Red Phoenix

by Kylie Chan

  ‘Nowhere to run, my love. We’re trapped.’ I gestured towards the tunnel. ‘There are at least thirty of them blocking the way.’

  ‘Weapons?’ John said.

  ‘Sorry,’ Gold said, his voice full of remorse. ‘This is it.’

  ‘Mum, Dad, I am so sorry about this,’ I said.

  ‘Brendan, Barbara, listen to me,’ John said quietly. ‘Stay in the corner, stay very still and stay quiet. They don’t want you, they want us. They will probably ignore you.’

  ‘Do as he says, Mum, Dad,’ I said softly. ‘He’s right.’

  My parents moved into the corner and crouched, clutching each other. Their faces were masks of terror.

  ‘Simone,’ John said, ‘go over into the corner with Emma’s parents. Jade, Gold. Guard them.’

  Simone, Jade and Gold hurried into the corner. Jade and Gold transformed and stood guarding.

  ‘Please move behind me and allow me the honour of taking point, my Lord, my Lady,’ Leo said, stepping forward. ‘I should be able to stop quite a few of them before I go down.’

  Neither John nor I moved. Words weren’t necessary.

  ‘Granted,’ John said.

  Leo moved in front of us. We stood ready, waiting. The demons didn’t shift.

  ‘What are they waiting for?’ Simone whispered.

  John and I shared a look. We knew what they were waiting for.

  Simon Wong appeared in front of the massed demons.

  ‘Where’s your Wudang sword?’ I said loudly.

  Wong scowled but didn’t reply.

  ‘The Tiger broke it in Guangzhou,’ John said.

  Wong strode forward and faced us. He was in human form: an ordinary good-looking Chinese guy of about thirty.

  ‘Where’s the boy?’ he said. ‘I want him too.’

  ‘He’s with Na Zha,’ I said with satisfaction. ‘Go and find him.’

  Wong’s face twisted into a grimace. ‘He’ll keep.’

  ‘We can take you,’ I said. ‘We can all take you. Even Simone could take you.’

  Wong leered at Simone. ‘She gets prettier all the time.’

  John stiffened but remained where he was. ‘Try me.’

  Wong’s leer widened. ‘Why would I bother? You can see me. You can’t see them. I think I’ll just let them have some fun, and then come back later and collect all the prizes.’

  ‘You are such a coward,’ I said softly, but he had already disappeared.

  I ripped my handbag open and fumbled through it. I found the phone. I shoved it into my pocket and threw my bag to one side.

  ‘No, Emma!’ John hissed.

  ‘I won’t use it unless you go down, or Simone is in real danger,’ I said.

  John faced the direction of the demons appraisingly without saying a word. Then he nodded once, sharply, and moved fluidly into a guard position. ‘Are you wearing your black jade earrings?’ he said without looking at me.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Good. I wish I could tell you exactly what I’m thinking right now without endangering you. Don’t come too close to me.’

  ‘That’s enough for me,’ I said, and readied myself too.

  ‘I think this has to be the happiest goddamn moment in my entire life,’ Leo said, his voice breaking as he positioned himself in front of us. ‘I cannot tell you how pleased I am to be doing this. My Lord, my Lady, thank you so much. Emma, Simone, you guys stay alive, okay?’

  ‘We’ll do our damnedest, Leo,’ I said softly. ‘Fight well, my friend.’

  The demons approached us, slowly and menacingly. They probably wondered whether John could sense them. Simone rose from the corner and came to stand between us. She took up a guard stance as well.

  ‘Don’t you dare attempt to fight these, Simone, you stay out of this,’ I said. ‘You are far too little.’

  ‘I want to help. Besides, I have to learn, Emma,’ she said softly. ‘Daddy’s leaving us soon. And I don’t think Leo will last long against things this big.’

  Suddenly it all bubbled up inside me. All of the rage, all of the pain. I was about to explode.

  I glared at the demons. This is all your fault. If they weren’t there, we could be happy. I could have my man; this wonderful child would be safe; I could share life with my best friend; we could be together on the Mountain; we could be a family. I suddenly hated them all so much I wanted to tear them to bits. The rage turned to power. My shen grew until my entire body burned. My chi filled my veins with raw fury. My ching flooded through me and made me glow red.

  My blood was boiling ice. My head was ready to explode. Something tore in my brain. Something shredded in my gut. I clenched my hands into fists and thrust them forward. I wanted to rip the demons apart with my bare hands.

  The power grew inside me until I couldn’t hold it. My skin was too tight. My eyes were too small. I was huge and dark and merciless and I wanted blood and slaughter and death. Blood. Darkness. Destruction.

  Something at the base of my skull quietly went click.

  Ceiling. Lying on the floor.

  John’s head appeared above me. He smiled. His hair fell over his shoulder and brushed my face.

  ‘Come and help her up, Leo,’ he said, still smiling.

  There was silence. Simone whimpered. I sat up and looked around. Leo and Simone were curled up together against the far wall. She clutched him. He appeared to be clutching her just as tightly. When they saw me look at them they both flinched away.

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous, it’s just Emma,’ John said matter-of-factly. ‘Come and give her a hand up, Leo, she looks dazed.’

  ‘I’m okay,’ I said. The demons were gone. John knelt on one knee next to me, still with a broad smile on his face. He looked relaxed.

  I must have been knocked unconscious. ‘How long have I been out for?’ I rubbed my hand over my forehead. I didn’t feel like I’d been knocked out; I wasn’t dizzy and I didn’t have a headache.

  I pulled myself to my feet and had a proper look around. All the demons were definitely gone. Then I felt a shot of anguish. My parents were gone too. Jade and Gold as well. John rose to stand next to me. He was still smiling.

  ‘Where’s my mum and dad?’

  John’s smile disappeared. ‘Worry about them later.’ ‘No!’ I shouted. ‘Worry about them now! Where are they?’

  ‘They are fine. Jade and Gold took them back to the Peak in your car. It was better not to take them directly considering the state they were in.’

  ‘They’re not fine and you know it,’ Leo said. ‘Her mother was in hysterics and her father was almost catatonic with terror. Gold will probably have to heavily sedate them when he gets them home. I hate to think about the long-term psychological damage of what they just saw. Nobody should have to see what we just did.’

  ‘They were terrified by the demons?’ I said.

  ‘No,’ Leo rasped. ‘The demons were nothing compared to what they just saw.’

  My legs suddenly felt weak. I leaned against the wall.

  ‘You know I can’t touch her, Leo,’ John said. ‘She won’t hurt you. You saw what she did. She couldn’t possibly harm you. Come and help her.’

  Leo’s voice was a low growl. ‘Is that an order?’

  I heard what they said. I felt a shot of panic. Leo glowered at John. He rose and Simone clutched him around his legs. Both of them took a step back when I looked at them.

  ‘No.’ I sagged down the wall to sit on the floor. I wrapped my arms around my knees. ‘No.’ John’s face was full of compassion; he obviously wasn’t worried. But Leo and Simone were terrified. Of me. ‘No.’

  ‘We need to go home and help your parents,’ John said mildly.

  ‘I am not going in the car with that,’ Leo said fiercely, pointing at me.

  ‘Simone,’ John said. Simone’s head shot up. ‘Come here.’

  ‘You are completely crazy,’ Leo growled, pulling Simone closer to him. ‘You saw what that thing can do. You’ll let your daughter near that?’r />
  ‘That thing is your Lady and you have sworn allegiance.’

  I rested my head in my hands. ‘Someone please tell me what happened.’ I looked up. Leo’s face was rigid with a combination of fear and hatred. ‘Leo, it’s me. Please don’t look at me like that.’

  ‘You sure that’s Emma?’ Leo rasped.

  ‘That is one hundred per cent pure Emma, my Lady and my love,’ John said calmly. ‘And I guarantee that she will not harm either of you. Did she harm you before? When she changed?’

  I’d changed. I collapsed over my knees. Oh my God.

  ‘Look at her, Leo,’ John said. ‘I won’t order you, but you can see she needs you. Go to her. Simone, go to her. She won’t harm you. She’s just Emma. You love her and she loves you. She’s family. She needs you.’ His voice was strained with anguish. ‘She protected you. Help her!’

  I didn’t see her come but I heard her little feet. Simone threw her tiny arms around me. I lunged forward and grabbed her. She stiffened, then realised that I was just clutching her in a huge hug. I pulled her down into my lap. ‘I would never do anything to hurt you, Simone, you know that.’ I looked up at Leo. ‘You too, Leo, you know I love you both dearly.’ I held Simone tighter and buried my face in her hair. ‘For God’s sake, will somebody tell me what happened?’

  John came and sat next to me. He put his arm around my shoulders. ‘Do you remember anything?’

  I shook my head into Simone’s hair. ‘We should take you home. You are probably exhausted.’

  I shook my head again. ‘I’m full of energy. I’m just fine. I don’t feel like I blacked out. I changed?’ My voice thickened even more. ‘Dear God, John, please tell me. What happened to me?’

  Simone’s voice was tiny on my chest. ‘You turned into a big black snake monster, Emma.’

  We went up to the car in silence. Nobody said anything as John paid for the parking ticket. When we reached the car Leo stopped. ‘I’ll sit in the back with Simone.’ He gestured to John. ‘You drive and keep that thing next to you.’

  My insides twisted as if the demon’s sword was inside me. ‘It’s me, Leo. I wouldn’t hurt you in a million years.’

  Leo glowered at me as he opened the door to put Simone carefully into the car.

  ‘Mercy is waiting at home for you. Don’t panic, Emma, you will be fine,’ John said.

  John drove the car down the ramp and we merged into the tunnel traffic.

  ‘What did I do, John? Did I destroy all of those demons?’

  John made a soft sound of amusement. ‘You were remarkable. I couldn’t have done better myself. You used both energy and physical attacks. You were lightning fast. They didn’t have a chance. You took out a level sixty-five with energy and then blasted six level fifties. Then you took out all the others in a physical attack that was so fast that even I had trouble following you. I couldn’t see the demons, but I could see what you did to them.’

  ‘Did I at any time threaten to injure any of you?’ I said, my voice small. But I knew the answer to that question.

  ‘You knocked Simone off her feet,’ John said mildly.

  I suddenly found it difficult to breathe.

  ‘A demon went for her. You knocked her out of the way and bit its head off.’

  ‘Yuck.’ I wanted to wipe my mouth. ‘So I was no danger to any of you?’

  He could hear me begging for reassurance. ‘Emma, it was you. Of course not.’ He grinned. ‘Leo’s just prejudiced.’

  I turned back to look at Leo. His face was taut with restraint. He had his arms folded over his chest. I turned back to the road. ‘How much me?’

  ‘Interesting question,’ John said. ‘One hundred per cent of you. But that was less than half of it.’ He glanced away from the road to look at me. ‘We will perform some tests when we return home. I’ll have the Tiger look at you. I’d love to have a look inside you myself, but that may not be a good idea. This should be interesting. Oh.’ He stopped and his face filled with wonder. ‘You are very powerful. I may be able to touch you after all.’ His face lit up with a huge grin. ‘Excellent. We must try when we have you home. With Mercy and the Tiger present, we can try under very controlled conditions.’ He banged the steering wheel with his palm. ‘Excellent!’

  ‘I cannot believe you are pleased,’ Leo said from the back of the car. ‘She was a goddamn snake.’

  ‘So?’ John said, glancing at Leo in the rear-view mirror.

  I turned to see Leo. He lifted his arms in front of his chest, then dropped them, still crossed, in front of him.

  ‘Some of my best friends are snakes,’ John said mildly.

  Leo stared out the window and didn’t say anything.

  ‘When we return I will accept your resignation,’ John said. ‘Feel free to pack your belongings and leave.’ Simone shrieked with horror. I went rigid with shock. ‘No!’

  Leo stiffened and dropped his arms. He put his huge hands on his knees and leaned forward. His voice was ferocious. ‘No way! I am not leaving you! You try to fire me, I’ll camp out at the front door until you take me back in. I am your Retainer and I have vowed to serve you and Simone…’ He hesitated, then plunged on. ‘Until the day I die and there is nothing you can do about it!’

  ‘Please don’t fire Leo, Daddy,’ Simone said, her voice small. ‘I love him.’

  ‘Who have you vowed to serve, Leo?’ John said. ‘If you cannot keep your word, you are not worthy to be a Retainer.’

  Leo leaned back, his hands still on his knees. He stared out the window.

  ‘Please don’t do this to him, John,’ I said quietly. Leo studied me, his face expressionless. ‘I understand exactly how you feel, Leo, I’d feel the same way if I were you. I’m horrified myself. I do know I’d never hurt any of you, regardless of what I am. But I understand.’ I knew what I had to do. ‘When we’re home, I’ll formally release you. You can continue to serve the Dark Lord and Simone. You won’t have to have anything to do with me any more if you don’t want to. You can stay with Simone while I’m near, if it makes you feel better. Believe me,’ I looked him right in the eyes, ‘I understand.’

  Leo stared out the window again. I turned back to the front.

  ‘You are entirely undeserving,’ John growled. ‘You do not trust me.’ He gestured with one hand towards me without looking away from the road. ‘This is my Lady. I know her. She may have hidden depths, but she is still her.’ His voice became ice-cold. ‘I cannot begin to describe my disappointment. You let your prejudice overcome you. Five minutes ago you were overjoyed at the prospect of giving your life for her.’

  He glanced in the rear-view mirror. ‘Simone.’

  Simone’s voice was very small. ‘Yes, Daddy?’

  ‘Are you frightened of Emma?’

  ‘Yes, Daddy,’ Simone whispered.

  My heart twisted.

  ‘Do you think she’ll hurt you?’

  Simone hesitated. Then, ‘No, she won’t hurt me,’ she said confidently. ‘She’s Emma.’

  ‘Then why are you frightened of her?’

  ‘Because she’s scary,’ Simone said. ‘Like your Celestial Form. I’m scared of that too.’ Simone turned to Leo. I couldn’t see her, she was directly behind me. ‘Emma won’t hurt us, she loves us.’

  I turned to Leo again. His face was still expressionless.

  ‘Here we are,’ John said. ‘Let’s go up and have a look at the Snake Lady.’

  ‘Please don’t call me that,’ I said quietly as I stepped out of the car.

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  Kwan Yin and the Tiger were waiting for us in the living room.

  ‘I want to check on my parents before we do anything,’ I said.

  ‘That may not be a good idea,’ John said. ‘You scared them half to death. I think your mother nearly had a heart attack. Gold has her sedated.’

  ‘I want to make sure they’re okay.’

  ‘I’ll go with you,’ Ms Kwan said. ‘You may need me.’

  ‘Thanks.’


  I tapped on the door to my room and sidled in with Ms Kwan’s reassuring presence behind me. I tiptoed through my little living room into the bedroom. My mother lay on the bed, staring wide-eyed and unblinking at the ceiling. My father sat beside her, holding her hand. Gold sat on the other side next to the wall. He gave me a brief smile, and I returned it.

  My father rose and backed against the window. ‘Get out.’

  ‘Dad, it’s me. Emma. I’m sorry I scared you.’

  ‘Get out!’ my father hissed. ‘You’ve done enough damage.’ He looked from me to my mother. ‘I don’t know where the real Emma is, but as soon as Barbara comes around we’re out of here.’ He glared at Gold. ‘I don’t know where my daughter is, but I’ll find her. I’ll have the police onto you people and we’ll find her and get her out of here.’

  ‘Oh God,’ I moaned. I put my head in my hands, then looked up at my father desperately. ‘I’m Emma.’

  ‘Get away from us.’

  Ms Kwan glided around me and carefully approached my father as if he were a frightened animal. He stayed completely still and glowered at her.

  ‘Give me your hand,’ she said, holding her hand out.

  He glared at her without moving. Then he relented and took her hand. His eyes widened and his face went slack. He stared at Ms Kwan in wonder.

  ‘Emma,’ Ms Kwan said as if from a great distance, ‘come and hold my other hand.’

  I did as she said. Her power moved through me and I felt both her and my father. We were joined.

  ‘Brendan Donahoe,’ Ms Kwan said gently, ‘this is your daughter, Emma. She is unique. She has loved and shared with a creature that is unlike any creature in existence. It has changed her.’

  I could sense my father’s wonder and Ms Kwan’s gentle assurance.

  ‘She is still your daughter,’ Ms Kwan said. ‘Look.’ She showed him how much I loved him and my mother. She showed him my true feelings for my family. ‘Now. See.’ She showed him my feelings for Xuan Wu and Simone. Then she showed me to him: all the way through.

  ‘Oh my god,’ my father said softly. I felt his comprehension.

  ‘Thank you,’ I whispered.

  Ms Kwan nodded, smiled sadly, and released us. My father looked at me with awe. ‘Emma.’