I clapped my hands with delight. The kid was perfect. He hadn’t believed a word I’d said. ‘You are truly very impressive. Come with me, I’d like to show you something.’
He eyed me suspiciously.
‘Would you trust me if I brought Leo along?’
He nodded. He trusted Leo. Good.
I took him to the training room. Leo was there already, working with Dark Heavens, the sword that resided in clips next to the front door. As soon as we entered Leo fell to one knee and saluted me.
I sighed with exasperation and Leo grinned as he pulled himself back to his feet.
Michael glanced sharply at me.
‘Leo, do you know who Michael’s father is?’
‘No, my Lady,’ Leo said. ‘No idea.’
Michael didn’t miss the honorific and glanced at me again.
‘Lord Xuan says that he is the son of Bai Hu.’
Leo reeled back. ‘Whoa. What a good choice. Half Shen. Half tiger. Son of the West Wind. I couldn’t have chosen better.’ He glared at Michael. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ He raised his hand and grinned. ‘No, don’t worry, of course you didn’t know that I’m familiar with Shen.’
Michael looked as if he was about to fall over. His face was ashen.
‘He didn’t know who his father was until about five minutes ago,’ I said. ‘His mother never told him. He has no idea about anything, and didn’t believe me when I just told him.’
‘Even better.’ Leo studied Michael appraisingly. ‘I can’t believe what a good choice I made here.’
‘How about we pull out the demon jar? Could you get it for me, please?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ Leo grinned at Michael and put Dark Heavens back on the rack. ‘Don’t worry, you’ll believe the Lady Emma soon enough.’
Poor Michael just stood there, stunned, and watched Leo go out.
‘Remember, Michael, you are sworn to secrecy on this,’ I said. ‘Don’t bother trying to tell anybody, anyway. Nobody would believe you.’
‘I stand by my word,’ Michael said absently.
Leo came back with the jar. I took it from him and put it in the corner of the room. ‘You guide him, I’ll get the demons out.’
‘Demons?’ Michael said.
‘Lady Emma told you everything, didn’t she?’ Leo said.
Michael nodded.
‘Well then, select a weapon.’ Leo picked Dark Heavens from the rack.
Michael’s face was full of scepticism, but he took the white katana from the rack anyway.
Leo snorted. ‘Did Lady Emma tell you to take that one?’
‘No,’ Michael said, ‘I chose it myself. Is it the wrong one?’
Leo glanced at me. ‘You know that sword’s name?’ ‘Nope.’
Leo grinned broadly. ‘That sword is the freaking White Tiger.’ He gestured for Michael to stand next to him in the centre of the room. ‘Here.’
I opened the jar and the air hissed. Michael’s expression was priceless. He didn’t know whether to believe us or not, but he was beginning to worry.
‘Don’t be concerned, you are in absolutely no danger here,’ I said.
Leo readied himself. Michael did too, obviously just in case.
I threw a low-level demon onto the floor in front of the mirrors and it formed into a twenty-year-old Chinese man wearing plain slacks and a shirt.
Michael took a step back, his eyes wide.
‘What level is that, my Lady?’ Leo said.
‘Four. It’s bound right now, Michael. I can release it if you like. It will attack you if I do. Do you want me to?’
Michael took a step forward and studied the demon carefully. ‘That’s a demon?’ ‘Yes.’
‘I’ve seen them before. I wondered what they were. They look like ordinary people, but they’re different somehow.’ He grimaced. ‘I thought something was wrong with me; the minute I see one I want to tear it to bits.’
‘Good God, he can spot them already,’ Leo said with awe.
‘You are a true son of the White Tiger,’ I said. ‘You will be extremely valuable to us. I’m glad you came, Michael, we can help you to realise your full potential.’
Leo turned to Michael, full of approval. ‘You’re more than an ordinary human, Michael. You’ll probably be able to do some amazing things with training from Lord Xuan. What a stroke of luck for all of us.’
Michael grinned. ‘Really?’
‘Do you want to try the demon?’ I said. ‘I can release it, and it will attack you.’
Michael hesitated, then relaxed and put the sword away. He shook his head with remorse. ‘I don’t know if I can take one. After seeing what you can do, I’m probably not up to it. I think I’ll leave it to you.’ He shrugged. ‘Sorry.’
‘I can’t tell you how proud I am of you, Michael. That was exactly the right thing to do,’ Leo said.
Michael grinned again.
‘I can’t put it back, guys. Once it’s out somebody has to take care of it. Lord Xuan’s too weak to put it back into the jar.’
‘Show him energy work,’ Leo said. ‘That will prove it beyond a doubt.’
‘I know what chi gong is,’ Michael said. ‘What?’
‘Chi, energy. Gong, work. He’s right, Leo,’ I said. ‘Michael, the chi gong you see in the park is a very low level of the real thing. Let me show you some high level chi gong—some real energy work.’
I held my hands out and generated a ball of chi about the size of a basketball.
Michael’s mouth fell open.
I moved the chi off my hand and floated it around the training room just for fun. The look on Michael’s face was absolutely precious. I called the chi back and reabsorbed it.
‘Dragon Ball,’ Michael said.
Both Leo and I laughed softly.
‘I suppose you could say that,’ I said. ‘I’ll release the demon and destroy it with chi. Stand back, Michael, and if it goes for you, don’t worry. Either just move out of the way or let us handle it. This won’t take long.’
I released the demon and it hesitated, looking from one of us to the other. Eventually it lunged towards Michael and he leapt back.
I hit the demon with a big ball of chi and it exploded, dissipating into black feathery streamers. I received the demon’s energy with my chi as it returned; what a rush.
‘Did any of that stuff hit either of you?’ I said. ‘Did any of that black stuff get you, Michael?’
‘We’re okay,’ Leo said. ‘Missed us entirely.’
‘How did you do that?’ Michael whispered.
‘Would you like to learn how to do that?’ I said. ‘There’s a good chance that you could.’
‘Hell, yeah,’ Michael said, grinning. ‘Can you do it too, Leo?’
I cut him off before he could embarrass Leo. ‘Would you like to stay and learn from the Dark Lord?’
Michael stopped and put it together in his head. ‘That really was a demon.’
I nodded.
‘You really blew it up with a ball of energy, a ball of chi.’
Leo and I both nodded. Leo began to smile.
His voice filled with wonder. ‘That was Pak Tai, God of Martial Arts.’
‘In human form, yes,’ I said. ‘You can just call him Mr Chen.’
‘My father is Bak Fu, the White Tiger God of the West.’ ‘In Cantonese, yes.’
‘And that means,’ he said with disbelief, ‘that I really am half goddamn tiger.’
‘Half Shen as well,’ I said. ‘He’s more than just a tiger, he’s the West Wind. Your father’s a good friend of ours, and comes over all the time. You’ll meet him very soon, I’m sure. Don’t expect too much, though; he’s an irresponsible bastard.’
‘Lady Emma!’ Leo said, shocked. ‘I owe him my life!’
‘Look me in the eye and tell me he’s not an irresponsible bastard.’
Leo hesitated, then turned to speak to Michael. ‘He tried to run off with Lady Emma the first time he met her. He is something of a woman
iser, to say the least.’
‘I believe it. My mother won’t talk about him at all. Miss Donahoe.’ Michael was clearly curious. ‘How do you fit into all of this? You’re obviously trained, but what’s your role here? I know you told me that Mr Chen has a daughter, and that Leo’s her guard, but where do you fit in? You didn’t mention yourself. Are you his wife?’
‘No,’ I said. ‘It’s complicated. I’ll tell you more later, but there’s a few things we need to do first. After I talk to your mother, that is. It would be wrong for us to take you into training without her permission; you’re too young. The first will be to swear you in. The second is to move you in. The third is to put you back in school.’
Leo nodded agreement.
‘I don’t want to go back to school, Miss Donahoe,’ Michael said. ‘I don’t think it has anything to offer me.’
‘It will be part of your job,’ I said. ‘We’ll send you to the same school as Simone, and you can keep an eye on her. You can call us if a demon turns up, and help us to handle it.’
‘Brilliant, Emma,’ Leo said softly.
‘Caught you not using the honorific,’ I shot back as quickly as I could.
‘Brilliant, my Lady,’ Leo said pointedly, and bowed very deeply.
‘Not good enough.’ I saw my chance to rub it in. ‘You will perform twenty-five level one sword katas immediately as punishment. Return the demon jar and put the weapons away. Come with me, Michael, we’ll talk about the job.’
I slapped Leo lightly on the arm as I passed him to go out.
He tried very hard not to laugh, and bowed even deeper. ‘With a great deal of pleasure, my honoured Lady.’
Michael followed me out, and glanced back at Leo with bewilderment. He had no idea what he was getting into. The demons were the least of it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
After I’d seen Michael out I went into John’s office and sat across the desk from him. He turned away from the computer and leaned on his mess. Some of the papers slid off the desk onto the floor and he ignored them.
‘Friday afternoon,’ I said. ‘But I think I need more than half a day for this lot. You’ve done exceptionally well this time.’
‘Am I free?’
‘Yep.’
He shrugged. ‘Okay. I’ll take her ice skating.’ ‘In the air conditioning.’ ‘I am not weak.’
‘If you wore another colour you wouldn’t be so hot.’ I leaned back and sighed. ‘Is there a problem?’
I straightened. ‘His father is totally rampant. Are you sure you want a son of the Tiger in such close proximity to your daughter? It won’t be long, you know. They grow up so fast.’
‘I know,’ he said, almost a moan of pain. ‘And I won’t be around to see it. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. I’ve never raised a child and I’d probably mess it up badly. You’ll be better to guide her through her growing years, you’re so much wiser in the ways of humans.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous, you’re her father. She needs you more than anything.’ Then I heard what he’d said. ‘She can’t be the first child you’ve ever had, you’ve been around for centuries. You can’t expect me to believe that Simone’s your first child. Really! You think I’m stupid?’
‘I know you’re not.’ He smiled slightly. ‘She really is. She is the first human child I have fathered. The White Tiger was delighted; he’s been harassing me to have a human child for ages.’
‘Human child? What other children have you had?’ I said, then raised my hands to stop him. ‘Don’t answer that, I don’t want to know. Just tell me if I’ve ever met any of them.’
‘No.’
‘Okay, then. Anyway, back to the point. I’m not sure this is a good idea. Something will probably grow between them as she gets older. It’s inevitable. Michael will understand what she’s going through; they’ll have had similar experiences.’
‘That’s why the Tiger has been harassing me,’ he said with grim humour. ‘He’s wanted me to have a human child for a long time so that we could formally seal the union between our Houses. The minute Simone was born he tried to talk me into arranging something with one of his sons. When he finds out about Michael he’ll be thrilled.’
I glared at him. ‘Don’t you dare promise my little Simone to anybody, Xuan Wu. She will choose her own partners, and your politics will have absolutely nothing to do with it.’
He grinned. ‘Yes, my Lady. I agree with you, anyway.’ He sobered. ‘But I want you to know something. I trust you to guide her. If she chooses somebody while I’m gone, and you approve, then I won’t have a problem with it. And if it’s Michael, it’s Michael.’ He paused, thinking. ‘There’s quite an age difference, though. He’s nine years older than her.’
I collapsed over the desk, silently laughing.
‘Which is absolutely nothing,’ he said with amusement, ‘compared to the more than four thousand years between us. I see your point.’
‘I suppose I’d better call his mother then,’ I said. ‘She and I have a lot to talk about.’
‘Humph.’ He rose with fluid grace and pushed his chair back. ‘Human women comparing notes on how you survive living with male Shen.’ He spoke with mock dignity as he retied his hair. ‘I will be in the training room meditating, and I do not wish to be disturbed.’
Monica knocked, then poked her head around my bedroom door. ‘American lady, Ms MacLaren, here to see you ma’am.’
I rose. ‘Thanks, Monica. Is Simone okay?’
Monica smiled and opened the door wider for me. ‘She’s making cookies with Charlie and me.’
‘I hope she hasn’t trashed the kitchen too much.’
‘Not a problem.’ Monica hesitated, unsure. ‘The office is very bad, ma’am.’
I patted her shoulder. ‘I know. He’s taking Simone out Friday afternoon, and I’ll tidy it then. You can come in and dust before they’re back.’
She smiled with relief. ‘Thanks, ma’am.’
I leaned in to whisper. ‘It drives you crazy too?’
She nodded, still smiling.
I stopped at the entry to the living room and studied Rhonda MacLaren. She saw me and returned the look, sizing me up, and obviously wasn’t impressed; I wore my usual scruffy jeans and shirt, and my hair was a mess.
She was immaculately groomed and wore a smart navy business suit. She had her blonde hair neatly pinned back from her attractive face. No wonder the Tiger had gone for her; her intelligence and strong will shone through her beauty.
Monica brought some Chinese tea and I served. I was curious about Ms MacLaren’s history, but decided to tackle the matter at hand first. If I gained her trust then she would be more open with us. Michael hadn’t told her about John; he really was very impressive. Any other kid would have stormed home and confronted his mother. Michael had left it to me.
‘Please just call me Emma, Ms MacLaren. I know Michael’s told you he wants to come and work here live-in. But he’s very young, and I wanted to make sure it’s okay with you first.’
She sighed. ‘Just Rhonda, Emma. I appreciate you talking to me like this, and asking me first. I don’t want him to move out, but I really can’t stop him if he’s determined. And if he’s going somewhere good, it may be better than having him sit at home being miserable. He’s not doing anything right now, not going to school, no job, and he’ll get into trouble if I don’t do something. I’m in and out of Hong Kong all the time for my business, and I leave him at home alone with the domestic helper quite often. I just thank God Leo has taken him under his wing. Without Leo, I think Michael would already be in jail.’
‘You’re probably right. Michael’s very talented at martial arts, and that makes him a target for recruitment by some unsavoury groups.’
‘What are the details of Michael’s job, if he comes to work here?’
‘Let me tell you the situation.’ I leaned back, working out where to begin. I decided to tackle it headon. ‘Leo works as bodyguard for a little girl by the name of Simone
Chen. Michael will be training to replace Leo.’
Rhonda nodded.
‘Simone’s mother is dead. Simone’s father, John Chen Wu, is really Xuan Wu, Dark Lord of the North.’ She went completely still.
‘Michael would be working for the North Wind, Rhonda. We know his father is the White Tiger, the West Wind. We already told him that.’
‘You had no right to do that.’ Rhonda rose stiffly. ‘You’re probably one of them as well. I want nothing to do with you creatures any more. Don’t ever contact me or my son again, you cause nothing but misery. I’m going.’
‘Wait.’ I jumped up and put my hand on her arm. ‘I’m not a Shen. I’m just the nanny. Well, I used to be. I know what the White Tiger is like; he tried it with me too. I don’t blame you for falling for him. But Xuan Wu is completely different. He’s only ever been married to a single human woman in his whole history, and he only has one human child, and that’s Simone.’
She stared at me. ‘Is he really that different?’
‘Yes I am,’ John said from the doorway. He came in and sat on the couch, stretching his long legs in front of him. His torn black cotton pants were really starting to fall apart and I made a mental note to throw them away and send Leo shopping. ‘Monica, another tea cup!’
Monica rushed in with a tea cup for him, then disappeared back into the kitchen.
‘Sit down, Ms MacLaren,’ he said. ‘Let me tell you about myself, and what I can do for young Michael.’
After we’d explained the situation for about ten minutes, Simone came out of the kitchen with a plate of chocolate chip cookies. She served them around, then put the plate onto the coffee table and crawled into John’s lap. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. Rhonda didn’t miss that. He concentrated.
Charlie poked her head out of the kitchen across the hall from the living room. ‘Of course you can eat them, sir, completely vegetarian. Simone made them for you.’ She smiled around at us and returned to the kitchen.
John reached around Simone to try one of the biscuits. Simone watched him carefully as he took a bite.
‘Good,’ he said through a mouthful of biscuit. He raised it to see it. ‘What’s this black stuff?’