Dark_Serpent

36

‘Emma.’ John’s voice was insistent.

I woke to the dim light of evening. ‘Huh?’

‘Emma, quickly, we have to get out of here. The demons know we’re here and they’re on their way.’

‘They’re at the base of the castle,’ Semias said. ‘Carry her.’

John lifted me, pulling a blanket around me, took me through to the next room and laid me on a table. The sounds of many feet echoed outside the room, and Semias closed the door.

‘That will hold them back for a couple of minutes.’

John lifted my hand and put a phone into it. The demons started to hammer on the door.

‘This is one of the Dragon’s AI phones,’ John said. ‘Talk to it when you land; tell it to contact anyone it can. Phone.’

‘Yes,’ the phone said.

‘As soon as you can contact someone, tell them —’

The door opened with a crash and John turned away from me, pulling Seven Stars out of the air and taking Celestial Form.

Semias’s face appeared above me. ‘Ready yourself; you’re about to drop about three feet.’

He put his hands out over my prone body and muttered under his breath. As the altar fell away from me, I saw John’s head cut from his body and it followed me down.

I landed with a thump on my back on soft grass with a wild, cold wind blowing over me. The sky above was clear and full of brilliant stars with clouds scudding across them. The gateway was visible as a glowing white opening at an angle to me.

I sat up and looked around. John’s head had landed on the grass nearby, and he wasn’t strong enough to keep it going the same way the Tiger had. He was gone.

Two figures in all-black military outfits raced across the grass towards me, faster than humans, and I staggered to my feet to defend myself. They stopped in front of me; it was a man and a woman and they were from the East.

‘I didn’t kill him,’ I said.

‘It’s Lord Xuan’s lady,’ the woman said, and I relaxed. They knew who I was. She looked up. ‘Quickly, before it closes.’

The man transformed into a dragon and flew up into the open portal.

‘I’m in,’ he said. ‘Incoming!’

He fell back to earth in two pieces, and a couple of demons followed, landing lightly on the grass near us. The female soldier pulled a pair of swords from scabbards on her back and moved in front of me. I summoned the Murasame, and unbalanced under its weight. I really wasn’t strong enough for this.

‘Stay behind me,’ the female soldier said.

One of the demons grinned at me. ‘You survived, Emma,’ it said in George’s voice. ‘Well done. Next time, eh?’

‘George?’

The demon’s face went slack, then it glowered at us. ‘You will survive this time,’ it said in a different voice, then both demons jumped up to the gateway. It closed after them, from the centre out to the edge, with a sound like metal sliding over ice.

The soldier put her swords away then dropped to one knee next to the dragon’s corpse and touched his head. ‘Hazel,’ she said, and lowered her own head. ‘Travel in peace, brave comrade.’

She rose and turned to me, then bowed slightly. ‘Miss Donahoe. Is there somewhere safe here in the West you can go until the Dark Lord returns?’

I fell to sit on the grass, the world spinning around me.

‘Are you well?’ she said, crouching next to me and putting her hand on my forehead. ‘You are very pale.’

‘I’ve been through hell and back,’ I said. ‘The Dark Lord’s house in Kensington — do you know where that is?’

‘No. Tell me.’

I gave her the address, and bent my head over my knees. ‘Can we wait here for a while? I’m wrecked.’

‘No. We need to get you safe.’ She transformed into a purple dragon with pink fins and tail, lifted me in her front arms and writhed into the air. ‘Rest. I will carry you.’

‘Thank you. I’m sorry your companion died.’

‘So am I, but he was an Elite and our lives are dedicated to the Celestial. He died fulfilling his duty.’

‘You’re an Elite?’

‘That I am.’

‘I’m honoured.’

‘Thank you.’

She lifted me higher and we travelled over the ocean. I relaxed into her arms; the bobbing sensation of her flight was soothing.

‘Close your eyes,’ she said. ‘You are safe with me.’

I woke to a moment of disorientation, then realised I was in bed — mine and John’s — in the Kensington house. I relaxed with a sigh of relief. It wasn’t the Mountain, but it was home enough for me.

The light outside was grey and rain was hitting the window with a comforting rattle. The same dragon, in female human form dressed all in black, was watching me from a chair at the side of the bed. She smiled slightly when she saw I was awake.

‘Thanks for bringing me here,’ I said.

She nodded. ‘You are welcome.’

‘What’s your name?’

‘High Cloud.’

She lifted her head slightly to listen. I heard it as well: Peta was walking up and down the hallway, talking softly and urgently on the phone.

‘No, sir, she’s not awake, but she’s not injured, just tired. No, she’s fine. No, she’s still losing blood but it’s easing, and we’re looking after her. No, she hasn’t had anything to eat because she’s been asleep. No, I don’t think we should wake her.’ She was silent for a moment. ‘No, I can’t say anything except “no”. Leave her be and let her rest.’

‘I’m awake,’ I called to her. ‘Let me talk to him.’

She poked her head into the room. ‘You should rest.’

I put my hand out for the phone. ‘If I don’t talk to him, he’ll start contacting both of you telepathically and I know what a pain in the ass that is.’

‘Oh hell, she’s right,’ Cloud said. ‘Let her talk to him.’

I could hear John’s insistent voice as Peta handed the phone to me. ‘And whatever you do, don’t let her see the demon in the basement.’

‘What demon in the basement?’ I said sharply.

He was silent for a long time, and Peta’s face filled with guilt.

‘Emma,’ he said. ‘Thank the Heavens. How are you feeling? If you’re in pain we can arrange something —’

‘It’s a dull ache, but that might just be because my bladder is very full and I really want to go home,’ I said. ‘What demon in the basement?’

‘We will deal with it when I get there. I’m leaving now; I’ll be there in eight to ten hours. Rest, Emma, get better. We have a flight booked for you later tonight.’

‘What’s down there?’

‘You don’t want to know, Emma,’ Peta said.

John was silent. Then he said, ‘Trust me, Emma. It is for your own safety. It’s not Franklin. He is on his way to live on the Mountain with us where it’s safe. It’s a different sort of demon. Please, I ask you, my Lady, do not go down there without me.’

‘Oh, okay,’ I said lightly, and could almost hear his relief over the line.

‘You mean it?’

‘You asked me to trust you. I do. I won’t go down there,’ I said.

‘Promise me.’

‘I promise.’

He sounded even more relieved. ‘I will be there later today your time. Your flight is for ten tonight. Simone and Leo can’t wait to see you. Rest, love, and heal. We will be together soon, and nothing will ever part us again.’

‘You found me.’

His voice was full of quiet delight. ‘I found you, and I will never lose you again.’ His tone changed to urgent. ‘Don’t hang up, I want to talk to Peta.’

‘Okay,’ I said, and moved to pass the phone to her, then changed my mind and spoke to John again. ‘I love you.’

Cloud made a soft sound of amusement.

‘I love you too,’ he said. ‘I’ll leave here as soon as I’m off the phone.’

‘Hurry.’

I handed the phone to Peta and she took it out of the room, talking to John about what medicinal dishes he wanted her to feed me until he arrived. From the list he was giving her, I would be presented with enough food for a week.

I swivelled on the bed, pushed my feet into my bunny slippers and grabbed a robe from the chair next to the bed. I leaned on the chair, then straightened. Cloud moved next to me to hold my arm and I didn’t wave her away; I’d been in this state too many times to pretend. I let her help me to the bathroom.

By the end of the day, I’d recovered enough to get dressed and have a comfortable dinner with Peta, Paul and Cloud at the little four-seater table in the kitchen.

‘It’s him,’ Cloud said, and I heard the front door close. I pulled myself up, but couldn’t run to him.

He came into the kitchen and gathered me into a huge hug, then kissed me. He leaned back to study me and ran one hand over my hair, then dropped it to check my pulse. He listened for a moment, then released my wrist, satisfied.

Cloud rose and fell to one knee. ‘My Lord.’

‘Rise, Lieutenant,’ John said. ‘I commend you for the care you’ve taken of my lady.’

Cloud rose and stood to attention, both hands on her left hip. ‘Should I return to the gateway?’

‘Yes,’ John said. ‘A second Elite is on her way to join you.’

She saluted him. ‘We failed to infiltrate their Heavens.’

‘You saved Emma,’ he said, squeezing me around my waist. ‘You will have another chance at the gateway, I am sure.’

‘By your leave, my Lord,’ she said, bowing slightly.

He nodded to her and she disappeared.

John pulled me to sit at the table and sat next to me, studying me as if he’d never seen me before. Peta and Paul rose and went out, obviously giving us some privacy.

‘Eat,’ he said, waving one hand over the table. ‘And then we’ll take you to the airport and take you home.’

‘After I see what’s in the basement,’ I said.

His expression went blank.

‘I mean it.’

‘I know. You will need to see. Emma.’ He looked down. ‘It is a demon copy of you. It fooled Simone and Leo completely.’

I nearly choked on my food and had to drink some water. I stared at him, uncomprehending, for a long moment, and he waited for me.

‘Why is it in the basement?’ I said. ‘Did you tame it? How much like me is it? Did it fool you?’

‘It’s in the basement because it is tamed but I’m not sure about an explosion imperative. It is enough like you to fool Simone. What was the last question? Oh,’ he said before I could prompt him, ‘no. I knew what it was the second I saw it.’

I relaxed and sagged in my chair. ‘Okay. What do we do with it?’

‘Up to you,’ he said. ‘You can keep it if you like, or I can find a place for it.’

‘It infiltrated our family and deliberately misled us,’ I said. ‘I don’t think I’d trust it even if it is tamed.’

He rubbed one hand over his eyes and sighed. ‘Eat, Emma, the snow fungus will purify your blood. It didn’t know it was a copy.’

I stopped with my spoon halfway to my mouth. ‘It thought it was the real me?’

‘Yes.’

‘Oh dear Lord, the poor thing.’

‘I know.’

‘Are you sure …?’

‘You are the real you? I cannot be fooled. Ever,’ he said.

That was a relief. ‘Okay.’

‘You can leave it here, or take it with you, or just destroy it.’

‘If it’s fully tamed and it won’t explode, then it could be incredibly useful as a body double for me,’ I said.

‘I know.’

‘But that’s only if it isn’t too traumatised by the fact that it thinks it’s me and it isn’t. How does it feel about you?’

‘The same way you do.’

I studied the snow fungus for a while. It loved him as much as I did, and would never be able to have anything with him.

I glanced up. ‘But it’s tamed now?’

‘Yes. It is content.’

I was in no hurry to go down there and see it; I needed some time to prepare myself.

‘Let me finish here and then we can go down and talk to it,’ I said. ‘I was starving.’

‘I’m glad.’

We went down to the cellar together later. I felt a rush of pain when I saw the copy sitting in her cell and looking blankly at the wall. It was the same way I had been when I was a tame demon. She went from inanimate to vibrantly alive when she saw John, jumped to her feet and approached the bars.

‘My Lord Xuan Wu,’ she said, her hands on the bars, obviously wanting to reach through to him. ‘I have waited for you.’

I leaned on John. I knew exactly what was going through her head because I’d been there myself.

‘Emma,’ she said when she saw me, and put her hand through the bars to reach me. ‘Emma.’

I backed away. She’d broken his order to stay in the cell by sticking her arm through the bars. John moved in front of me.

She jerked her hand at me, reaching for me. ‘Emma. I need to touch you. Emma? Come closer. I must touch you. Please.’ She pulled her hand in and moved sideways from one side of the cell to the other. ‘Let me out — I need to touch Emma.’ She reached through the bars again, her fingers outstretched. ‘I must touch you.’

‘Stand down, demon,’ John said, but she ignored him, still trying to come through the bars at me.

‘John,’ I said urgently when I saw what was happening — she was losing her shape and oozing through the bars. Her face became grotesque and twisted as it pressed into the bars and liquefied around them.

John put his hand on top of my head and pushed me down behind him. I backed up to the far wall and watched as he concentrated on the copy. He moved faster than was visible, his hand glowed with chi and he plunged it into her head. It went straight through as if there was nothing there. He summoned Dark Heavens, shoved it through the bars and ran it vertically through her head, cutting her into two black, oozing pieces.

‘I suppose that answers that,’ he said. He held his hand out over the body and hesitated. ‘What the hell?’

He bent to study something between the bars, then opened the cell and went in. He put his hand out over the floor. ‘Damn.’

‘What is it?’ I said, approaching cautiously.

‘One of their stone things,’ he said, squatting and concentrating with his hand over it. ‘I don’t know what it was supposed to do.’ He stood for a moment, thinking, then obviously came to a conclusion. ‘Back up again.’

I moved to the far side of the basement and he blasted the stone with chi.

‘That didn’t do anything. Wait.’

He yinned it, creating a circular hole in the bars and an indent in the concrete floor.

He came out of the cell and closed the door, shaking his head. ‘I didn’t want to touch it, it felt so damn wrong, and there aren’t enough stones left to bother giving it to them.’ He turned to me, his eyes dark with emotion. ‘Let’s take you home to the Mountain where you’re safe.’

‘Your energy isn’t nearly as effective in this part of the world,’ I said.

‘It’s almost completely ineffective. I have to rely on physical.’

I went to him and leaned into him, and he put his arm around me.

‘How about the half-Western hybrid demons?’ I said.

‘Nearly as bad. I think we will all have this problem. The Demon King appears to be many steps ahead of us in building an army that we will be unable to defend against.’

‘We need to get you back to the East so you can coordinate the defence effort.’

‘And we need to get you somewhere safe until the Elixir is ready, so I will never have to worry about you again.’

Leo and Simone were waiting for us in the arrivals hall at Hong Kong Airport. Simone grabbed me and pulled me into her.

‘I’m so sorry about the baby,’ she said into my shoulder.

‘I am too,’ I said, patting her on the back. She was trembling. ‘Don’t worry, Simone, everything will be okay.’

‘It won’t be okay,’ she said, pulling back and wiping her eyes, ‘because my little brother or sister is dead.’

‘It was too early to be anything but an idea,’ I said. ‘I didn’t want to think of it as a baby until I was further along. When you’re in the early stages there’s always a chance that this will happen.’

‘It still hurts, Emma.’

‘I know.’

Leo hugged me as well, crushing me into his enormous chest. ‘It’s good to have you home and safe, girl.’

He took the luggage trolley from John and led us out. John linked my arm in his, probably aware of how weak I was feeling after a sleepless flight.

‘We’ll drive to the gateway in Central and go up from there,’ Leo said. ‘Less stress on you.’

‘Thanks,’ I said. ‘I cannot wait to be home. Is everyone okay?’

They all shared a look. My stomach fell out.

‘Who was hurt? What happened? Nobody died, did they?’

None of them replied.

‘What happened?’

John pulled me closer as we walked. ‘They turned off Leonard’s life support.’

I leaned into him as we walked out to the car.

I passed out as they transported me to the Celestial Plane; not surprising considering the condition I was in. When I came round, John was holding my hand and speaking over me, his voice soft and vehement. I couldn’t move or open my eyes; the trip had really knocked me out.

‘I want her out of all decision-making and not involved in anything,’ he said. ‘All training is to cease. Nobody is to tell her what’s happening. I want her shut out of whatever’s going on —’

Meredith interrupted him. ‘She won’t let you do this.’

‘Look at her,’ John said, raising my hand slightly. ‘She’s covered in scars. She’s been through more than any mortal soldier on the Earthly ever has, and her mental state has to be fragile to the point of collapse. She’s done too much, and it’s time for her to stop before all of this breaks her.’

‘And when she’s Raised?’ Meredith said.

‘Screw that,’ I said, and used John’s hand to pull myself to a seated position. I opened my eyes, resulting in a moment of dizziness that I pushed down with force. ‘You don’t make these decisions for me.’

I looked around; I was in the bed in the Imperial Residence back on the Mountain. I was home.

John raised my right hand so I could see the withered muscles of my forearm. ‘You’ve done enough. If you go into any more battles, your mental state may start to crack.’

‘He’s right, Emma,’ Meredith said.

‘What if I enjoy it?’ I said. ‘What if there’s nothing I like more than destroying demons? What if I live for the thrill of wielding my sword in battle?’

‘Then you’re an adrenaline addict and you need to stop anyway,’ John said.

‘Like Meredith said, what about when I’m Raised? You’ve been fighting wars for four thousand years. What about your mental state?’

‘Bad idea bringing him into it; I wouldn’t call him sane,’ Meredith said.

‘I’m a warrior by nature,’ John said. ‘It is what I am.’

‘And it’s what I was bred for,’ I said. ‘My heritage was manipulated to make me a greater warrior. It’s what I am as well.’

‘Touché,’ Meredith said with humour.

‘And look at Meredith,’ I said. ‘She’s been fighting demons for four hundred years since she was Raised, and she’s the sanest person I know.’

‘I resent that,’ she said.

John sighed, exasperated. ‘I’ve seen too many soldiers break under the pressure of much less than what you’ve been through. Don’t you think it’s time to stop?’

‘No,’ I said. ‘I think it’s time I drank that damn Elixir, because then I can really start.’

‘Told you,’ Meredith said, and rose. ‘Agree to regular physical and mental checkups, Emma, and do what the counsellor tells you if they say to slow down. And slow down for a few months anyway. You can’t take the Elixir until you’re in top condition, and it will take you a while to regain that.’

‘Aye aye, Captain,’ I said, saluting her Western-style.

‘You are impossible,’ John said, eyeing me.

‘That makes us a matched pair then,’ I said, and stopped as the summons hit me. ‘You have to be freaking kidding me. No way. No way!’

‘This is completely ridiculous,’ John said.

‘What?’ Meredith said.

‘The Jade Emperor just summoned us into his presence first thing tomorrow morning,’ John said. ‘I do not believe this.’

‘It’ll just be to report on what’s happening in the West,’ Meredith said.

‘Why does he want me then?’ I said. ‘I’m not allowed to have anything to do with Celestial affairs.’

‘He wants both of you?’ Meredith said, now concerned.

‘Go check the Celestial records. See if there’s a reason posted for our interview,’ John said.

Meredith nodded to him and went out.

‘When’s Leonard’s funeral?’ I asked John.

‘Memorial service. Day after tomorrow.’

‘The summons won’t interfere then. I want to be there. Whatever it takes. Even if it’s on the Earthly.’

‘You will be. It’s being held here on the Mountain.’

I relaxed back onto the pillows. ‘Good.’ I raised my head. ‘My family are coming up to the Mountain?’

‘Yes.’

‘I can’t wait to see them. Do you think we could talk them into staying?’

‘We will talk about it when they’re here.’

‘Oh, that’s excellent news. It’s just terribly sad that Leonard had to die before they would come up here.’

I raised my left hand; there was a button-type band-aid on it and my stone was still gone.

‘Where’s my stone?’

‘A great many stones have died. The Grandmother —’

‘I saw her. She was pissed.’

‘She’s gone home to mourn the loss of so many of her children, and taken all but a few of the stones with her.’

‘My stone went as well?’

‘No, it took an orphaned baby stone to the Grandmother and will probably return soon.’

‘Did Gold go with the Grandmother?’

‘No, but Zara did.’

‘Zara will come back. She’ll get bored,’ I said.

‘I hope she will.’

I looked at my hand again. ‘Someone took blood?’

‘Edwin checked you over while you were out, but didn’t do a thorough examination. He’s taken a sample to check exactly how anaemic you are and whether there’s any infection. He’s satisfied that the blood loss will settle as if it was a normal …’ he took a deep breath, ‘… miscarriage. Apart from exhaustion and exposure, you’re otherwise unhurt.’

‘I suppose he couldn’t check if what the Demon King said was correct?’

‘He can now you’re awake, but he said it would be best to go to the Tiger’s facility in the West after things have settled down. If you still hurt inside, he’s given you some painkilling options; being in pain will only slow down your recovery.’

‘It doesn’t hurt any more, I just feel tired. Worn out.’

‘That’s understandable.’ He squeezed my hand. ‘Rest.’

‘Yeah, I need to be strong to face His Celestial Ugliness tomorrow.’

‘That’s me,’ he said.

‘I meant the Jade Emperor, but you qualify.’

He rubbed his free hand over his face, his voice thick. ‘You have no idea how glad I am to have you home, my love.’

I pulled him into me and we silently embraced for a very long time, both of us relishing the feeling of being together with nothing to part us.