Kylie Chan - Red Phoenix

Charlie didn’t move.

‘Go with her,’ Jade said gently. ‘Let her explain. It’s true.’ Her voice softened. ‘She loves him, Charlie, a truer love than any love I’ve ever seen before. And you know how old I am. She loves our Lord and his daughter more than her own life.’

‘Thanks, Jade,’ I said.

Jade smiled slightly. ‘Go with her, Charlie. Listen to her. Ask what she did in Guangzhou.’

I gestured towards the dining room. Charlie sighed with resignation and went in.

‘Good luck, Emma,’ Jade said, and disappeared.

I followed Charlie into the dining room. She sat stiffly at the table and glowered at me.

‘Please believe me, I’m only doing this for them,’ I said. ‘This was all John’s idea.’

‘John!’ she said sarcastically. ‘Lovely.’

‘It was his idea. I didn’t want to teach, I don’t have time.’

‘I’m sure it was his idea about you taking over everything as well.’

‘I don’t want this at all.’ I looked her right in the eyes. ‘You have no idea how hard this has been for me.’

‘It wasn’t hard for you to order Jade to come and get me.’ Charlie leaned back and folded her arms over her chest. ‘You had her follow me around without any trouble at all.’

I sighed. She had a point. I put my elbows on the table and my chin on my hand. She glared at me as if I was some sort of demon.

‘Charlie, listen to me. I love Mr Chen more than my life. I love Simone more than that. All I want is for us to be happy together. But you know the situation.’ This was very hard; normally I didn’t talk about how I felt for John. ‘He can’t even touch me. But he’s promised. And I’ve promised. And that’s the way it is. He wants me to mind everything for him while he’s gone. I don’t know why, there are so many people who would be much better at it than me—’

‘No, there aren’t,’ John said. He was leaning on the doorframe and listening, holding a teapot and some tea cups. He came and sat at the table, and poured tea for Charlie, who tapped the table in thanks. ‘You are absolutely the best person for the job.’

‘Oh, give it a rest, John.’ I wanted to slap his arm, but I saw the way he looked at me.

Charlie studied John carefully. He smiled at her.

‘Did you tell Charlie what you did in Guangzhou, Emma?’

‘What, the energy work? The sword stuff?’

John leaned back. ‘Charlie, while we were in Guangzhou, we were attacked by a demon. It was the same demon that killed Michelle.’

Charlie gasped and her eyes went wide.

‘You know how Michelle died. You know how her family died. The same demon broke into the White Tiger’s stables in Ireland, and raped and mutilated two of his women. Emma heard the Tiger describe what had happened.’

‘That’s awful, sir,’ Charlie whispered.

‘The demon took all of us down, and went into the house to kidnap Simone.’

Charlie’s eyes were huge. ‘No. How did you stop it?’

‘We couldn’t stop it. It took Simone into its nest. Do you know what Emma did?’

Charlie glanced at me, her eyes still wide.

‘Emma went with them. Into the demon’s nest. She knew exactly what would happen to her if she went, but she went anyway. To be with Simone. To the very end.’

Charlie stared at me. ‘You willingly went into that demon’s nest?’

‘I don’t know why everybody is making such a big deal of it,’ I said. ‘Anybody would have done the same. I couldn’t let Simone go with that monster alone.’

‘The King of the Demons himself went in and tried to take them for himself,’ John said. ‘Emma negotiated with him to release them instead.’

Charlie gasped. ‘The King ’? She turned to me. ‘You faced down the King ?’

‘If she hadn’t had the courage and intelligence to negotiate with him, it is quite likely that Emma would be dead, Simone would be in the Demon King’s hands, and my head would be gone,’ John finished.

Charlie studied me appraisingly for a long time. She didn’t move at all and her face was rigid with restraint. I waited, mystified, to see what she would do.

She rose, and John smiled.

I just watched her, wondering.

She carefully lowered herself to one knee before me. ‘My Lady. I pledge allegiance.’

I threw myself to my feet. ‘Will you people stop doing that!’ I banged the table with frustration. ‘John, will you please tell your staff to stop doing that. It drives me completely nuts!’

Charlie rose and threw her arms around me, tearful. ‘I’m your staff too, my Lady.’ She smiled at John with her arms still around me. ‘Congratulations, my Lord, you have chosen well.’

John put his hands out. ‘I didn’t choose her, Charlie. Fate chose us for each other.’

I gently pulled myself out of Charlie’s arms. ‘I have had absolutely enough of this.’ I gestured impatiently. ‘Go and unpack, Charlie. Have a rest and settle in. You can start helping with Simone tomorrow, if you’re not too jet-lagged.’

Charlie bowed. ‘Yes, my Lady.’

‘Dammit, will you people stop doing that!’ I shouted, and stormed out.

They laughed as I went out. They were all enjoying this far too much.

‘May I use the phone and call London, my Lord?’ Charlie said behind me. ‘I would love to tell James and my mother.’

‘Be my guest,’ John said. ‘Tell everyone you know.’

‘You all hate me!’ I yelled over my shoulder.

Ichecked the phone number: Leo. ‘Hello?’

‘I know it’s Sunday, my Lady, but I was wondering if you and Mr Chen would like to see the kid. I have him here at the martial arts school in Causeway Bay, and his mother’s out of town. Can I bring him up for you to meet him?’

‘John’s not here, but bring him up anyway. John’ll be back soon, he went out with Simone. What’s the kid’s name?’

‘Michael. Michael MacLaren.’

‘Bring him up.’

Just as I put the phone down the front door slammed. I went out to the hallway. John and Simone had just come in and were kicking off their shoes in the entry.

‘Leo’s bringing his student up for us to see,’ I said.

‘If they’re here before I’m out of the shower, look at him for me,’ John said.

‘You don’t need a shower every single time, Daddy,’ Simone said patiently.

‘Yes I do,’ he said, and headed past me towards his room.

‘He really hates the summer,’ Simone said. ‘He hates being all sweaty like that.’

‘He’s probably not used to it,’ I said. ‘Shen don’t get sweaty in summer.’

‘He does. He’s a Shen.’

‘He’s in human form. He’s human all the way through.’

‘He hates it.’

‘Too bad for him, he’s the one who has to wear black all the time,’ I said unsympathetically. ‘He’s a big wussy boy.’

She grinned. ‘Yeah. He’s so weak!’

I can hear both of you, John said into our ears. Simone and I giggled together.

The door opened and Leo came in, guiding Michael.

Michael was tall for a fifteen year old, about five eight, and obviously still had some growing to do. He moved with muscular grace as he kicked off his shoes, but the first thing I noticed was his hair; he had dyed it blond.

‘Michael, this is Miss Donahoe,’ Leo said pointedly.

Michael bobbed his head. ‘Ma’am.’

I nodded back. ‘Mr MacLaren. Leo’s told me good things about you. How about we go into the dining room together and talk?’

‘I’ll take Simone,’ Leo said. ‘Where’s Mr Chen?’

‘In the shower,’ Simone said. ‘ Again .’

Leo grinned. He held his hand out to Simone. ‘Come on, Simone, let’s play on the Playstation while we wait for Emma and your dad.’