Читать книгу Heaven to Wudang - Kylie Chan - Страница 12

I sat with Mum and Dad on the back terrace of their house, talking as the sun set over the Western Plains. I took a deep breath: they’d planted a few wattle trees in the yard and the powdery fragrance spread over us. I was fiddling with my still-full plate of salad when my sister Jen knocked on the door and the demon maid let her in. She came out to the terrace and sat next to me, giving me a quick hug.

‘Emma, you should have told me that Andrew’s visiting the Mountain. I didn’t know he was heading over there. I only just got it out of Colin when I came home from work.’

My stomach fell out. ‘Andrew never made it home?’ Her eyes widened. ‘Isn’t he staying at your Academy?’

I shook my head. ‘I sent him home with the Horseman and Mark. I told them I wouldn’t take them, it’s too dangerous.’

She sagged with relief. ‘Thank you.’

‘But he never came home?’

‘No,’ Jennifer said, her voice weak.

‘Call him, see if he answers,’ I said, and pulled out my own phone. I dialled Amanda’s number and she answered. ‘Amanda, it’s me. Did Mark come back from Wudang?’

‘I don’t know — he’s not home. He went to Wudang? He knows we’re trying to live a normal life down here and he was specifically told not to harass you about joining Wudang. He did it anyway?’

I dropped the phone into my lap, my mind racing. I put it back to my ear. ‘Amanda, I’m going to hang up now. I want you to call around and try to find Mark. He was with Andrew, but he’s not home either. Get your opal to help.’

‘Oh my God,’ she said.

‘Hang up, and start looking for him. I want to make sure both boys are okay.’

She hung up and I turned to Jen, who was holding her phone to her ear. She shook her head and snapped it shut. ‘Voicemail.’

‘They’ve taken them,’ Simone said.

‘We can’t be sure of that. They may have tried to find another way into Wudang,’ I said. ‘They were determined.’

Jen thumped the table, then rose and paced the terrace. ‘You are non-stop trouble, you know that, Emma Donahoe? You cause nothing but difficulty for this family.’

‘That’s not fair, Jen,’ my mother said.

I raised a hand to stop her. ‘She’s right, Mum. I’ve caused the family nothing but strife since I met John.’

Simone made a small gasping sound of pain and disappeared.

‘Where’d she go?’ my father said.

‘Probably to look for the boys. She’ll feel as responsible as I do.’ I tapped the stone. ‘Wake up.’

‘I’m awake, I’m hooked into the network,’ the stone said. ‘Opal says that Amanda’s son isn’t answering his phone. Hold.’

My father leaned on the table to speak to me, the burning steaks behind him forgotten. ‘Who’s taken them?’

I shook my head.

‘Tell us,’ Jennifer said. ‘Don’t try to keep it a secret from us.’

‘There’s a chance the Death Mother may have abducted them,’ I said. ‘She knows we’re after her and she wants to stop us before we get there. She tried to assassinate us last night; Michael and a couple of our human friends were shot.’

My father thumped the table. ‘Someone tried to kill you and you didn’t bother to tell us?’

‘There’s always someone trying to kill me.’

My mother put her hand over her mouth and turned away.

‘Where’s John?’ my father said. ‘Can’t he protect you?’

‘He’s a turtle in the heart of Wudang Mountain, and no,’ I said. ‘He may come to defend me if my life’s in danger, but then again he may not.’

Simone reappeared. ‘I have no idea where they are.’

‘Opal’s looking, also has no idea,’ the stone said. ‘They seem to have just disappeared.’

‘What about the Horseman who was looking after them?’ I said. ‘Ask the Tiger.’

The Tiger knocked on the door and came in without being invited. ‘They ditched the guard, they were very clever about it. He’s close on committing suicide over it. Don’t worry, we’ll find them. This is an insult to the House of the West — not being able to defend our own. It will not go unavenged.’

Jen leaned on the table, holding her stomach. The Tiger went to her and guided her to a chair. ‘Take it easy. You’re in no condition to be under stress. Don’t worry, we’ll find them.’

‘What condition?’ I said, alarmed.

‘I’m pregnant,’ Jennifer said.

‘Congratulations,’ I said.

‘You and my son must marry, it’s the honourable thing to do,’ the Tiger said.

‘Not while my son is missing.’ Jennifer glanced at me. ‘We have to tell Leonard; he has a right to know as well.’

‘Stone?’

‘Done,’ the stone said. ‘Leonard requests entry to the Western Heavens to join the search.’

‘There isn’t much he can do here,’ the Tiger said.

‘Let him come. It’ll be better than him staying at home worrying,’ Jennifer said. She leaned her forehead on her hand.

‘You okay to see him?’ I said.

She nodded into her hand. ‘It’s been a few years since the divorce now, Emma. We’re still friends.’

‘Tiger?’ I said.

The Tiger nodded. ‘Ma’am.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Now what? We have absolutely no leads on where they went.’

Jennifer’s phone rang and she jumped, then answered it. ‘Hello?’ She listened for a while, then burst into tears. ‘You have no idea how worried we were. Where were you?’ She didn’t wait for a reply. ‘I don’t care what you were doing, you get yourself home now! Then you’re grounded for a month, young man. We thought you’d been taken by … by …’ She took a deep breath and shook her head. ‘Is Mark with you? He went home too? I’ll be there shortly. Don’t you go anywhere, I want to have a serious talk with you.’

She snapped the phone shut and grabbed some napkins from the table to wipe her face. ‘They’re home. They’re all home. He says he wanted to show Mark the Celestial Plane since Mark isn’t allowed up here.’ She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. ‘They’re okay.’ She rose. ‘I have to go see him. And give him a big hug.’

I got up too and embraced her. ‘Go tell him what an idiot he is for giving all of us such a scare, and never to do it again. And congratulations again on the little one.’

She nodded and left.

The Tiger’s face was grim. ‘I have to go talk to their guard. I have no idea what the fuck that idiot was thinking.’ He disappeared.

My father sighed loudly and tipped the burnt meat into the garbage. ‘I’ll find something else to cook. Won’t be a minute.’ He left the plate on the table and went inside.

My mother buttered a slice of bread and pushed the plate across to share it with Simone. ‘The Tiger gave us some giraffe steaks once. Your father popped them on the barbecue and they were absolutely horrible. We’re sticking to good old beef and lamb now.’

Simone wrinkled her nose. ‘Lamb is too strong.’

I gave her a friendly push. ‘You’re such a Chinese kid sometimes.’

She shrugged. ‘Lamb is yuck.’

My father returned with a plate of sausages. ‘This is it, I’m afraid.’

‘Whatever,’ Simone said. ‘I’m starving.’

Michael and Clarissa came and visited me the next morning, and I waved them into my office. Since returning to the Celestial, Michael had gained muscle mass from spending time practising the Arts, and he’d grown his hair out into a short ponytail. Clarissa looked much the same as she always had: a slender Chinese girl with a sweet smile and shoulder-length hair cut to frame her face.

‘The Mountain is very beautiful,’ she said. ‘Michael told me about the attack, but you’d hardly know it ever happened.’

‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘We’ve worked hard to bring it back to what it was.’ I turned to Michael. ‘I hear you’ve been promoted. Congratulations.’

Michael shook his head. ‘I’ve been given a lower number, that’s all. He had to move fifty of us up because of the fifty that died when the elementals attacked the ski lodge. It doesn’t mean much, particularly when everybody calls me by name anyway.’

‘Apparently it’s a huge honour,’ Clarissa said, glancing sideways at him with obvious pride. ‘He’s not even thirty years old and already lower than two hundred. It’s unheard of. Some say he’ll be given a double-digit number even before he attains Immortality.’

Michael gestured dismissively. ‘Means nothing. I am here because of the promotion, though. I want to ask you something.’

‘Ask away,’ I said.

‘Dad’s offered us space in the barracks in the West, as is fitting for a high-ranking son. But what I’d really like to do, if I’m going to full-time it on the Celestial, is to be here …’ His voice petered out.

‘We want to move here and join the Wudang staff, if that’s okay,’ Clarissa finished for him, and he looked relieved at her assistance.

‘How do you feel about it, Clarissa?’ I asked.

‘About moving to the Celestial or moving here?’

‘Both.’

‘Moving to the Celestial …’ She smiled slightly. ‘It’s a chance that’s too good to refuse. I’ll be able to learn what to do to attain Immortality, and who wouldn’t want that? Even if I don’t attain it, I’ll live extra long and illness free. I’d have to be completely crazy to turn down an opportunity like this.’

‘And the Mountain?’

‘Doesn’t matter where we live, as long as Michael’s happy,’ she said. ‘Both places are beautiful in different ways, and we’ll spend time in the Western Heavens anyway.’ She leaned towards me. ‘But … would you have something like a job for me to do? I’d die of boredom being a housewife for Michael. I’d rather stay on the Earthly Plane if I can’t work.’

‘We’ll definitely have something for you to do, and it won’t be mundane, I can guarantee it,’ I said. ‘We have extensive investments on the Earthly that need to be managed, and frankly, if you could take over the management of the shares and properties down there it would be a boon for both me and Jade.’

‘A portfolio?’ she said.

‘Several hundred million Hong Kong dollars worth,’ I said.

‘A really big portfolio all to myself? That’s a dream come true,’ Clarissa said with enthusiasm.

‘As for me, I want to take up duty full-time as your personal bodyguard again, ma’am,’ Michael said. ‘If you’ll have me, that is. I want to permanently join the staff of Wudang, as opposed to the Western Heavens.’

Clarissa turned to glare at him. ‘What are you talking about? I never agreed to that. You said you were just coming on staff to teach, there wasn’t anything about being her bodyguard again.’ She glanced from me to Michael. ‘You just took a bullet for her the other night, you haven’t even recovered from that and you want to put yourself back in the firing line again?’

‘It’s all right, Clarissa, I won’t let him do it anyway,’ I said. ‘Michael’s been injured too many times protecting me, and we’ve decided it’ll be best if I’m only guarded by Immortals.’

She exhaled loudly. ‘Well, that’s a relief.’

‘You decided, did you? Without consulting me? You can’t give the job to anyone else — I won’t let you!’ Michael said.

‘Not even Leo?’

Michael swiped his hand through the air. ‘Leo’s in a wheelchair.’

‘You say that in front of him and he’ll call you out,’ I said.

‘And own my ass,’ he said wryly. He sagged. ‘I concede if it’s Leo.’ His expression grew stern. ‘But nobody else; and if I get good enough or attain Immortality, the job is mine, right?’

‘Deal,’ I said.

I put my hand out over the table and he shook it.

‘Good,’ he said. ‘So, can I come?’

I pulled a blank scroll off a stack sitting to one side, pushed it open, scribbled the directions to give Michael a staff position and residence on the Mountain, then signed it. I pulled my black jade chop — square and three centimetres to a side — closer, flipped open the modern Japanese stamp pad, inked the chop well and stamped it over my signature. I rolled the scroll back up and handed it to Michael. ‘Orders. Give them to Gold.’

He took the scroll with both hands. ‘Ma’am.’

‘That seal is beautiful. What’s that on top of it? Is it a dragon?’ Clarissa said, curious.

I passed the chop to her and she admired it, carefully avoiding the remaining red ink on the bottom. ‘Oh, it’s a snake.’ She turned it in her hands, then glanced up at me. ‘Is that what you look like?’

I nodded.

‘Is it big?’

‘Huge,’ Michael said. ‘Smallest is about three metres long, and I’ve seen her up to ten metres when she’s really big.’

Clarissa appeared thoughtful as she handed the seal back. ‘To look at you, no one would ever think you’re something so completely scary.’

‘What you’re seeing now is the scariest Emma ever,’ Michael said. ‘The snake is nothing.’

‘Give me that scroll back and go home to your father,’ I said. ‘I don’t want you.’

He saluted me with it. ‘I’ll be back when I’m done moving in, and we can talk about what you want me to do.’

‘I’ve told Gold to give you Persimmon Tree Pavilion; it’s a nice one, and nobody’s living there right now.’

He fell to one knee and saluted me. Clarissa smiled and they went out together.

A couple of hours later my mobile rang.

‘Miss Donahoe, is Citrus. We have major problem in Wellington Street. Can you come over visit now? We need you.’

‘I’m on my way,’ I said, then called Leo. ‘I have to go down to Wellington Street — Citrus sounded really upset. Can you take me?’

‘On my way.’

I thought for a moment, then tapped the stone in my ring.

‘Yes? I was asleep.’

‘Of course you were. I need to go down to Wellington Street. Ask Zara if Clarissa would like to come along.’

The stone was silent for a moment, then said, ‘Clarissa’s on her way. Zara says she’s eager to take up her duties. Do we have to continue calling it Zara? It should take its stone name back.’

‘Zara says she likes being female and she likes being called something that means “star”, so deal.’

‘Humph.’

Leo wheeled himself into my office. ‘What happened?’

‘Citrus wouldn’t say. Can you carry me and Clarissa?’

Clarissa came in behind him, obviously excited. ‘Looks like I have things to manage before I’ve even signed the contract with you. Do you guys even work with contracts? How much do you pay? What are my hours?’

‘Whatever you like, on both counts,’ I said.

‘She’s tiny. I can carry both of you,’ Leo said.

‘So, how about ten million a year and four hours a day?’ she said, grinning with mischief.

‘Oh, I like this one,’ Leo said.

‘Done,’ I said. ‘Whatever it takes to get the job done and free me and Jade up.’

She saluted me Western style, hand to forehead. ‘Ma’am. Let’s go down to Wellington Street and see the paperwork. How old is the building?’

‘About thirty years old.’

‘Okay. I want to start by ensuring that you’re making enough rent, and that the property’s being maintained to a satisfactory standard. Some of those older buildings in Central are falling down. Let’s go down and check.’

‘I really like this one,’ Leo said.

Clarissa touched his arm where it rested on his wheelchair. ‘That means a lot to me, Leo. Michael’s told me about you — how you saved him and helped make him into what he is today.’

Leo dropped his head.

‘He’s blushing,’ I said. ‘Shame you can’t see it.’

Leo waved me forward. ‘Get over here and let’s see what the big emergency is.’

We landed outside the Celestial Arena door at the end of Wo On Lane where it connected with Wellington Street — a small, narrow, well-hidden spot. The hoardings had gone from the building across from us and the new grey granite wall was polished to a mirror-like finish. Leo led us down the alley towards Wellington Street, then stopped and checked the traffic.

Wellington Street was only a couple of streets inland from Des Voeux Road, the main thoroughfare through Central, but it was perilously narrow, only just wide enough to allow two taxis to pass. It was also so steep that the footpaths on either side had been concreted into steps in some parts, meaning that Leo had to wheel himself on the road.

He swung out onto the road and a taxi blared its horn at him as it passed. Leo stopped the chair, waited a moment as the taxi headed a little more up the hill, then, when it was fifty metres away, he concentrated and one of its tyres blew out. The taxi stopped and the passenger and driver got out and stood on the road, arguing loudly about what they were going to do.

‘Karma’s a bitch, eh?’ he said in their general direction.

We headed up the hill towards the Wellington Street building, passing a couple of noodle shops and a temporary clearance store with piles of socks and underwear tossed into laundry baskets with prices stuck on the front.

Leo stopped first and whistled as he looked up at the building. I looked up too and took a step back.

‘Holy shit,’ Clarissa said quietly.

The entire side of the building, all eleven storeys, was covered in a black spray painted depiction of a snake striking. A circle with a flame rising from it — the fire wheel — was painted in at the bottom right corner.

I pointed at the fire wheel. ‘Na Zha did this. I will take his head off.’

‘Who’s Na Zha?’ Clarissa said.

‘Demigod,’ I said. ‘Spirit of youth. Looks and acts like a teen. He used to be good friends with Michael, but I think Michael outgrew him and they stopped hanging out.’ I stomped to the entrance of the building. ‘And a royal pain in the ass.’

We took the lift up to the first floor.

‘Needs refurbishing,’ Clarissa said.

‘Go right ahead. Ask Jade for the list of preferred contractors,’ I said. The lift doors opened and we went out. I dropped my voice so those inside the lift behind us couldn’t hear. ‘We mostly deal with Earth-based Shen, helping them to keep their cover and make a living here.’

‘There are Shen who live on the Earthly? Why would anyone want to do that?’ Clarissa said as we went down the corridor towards the management office.

‘Some have committed crimes and are in hiding from Celestial justice — we generally don’t deal with them. Others are in hiding from other Shen who have a vendetta against them because of a romantic entanglement. Others are keeping a very low profile because they’ve pissed off a senior Celestial. There’s any number of reasons.’

‘I thought the Celestial Plane was supposed to be perfect, filled with wise and enlightened spirits living in loving harmony,’ she said.

‘That’s the Second Platform,’ I said.

‘You’re not supposed to talk about that,’ Leo said.

I pressed the button to request that the glass office door be unlocked. ‘Yes, sir, Mr Shen, sir, I won’t talk about it at all.’ I smiled at Clarissa as I opened the door. ‘The Second Platform is the higher level of Heaven where the Buddhas live. The Heaven of Perfection and Enlightenment. Our Celestial Plane, where the Immortals and Shen live, is nearly as prone to bad behaviour as the Earthly is.’

‘Is there a book or something about this?’ she said, moving out of the way so Leo could wheel himself into the cramped management office.

‘I’ll see what I can find for you,’ I said. ‘But the answer to your question is: not really.’

‘Stop it,’ Leo said.

‘Sorry,’ I said.

‘Stop what?’ Clarissa said.

‘Sounding like John,’ I said. I leaned on the reception desk to talk to Citrus. ‘Hi, Citrus. I saw the graffiti. This is Clarissa, she’ll be doing the property management and can arrange for it to be removed.’

‘Already arranging,’ Citrus said, glaring at Clarissa. ‘Police are here to talk to you, Emma.’

I straightened. ‘What?’

She gestured with her head towards the tiny meeting room. ‘Policeman in there, wants to talk to you about the snake painting.’

‘Oh, I see,’ I said. ‘They probably want to know if we have a security video of it being done. Clarissa, introduce yourself to Citrus and Feena and get them to show you the files.’ I touched Citrus’s arm. ‘Clarissa’s very good, Citrus, she’s Michael MacLaren’s girlfriend and part of the family.’

‘Michael’s girlfriend?’ Citrus said.

‘That’s right,’ Clarissa said.

Citrus moved closer to Clarissa and spoke softly. ‘You’re lucky.’ Her expression softened to a smile. ‘Let me show you the files.’

‘I’ll hang around out here,’ Leo said.

‘Okay,’ I said, and went into the meeting room. I felt a jolt of dismay when I saw who the policeman was, and tapped the stone in my ring, then held my hand out for the policeman to shake. ‘Hello, Lieutenant Cheung.’

‘Miss Donahoe.’ He gestured towards the other seat at the meeting table and sat himself. ‘Please sit and tell me what happened.’

‘I have no idea,’ I said. ‘I just saw this myself.’

He flipped open a file containing photographs of graffiti from all over town. ‘There is a suggestion that this may be a Triad territorial mark.’ He snapped the folder shut. ‘Tell me, Miss Donahoe, why would the Triads be marking your building in such a large and obvious manner? And why didn’t anyone notice it being done?’

Think quickly, Emma. ‘I don’t think it’s a Triad mark, Lieutenant. I actually have a pretty good idea who did it — his tag is on the bottom. It’s a kid called …’ I furiously tried to think of a name. ‘A kid called Neil; he used to be a friend of the family, and he’s been in trouble a few times.’

‘Neil who?’

‘Uh … Neil Zhou. He —’

He didn’t let me finish. ‘Address?’

‘I have no idea.’

‘But you say he was a friend of the family? You don’t know where he lives? How about a phone number?’

‘We stopped being friends with him about four years ago, mostly because he was so much trouble,’ I said.

‘If you give me a previous address or phone number, we can find him and you can press charges. We take defacement of property seriously, ma’am, and this is particularly bad. We’d very much like to talk to him, and I’m sure you want to help. This will be expensive to remove, and you don’t want it to happen again.’

‘I’m sure it won’t happen again,’ I said.

‘And why is that? Have you spoken to someone? How do you know for sure it won’t happen again?’

I wiped my forehead. I was sweating, even though this wasn’t something I needed to worry about. I had much more pressing business on the Celestial Plane and didn’t really have time to deal with this.

‘I know this kid and he’s a one-off prankster,’ I said.

‘Do you have a security camera?’

‘Yes, but it’s facing outwards in the lobby.’

‘It may show him walking past.’

I deliberately made myself look happier. ‘Yes, it may! What a good idea. How about I get my staff to go through the tapes and see if there’s any of him last night?’

‘Your staff?’

made my voice deliberately mechanical. ‘Staff employed by the Chen Corporation acting in trust for Miss Simone Chen. It’s easier to just say “my”.’

He glanced down at his folder. ‘You have a really bad attitude, you know that?’

I nearly exploded but bit my tongue. ‘I’ll have the staff go through the tapes, and if we see any video of the young man who did it, I will be in touch. I’ll also go through my records and try to find anything on Neil that we have, an old address or phone number. Michael might know.’

‘Who is Michael?’

I nearly thumped the table with frustration, annoyed at myself. The last thing Michael needed was the police digging up his old Triad involvement.

‘Another friend of the family. One of Simone’s friends from when she was at school. I’ll go through her old school records.’ I rose. ‘Is there anything else I can help you with, sir?’ I didn’t wait for him to reply. ‘Leo, come show the gentleman out, please.’

Leo wheeled himself into the doorway. ‘If you’ll come with me, sir.’

Cheung hesitated for a moment, his face rigid, then followed Leo out the door.

I waited until I saw him safely in the lift through the office’s glass doors before I spoke to Citrus and Clarissa again. ‘Don’t worry about having the graffiti cleaned off. I’m getting the person who did it to clean it for us.’

‘Can you do that?’ Clarissa said.

‘Just watch me,’ I growled, and opened the office door. ‘I’m going up to the roof to see how we can arrange this. Stay down here, Clarissa, but call me if anything happens.’

‘I’ll start checking the files,’ Clarissa said.

I waited until we were out in the corridor with the office door shut behind us before I spoke to Leo. ‘Can you talk to Liu?’

Leo’s eyes turned inwards for a moment, then he nodded.

‘Tell Liu that I summon the Third Prince, and he has to get his ass to the top of 15 Wellington Street, Central, in less than five minutes. And that’s an order, as First Heavenly General.’

Leo relayed the message as we walked to the lift.

‘I added that you were on the warpath,’ Leo said.

‘Won’t make any difference to that little asshole,’ I said.

‘Then he’s unique,’ Leo said.

We took the lift up to the top floor, then I unlocked the stairway to the roof. The rooftop was bare concrete stained with mould, the lift mechanism and the large concrete water tank the only features.

Leo looked around. ‘Not even a window-cleaning cradle.’

Na Zha appeared, flying towards us, clouds of mist forming and disappearing around him as he broke the sound barrier. He halted three metres away from the roof, standing on his fire wheels over the road. He was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans and a black tank top, and didn’t even salute me.

I pointed towards the ground. ‘Clean that off. Now.’

‘What?’

I jabbed my finger. ‘That. Get rid of it. The police were here, accusing me of being a Triad member because they thought that was a Triad mark.’

He leaned over to see and grinned broadly. ‘Really? Cool. I wish I’d done it.’

‘They’re on my case constantly because of this bullshit. They may even look Michael up now because I mentioned him. If they go after him, Na Zha, it’s your fault.’

He shrugged. ‘Not my fault, I didn’t do it.’

I stomped to the edge of the roof. ‘I’m giving you an order as First Heavenly General, asshole. Make that go away.’

He grew irate. ‘I didn’t do it — don’t blame me!’ he said, then his face went blank with shock.

Leo shouted, ‘Watch out!’

I was struck from behind and propelled over the edge of the roof. My legs hit the waist-high concrete wall as I went over with a shock of pain in my shins. I tried to concentrate on the energy centres as I fell, my shins screaming with pain. I slowed my fall, but it wasn’t enough: I was going to land on a car going up Wellington Street.

Na Zha caught me with a blow that knocked the wind out of me. He carried me back up to the rooftop, hoisted me over the edge and dropped me next to Leo’s empty wheelchair. I lay helpless for a few long moments, trying to get my breath back.

Na Zha landed and immediately joined Leo in fighting the demons that had attacked us. There were three of them: big red humanoids carrying swords. I checked them and they were at least level eighty: really big ones. A challenge for Leo but Na Zha shouldn’t have a problem.

I hauled myself to my feet, my shins still sharp with pain. One felt like a fracture and was already starting to swell. I did my best to stand on it but when the adrenaline wore off I’d be in trouble. My vision blurred, and I took deep breaths and dropped my head. The last thing I needed was to pass out.

I leaned against the wall and watched. The two Shen had changed to Celestial Form: Leo in his larger form, wearing the Mountain uniform; Na Zha in his more adult form, wearing pale blue Tang robes. Na Zha had no difficulty with the two demons he was facing, and Leo was more than a match for his. I sat down on the concrete with the wall at my back, still trying to suck in air.

Na Zha seemed to be enjoying himself, blocking the blows from weapons on both sides with his whip and wheel without doing any damage to the demons in return. Leo wasn’t wasting energy, though; as I watched, he broke through the demon’s guard and sliced it from midriff to shoulder and out, making it dissipate. He turned and took the head off one of the demons fighting Na Zha, then dismissed his sword and came to check on me. He knelt in front of me and put his hands on my head, feeling for lumps, then pulled my eyelids open, checking my pupils.

‘I’m okay,’ I said. ‘Just winded.’

‘Did you hit your head?’

‘No.’

‘Lion!’ Na Zha yelled, and Leo turned, then jumped back up and recalled his sword.

Na Zha had finished the humanoid he was facing and had taken a couple of steps back. A flock of flyers approached us, more than twenty of them.

‘These are really big ones,’ Na Zha said. He glanced back at me. ‘Run, Emma. Take off over the rooftops and wait for us.’

I shook my head; I wouldn’t leave them.

‘A stray could get through us with this many,’ Na Zha said. ‘We’ll keep them busy; just move so we don’t have to worry about you.’

The flyers landed on the roof between us and the stairs. I couldn’t go back inside now.

Leo patted me on the shoulder, then helped me up. ‘He’s right. Head along a few roofs to the end of the street and wait for us there.’

‘Let me help you,’ I said. ‘Let me fight.’ I summoned the Murasame and it came to me without difficulty. I raised it. ‘I can do it.’

Na Zha backed up slightly as the flyers moved menacingly towards him. ‘Remind me to get you to sign a waiver next time I see you, so that black bastard doesn’t blame me if something happens to you.’

Leo stood in front of me and faced them. ‘I won’t blame you, because nothing will happen to her.’

‘I didn’t mean you.’

‘Call Simone,’ I said to the stone.

‘I’m blocked,’ it said.

‘Absolutely bloody useless in a crisis,’ I grumbled.

‘Stay behind us,’ Leo said, and moved next to Na Zha.

‘They’re scared of you,’ I said, watching the flyers hesitate. None of them wanted to be first to attack. I gathered the energy within me, generated a ball of chi and blew up a couple of them that were trying to ease their way around Na Zha and Leo to me. The energy return bolstered me and I stood straighter and stronger.

That was enough to set them off. The demons attacked.

Leo and Na Zha had no difficulty with them, the flyers never made it through their guard. Leo worked with elegant precision, close on the skill he’d had before he’d gone to Hell all that time ago. It wouldn’t be long before he exceeded any human warrior.

A flyer leapt over Na Zha’s head and he missed it on the way through. I destroyed it with chi and enjoyed the sensation of its energy returning to me — it’d been a long time since I’d felt that rush.

A couple more made it round Na Zha, and I destroyed them with the Murasame before they even hit me.

I scanned around, watching for anything bigger that could possibly ambush us. These were too easy; there had to be something else.

The rooftop door opened and Clarissa appeared behind the flyers. She looked around and her face filled with fear.

I took a huge leap over the top of the flyers to Clarissa and pushed her behind me into the top of the stairwell. The demons turned to face me, and Leo and Na Zha took advantage of their distraction to hit them from behind.

‘Stay there, don’t move,’ I said to Clarissa, and stepped forward.

The stairwell was in the corner of the roof and only a couple of them could try for me at a time. They were slower than me and, although bigger and stronger, also clumsy. The one in front of me swiped with its front leg and I stepped back to avoid it. It swung its head to grab me in its mouth, and I rolled under its chin and shoved my sword into its belly.

‘That is very bad technique!’ Leo shouted as I ducked to avoid the spray of demon essence then jumped back.

‘You can talk!’ I shouted back as I used my backwards momentum to avoid another flyer’s foreleg, bounced off the wall of the stairwell and sliced its head off, somersaulting over it.

I stuck my sword into the forehead of the next one, turned sideways to avoid the attack behind me, and sliced off the head of the one behind. I continued the stroke to take both the front legs off the one to the right of me, and ducked to avoid the head of the one to the left. I rolled backwards and righted myself, leaning against the wall of the stairwell.

Leo’s face went rigid and he sent a blast of chi from his sword into one of the three remaining demons. He stepped forward and took the head off another; and Na Zha’s ring weapon sliced the third into two pieces.

The three of us stood there panting. Now that the adrenaline and chi rush had worn off I felt like I’d run a marathon, and that shin really did feel cracked.

I caught my breath then checked on Clarissa. She was huddled in a corner of the stairs with her arm over her eyes. I knelt next to her and put my arms around her. She let go into my shoulder, her whole body shaking with sobs.

‘Humans,’ Na Zha said with distaste. ‘Always making a fuss.’

I spoke to him over Clarissa’s head. ‘Get rid of that goddamn graffiti before I haul you before the Courts of the Northern Heavens. And never do that to any of the Dark Lord’s property again.’

He shrugged and turned his back on me.

‘Leo,’ I said, and he came to sit with Clarissa for me.