He nodded, serious.
‘Why are you vegetarian, John?’ my mother said.
‘It’s a long story,’ John said. ‘All human Immortals are vegetarian.’
‘But you’re a Shen, Daddy, not a human Immortal,’ Simone said. ‘So why? Uncle Bai isn’t vegetarian.’
I made my voice very deep. ‘That is not for one such as you to know.’
Leo did an excellent imitation of John, Cantonese accent and all. ‘That information is not for mortal ears.’
The Tiger’s mouth opened with astonishment, then he banged his palm on the table and roared with laughter.
‘Directly after dinner, twenty-five level one sword katas, both of you,’ John snapped, but his eyes sparkled.
‘Yes, my Lord!’ Leo and I both shot back, saluting.
‘You’re a fool to have human staff, Ah Wu,’ the Tiger said, still chuckling.
‘Neither of them are staff, they are family,’ John said. ‘I love both of them dearly, and they know it.’
A swift expression of pain swept across Leo’s face, so quick that it was almost unnoticeable. Neither John nor I missed it though, and we both decided to change the subject.
‘The Dragon says they will be here with your sister’s family in about an hour,’ John said. ‘Jade is bringing the bags.’
‘Will she be okay? Gold was followed and attacked,’ I said.
‘With the Dragon and Phoenix carrying them, your family will be protected, Emma,’ the Tiger said. ‘Jade can outrun just about anything; dragons are much faster than stones. Don’t worry about her.’
‘Was Jennifer okay about coming?’ I said.
John didn’t reply.
‘Damn,’ I said quietly.
‘What’s a sword kata?’ Amanda said.
‘You’ve already seen me do it,’ I said. ‘A sword set. What I did for you in the yard back home.’
‘Wanna see some real stuff?’ Leo said.
‘Show Amanda how you can take Leo down,’ my father said to me.
I glanced at my father. His face was full of pride. I grinned with delight; my father was proud of me.
‘Let’s just rub it in,’ Leo growled, but his small brown eyes sparkled as well.
‘You want to see?’ I asked Amanda and Alan.
‘We’re here, we might as well have a look,’ Alan said.
‘Yes, I want to see,’ Amanda said. ‘Mum’s been telling me some of the stuff you can do, and I find it difficult to believe.’
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘After Jennifer’s here and settled in, Leo and I will give you a small demonstration. The sword katas can wait.’
‘I ordered you to do them directly after dinner,’ John said.
‘Yes, my Lord,’ I shot back, saluting again. ‘Like I said, the sword katas can wait.’
The Tiger roared with laughter again.
The Tiger was giving both Mark and David a ride in the living room when the Phoenix and the Dragon turned up with Jennifer and her kids. Leonard had legal business to tidy up in London and would follow in a week.
The Dragon placed Jennifer gently on the couch, and the Phoenix lowered her boys next to her.
The Tiger quickly dropped to his belly and guided Mark and David off, then changed back to human form.
‘I still want to ride,’ David whined.
‘If I’m a tiger when your cousins wake up they’ll be scared to death,’ the Tiger said.
John and I went to Jennifer. Amanda pushed John out of the way and she and I hovered above Jennifer, waiting for her to wake.
She came around slowly, rubbing her hand over her face. She saw us, her sisters, then cast around for the boys. She reached out to hold both of them and glared at John. ‘Stay away from us,’ she hissed.
John and I shared a look and he silently moved away.
Amanda dropped to crouch in front of Jennifer. ‘Hi, Jen.’
Jennifer didn’t say anything. She hugged Colin, still unconscious, to her and pulled Andrew closer on the sofa.
‘What’s her problem?’ the opal said.
‘Stop it!’ Jennifer whispered ferociously. ‘Go away!’
The boys began to come around. Colin whimpered and Jennifer held him tighter. Andrew’s eyes opened and he looked around, then buried his face in his mother’s sweater.
‘I think it would be a good idea if you people were to leave us alone for a while,’ my father said grimly, moving around the couch to sit next to Jennifer.
John nodded without saying a word, and all the Shen disappeared. John turned and went down the hall to his study. Leo took Simone’s hand and led her out as well.
‘Well, here we are, all three sisters in one place—first time in years,’ I said with forced cheerfulness.
Everybody ignored me.
‘I’m in Hong Kong?’ Jennifer said.
Everybody nodded.
‘The Tiger will take you to the Western Palace tomorrow,’ I said. ‘You’ll need some time to rest from this trip before he does. How do you feel?’
Jennifer stared at me and didn’t say anything.
‘Okay,’ I whispered.
‘This is all your fault,’ she finally said, glaring at me.
‘I know,’ I said, running my hands through my hair. ‘I’m so sorry, guys. I’ve completely screwed up your lives.’
‘Stupid bitch,’ Jennifer said and turned away.
I didn’t know what to say.
Amanda’s son Mark threw himself at me. ‘Teach me some kung fu! I wanna learn!’
Everybody was completely silent.
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea right now, sweetheart,’ I whispered.
Jade appeared in True Form on the other side of the room with the bags, and collapsed. I ran to her, ignoring the shrieks of fear from my nephews; she was bleeding, her scales ripped in many places. One of her front legs was obviously broken.
She attempted to rise, looking around. ‘I did make it,’ she said. ‘I thought I’d made it. They were so fast…’ Her voice trailed off and she fell heavily.
‘John!’ I screamed.
John and Leo raced into the room, Simone hurrying behind them. John crouched to examine Jade. My parents hovered behind him.
‘Is this Jade? The girl?’ my mother said.
‘Yes,’ John said, placing his hand on Jade’s head. He concentrated, and the Blue Dragon appeared next to him in his usual human form.
‘Out of the way,’ the Dragon said, quickly moving to Jade’s side and putting both hands on her head. Everybody retreated to give him room.
The Dragon concentrated, and his long turquoise hair floated around his head. ‘I’m taking her home,’ he said softly. ‘She needs to be under the water. This will take a while. My Lord?’
‘How long?’ John said.
‘I’ll still be able to return tomorrow to take the Lady’s family West,’ the Dragon said. ‘Jade will need to recuperate for a few weeks. She has massive internal injuries, far too much for any energy worker to handle. Leave her with me.’
‘Go,’ John said, and both Jade and the Dragon disappeared.
I flopped to sit next to the bloodstains on the carpet. I lowered my head and shook it. ‘Damn.’
‘This is all your fault,’ Jennifer said loudly from the couch.
I jumped up and stormed to the spare room where I was staying. Gold was still in the bed, his boyish face peaceful as he slept. I sat on the floor next to his head with my back against the wall and buried my face in my knees.
About five minutes later, John came in and sat cross-legged on the floor on the other side of the room. He rubbed his hand over his face, sighed, and tied his hair back.
‘No one should be suffering like this for me,’ I said into my knees. ‘I’m dragging my entire family away from their homes. Gold and Jade nearly died. I can’t do this to them any more.’
‘Gold, you are released,’ John said loudly. ‘You have your freedom. Go.’
‘You can’t release him,’
I said. ‘He told me only the Jade Emperor can release him.’
‘I am the First Officer, Highest Celestial General,’ John said. ‘In precedence I am second only to the Celestial himself. If I say Gold is free, then he’s free.’
Right Hand of the Jade Emperor. I inhaled sharply as I understood. ‘But you said that as your chosen, after you’ve gone I’ll be accepted as…’
‘Precisely,’ John said. ‘As my equal. Over everybody.’ He spoke firmly. ‘You’re free, Gold. Go.’
Gold didn’t move. ‘No.’
‘Why not,’ John said, and it wasn’t a question.
‘Because I love serving you,’ Gold whispered. ‘I will go if you order me, but I beg you, please, let me stay.’
My father came in and closed the door softly behind him. He hesitated.
‘Brendan,’ John said, still seated on the floor, ‘do you blame Emma for all of the troubles we are having right now?’
‘No,’ my father said. ‘I blame you.’
‘Good,’ John said. ‘You’ve laid the blame in the right place. Does it make any difference, now that the blame has been laid?’
‘Not a bit,’ my father said. ‘We’re still in the same situation, and we’ll all make it through somehow.’ He leaned on the wall. ‘Don’t mind Jen, Emma, she’ll survive. Right now her kids are fighting with Amanda’s for rides on the Tiger. They’re having a great time. Don’t worry about them.’
‘Jade nearly died,’ I whispered.
‘And if I attempted to free her, she would stay as well,’ John said.
‘We all love you, my Lady,’ Gold said, still without moving. ‘We are profoundly honoured to serve you and the Dark Lord. I would rather be here with you than anywhere else in the world, and so would Jade.’
‘We do what we have to,’ my father said. ‘And we survive.’
‘Your father is a very wise man, and I can see where you gained much of your own wisdom.’ John looked up at my father. ‘No snake spirits in the family tree?’
My father shrugged. ‘How would I know? Until a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t even know that snake spirits existed. What does that have to do with it?’
‘Snake spirits are renowned for their wisdom,’ I said into my knees.
‘Are they renowned for falling in love with the wrong guy?’ my father said.
‘Nope,’ I said, smiling despite myself, ‘that’s definitely a female thing. All women are renowned for falling in love with the wrong guy.’
‘Your mother didn’t,’ John said.
‘I don’t think you did either, pet,’ my father said. ‘This man is about as good as you can get. It’s just the situation that’s difficult.’
‘Thanks,’ John said softly.
‘Come and help with the kids,’ my father said. ‘Are all the sleeping arrangements organised?’
‘You should take my room,’ John said to me.
‘We’ve had that discussion, and you need your rest,’ I said, looking up from my knees. ‘And the boys want to share the same room. They’ll have a ball.’
‘Where will you sleep?’ John said, gesturing towards Gold.
‘I’ll move,’ Gold said.
‘You’ll stay right there,’ I said quickly. ‘That’s an order. I’ll find somewhere to sleep, don’t worry about me. I can share with Leo, sleep on the floor in the student room he’s using. Or on the floor here.’
‘Leo won’t let you sleep on the floor; he’ll give you his bed and you won’t be able to stop him,’ Gold said with amusement, without moving.
‘Now go and do those sword katas,’ John said. ‘Round Leo up, he can do them too.’
‘You really have to do that?’ my father said.
‘Oh yeah,’ I said, rising. ‘Absolutely. When it comes to the kung fu, he’s the Master and I’m just the student. If he tells me to do a hundred push-ups, then I have to do it.’
‘You still owe me a hundred push-ups from last week,’ John said. ‘You are extremely disobedient sometimes, Emma.’
‘Oh, shut up, old man,’ I said as I took my father’s arm in mine and opened the door.
Gold made a strangling sound behind us as we went out.
While Jennifer settled herself in the room she would share with my parents, the rest of us went into the training room for the demonstration. Jennifer didn’t want to see it, and the children were too little to stay still in such a small space.
‘Did you do those katas yet?’ John said from the doorway as my parents, Amanda and Alan lined up against the long wall.
‘After we’ve done this,’ I said.
John nodded and went out. ‘I’ll call the carriers for tomorrow.’
‘What would you like to see?’ I said.
‘I’d love Alan to see you take down Leo,’ my father said with a grin.
Alan gestured towards Leo. ‘He’s huge, Brendan, no way could Emma do anything like that.’
‘I saw her knock him down with a staff,’ my father said proudly.
‘She can take me down hand-to-hand, without a weapon, as well,’ Leo said. He sounded as proud as my father did. ‘And she’s one of the finest energy workers that Lord Xuan has ever seen.’
‘Lord Xuan?’ Amanda said.
‘John’s real name is Xuan Wu,’ I said. ‘It means “Dark Martial Arts”.’
They all went silent.
‘It doesn’t mean he’s bad,’ I said. ‘It just means that he’s dark and he’s the God of Martial Arts.’
‘Dark?’ Amanda said.
John poked his head in the door. ‘Yin. Dark, cold, water, winter, death. That’s me.’ He grinned. ‘I rounded up enough carriers for tomorrow. About 10 a.m. Is that okay with everybody?’
‘Death?’ my mother whispered.
‘He’s Death?’ my father said.
‘No, that’s Yanluo Wang,’ John said. ‘Lord of the Underworld. Great guy. Haven’t seen him for ages, haven’t been killed in years. I’m just yin.’ He pulled his head back into the corridor and disappeared.
‘Ten is okay,’ I called.
‘Good,’ he said from halfway down the hall.
‘He doesn’t seem like a god,’ Amanda said. ‘He’s more like just an ordinary sweet guy.’
Leo and I shared a smile. I turned back to my family and shrugged. ‘That’s because he is.’
‘What did he mean, he hasn’t been killed in years?’ my father said.
I was silent.
‘Tell us, Emma,’ my mother said.
‘When Immortals are killed, they go away for a while, then return. Every time John’s mortal body is killed, he pays a visit to Yanluo Wang, in the Underworld,’ I said.
‘Don’t mince words, Emma,’ Leo said.
I sighed. ‘Hell.’
There was complete silence.
‘They won’t talk about it,’ I added. ‘So don’t bother asking him.’
‘Hand-to-hand, Emma?’ Leo said, moving to the other end of the room, ignoring the looks on my relatives’ faces. ‘How long has it been?’
‘I don’t know,’ I said, moving into a fighting stance. ‘A couple of weeks?’
‘Everybody stay still,’ Leo said, moving into a guard stance as well. ‘We won’t touch you, but if you move you could be moving into the line of fire. So stay exactly where you are; we know you’re there.’
‘Don’t worry, as long as you don’t move we won’t touch you,’ I said. ‘But if you’re freaked out by any of it, just say something and we’ll stop.’
Leo grinned and waved a come-on.
‘Oh no,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘You first, Lion.’
‘He’s a lion?’ my father said with disbelief.
‘Yes,’ I said.
‘No,’ Leo said, and performed a magnificent jumping high kick right at my head.
I ducked and rolled underneath him. ‘Oh, come on, Leo,’ I said, exasperated, as I spun to face him, ‘don’t treat me like a first year.’
Leo moved forward until he was just out of
reach. Then he attacked me. He swung at my face with the blades of his hands, left and right, and I blocked both. I ducked and spun, throwing my leg out with the movement, trying to take his feet out from underneath him, but he easily jumped over my foot and performed a backward somersault, landing in a long defensive position.
‘Whoa,’ Alan said softly.
I threw a spinning high kick at his head and he grabbed my foot. I used the energy centres and twisted my body, knocking him sideways. He released my foot, rolled and spun upright next to Amanda, who flinched away.
‘Don’t move,’ he said, and raced forward to throw punches at my head and chest, again left and right.
I blocked each fist, but I didn’t release them; I held them. I crossed his arms in front of him and arm-locked him with one hand. I readied myself to quickly take his feet out from under him before he could free himself.
Leo grimaced, the muscles of his arms bulged and he moved to throw me off before I could complete the spin. I held him, then hesitated, still holding him.
He tried again and I still held him.
It became a test of strength. He couldn’t move his arms; I had them. With one hand.
Holy shit, I’d never done this before, and I was stronger than Leo.
Leo fought me, but he couldn’t move his arms at all. His face filled with bewilderment. ‘Damn, Emma,’ he said quietly, and I released him. He stepped back and studied me with awe.
I tapped the stone.
‘No need to hit me, I saw it,’ it said. ‘Why are you acting so surprised?’
‘What is it, Emma?’ my mother whispered.
‘I’m stronger than Leo,’ I said.
‘What?’ my father said sharply. ‘How is that possible?’
‘The stone told me,’ John said from the doorway. ‘Emma, see if you can lift Leo.’
‘No,’ I said.
John came to me. ‘Hold out your hand.’
I held my hand out. John gestured to Leo without turning. ‘Put your hand on top of hers.’
Leo moved forward and put his dark hand on top of mine.
‘Up,’ John said.
Leo didn’t hesitate. He readied himself, then did a handstand on my hand. I shifted my weight, pushed my elbow into my side, and I could hold him. He held his other arm out, steadying himself, but his balance was perfect. I raised my left arm to help me balance as well. The tips of Leo’s toes in his soft leather martial arts shoes brushed the high ceiling of the training room.