Kylie Chan - Red Phoenix

‘Do it, take his hand,’ I said under my breath. ‘Last chance.’

The demon took a swooping step forward and grabbed John’s hand, its face still expressionless. Its eyes widened with wonder as it realised it hadn’t been damaged. It was such a high level that John’s touch couldn’t destroy it, only cause it major damage; but it seemed surprised that it had remained unharmed.

‘Welcome, both of you,’ John said as he released the astonished demon’s hand. ‘Let me take you up and show you around.’

Jan enjoyed herself immensely. She loved watching the juniors going through their paces. Liu even had some of the young Shaolin Disciples do some circus-style acrobatics for her.

Knight’s face was completely frozen in a false grin the whole time. John and I could hardly wait to get him alone, and it was obviously difficult for him too.

When we were back in the lobby the demon had an inspiration. ‘Jan, you go on ahead. I need to stop at the pharmacy next door and buy a couple of things. Meet you back at the office, we’ll go through the vivas and sort them out. See you later.’

‘Okay,’ Jan said. ‘We can leave most of it until tomorrow morning anyway.’ She smiled. ‘Good to have it finished, eh?’

‘Yeah, we survived,’ the demon said. ‘Can’t believe it,’ he added, without looking at either John or myself.

She gave us a cheery wave and went out.

The three of us stood in the lobby looking at each other.

Then the demon fell to its knees before us and touched its head to the floor. ‘I pledge. I swear allegiance. Thank you, my Lord, my Lady, you have no idea what this means to me.’

‘Get the hell up off the floor, people going past can see you,’ John growled impatiently.

The demon didn’t move. John breathed an obvious sigh of relief.

‘Get up,’ I ordered and it immediately shot to its feet.

‘Do it again, Emma,’ John said quietly, and held out his hand. ‘I want to be absolutely sure.’

‘Take the Dark Lord’s hand again,’ I said.

This time the demon didn’t hesitate. It strode forward confidently and grabbed his hand.

‘I’m finding it hard to retain human form while you have me like this,’ it said, its voice straining. ‘Either release me, or take me somewhere I won’t cause panic in the streets.’

After the demon had returned from releasing the real Professor Knight, we sat together in a meeting room on the third floor. John wouldn’t let the demon any higher in the building than that. Tamed was tamed; but trusting was another matter altogether.

In True Form the demon was a huge humanoid and, unusually, it was blue. It only had two eyes, and no scales. Not too bad. It even had a name; for some reason known only to itself, it had chosen the English name of Ralph.

Ralph was minor demon nobility. He wouldn’t tell us what he’d done to upset Wong, but we had an idea, knowing Wong’s appetites and Ralph’s unusual appearance. The demon stayed in human form, big glasses and everything, to talk to us.

‘Do you know what he’s planning?’ John said straight out.

‘Something big,’ Ralph said.

‘All of us?’ I said.

‘Yes.’

‘Are you aware of the details?’ John said.

‘I know that it is planned for later this year. I know that he has made some very special, rather nasty hybrids that he hopes will take you out. He is bringing in something that will disable you, but I don’t know what.’

‘Disable the Dark Lord?’ I said with disbelief. ‘Surely such a thing isn’t possible.’

‘No,’ John said. ‘Either you kill me or you don’t. You can’t disable me.’

‘One Two Two seems to think that he has some sort of secret weapon that will ensure your cooperation.’

‘Impossible,’ John said.

‘Well, that’s what he’s been saying. He’s also bragging that he will bring the Dark Lady to his Father, reveal her true nature, and be promoted very quickly.’

My stomach fell out. I was speechless.

‘More,’ John said.

‘No more,’ Ralph said. ‘That’s all I know.’

‘Any other word about her true nature?’ John said. ‘This is vital.’

I suddenly wanted to run out of the room.

‘She has caused quite a stir,’ the demon said with a small smile. ‘She scares the living daylights out of most of the Mothers, they hate her.’

‘Throw that phone away,’ John said to me.

‘No.’

‘That was quite a feat in London, my Lady,’ the demon said. ‘I feel most honoured to serve you. You appear to be an ordinary human, but in action and word, and particularly in battle, you appear very much more.’

‘ Why were they both in Europe ?’ John demanded loudly.

‘Ah.’ The demon leaned back and took his glasses off. ‘You heard about the Kwok woman? His pussy cat?’

‘Kitty Kwok,’ I said. ‘Agricultural holdings in China. Biotech in China, Australia, America…’ I stopped as I remembered. ‘Europe.’

‘Europe,’ Ralph said. ‘Biotech in Europe.’

‘Damn,’ John said quietly. ‘Did the King stop him?’

‘The King wanted to,’ Ralph said. ‘But when he saw the results of the experiments, he decided that it was too good a chance to miss. He has found the activities of this particular son rather diverting. He saw the chance to take both of you.’

I suddenly understood. ‘Oh my God, it was all a huge setup.’

‘You are quite right, my Lady,’ the demon said.

‘The King gave me the phone. Then Wong attacked us. They were hoping that they would take out the Dark Lord with the hybrids. If they took out Lord Xuan, I would definitely call the King immediately to ensure Simone’s safety.’

‘Exactly,’ the demon said. ‘I was surprised that they seemed to want the Lady more than the child, but that was the plan.’ He gestured towards John with his glasses. ‘Take him out.’ He smiled as he spoke to me. ‘You would call the King to ensure the safety of the child. He would have respite from the Dark Lord, and the Dark Lady in his hands. He was willing to pass up the child to have both of you.’

‘Shit,’ John said under his breath. ‘They played us like a pipa .’ He tied his hair back, then leaned his elbow on the arm of the chair and rubbed his chin. ‘Damn, but I miss my Serpent. The snake would have seen this coming.’

‘But Wong chickened out at the last minute,’ I said. ‘He decided not to face the Dark Lord. He must have been in huge trouble for that.’

‘No, not really.’ Ralph leaned back, quite relaxed. ‘He promised that he will have the means to make the Dark Lord cooperate at the end of the year.’

‘What happens at the end of the year?’ John said.

‘I have no idea,’ Ralph said.

I had a sudden inspiration. ‘The biotech. Were they making snake hybrids too?’

‘Yes,’ Ralph said. ‘No,’ John said.

‘Did you see any of them?’ I asked.

‘Yes,’ Ralph said.

‘Not possible,’ John said.

‘Did they look like me on the inside?’ I said.

‘Leave it, Emma!’ John said fiercely. ‘It’s just not possible! I would know!’

‘No,’ Ralph said, ignoring John completely and well aware of the fact that he was walking a fine line. ‘You are something completely different.’

I relaxed. Then I leaned forward to speak earnestly to him. ‘Ralph,’ I said, ‘please answer this next question as honestly as you can. What am I?’

‘You are a perfectly ordinary human being—’ I suddenly wanted to leap up and smack him in the face ‘—with a great deal of Serpent essence that seems to come and go,’ Ralph said.

‘It comes and goes?’ John said.

‘Yes,’ Ralph said. ‘Right now, she doesn’t have much of it there at all. In battle, though, much more of it comes out.’