‘Simone!’ Frankie yelled, and jumped off the throne, reaching for her.
John moved faster than any of us. He ran to her first, grabbed her, and both of them disappeared, taking all the demon essence with them.
The Eastern King was gone.
‘George,’ the Western King said. He fell to his knees and put his head in his hands. ‘No. My George. My Kitty. I don’t believe it.’ He stood again. ‘Frankie, listen to me. We have to —’
‘Bring Simone back!’ Frankie yelled, his face twisted with loathing.
‘You’ll do what I tell you!’ the Western King said. ‘You stupid little shit. George is gone for nothing because of you. What the hell is wrong with you? Do as I say!’
‘Where’s my Simone? You killed my Simone!’
‘No, I didn’t, you stupid little fuck,’ the Western King said, his voice full of venom. ‘You did by letting them manipulate you. You let them destroy the love of my life and we lost everything.’ He took two quick steps to Frankie and raised his hand to strike him.
I rushed to Frankie’s side to defend him but I was too slow.
The Western King stopped and his face went blank with shock. Frankie had his right hand out, and the Murasame was lodged through the Western King without Frankie touching it.
The King looked down at the blade through him, then up at Frankie. ‘You’ll need more than that to stop me, you little shit.’
He grabbed the Murasame’s handle and screamed with agony as he pulled the blade out.
‘No,’ the Murasame shouted with fury. ‘You’ll never hit this child again!’
It shrieked with triumph and darkened. Mist appeared around it, and I felt the cold two metres away. The Western King was covered in ice, spreading from the sword. He crystallised, as if he’d been dropped in liquid nitrogen, and became bright, hard and brittle.
‘This is for every time you hurt this child!’ the Murasame shouted in a thousand screaming voices, and it grew three times higher and thicker.
The Western King shattered from the inside out, exploding into chunks of demon essence that shot out in all directions, then stopped and hung suspended in the air. The frozen demon pieces contracted and tumbled back to be absorbed by the blade, hissing as they hit the dark metal. When they were all gone, the sword returned to its normal shape and size, floating in front of Frankie’s face.
‘Delicious,’ it said with a voice of ice and darkness. ‘Unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before.’
‘Thanks, Muri,’ Frankie said, his voice small.
‘You are welcome, little one,’ the sword said. ‘Thank you for giving me to this child, Emma. His destructive potential is greater than your own and he is truly a worthy wielder of me. I look forward to enhancing his abilities as he grows.’
‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea, but we will discuss it later,’ I said.
‘I look forward to it,’ the sword said, and disappeared.
I knelt in front of Frankie. ‘Are you okay, love?’
‘I told him I wasn’t ready!’ Andy said, and disappeared.
‘Where’s Simone? I want Simone!’ Frankie said.
We have an agreement, One, I said to Andy. Or should I say Loathsome Majesty? Don’t go far; we need to meet and sign the treaty. And order these demons out of the Heavens before the Xuan Wu returns and removes them himself.
I’ll agree to anything you ask, just keep those fucking scary kids away from me, Andy said. I wasn’t ready for this, dammit. Dad spoilt everything.
The demons disappeared from the hall, and the sky grew brighter.
‘Where’s Simone, Emma?’ Frankie said. ‘Is Simone dead too?’ He shook with tears and put his arm over his eyes.
I pulled him into a huge hug. ‘I’ll always be here for you.’
He clutched me, still crying. ‘Everybody’s dead!’
31
John appeared next to me.
Frankie saw him and cowered against the throne. ‘You killed my Simone!’
‘Simone’s fine, I would never hurt her,’ John said. ‘She’s stuck where she is, she can’t come up here any more, but you can go visit her any time. She’s not hurt.’
‘Really?’ Frankie said, full of desperate hope.
Really, I’m fine, Simone said. Just sort of stuck down here.
‘I need you to help me, Simone,’ he said. ‘Where are you? I want to be with you.’
You have to abdicate first, Simone said.
‘I have to what?’ Frankie sobbed quietly, the tears streaming down his face. ‘Where’s Simone?’
‘Oh, Frankie,’ I said, and gathered him into another huge hug. He clutched me. ‘We’ll go to her as soon as you abdicate,’ I said into his shoulder. ‘Everything will be okay.’
Do what they tell you, Simone said. Listen to Dad, he’s good at this sort of rubbish.
‘Dad?’ Frankie said, suddenly fearful. ‘You tried to kill me!’
‘I will never hurt you,’ John said.
‘He won’t hurt you, Frankie, I won’t let him,’ I said.
John shot me a look and I shrugged.
Say the words and come visit me, squirt, Simone said.
‘What words do I have to say?’ Frankie said.
‘Say, “I abdicate the Jade Throne”,’ John said. ‘Say, “The Qilin Jade Emperor is restored”.’
Frankie said the words. When he’d finished, the Jade Emperor appeared in a flash of light next to the throne, smiling kindly.
The sky cleared to a brighter purer blue, and the sunlight intensified. The air sweetened and the feeling of oppression — which I hadn’t even been aware of — lifted. The people working in the garden outside the window stopped and dropped their tools. They spoke to each other, obviously confused and asking what had happened.
The Demon Kings are destroyed and the Heavens are free, the Jade Emperor said. The Jade Throne commends Princess Simone of the Northern Heavens for her courage and intelligence. Celebrate, Celestial residents, because the demons are expelled and order is restored.
The people stared at each other with disbelief, then started hugging and laughing. Some ran off, probably to find family members, and others stood still and shocked. A few people fell to sit on the ground, weeping with joy. Some picked up their tools and continued to work, not believing that the Heavens were really free.
‘Well done, House of the North. Princess Simone is to be particularly commended. Her sacrifice is honoured,’ the Jade Emperor said.
Can you take the demon essence out so I can come back? Simone said.
‘Sorry, Princess, you must find your own way.’
Not fair!
‘Speak to the Lady, Simone, she will explain. Now.’ The Jade Emperor rubbed his hands together. ‘I appreciate that the House of the North needs to catch up, but there is a great deal of restoration to do, and a new treaty must be ratified with demonkind. Northern Heavens, I delegate all of this to you.’
‘What? Give me a break! Can’t Er Lang —’ John began, but the Jade Emperor raised one hand.
‘Dismissed.’
‘At least let us —’ John said, but the Jade Emperor disappeared.
The air cleared even more and felt fresher and purer. The world became brighter and more serene. Then it was as if a great silent bell rang through the Heavens and everything around us slotted into its rightful place. The Jade Emperor had returned to the Celestial Palace and order was restored.
The people outside who had taken up their tools dropped them again and stood stunned, looking at each other.
‘I don’t care what the Jade Emperor says, we’re taking Frankie to see Simone right now,’ I said.
‘Yes, please,’ Frankie said, his voice small.
I’m sending my horse. Hop on and he’ll bring you to me, Simone said.
Freddo appeared in front of the dais and Frankie cowered.
Freddo knelt on his forelegs in front of Frankie. ‘Good day, Prince Francis. I’m Simone’s magical flying horse.
Hop on and I’ll take you to see her.’
Frankie straightened and his face filled with wonder. ‘A magical flying horse?’
‘Yes,’ Freddo said with amusement.
‘She told me about you. Where are your wings?’
‘I’m working on it. So will you come with me to see Simone?’
Hurry up and hop on, silly! Simone said.
Frankie walked off the dais to Freddo’s side, but was too small to climb on. John moved to lift him, but Frankie ran away from him, nearly colliding with the windows. ‘Stay away!’
John flinched as if he’d been struck, then moved back.
‘It’s okay, Frankie, I’ll do it,’ I said.
He came to me, and I picked him up under his arms and lifted him to sit on Freddo, then held him as Freddo carefully stood upright again.
‘Hold on to my mane,’ Freddo said.
Frankie’s expression filled with delight as he grabbed Freddo’s mane and held it. ‘I’m up so high! Walk around for me!’
Freddo carefully walked in a circle and I held Frankie as he crowed with delight. My throat thickened to see him so happy.
‘Take him carefully,’ John said.
‘He won’t feel the movement,’ Freddo said. ‘Lady Emma, if you will.’
I put my hand on Frankie’s shoulder, and the hall disappeared around us. We landed next to the swimming pool that Simone had built for the Peak apartment building.
‘Simone!’ Frankie shouted. He slid down off Freddo’s back and ran to her with his arms out. ‘Thank you, Simone.’ She crouched to hug him and he kissed her on the cheek. ‘Thank you. I wouldn’t have made it without you. I love you so much.’ He threw his arms around her neck and buried his face in her shoulder. ‘Thank you, Simone.’
‘We’re free now, Di Di, nobody will ever hurt us again,’ she said, as tearful as he was. ‘Can I tell them now?’
‘Yes!’ he said. ‘Tell them everything!’
‘I’ve been talking to him since he was . . .’ Simone pulled back to see his face, and brushed his hair out of his eyes. ‘Three months old?’
‘Younger than that,’ he said, and embraced her again. They held each other tight, their eyes bright with tears. ‘I was riding a flyer. There was a fight. You saw me and said hello, and then you were hurt and went away.’ He gazed into her eyes. ‘That was a long time ago.’
‘Why didn’t you tell us?’ I said.
‘He made me promise not to tell anyone,’ Simone said. ‘He was worried he’d be in trouble for talking to me.’
‘I see.’
She rubbed his back. ‘I’m sorry we couldn’t bring you out sooner, but I wanted to be sure you’d be okay when I’d gone.’
‘Oh lord, you thought it would destroy you,’ I said.
‘It nearly did,’ John said. ‘For a moment I feared I wasn’t fast enough.’
‘Worth it,’ she said.
‘You freed the Heavens, Simone,’ I said. ‘The demons are gone and the Jade Emperor is restored, all because of you. Do you have any idea how awesome you are?’
‘Yeah!’ Frankie said, gazing up at her with adoration.
‘Oh, not you too,’ she said. ‘Daddy already gave me the “you’re so awesome” talk — you don’t need to. I just did what I had to do!’
‘You put us all to shame. I should hand you my throne,’ John said.
‘Don’t you dare,’ she said fiercely. ‘I want nothing to do with any of that bull—’ She looked down at Frankie. ‘—dust.’
‘It was worth a try,’ John said.
‘There’s one more thing I have to do,’ she said. ‘Be brave, Frankie, it’s about to get really freaky. Don’t be scared.’
She concentrated on John. He changed to True Form and the two animals separated. The Serpent grabbed me and wrapped itself around me, pulling me to the ground. It flipped me over, still held in its coils, so I was on my stomach.
‘Don’t hurt my Emma!’ Frankie shouted. ‘Simone, stop them! Stop them!’
‘No, Frankie, stay put,’ Simone said, and grunted with effort. ‘No, Frankie!’
‘John?’ I said.
‘Hold still,’ the Turtle said, and ripped the back of my neck open.
Frankie shrieked and I screamed with pain as the Turtle’s beak scissored through me. BJ disappeared from my neck, and the Turtle’s beak snapped.
‘Damn, missed it,’ John said. ‘Frankie, let me go, I didn’t hurt her. She’s fine. Are you sure it was there, Simone? I didn’t see anything.’
‘It was there,’ Simone said. ‘Ask Emma.’
My mind cleared. It was like taking sunglasses off: the world around me became brighter and more colourful. The Serpent’s cold healing energy moved through my neck and closed the wound.
‘It’s okay, Frankie, it’s okay,’ Simone said. ‘Get off him! He didn’t hurt her, she’s fine!’
‘Are you all right, love?’ the Serpent said in John’s female voice.
‘That stone was controlling me and I had no idea!’ I said.
‘We know,’ Simone said.
John released me and I turned around to sit up. Frankie was leaning on the Turtle, smacking its shell, and Simone was attempting to prise him off it.
‘It’s okay, Frankie,’ she said, and wrenched him away.
John combined and returned to human form.
‘What was that?’ I said. ‘It felt like BJ, it had her energy signature, it was definitely a Shen. I could have sworn it was her.’
‘I knew something was up when she wouldn’t talk to me,’ Simone said. ‘It was in your neck and you didn’t seem yourself. It was like all the fight had gone out of you. It didn’t look like a copy, it felt like BJ to me too — was she a demonic agent all along?’
‘I couldn’t even see it, I never knew it was there,’ John said.
‘Are you okay, Emma?’ Frankie said.
‘It’s all right, love, he didn’t hurt me,’ I said, going to him. ‘I had something bad in the back of my neck and they took it out.’ He was still watching John with a mixture of suspicion and fear. ‘It’s really okay. Ask Simone.’
‘You’re very brave, Frankie,’ John said gently. ‘Most children run when I take my True Form.’
Frankie flinched, and John lowered his head and wiped his eyes.
‘He will never hurt you,’ Simone said. She bent to look Frankie in the eyes. ‘Are you really okay, squirt? A lot’s happened.’
He shook his head, silent. Tears ran down his cheeks and he gasped with a single sob.
‘Don’t be scared, Frankie,’ she said, pulling him tight. ‘You’re safe now. Don’t be afraid of the snakes, they will never hurt you. Emma and I are snakes, and you’re not frightened of us.’
‘You’re snakes?’ Frankie said, choking through his tears.
She nodded into the top of his head.
‘When did you realise your mother was one of the serpent people?’ John said Simone.
‘When we met Mabel Defaiote and she said her name meant “white”,’ Simone said. ‘I thought, wow, that’s a coincidence, her name in Irish is the same as my mother’s surname in French — and then I realised, there’s no such thing as a coincidence. I put it all together. Mummy was French-Canadian, a Gallic Celt, one of the serpent people.’ She shook her head. ‘You should have told me; it would have made my True Form much easier to deal with.’
‘You have a True Form?’ John said.
Simone and I shared a look.
‘And Emma knew all along,’ John said with patient exasperation.
I sent him a mental image of what she looked like in True Form and he nodded. ‘I see.’
‘Actually I lost the arms when I stopped fighting it,’ Simone said. ‘It’s pure snake now. We’re all a big ugly reptile family.’ She smiled down at Frankie. ‘You have another grown-up brother and sister, but they’re in Hell. We have to release everybody — they’ll be so happy to see us. Oh.’ She sagged with disappointment. ‘I can’t do anything, I’m
stuck on the Earthly.’
‘Simone, do you have a bunch of people stashed away somewhere?’ I said. ‘Celestials and loyal demons have been disappearing from the Heavens for weeks. There were rumours they were being eaten.’
‘The tunnels in Western, and the Underground City in Beijing,’ she said. ‘We overflowed into the old fallout shelters in Beijing as well. I have about two hundred people and a hundred demons in hiding.’
‘Do you have Yi Hao and Er Hao?’
‘Yes.’
I sagged with relief.
‘The timed lock on the door won’t open for a couple of hours so I’d better go release them,’ Simone said.
‘No, Simone, don’t leave me!’ Frankie shouted. He dropped his voice. ‘What happens to me now? My mummy and daddy are both dead. Can I go back to the Palace, please, Emma? Simone, can you come and live with me there?’
‘Your mummy and daddy aren’t dead, because they’re right here,’ Simone said. ‘Remember I told you that you had real loving parents? Emma’s your real mummy, and Xuan Wu’s your real daddy.’
‘Emma’s my real mother?’ Frankie turned and studied me appraisingly. ‘Why didn’t you tell me that?’
‘They ordered me not to. I couldn’t.’
‘You should have told me, Emma,’ he said.
‘She didn’t have a choice, Frankie,’ John said.
‘And you’re my real father?’
John nodded.
‘You tried to kill me.’
‘I would not have hurt you. I could destroy the demon without touching you.’ He saw Frankie’s face. ‘Believe me, Frankie. I promise I will never harm you.’
Frankie turned away from us and hugged Simone. ‘Let’s go back to the Palace, Simone.’ He glanced at me under her arm. ‘You can come too, Emma, but the man can’t.’
‘I can’t go, squirt,’ she said, squeezing him. ‘I’m stuck on the Earthly now. You should be with your real parents.’
‘I want to stay with you, Simone.’
‘We understand, Frankie, don’t worry,’ I said. ‘We know you want to stay with her and we’ll work something out.’