Demon Child Read online

  At the bottom of the hill, Lok merged into a multi-lane road that would join the expressway to take us into the Tate’s Cairn Tunnel, which cut through the steep mountains surrounding Kowloon on the other side.

  ‘Why didn’t you come back to us?’ I asked him.

  ‘I heard that the Dark Lord had returned, and I knew I’d be in serious trouble for deserting my post.’

  ‘Don’t worry, I’ll handle him,’ I said. ‘We could use your skills, either in the barracks or the armoury. Particularly in the barracks now that Leo’s moving down here.’

  ‘That’s why I’ve been hiding here, waiting for you to come down so I could talk to you,’ Lok said. ‘I never worked for the Dark Lord, only for you, and I don’t know how much trouble I’ll be in now he’s back. I hear he’s executed deserters in the past. I hope you can put in a good word for me.’

  ‘No need. The Dark Lord has much more important things to worry about than a single rogue dragon,’ I said. ‘And any help is most welcome, Lok. You know the students and the armoury, and your skills have been sorely missed.’

  After five kilometres inside the tunnel, we shot out the other side into the grey congested high rises of Kowloon. The eastern part of Hong Kong Island was visible through a haze of pollution across the harbour, but before we could go back to the Central area we had to head even further east to take the Eastern Harbour Crossing. The high rises towered around us as Lok smoothly slid the car onto the raised expressway that carried cars straight from one tunnel to the next over the streets of East Kowloon. The distance was much further than going directly through the Cross-Harbour Tunnel straight into Wan Chai, but the lack of traffic on this less direct route made it a faster option most of the time. The narrower roads at ground level below us were choked with traffic and busy with pedestrians.

  ‘Can you do me a favour, ma’am?’

  ‘I’ll call him now and make sure you’re not in trouble.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  I pulled out my phone.

  ‘Wei?’ John said.

  ‘John. I was right.’

  ‘Damn,’ he said, his voice soft. ‘Boy or girl?’

  ‘A very sweet half-black girl. She’s delightful.’

  ‘Give them the Peak,’ he said with resignation.

  ‘I already did. Do you remember Lok, the dog who used to look after the armoury and the Folly?’

  ‘Dog?’ He was silent for a moment. ‘Oh yes. You told me about him. You said he disappeared?’

  ‘I found him. The curse was broken, he’s a dragon again, and he’d like to come back.’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘He deserted his post.’

  John’s voice was full of amusement. ‘He’s a reptile, Emma.’

  ‘We have to stop giving reptiles special treatment. We’ll be accused of favouritism.’

  ‘You have a point,’ both Lok and John said at the same time.

  We shot into the Eastern Harbour Tunnel and travelled a kilometre under the water, exiting at the far eastern end of Hong Kong Island.

  ‘Punish him with something minor and bring him back,’ John said. ‘Lucy would love the relief. Can you handle the rest? I’m flat out with the disposition of the army.’

  ‘Sure. I found the steel, by the way. I need a big dragon to go down to the Earthly and collect it.’

  ‘There’s your punishment.’

  I turned to Lok. ‘Can you fly carrying twenty-two hundred kilos of steel? A shipping container?’

  Lok guided us onto another raised expressway that would take us back towards the centre of Hong Kong Island. Dusk was falling and the buildings on the other side of the harbour in Kowloon lit up in a splendid array of colours, although blurred by the smog.

  ‘Not in one go,’ he said, ‘but I can take it apart with my claws and bring it up in pieces.’

  I put the phone back to my ear. ‘Thanks, John. See you at dinner?’

  ‘Before then, I hope,’ he said, his voice soft with desire.

  His tone resonated within me and I dropped my voice as well. ‘Me too.’

  ‘Celestial Highness?’ someone said in his background. ‘This is quite urgent.’

  ‘Dammit. Sorry, Emma, bye,’ he said, and hung up.

  12

  ‘Emma,’ the stone said.

  I stopped working on the spreadsheets and raised my head. ‘What?’

  ‘Silica requests that she and Ronnie be permitted to come to your office and try to set seals again.’

  ‘Without John?’

  ‘The Dark Lord doesn’t have time. Ronnie has advanced to the stage where he knows what to do; he just needs to manipulate his energy successfully. Silica would like to bring him to your office for an attempt.’

  ‘Tell them sure.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  Five minutes later Ronnie’s and Silica’s voices echoed outside my office. I went out to see how they were going.

  Yi Hao glared at my stone. ‘You tell me when you arrange things with the Dark Lady!’

  ‘Sorry, Yi Hao,’ the stone said.

  ‘Not good enough,’ she grumbled, sitting behind her desk. ‘Next time tell me.’

  ‘I’ll make sure it tells you,’ I said.

  Ronnie seemed much more confident and in control as he placed his suitcase on the floor, smiled and saluted me. ‘Dark Lady.’

  His wife, Silica, bowed slightly. ‘Lady Emma.’ She appeared as a slim woman in her early fifties with steel-grey hair and wearing a grey robe.

  ‘You’re looking way better, Ronnie.’

  ‘I’m feeling it. The Dark Lord’s assistance has been the main reason I’ve come so far, I think.’

  ‘Are you ready to try?’ Silica said.

  ‘I am.’ He knelt and opened the case, then pulled out a bunch of seal papers. He took the ink stone and ink block out of the case and placed them on Yi Hao’s desk, then poured some water from a small bottle he kept in his case onto the stone.

  ‘This was much easier with the Dark Lord around. He just summoned water for me,’ he said as he ran the ink block over the stone until the ink was satisfactory. ‘Here goes.’

  He inked his brush and with quick precise strokes created the seal symbols on the paper. One of them was recognisably the seven stars of the Big Dipper, the symbol of John’s power. Ronnie placed the brush carefully on the stone, waved the paper around a few times to dry it, then held it out towards the office door.

  Everybody held their breath as he stood silent and concentrating.

  Nothing happened and he dropped his head. ‘I can’t do it.’

  ‘You can.’ Silica brushed her hand over his shoulder. ‘Try again, Ronnie. I know you’re close. I can feel it. Don’t give up.’

  He nodded once sharply, held the seal out towards the door and his face went from strained to beatific. A gentle smile spread across his features. The seal went blindingly white and snapped from his hand to hit the door frame with an audible smack. It glowed too brightly to look at, then disappeared.

  Silica and Yi Hao both applauded, with Silica making little squeaks of delight.

  Ronnie stared at the door frame with his mouth open. ‘I did it.’ He turned, grabbed Silica and spun her. ‘I did it!’

  ‘You’ll have your free will back in no time, Ronnie,’ I said. ‘I have a very long list of places that need new seals. Can you travel to Hell?’

  ‘I’ve never tried,’ he said, his voice thick with emotion. ‘I haven’t been there since I escaped. We’ll have to see if I can travel to the Celestial side of Hell.’

  ‘Either way, every single Heavenly dominion has places that need new seals, and not enough people to do them,’ I said. I went into my office, set the list to print in Yi Hao’s office and came back out again. ‘But I think you two should go and have a small celebration first.’

  ‘I don’t want to,’ Ronnie said, and Silica’s expression fell. ‘No! I mean, I just learned how to do this again. I want to do it a few more times to make sure that I rea
lly have it back.’ He touched her hand. ‘Then you and I are having the celebration of a lifetime.’

  She smiled broadly, threw her arms around his neck and they held each other for a moment. When they broke apart, I handed Ronnie the list of buildings that needed refreshed seals.

  ‘You’re a slave driver,’ he said with disbelief as he scanned the list.

  ‘Hell is the most important right now, then here on the Mountain and the Northern Heavens. The other realms have their own masters, but they’re so overworked you’ll be welcome there as well. But we have nobody apart from the Dark Lord himself, so we’re relying on you,’ I said. ‘I am so very glad you have this back, Ronnie, we really need you.’

  He saluted me with the list in his hand. ‘You have no idea how glad I am to be back.’ He turned to put his equipment away. ‘Let’s see if I can go to the Celestial side of Hell.’

  ‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea,’ Silica said.

  He gazed into her eyes. ‘I’ll be fine as long as you’re with me.’

  She smiled and dropped her head.

  He finished packing up his equipment, closed and picked up his case, then saluted me Western-style, hand to forehead. ‘I’ll be back later to do the Mountain.’

  ‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘And Ronnie?’

  ‘Hmm?’

  ‘Congratulations again.’

  ‘Thank the Dark Lord for me when you see him. I would never have come so far so quickly without his help,’ he said.

  He nodded to me and Yi Hao, then he and Silica left.

  ‘Free will so quickly,’ Yi Hao said with longing, staring at the door.

  ‘He’s half-human, not pure demon, and that’s not free will quite yet,’ I said. I patted her shoulder over the desk. ‘You will get there.’

  ‘I’m happy right here looking after all of you,’ she said with a smile of bliss. Her expression went stern. ‘Despite your meddling stone.’

  ‘I said I was sorry!’ the stone said.

  Yi Hao just grinned and shooed me back into my office.

  An hour later, Simone stormed into my office, her face a mask of fury, and threw herself to sit across the desk from me. I turned towards her and waited.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ she said.

  ‘Tell you what?’

  ‘I went to the Philippines to see Monica after I talked to Cheung.’

  I leaned back. ‘Oh.’

  ‘She asked you not to tell me?’

  ‘She did. I respected her wishes.’

  Simone turned away and crossed her arms. ‘I hate both of you.’

  ‘She’s dying.’

  Simone glared at me. ‘Thanks for pointing that out. Anything else you want to be particularly insensitive about?’

  ‘Is she unhappy?’

  Simone’s frown disappeared. ‘Actually, no. She’s very happy. She’s weak and thin and really frail, but she doesn’t stop smiling.’

  ‘She’d be unhappy up here, away from her family.’

  ‘But we’re her … No, we’re not.’ She rose. ‘You don’t need to say any more. It’s my own stupid fault for not speaking to her on the phone.’ She leaned on my desk. ‘She says she’s looked after. Are they? They’re okay for money and things?’

  ‘Yes, they are. Remember that her mother-in-law was one of the Tiger’s wives. They’re supporting a massive extended family and giving them opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise. They treat her like royalty. The family has members going to university for the first time.’

  She tapped the desk. ‘Okay then. I can’t wait to do that too when this is over, and go from being an old woman Chinese spy to a uni student my real age again.’

  ‘You forgot half-Shen and weird-ass snake thing.’

  ‘That too.’ She smiled. ‘Thanks for not telling Dad.’

  ‘I still think you should.’

  ‘I will. One day. Hey.’

  ‘Hmm?’

  ‘Get some rest, Emma, you look terrible. Maybe I could handle some more of your stuff? Yi Hao can help me.’

  Lok came into the office and stopped. ‘Sorry, I didn’t realise the Princess was in here.’ He saluted us both. ‘Dark Lady. Princess.’

  ‘Wait!’ Simone studied him. ‘I know your chi. Um …’ Her brows creased, then her eyes went wide with recognition. ‘Lok?’

  He grinned and bowed slightly to her. ‘Ma’am. You’ve grown into an impressive young woman, Princess, and the Mountain is a sight to see.’

  ‘Thanks. Nice human form yourself,’ Simone said. ‘Present yourself to Master Chen at the armoury immediately for —’

  ‘No, wait,’ I said. ‘Leo’s moved to the Earthly and he was in charge of counselling the students and managing the residential barracks. You can take that over; it’s exactly the same as running the Folly …’ My voice trailed off.

  ‘Because Daddy put a sign up over the entrance to the barracks that says Turtle’s Folly,’ Simone said with humour. ‘Back to work at the Folly, Lok. There’s a demon there called Otis; he has the student files and can help you catch up.’

  Lok smiled broadly. ‘It would absolutely be my pleasure. I can’t wait to see everybody again.’

  ‘Bring that steel container up first. I’ve been waiting for it,’ I said, and passed him a document. ‘Here’s the address and your contact on the Earthly. Make sure your claws are in terrible shape afterwards and you complain most mightily about how difficult it was.’

  Lok’s smile didn’t shift. ‘Ma’am. Anything else?’

  ‘Yes,’ Simone said. ‘What were you going to ask when you came in?’

  ‘If you had anything you needed me to do, and where this container is,’ Lok said. ‘Looks like the question’s answered.’ He bowed to us again. ‘Lady. Princess.’ He went out.

  ‘That solves that,’ Simone said. She straightened. ‘Daddy’s home. Oh.’ She slumped again. ‘He went straight to your room.’

  ‘Oh dear.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘He’s been working nonstop for more than twenty-four hours, and Smally’s in there tidying up. He probably walked right past her, stripped off and fell on the bed …’

  ‘You’d better get in there now and rescue her,’ Simone said, but I was already out the door.

  The Northern Xuan Wu Hall stood on a raised platform at the northern end of the Celestial Palace complex, its black polished walls and roof gleaming in the late afternoon sunshine. A black marble ramp led up to the front door, sculpted with the Xuan Wu’s True Form floating through heavenly clouds. Stairs on either side of the ramp led up to the twin doors guarded by the Door Gods themselves. The hall was one of the smaller ones, being only fifty metres to a side, and invitations had been restricted. Everyone in the Heavens had wanted to attend even though the ceremony itself was a short formality.

  We stopped when we saw that a crowd had gathered in the square outside the hall. Imperial Elites in their red and gold palace armour formed an honour guard on either side of a cleared aisle, keeping the people back so we could pass through. One of the Elite guards approached us. As she neared us, people in the crowd saw us and cheered. They were soon joined by others until everyone was applauding.

  ‘It’s a simple five-minute ceremony, Cloud,’ John said to the Elite, exasperated. ‘Why are they wasting their time out here when they won’t even see it?’ He swiped one hand through the air. ‘And why are Elites on crowd control? This is highly inappropriate!’

  She saluted us all. ‘It’s not often the entire royal family of the Dark North appears together in full regalia, Highness.’ She turned to look at the crowd, then back to us. ‘Can you wait a couple of minutes while we set up a relay for them to watch?’

  John spread his hands. ‘It’s a five-minute ceremony!’

  The air shimmered above the entrance to the hall and a rectangular image of the black throne on the dais inside appeared. The crowd cheered again. Someone threw chi into the air and made it explode like firecrackers and people shrieked with d
elight.

  ‘It’s a huge morale boost,’ Martin said with satisfaction.

  ‘Please give us plenty of notice when you set a date, Highness,’ Cloud said. ‘We’ll need to arrange reinforcements if this is what we can expect.’

  ‘Elites on crowd control,’ John growled. ‘Unbelievable.’

  ‘They honour you, Xuan Wu,’ I said.

  ‘So stop complaining and let’s do this!’ Yue said.

  Cloud bowed around at us, grinning.

  John grumbled something unintelligible and stretched to his most massive height, towering four and a half metres above me. His long hair was down to his waist and his square dark face had a thin black beard. He wore his formal dress armour: black enamel embossed with a silver Big Dipper on his breastplate, and twining silver snakes and turtles on nearly every surface. The armour sat over a black silk robe embroidered with more silver snakes and turtles.

  The crowd went wild and more chi explosions rang out.

  Simone took her largest Celestial Form as well. She was close to her father’s height, and her blue–black robes glittered with stars within their depths. Her immensely long honey-gold hair floated around her on a celestial breeze that wasn’t there, with particles of ice appearing and disappearing among the strands. Her huge eyes were completely black in the pale ferocity of her face. Her twin curved swords sat in matching deep blue and gold enamel scabbards on her back.

  Yue Gui’s warrior livery was completely black, like her father’s, and her robes and armour were similarly embellished with the Big Dipper. Her black hair was held in a topknot with a simple ebony spike. The long strands would have touched the floor if they weren’t floating around her in a breeze that wasn’t there. Her robe was embroidered with silver dragon-headed turtles and her black armour was etched with a silver turtle-shell design. She had a sword strapped to her back, the black scabbard decorated with the markings of a turtle shell and ba gua symbols.