‘I had no idea you were going to be expelled, sweetheart—’
‘Don’t call me sweetheart!’
Suddenly the car was full of water. It pressed in around me, squashing me. I took half a breath and my lungs filled with water. I was vaguely aware of an impact, but I was suffocating. I panicked, trying to breathe, then made a frantic attempt to open the window of the Mercedes. The electrics didn’t work. I scrabbled at the door handle but I was choking. Everything started to fade.
Then I could breathe and I was coughing up water in the front of the car. Marcus was unconscious next to me, and the Mercedes had run into a parking meter on the wrong side of the road.
‘Emma! Marcus!’ Simone cried from the back. ‘Are you okay?’
‘I’m okay,’ I gasped through the coughs. ‘Marcus looks bad.’
‘Freaking stupid elementals,’ Simone said, and got out of the car. She came around and opened the door on the driver’s side. ‘Marcus? Marcus!’
‘Get the water out of his lungs,’ I gasped. ‘Doing the same for me would be a good idea too.’
The water gushed out of Marcus. I nearly choked as water charged up out of my throat. It flew through the air and splashed outside the car.
‘He’s not breathing, Emma,’ Simone said, frantic. ‘Oh my God, he’s blue. Do something!’
‘You’ve had training in CPR,’ I said. ‘Do mouth to mouth on him. I can’t breathe enough to do it.’ I struggled to turn in my seat and removed the seatbelt. I put my hand on his chest over his heart. ‘His heart is beating, he just needs a kickstart on the breathing. Breathe into him, let’s get him going.’
She put her mouth over his and breathed into him. His chest rose.
‘Keep it up,’ I said, still choking. The water had hurt my throat and every breath was difficult.
Meredith appeared behind Simone. ‘Move back.’
She did, and Meredith put her hands on Marcus’s face. ‘Don’t leave us now, Marcus,’ she said.
Marcus took a huge shuddering breath.
‘I’ll take him home,’ Meredith said. ‘Let me send someone with another car for you, and we’ll tow this one.’ She studied me. ‘You’ll be fine, you just need some healing on that throat.’
She leaned out to speak to Simone. ‘Stay here with Emma, we’ll send a car and a truck for you. Pick up the car and move it so that it’s aligned with the kerb and make it appear that it’s just parked here. Make the damage on the front invisible, so it doesn’t attract any attention.’
‘Okay,’ Simone said weakly.
Meredith put her hand on Marcus and both of them disappeared.
I collapsed backwards into my seat. The interior of the Mercedes was soaked and my clothes were drenched. Simone extracted the water from the interior and my clothes and it funnelled outside the car and splashed onto the ground. Then she sat in the driver’s side next to me and leaned back.
‘I think I need a lesson in controlling the elementals.’
‘I’ll arrange it.’
‘Thanks.’
The phone rang that afternoon right after I’d put it down from booking an appointment with the school principal. ‘Hello?’ I said.
‘It’s the Sparrow.’
‘Oh, hi, Zhu Que, is everything okay?’
She chuckled. ‘You always assume something’s wrong when one of us calls you.’
‘That’s because it usually is,’ I said.
‘True. In this case it’s not a new attack. I heard that Simone finally agreed to learn how to summon and control her elementals, and about time. I was wondering if you wanted any help teaching her.’
‘One of the Masters is going to teach her.’
‘Won’t work, Emma. Only we Winds and the most powerful of our children can control the elementals. Anyone else who tries it is putting themselves at risk. I have a great deal of respect for your Masters, they’ve taught some of my best Red Warriors, but you need someone who can do it themselves. You should have asked one of us before.’
I sighed. ‘I know how busy you guys are with the demon attacks happening all the time. You have far better things to be doing than teaching a teenager.’
‘I have a daughter who seems to have the talent, and I’ll be teaching her. I was wondering if Simone would like to join in and both of them can learn together?’
‘You can teach Simone how to manipulate water even though you’ll be doing fire?’
‘Elementals are elementals. The skills are the same.’
‘When can you start? Can you come after school…’ My voice trailed off. ‘Damn.’
‘There’s a problem?’ she said, concerned.
‘She’s been expelled for not attending enough classes. I’m talking to the principal of the school tomorrow but it’s looking bad. They’ve been tracking her attendance.’
‘Humph,’ the Phoenix said. ‘The child is helping to protect these ungrateful humans from the demon horde and this is the thanks she gets. She’ll be much happier at CH anyway.’
‘People are scared of her, Phoenix.’
‘With good reason.’
‘And she knows they are.’
‘Oh.’
‘At the International School she’s an ordinary girl—she has a lot of good friends who think she’s perfectly normal and aren’t afraid of her. Even down at the Academy the students are frightened of her, and some of them befriend her purely because they think it’ll help them progress.’
‘Such students are not worthy of the title Disciple of the Dark Lord.’
‘What about the students at CH? They’ll know exactly who she is as well.’
She hesitated for a moment, then, ‘Let me come with you and help fix this. I can clear it up so she won’t be expelled from her Earthly school.’
‘I’d prefer not to mess with anybody’s head at this early stage; you know how the Jade Emperor feels about that.’
‘True.’
‘So let me talk to the principal and we’ll see what we can do.’
‘Good luck with that, Emma,’ she said. ‘So, since Simone will be free in the near future, we’ll do some elemental training. It’ll keep her mind occupied anyway.’
‘You can use the training room if you promise not to burn down the apartment block.’
‘That I cannot guarantee. I have a place that is suitable; it is high and clear of any vegetation. How about tomorrow, say about 10 am?’
‘I’m seeing the principal tomorrow morning. How about just after lunch?’
‘Sounds good. The training ground is in the Western District.’ A scroll appeared on the desk in front of me. ‘Give this to Simone, it’s directions. We’ll be waiting.’
‘We’ll probably come by car; you know I can’t travel.’
The scroll disappeared and was replaced by another one. ‘Here you go. Just park on the road leading up to the building, I’ve marked it on the map. Oh, and can I watch when you face Er Lang?’
‘No!’
‘But the other two Winds said they’ll be there.’
‘What?’
‘See you at the Arena. This should be good.’
‘Bring a first aid kit, Phoenix, I may need it.’
‘As you wish, ma’am.’
‘Oh, please, don’t give me that.’
‘Madam Regent Heavenly General.’
I sighed into the phone.
‘See you tomorrow, Emma,’ she said, her voice full of amusement.
The next morning there was a tap on the door as I worked through the day’s admin. The Tiger, Marcus and Monica came in. The Tiger and Marcus sat down on the other side of my desk, looking grim, and Monica stood behind them, clasping her hands together.
‘You’re seeing Simone’s teacher this morning?’ the Tiger said, subdued and gruff.
‘Yes, I’m seeing the principal of the school to try and let Simone stay on. Marcus will have to drive me there in half an hour or so. What’s up, everybody?’ I said.
Marcus shifted uncomf
ortably. ‘I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’ve had enough.’
‘Enough?’ I said.
He made a gesture of helplessness. ‘This is my home. It always will be. But things are just too…’ He looked to the Tiger for help.
‘They’re worried they’re gonna get killed if they hang around much longer,’ the Tiger said, still gruff. ‘And I really don’t blame them. Before, they had Ah Wu’s protection, and they felt safe knowing that the demons wouldn’t hurt them. This time,’ he glanced at Marcus, then back to me, ‘this time there isn’t anybody to protect them from Simone.’
‘She’s having training on controlling elementals later today,’ I said.
Marcus made the helpless gesture again.
Simone charged through the door, nearly hitting Monica with it. She stood panting, hesitating, then said, ‘I won’t hurt you guys any more, I promise.’ She threw her arms around Monica’s neck, taking her by surprise. ‘Don’t go, Monica, I love you. I need you. I don’t want a demon looking after me, I want you.’
‘They’ll come back when they’re sure they’ll be safe,’ the Tiger said. ‘Let them go. They’re scared.’
Simone pulled back to see Monica, and shook her head. ‘I promise I won’t hurt you again.’
Monica didn’t look at Simone, she looked down at the floor.
‘Simone,’ the Tiger said, ‘could you control what happened with the elementals the last couple of days? Could you stop it from happening?’
Simone released Monica and glared at the Tiger. ‘I’m having lessons!’
‘Fine,’ the Tiger said, and rose. ‘When you can make that promise and know for sure that you can deliver on it, then I’ll bring my son and his wife back. Until then, I’m going to keep them safe. Go to Celestial High and learn to control your power, Simone, ‘cause as long as you refuse to do it, people are going to get hurt.’
‘I don’t want to go to Freak Central!’ Simone shouted, and ran out again. Her bedroom door banged shut.
Monica started to cry and I gave her a tissue from the box on the desk.
‘Go get packed,’ the Tiger said. ‘I’ll take you as soon as you’re ready.’
‘Bring us back when it’s safe again, please,’ Monica said.
‘I know, she’s like a daughter to you,’ the Tiger said kindly. ‘Go and pack. It’ll all work out.’
‘Is that all right with you, ma’am?’ Monica said. ‘We don’t want to go, but we’re scared. We love you and Miss Simone, but we don’t want to die.’
‘I won’t stop you, guys,’ I said. ‘Go back to the Palace. Things will get messy around here soon anyway, with this Leo thing happening.’
‘Thank you, ma’am. We won’t go to the Palace, we’re going to spend some time back in the Philippines visiting our families,’ Marcus said, and rose. He bobbed his head to me, and he and Monica went out.
‘Was this your idea?’ I asked the Tiger.
‘No. They called me. And as members of the household they have the right to invite me in, so I’m not breaking Simone’s stupid rule of me not visiting.’
I sighed. ‘They’re afraid, and they have good reason. Damn.’
‘Do you have some demons that can do the job?’
‘Ah Yat can take over the house again, and we’ll find someone to drive the Academy bus.’
‘What about you?’
‘What about me?’
‘Who’s going to drive you around?’
‘Me.’
‘Oh, come on,’ he said. ‘All of us spend our time in the back of the car catching up on work. You need that time to get things done, and I know you meditate and chill too. Take a Horseman.’
‘Which one?’ I said suspiciously.
He waved a hand airily. ‘I dunno, one of the Two Seventies or Eighties. Trained, strong, faced demons before, more than human. They’ll probably fight over the opportunity to do it.’
‘We’re going to have Leo back as soon as we find him, so it’s only for a short time.’
He snorted with amusement. ‘You think Leo will accept Immortality, then come back here and be your driver again?’
‘I’m sure he will,’ I said.
‘Pfft,’ he huffed. ‘Whatever. We’ll see what happens when it happens. Any word on where he is?’
‘Demons and stones are looking. We have spies in all the major demon haunts. So far nothing has turned up.’
‘Let me know when you have the information. I want a piece of whoever took the Lion. Thoroughly unacceptable.’
‘Done,’ I said. ‘I’d better prepare for this meeting.’
‘My Lady,’ the Tiger said, and saluted me. ‘I’ll take Monica and Marcus when they’re ready. Neither of them have seen their families in the Philippines for a while, and Marcus’s mother, Wife Sixty-Three, is going too.’
‘You never call Marcus by number,’ I said.
‘No. He’s not Shen enough. He’s way too human to have a number.’
‘Good.’
‘I might go talk to Simone,’ he said. ‘She really should be going to CH, Emma, otherwise she’s going to remain a danger to herself and others.’
‘I’m beginning to think it might be the best choice for her,’ I said.
‘Wonder if they’re having any interesting classes at CH right now. Let me take Simone to have a look. Is that okay?’
‘Sure. If we could get her to go there a lot of our problems would be solved,’ I said. ‘But first thing after lunch, she and I are heading to Western for a lesson in elemental summoning, so make sure she’s here when I get back.’
‘None of your Masters can teach that.’
‘No, so the Phoenix is doing it.’
‘Good idea. Maybe she can talk missy into CH as well.’
The principal, Mr Barrow, was a small, portly man in his mid-forties wearing a pinstripe suit. He invited me into his office and sat me at the small conference table. ‘I’m afraid I can’t do much to help Simone, Ms Donahoe, it’s a matter of school policy. Many parents seem to think that school is an optional activity for their children and give little thought to the fact that the absences are causing their child’s education to suffer.’
‘Most of Simone’s absences are because of her past, Mr Barrow,’ I said. ‘She’s lost both parents and another close family member, and has received a great deal of counselling for it.’
‘And you never notified the school?’ Mr Barrow glanced at Simone’s file. ‘There are more absences here than can be explained by her need for counselling. And Mrs Wilder tells me that you didn’t even know about most of them.’
‘Simone has suffered a great deal in her life, Mr Barrow, and I want to give her everything possible to help her recover from that,’ I said. ‘Skipping school is just a symptom of her distress. I can provide you with a medical certificate if you like. She asked me not to arrange for her to have special treatment, but in this case it looks like she needs it.’
‘I just wish you’d told us all of this before,’ he said, closing the folder. ‘The paperwork has gone through, Ms Donahoe, and I’m afraid your daughter will have to find a new school. With the large legacy that Simone has at her disposal, I’m sure many of the other international schools would be delighted to take her.’
‘Could that legacy be used to help this situation?’ I asked.
Whoops, very much the wrong thing to say, the stone said.
He stiffened. ‘I don’t think so. This is far too late. School policy stands. I’m sorry, Ms Donahoe, but Simone is out.’ He rose to show me out. ‘If she has any younger brothers or sisters, they are welcome to apply, but as you know the waiting list is closed.’
‘Yes,’ I said with grim humour. ‘There’s a waiting list to go onto the waiting list.’
He shrugged. ‘You’re not the only parent who regards this as an excellent school for their child.’ He opened the door and held out his hand for me to shake it. ‘Maybe you should have sent her along to school more, if you regard it as so good. I’m sorry we
can’t help you more, Ms Donahoe. Goodbye.’
CHAPTER 14
Kwun Lung Lau was one of the oldest government housing estates in Hong Kong. When large numbers of refugees had fled across the border from China into Hong Kong in the 1960s, they had settled in shanty towns on the hillsides of the island. A large fire had swept through one of these settlements, killing thousands, and the government had been forced to act. It had built the housing estates.
A 1960s-era housing estate dwelling was a far cry from anything considered an apartment in the West. Each flat was a single room with a balcony, about three by five metres, housed in a large rectangular slab of a building with a long central corridor running through it. The bathroom was about a metre square at the end of the balcony and held a plain porcelain toilet and a stainless-steel sink with a cold-water tap. The kitchen was a low brick bench about a metre from the balcony window with another stainless-steel sink and cold tap, and a ledge for holding the standard gas-powered two-burner Hong Kong stove. If residents wanted bedrooms, they had to partition off the area themselves. In an area of fifteen square metres this made the living area tiny. Hot water was provided by a gas flow-through water heater with its own shower head for the microscopic bathroom, but residents had to purchase these themselves.
The buildings had been thrown together in a hurry, and the low concrete ceilings bore the rough markings of the plywood formwork used to create them, without any smoothing or attempt to cover it. No lights or floor coverings were provided; each resident was renting a bare concrete box with cold running water and a single electrical point.
Many Hong Kong residents chose to remain in these flats long after they could afford to move to something better because the rent on them was ridiculously cheap—three thousand Hong Kong dollars a month instead of twenty to twenty-five in a private apartment that could be similarly tiny. It amused me to see high-end Mercedes, owned by the residents, parked in the car parks of these estates.
Kwun Lung Lau had been built on the side of a steep hill above Western. In its heyday its five connected blocks had held more than a hundred flats to each of its twenty-two storeys, putting nearly two thousand five hundred households in an area covering less than two hectares. The retaining walls around the building weren’t thick enough, however, and during one of Hong Kong’s enormous rainstorms the retaining wall on the playgrounds at the base of the estate had failed. A huge wash of mud and concrete had swept across the walkway next to the playground and five people had been killed. The estate had been tagged for demolition shortly after, and the thousands of residents had been resettled, but the demolition was proceeding slowly even though the huge estate was empty and fenced with construction fencing.