, my Lord,’ Leo said loudly.
‘Accepted,’ John said, and rose. ‘Get up, everybody, let’s see what we can do. Look inside Leo, find out where his “engine” is — the part that makes things happen. Then you can try steering him the way you want him to go. Michael, demonstrate for Simone.’
Michael reappeared and hesitated. He didn’t move to take Simone’s hand.
‘It’s okay, Michael, she has to learn this,’ Leo said gently. ‘Do it.’
Michael shook his head slightly and took Simone’s hand. ‘We’ll learn this and then we won’t do it any more,’ he said. ‘Emma’s right.’
‘It’s a useful skill,’ Leo said. ‘Try making me walk.’
Michael’s expression went even darker. He frowned and held Simone’s hand tight.
Leo’s face went blank. He turned, walked towards the door, then turned and came back to us.
He snapped out of it and shook his head.
‘Let me try,’ Simone said.
Leo went rigid again. He turned, walked and returned.
‘See if you can make him sit on the floor,’ John said softly.
Leo snapped out of it.
‘No, Daddy, that’s enough,’ Simone said. ‘I can do it, and I won’t do it any more.’ She turned back to Leo. ‘Are you okay?’
‘I’m fine, sweetheart,’ Leo said. ‘I don’t even know what you made me do.’
Simone shook Michael’s hand free. ‘I don’t like that skill. Are we finished yet? I’m hungry.’
‘Emma should try it,’ John said, gesturing. ‘Michael, show her.’
Michael took my hand. I felt him reach inside Leo and pull the strings. Leo walked away and back again. My throat thickened; Leo didn’t care at all. He trusted us completely.
When Michael had finished I attempted to reach inside Leo and pull the strings as well, but I simply didn’t have the strength to make them move. I struggled, trying to gather enough power to control him.
‘You can’t do it, Emma,’ John said. ‘Maybe after a year or so more of training you may be able to. Right now, I don’t think so.’
‘Good,’ I said, and I meant it.
‘One more,’ John said. ‘The most fun one of all. Carrying. Michael can already do it, he’ll show you.’ He looked around. ‘Anybody have a pen?’
Nobody replied; nope.
‘How about we have some lunch beside the pool and do it there?’ I said. ‘Simone’s starving.’
‘Yeah!’ Simone said.
‘You’ll have to be careful that nobody sees you,’ Leo said.
‘Not a problem,’ John said. ‘We’ll do it at the end of the pool nearest the lobby, to one side, and if anybody sees us Michael can just blank out their memory.’
‘I really don’t like messing with people’s heads, my Lord,’ Michael said as we rose to go out to the pool. ‘I thought it was cool when Na Zha showed it to me, but every time I do it I feel lousy afterwards.’
‘What, it makes you feel ill?’ I said. ‘Drained?’
‘No,’ Michael said. ‘It makes me feel bad. It’s wrong.’
John moved to walk beside me as we went through the lobby to the stairs that would take us down to the pool. ‘It’s a shame Leo won’t be around to help you, Emma,’ he said softly. ‘He is the finest judge of character I have ever seen.’
‘I know. And I think he and Martin are developing something very special.’
John sighed. ‘I know.’
Michael and Simone could do PK. I couldn’t. John said I was the weirdest mix of talents he’d ever seen. Great. Even the Xuan Wu thought I was weird.
After lunch we returned to the suite. I sat on the balcony enjoying the scenery and putting photos together for the Tiger to take to my family. John was with Kwan Yin having a quick top-up. Michael had gone with his parents to the islands. Leo and Simone were playing Go Fish in the living room.
A commotion erupted inside. ‘Leo!’ John shouted. ‘Guard!’
I heard thumping and doors banging, and rushed into the living room.
John and Ms Kwan raced in too and stared at the front door. Leo had pushed Simone behind him. John and Ms Kwan went forward to stand in front of them.
‘Emma,’ John said. ‘Stay back.’
‘What’s going on?’ I said.
‘He would not do this. I cannot believe this,’ Ms Kwan said. ‘Why?’
The Dragon appeared next to John and Kwan Yin. ‘You are entirely much more trouble than you are worth, my Lord,’ he said evenly. ‘The seals are blown. I will never have them back to what they were. No Celestial will be able to stay here unmolested for a very long time. I will lose a great deal of money on this.’
Nobody said anything.
The doorbell rang.
‘Leo, weapons, quickly,’ John said.
Leo raced to the hall cupboard, scrabbled through the bag and pulled out swords for each of us. He threw Dark Heavens to John, my Serpent sword to me, and hefted Michael’s white blade in his own hand.
‘Back, Leo,’ John said. ‘Guard.’
Leo moved to stand in front of Simone and me.
‘What’s going on?’ I whispered.
Ms Kwan answered the door. Martin stood there, smiling slightly. Next to him was an enormous demon. It had taken the shape of an ordinary-looking Chinese man in his mid-fifties wearing a plain shirt and pants. It was the biggest demon I had ever seen short of the Demon King himself. Way into the nineties in level. Absolutely enormous. None of us had a chance against it.
‘What have you done, Martin?’ I whispered.
‘Hold,’ Martin said loudly. ‘Number One will not harm you, he is here to talk terms. Remember, he has a similar goal to us. He has given his word that during this visit he will harm no one.’
John lowered his sword. ‘Go,’ he said. ‘Leave us.’
Ms Kwan disappeared. The Dragon also vanished.
‘Is his word good?’ I said.
‘Yes,’ John said. ‘He is renowned for it. Leo.’ John held Dark Heavens out, hilt first.
Leo collected the blades and stood holding them, guarding.
‘Enter,’ John said. ‘Leo, take Simone into her room. Emma, please go with them.’
Leo took Simone gently by the hand and led her, wide-eyed and unprotesting, into her bedroom. I didn’t move.
Martin and the demon carefully entered and approached John.
‘Emma, please,’ John said without turning around.
‘I am staying here and hearing what he has to say,’ I said.
‘Come. Sit,’ John said, gesturing towards the couch. Martin smiled at me but I scowled at him.
Martin and the demon sat together on one of the couches. John sat on the other couch. I pulled the chair away from the desk and sat behind John. I folded one of my feet underneath me and leaned on the back of John’s sofa.
‘My Lady,’ the demon said, giving me a small smile.
I ignored him.
The demon gestured and a cup of black coffee appeared in front of him. ‘Tea, my Lady?’ I shook my head. He nodded to John. ‘Xuan Tian?’
John didn’t move. ‘Ming Gui,’ he said, ‘after this is completed, you will remain. I wish to speak to you.’
‘My Lord,’ Martin said with a wry smile.
‘Well?’ John said.
‘Anyone who presents your head to the King will be promoted to Number One,’ the demon said. ‘I will be out.’
‘I am well aware of that,’ John said.
‘If One Two Two gets your head, it will be only the beginning. He will be promoted. I hate to think of the consequences.’
‘The most immediate ones are for you,’ John said.
The demon smiled slightly but didn’t say anything.
‘What is your offer?’ John said softly.
‘Give me your head —’
‘No!’ I hissed.
‘Give me your head,’ the demon continued, ‘and I will remain as Number One. One Two Two will remain as he is. I will do my best to ensure that your family remain unharmed.’
‘Can you guarantee our safety?’ I said. ‘Simone’s safety?’
‘You will be safer than you are now,’ he said.
‘If I go to the King, he guarantees her safety,’ I said.
‘If you go to the King it will mean that One Two Two has taken the Dark Lord’s head and has been promoted,’ the demon said. ‘You certainly do not want that, my Lady.’
‘Can you take out One Two Two?’ John said.
The demon leaned forward, picked up his coffee and took a sip. He put the coffee back down and put his elbows on his knees. ‘No.’
‘Why not?’ John said.
‘He has done some things to himself and to his closest allies. He has made himself immensely powerful. I can’t take him.’
‘He’s more powerful than you?’ I said.
Number One nodded, his face grim.
‘What about the King?’ John said. ‘Why hasn’t he destroyed this one? It’s obvious where this is headed. He should have destroyed it a long time ago.’
‘That’s what I think,’ Number One said. ‘The King is overconfident. They get that way after a few centuries of being able to handle anything thrown at them.’
‘Am I correct in understanding that a lower-level demon can destroy the King and take over?’ I said.
‘Exactly,’ John said. ‘This particular King was Number One himself for about five hundred years before sneaking up and stabbing his father in the back.’
‘I have vowed not to try against my father, and I am renowned as a creature of my word,’ Number One said. ‘That is the only reason I am still here today.’
‘I really can’t see the advantage in giving you the Dark Lord’s head,’ I said. ‘The only real benefit seems to be to you.’
‘Please consider my offer, Turtle,’ the demon said. ‘You do not want to see One Two Two promoted, believe me. He has no hesitation in using modern technology.’ The demon leaned back and its voice remained mild. ‘He has contacted the other Centres. He is attempting to make pacts with the other Kings.’
John inhaled sharply. ‘No.’
‘Oh, dear Lord,’ I said softly.
‘The Celestial must be informed immediately,’ John said. ‘Martin.’
‘My Lord,’ Martin said.
‘I will consider your offer, One. Go. I will contact you if I decide to give you my head. If I do not contact you, do not approach, because I may take your head instead. Martin, remain.’
‘Okay, whatever you say,’ the demon said, and disappeared.
Martin remained on the couch. He smiled wryly again.
‘I should give you to the Dragon,’ John said mildly.
‘Please, go right ahead,’ Martin said, the wry smile not shifting. ‘I know it’ll take me a long time to work this one off.’
‘Did he tell you the deal before you brought him?’ I said.
‘Yep.’
‘Then why did you bother to bring him? That deal wasn’t anything we’d take him up on, unless we were desperate,’ I said.
‘You really are extremely stupid sometimes, Martin,’ John said. ‘It’s almost as if you want to stay out of my good favours.’
‘I did what I had to do,’ Martin said, still smiling.
‘Oh geez, you haven’t fallen for that bastard, have you?’ I said. ‘I can’t believe a Celestial like yourself would have anything to do with a high-ranking demon.’
‘It’s happened before, Emma,’ John said. ‘But I also find it difficult to believe, considering who Martin is, and whose son he is.’
Martin didn’t say anything.
‘Does he return it?’ I said.
Martin’s face didn’t shift.
‘Holy shit, but you are an extremely stupid little turtle,’ I said. ‘It’s hard to believe that you’re his son.’
‘I should disown you completely and send you to Hell for eternity,’ John said, his voice a low rumble.
‘There is a place for me there,’ Martin said, so softly I could hardly hear him. He straightened and spoke more loudly. ‘I’ll go. It’ll take me at least two years to return. You’ll be gone before I come back. You won’t see me again for a long time. Satisfactory?’
I couldn’t believe this. ‘Geez.’
‘Report to the Jade Emperor first,’ John said without emotion. ‘Tell him what Number One just told us. Wait to see if he wants to talk to me about this. If he doesn’t, then go. I look forward to not seeing your face for quite some time.’
Martin rose and smiled at each of us. He moved forward and knelt on the plush rug next to the coffee table. ‘My Lord,’ he said, saluting John carefully. ‘My Lady,’ saluting me. He rose and disappeared.
John bowed his head and sat silently. I didn’t move either. Neither of us spoke.
‘I cannot believe he did that,’ Leo said as we sat beside the pool watching Simone. ‘He used me, he used Simone, he used all of us. He brought that waste-of-time huge demon straight through our front door to make an offer he knew we wouldn’t take. He broke every single seal on our apartment.’ His voice became more vehement. ‘He used me!’ He dropped his head. ‘I thought he was different. I thought he was …’ He didn’t finish.
‘Well, he’s in Hell now,’ I said. ‘He said it’ll take him a couple of years to come back out.’
‘Lucky for him,’ Leo said, raising his head so that he could watch Simone again. ‘’Cause if he comes out when I’m around, I’ll damn well send him straight back down there.’
‘I hope you get your chance,’ I said softly.
‘Not going to happen, Emma.’
‘I’ll send him back down there for you then.’
‘My Lady.’
‘God, the lifeguards here are useless,’ I said. ‘Simone’s been swimming around under the water for more than five minutes without coming up for air and none of them have noticed.’
‘They probably see that she’s still moving and don’t try to rescue her,’ Leo said.
‘Oh yeah. God, Martin was amazingly stupid.’
‘You got some useful information out of that demon anyway,’ Leo said. ‘It’s all happening at once, isn’t it. Xuan Wu out of action. This little demon bastard using all the new technology stuff. New hybrids. Contacting the different regions. Shooting for Number One.’
‘Shooting higher than that,’ I said, and he stiffened. ‘Interesting times. You know that isn’t a Chinese curse at all?’
‘What?’
‘You know, the curse: “May you live in interesting times.” I’ve asked people. Nobody’s ever heard of it.’
‘Neither have I,’ Leo said.
‘Ah,’ I said. ‘So you haven’t read all my books yet.’
‘No idea what you’re talking about.’
Bastard, I signed.
I saw that, he signed back.