He turned to study me, his dark eyes boring into me, and I shivered.
Everybody was silent for a long moment, staring from John to the horse. Michael studied me appraisingly. From their expressions, Martin and Yue Gui were conversing silently.
‘How old is this animal?’ the Dragon’s Number One said.
Rohan thought about it for a moment. ‘Just checked the competition records back at the West. She started competing on it four years ago; at that time she said it was five years old.’
‘This thing has been around for nearly ten years?’ the Phoenix said, placing her teacup carefully back on the table. ‘I will therefore ask the question that everybody else is thinking. How many more of these things are there?’
‘Is it intelligent?’ the dragon said, still holding his teacup.
‘No, it’s more like a natural animal than a demon,’ John said. ‘Same as the human copies — they were unaware of what they were until they were activated. I think this one has no sentience at all.’
‘But the King could control Freddo,’ I said.
‘Can she contribute?’ the dragon said.
‘Yes, this is unrelated to the management of the Mountain or the Heavens,’ Yue Gui said. ‘She may contribute.’
‘If they’re enough untamed demon, he can control them, and occasionally flash his perception into them and see through their eyes,’ John said.
‘So the King made Freddo? That’s a complex scheme just to make a horse,’ the dragon said.
‘But it was a horse that was acting as a pair of eyes for the King, and was able to carry Simone to him,’ John said. ‘Toi set you up to adopt him.’
‘This whole time Toi’s been an agent for the Demon King,’ Martin said with venom. ‘I should send a squad out to find her and bring her to Celestial justice.’
‘Go right ahead,’ John said. ‘But don’t take too much time. After Mid-Autumn Festival I am going to Holy Island to see what’s happening there, and I need you here to manage the Heavens.’
‘Jie Jie can do it,’ Martin said, nodding to Yue Gui.
‘I need you both here, but we will discuss this later,’ John said.
‘Count me in,’ Michael said. ‘I want to come to Europe and see what’s going on.’
‘You won’t get a chance, man,’ Rohan said. ‘Dad’ll have you running in circles administering the West.’
Michael shrugged. ‘Damn. You’re right.’
I stroked the horse’s nose and scratched behind her ears, but she ignored me, more concerned about all the people around us.
‘We need to find out who bred her and what her bloodlines are,’ I said, then raised my voice. ‘Hold on, we missed that!’
‘What, Emma?’ John said.
‘She’s a thoroughbred, and they aren’t bred in this part of the world. They’re all imported. Bet you anything you like she’s a Western demon, and she came from the UK — Ireland or Wales.’
‘That would explain it,’ the Phoenix said with wonder. ‘We’re experts at identifying our own. Throw a Western hybrid at us and we’re unable to pick it.’
John turned to the Horsemen. ‘Can you trace her bloodlines?’
‘Easily,’ Rohan said. He concentrated for a moment. ‘But not right now; I’ll have to get back to you on that. My contact at the import registry’s off at lunch.’
‘We have another petitioner outside the doors,’ Yue Gui said. ‘You may not wish to see him, Father.’
‘Who?’
Yue Gui’s expression darkened. ‘My son, Sang Shen. I told him not to come. He has come anyway, and brought his little sister, the one that shares his father with a different mother.’
‘This is a family matter,’ John said. ‘You are all dismissed.’
‘Do you mind if we have a look around Toi’s residence before we go?’ Michael said.
‘Go right ahead,’ John said.
Michael saluted him and the Horsemen disappeared.
‘That’s a good idea,’ the Phoenix said. ‘I will join them. Golden Dragon?’
‘Yeah,’ the dragon said. ‘By your leave, my Lord.’
John nodded to them and they disappeared.
‘Martin, go with them to Toi’s residence,’ John said. ‘Emma, Ling’s coming back to take possession of the mare.’
Martin disappeared.
The doors opened and Mr Ling, the owner of Freddo’s father, came in. He nodded to me, took the mare’s lead rein and led her out. Sang Shen was waiting outside, and he stood back and stared at the horse in wonder as it passed him, then the doors closed.
John dropped his voice. ‘I always knew this little asshole would cause the family trouble, Ah Yue.’
‘He is an adult, Father. His actions are his own responsibility.’ Yue Gui gracefully turned and sat at the table. She waved one hand over the teacups and the used ones disappeared, replaced by clean ones. She poured herself some tea. ‘I told him to come in, but I’m not having anything to do with this. This is his own doing.’
The doors opened and Sang Shen strode in, accompanied by his sister, Sang Ye. Both of them had the nut-brown faces of tree spirits; he was tall and solid with a square face, and she was smaller and slimmer with long green and brown hair. Both wore Tang robes of green embroidered with leaves and flowers. They stopped in front of John and fell to one knee, saluting.
‘Dai Yeh Yeh,’ Sang Shen said, calling John ‘Grandfather’.
‘Xuan Tian Shang Di,’ Sang Ye said.
John leaned on the table behind him and crossed his arms, glowering at them. ‘Rise.’
They stood and stared at the floor in a show of humility.
‘Well?’ John said.
Sang Shen stepped forward, still looking at the floor. ‘In three weeks, my sister Sang Ye will be married to a plum tree that lives here in the Northern Heavens. I beg your leave to attend.’
‘You tried to kill the woman I love, stupid boy,’ John said without emotion. ‘Even worse, you did it in the field of honour. You have disgraced yourself and our house.’
‘I wish to atone,’ Sang Shen said, his expression sincere. ‘I wish to confess my transgressions and beg your forgiveness.’
‘It is not my forgiveness that you should be begging for,’ John said, uncrossing his arms to gesture towards me. ‘I’m not the small human mortal that you nearly killed.’
Sang Shen fell to his knees in front of me. ‘Lad … La … Miss … I wish I could give you your full title, Miss Donahoe. I sincerely regret my actions. Since knowing you, I have come to realise that you truly have the best interests of the Celestial at heart. I thought you were arrogant and heartless, but recent events have proved that you are of noble intent.’
‘Hold on,’ I said, raising both hands. ‘Are you saying that you hated me up until I made an incredibly stupid mistake that’s imprisoned half of the Dark Lord? That doing something as dumb as this has proved that I’m not a bad person?’
He looked confused for a moment, then his expression cleared. ‘I suppose I am. I want to serve you to atone.’ He turned to John. ‘Allow me to take the role of servant to Miss Donahoe. After I have attended my sister’s wedding, I will do anything you wish to pay for my crime.’
John waved Sang Shen closer. The tree spirit rose to stand in front of him; he was close on John’s height with a heavier build.
John put his finger on Sang Shen’s forehead. ‘Tell me again why you are here.’
‘I wish to atone for my crimes and be released for my sister’s wedding.’
‘What is your true opinion of Miss Donahoe?’
Sang Shen hesitated for a long time, then dropped his eyes and took a step back so that John was no longer touching his forehead. ‘Please release me to attend my sister’s wedding.’
‘I saw what you were thinking,’ John said. ‘You still think she’s an arrogant upstart who has ideas above her station.’
Sang Shen didn’t reply, he just stared at the floor.
‘But it’s true,
I am,’ I said.
‘You have a point,’ John said. He turned back to Sang Shen. ‘Your sister’s wedding means that much to you?’
Sang Shen nodded without looking up.
‘I am giving the victim of your crime the choice,’ John said, then spoke into my head. I know you well enough that you would want him freed, but have a look what I saw in his mind first.
He transmitted an image to me. Sang Shen had his spear lodged in my back and he was pushing it slowly through me with pleasure.
‘What say you, Miss Donahoe?’ John said.
‘Half of Hell is already after me. The last thing I need is to watch my back in case he’s coming as well. Keep him locked up,’ I said.
I walked away towards the doors, to the sound of furious protests behind me. I felt rather than heard the running footsteps, summoned my sword and spun to block Sang Shen’s spear in front of my face. If I hadn’t blocked he would have impaled my head.
He moved closer, our weapons still locked, and snarled into my face, ‘You have destroyed my life. You are the reason my father is dead. Now I won’t see my beloved sister marry.’
He tried to push the weapon into me, but I kept the block up. My muscles were close to the end of their strength, though, and if he didn’t release me soon I would have to yield. As my arms began to tremble, I frantically wondered what had happened to John. Sang Shen’s face filled with triumph. He shifted his grip slightly, readying for the kill. I could slip to the side and try to deflect him the way he was already going, but he was faster than me and the move would probably be fatal.
My muscles were at the end of their strength; I readied myself to try the move.
The spear was snatched from behind, the butt whistling past my ear as it was taken from his grasp. The butt hit him sharply on the back of the head and he fell.
‘You okay, Emma?’ John said, standing over him.
‘Yeah.’
‘Masterfully done, love. How did you hold him back? He’s much stronger than you.’
‘The sword helped.’
‘Good.’ He hit Sang Shen on the side of the face with the butt of the spear. ‘You killed your own mother! I cannot believe you would do that.’
‘Yue Gui!’ I shouted, running towards her. ‘No!’
He’d run his spear through her throat and she lay on her back, dead. Her body disappeared and I bent over my knees, gasping with relief, trying to catch my breath. She’d gone to Court Ten.
John was standing over the prone Sang Shen, punctuating his speech with blows from the butt of the spear. ‘You are banished from the Celestial. You are to take the form of a tree on the Earthly and stay there until you are pardoned by the Celestial.’
He struck Sang Shen on the side of the face again and Sang Shen raised his hands to protect his head. ‘Go meditate upon your faults.’ He reached down and put his hand on Sang Shen’s throat. ‘I disown you. You are no longer any child of mine. Now get the hell out of here.’
Sang Shen vanished as John aimed a kick at the side of his abdomen.
John dropped the spear, strode to me and pulled me into a fierce embrace, burying his face into my hair.
‘I wasn’t expecting that at all,’ he said. ‘He moved so fast I nearly didn’t make it.’
‘You worry me sometimes,’ I said into his chest.
‘Thanks a lot, bitch,’ Sang Ye shouted as she stormed past us towards the door.
I pulled out of John’s arms and glared at her. ‘You’re blaming me for something I didn’t do!’
She stopped. ‘If you hadn’t blinded the Dark Lord with your loose Western ways, our father would still be alive and my brother would be able to attend my wedding.’ She waved me down with one hand as she turned away. ‘You destroyed our lives.’
‘You did that yourselves,’ John said.
‘You defend her!’ Sang Ye rounded on him and her voice rose to a screech. ‘How can you defend her after what she did to you? You should lock her up!’
John turned away. ‘Leave my dominion and do not return.’
She raised her clenched fists. ‘With pleasure.’ She spun on her heel and stalked out.
‘I cannot believe he would kill his own mother for a chance at you,’ John said. ‘I’ll wager the marriage was an excuse and she won’t go ahead with it.’
‘They do have a point,’ I said. ‘Their father is dead because of me.’
‘If anyone is to blame, it’s Michelle. She started all of this.’
‘From what Gold tells me, it was you who pursued Michelle, and she resisted you for a long time,’ I said, amused despite myself.
‘She wanted nothing to do with me when she found out who I was,’ he said, putting his arm around my shoulders and walking with me towards the door.
‘And you won her over anyway?’
He dropped his voice. ‘I was desperate, and she was ignoring me. Eventually,’ his voice became even lower, almost a whisper, ‘I was forced to seek assistance from the worst sex fiend on any Plane.’
‘Who, the Tiger?’
‘No,’ he said, amused. ‘Gold himself.’
8
I left the Residence in some jogging gear for my pre-dinner run and waved to Simone, who was just arriving back from school on a cloud. A couple of students were waiting at the front of the Residence and I stopped to see if they wanted me.
Julie, an American student who was brilliant with bladed weapons, tried to say something and hesitated, bewildered.
‘Remember the Jade Emperor’s limitation on me,’ I said. ‘No honorifics, just Emma. What’s the problem, guys?’
‘If you don’t mind, ma … Emma,’ Lai, a phoenix, said, ‘Alvin’s been severely injured and …’ She shared a look with Julie. ‘We know you’re a snake, and we were wondering if you could come to the infirmary and help?’
Simone landed behind me and stepped off her cloud. ‘Don’t you dare, Emma,’ she said.
I started moving towards the infirmary and the students walked with me. ‘How bad is it?’
‘We think he may have a broken spine.’
I stopped. ‘Only the Dark Lord’s Serpent can fix something as big as that.’
Lai put her hand on my forearm. ‘Could you try anyway? Please?’
‘Don’t you dare!’ Simone yelled.
Lai glanced at Simone, confused. ‘Princess, my Lady, why won’t you let her?’
‘Because she could take off and merge with Daddy’s Serpent if she changes to snake!’ Simone shouted.
‘Don’t be ridiculous. It’s in a cage of Celestial Jade and nothing’s getting in there,’ I said. ‘There’s no chance. It’s always been the Serpent coming to possess me in the past anyway, so if I do this it may even escape and find me.’
‘No, don’t risk yourself,’ Simone said. She raised her voice again. ‘I cannot believe you’re thinking of doing this! Didn’t Dad say you shouldn’t take serpent form?’
I ignored her. ‘How long ago did this happen, Julie?’
‘Only less than half an hour. Dr Edwin said something about it being fixable if you catch it quickly, before his nerves die.’
‘Let’s go then,’ I said, moving off again.
Simone grabbed my arm. ‘I am not letting you do this. They don’t need you. Meredith’s a better energy healer than you.’
‘Energy can’t do anything for a broken spine, but a serpent healer may be able to, particularly if it’s just happened.’
‘It’s not worth the risk, Emma.’
‘I’m the only snake on the Mountain, which means I’m his only chance of being able to walk. I have to try, otherwise I couldn’t live with myself.’
She studied my face, then released me.
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘Let’s go.’
We arrived at the infirmary to find Edwin standing over Alvin, checking the drip. Alvin’s face was grey and he was on a traction bed, keeping his spine straight. Edwin’s expression was grim.
‘It’s a similar injury to
what Lord Leo suffered. The bones of his spine are crushed at T … about halfway down, and his spine is damaged beyond repair.’ He brushed one hand over Alvin’s forehead. ‘He is in an induced coma to keep him still so that the swelling doesn’t cause further damage, but he’ll never walk again.’
Lai gave a little cry and ran to kneel next to Alvin. ‘It all happened so quickly. If I hadn’t swept him down and out of the way like that, he’d be okay.’ She rested her head on her arms, leaning on the bed. ‘This is all my fault.’
‘A routine training day and suddenly it ends up like this,’ Julie said, her voice thick with tears. She wiped her eyes. ‘I’ll never be able to spar with him again.’ She turned to me, blinking the tears away. ‘Please try, Emma.’
‘I’ll do my best, let’s see what I can manage,’ I said, and put my hand on Lai’s shoulder. ‘Back out of the way, Lai.’
She moved back and I touched my inner serpent. I hadn’t changed to snake in a while, but I need not have been concerned; I easily fell into the form.
I raised my head and touched my snout to Alvin, examining him. I moved my healing power through him, doing what I could to reduce the swelling and knit together the damaged nerve fibres and bones, which were in tiny pieces and all jumbled together. It was incredibly fiddly work. If I could reduce the pressure on his spinal column, he might be able to regain a small amount of mobility. But Edwin was right: there was a good chance he would never walk again.
I heard rather than saw John and Simone appear in the doorway.
‘Oh, Emma, this is a very bad idea,’ John said.
‘Quiet, I’m concentrating,’ I said through my closed mouth.
He came and knelt next to me and touched the top of my head. ‘Magnificent.’
The contact made something dark and primal flare within me, which made me grow and strengthen and fill with power.
He saw what happened. ‘Oh, shit, no.’
He removed his hand, but it was too late. His Serpent, the love of my life, was lying at the bottom of the world, alone and in pain, and I went to it.
Zhenwu
John saw her trail as she spun down to Hell and disappeared into it. Voices swirled around him, loud and demanding.