by Kylie Chan
‘What’s the last thing you remember?’ I said.
Leo stared at me for a moment, ran one hand over his bald head then dropped his hand to his side. ‘I don’t know.’
‘You’re a demon copy of the real Leo,’ the King said. ‘You probably hatched not long ago.’
‘No,’ Leo said.
‘Raise your right arm,’ the King said.
Leo watched, wide-eyed, as his arm seemed to move by itself.
‘Emma, tell him to drop his arm. If he can’t, then he’s mine,’ the King said.
‘Lower your arm, Leo,’ I said.
Leo grimaced with effort, then exhaled a huge breath. ‘I can’t.’ He glanced at the King. ‘I’m a demon? Then where is the real me?’
‘That’s what we want to find out,’ the King said. ‘Drop your arm. Tell you what, love, come to my nest with me, I’ll look after you.’ He smiled slightly. ‘I’ll even take the Dark Lord’s form for you; such a shame to waste something as beautiful as you.’
Leo’s face didn’t shift, he just silently watched the King.
‘Come with me, and we will extract as much information as we can from you, then you can live out the rest of your short life being cared for as only a prize member of the King’s harem can. Believe me.’ He smiled slightly again. ‘You will be gracing my bed nearly every night until you fade.’
‘Fade?’ Simone said.
‘I doubt this demon has more than a couple of months to live,’ the King said. ‘It’s way too complex. Should never have been made. Probably can’t ingest anything except plasma.’
‘What do you mean?’ Leo said.
‘He’s saying you’re a vampire and that you will only live a couple of months,’ I said. ‘And I don’t believe him. You’re coming with us.’
‘Just kill me and be done with it,’ Leo said. ‘That’s the kindest thing right now.’
‘We need you,’ Michael said. ‘Come with us. Even if you’re not the real Leo, you still have information about these demons that we can use.’
Leo hesitated, then frowned and nodded once sharply. ‘Sounds like the best option. Let’s get me back, restrain me, and get the information out of me. The real me is out there somewhere and we need to find him.’
Michael turned to the King. ‘You still have my mother, and you say you have definite information on the location of the real Leo. You’d better not be guessing here, demon.’
The King raised his hands. ‘On my honour, and you know I have some. I will give you a first-class lead on the location of the other Leo.’ He glanced around the nest. ‘I’ll send in a clean-up team, this place is done.’
‘I want my people to check it out first,’ I said.
‘No need, Emma. If I find anything I’ll pass it on to you, word of honour.’
I turned to the Celestials and Disciples behind me. ‘Liu, get a couple of teams in and do a sweep, please. We’ll take this Leo copy home.’
‘Bad idea, Emma,’ the King said.
‘I’m Queen of the Bad Idea,’ I said.
The King raised one hand towards Leo. ‘Obey Lady Emma in every way. If you feel the urge to harm her or Lady Simone, die first.’
‘I thank you,’ Martin said softly.
Leo stared at the King, his face full of conflict, then said, ‘As Your Loathsome Majesty wills, so I will obey.’ He turned away. ‘Damn.’
‘I think we have what we came here for,’ I said. ‘Let’s go home.’
‘Mind if I stay and have a look around?’ Michael said. ‘I need some practice.’
‘You can lead a clean-up team,’ I said. ‘All yours.’
Michael grinned and saluted me. ‘My Lady.’
CHAPTER 17
I called Denis on my mobile as we walked back out through the mall, and he met us outside the arcade. Simone sat in the front of the Mercedes, and I sat in the back with Leo.
‘Lion,’ Denis said, nodding in the rear-view mirror. ‘Welcome home.’
‘I’m a demon copy, not the real Leo,’ Leo said. ‘But thanks anyway. You’re one of the Tiger’s?’
‘Two Eighty-Three.’
‘More than able to take me down if you need to. Good,’ Leo said.
Denis glanced at Leo in the rear-view mirror as he pulled away, shot a look at me, then concentrated on the road.
‘How old are you, Simone?’ Leo said. ‘You’re all grown-up!’
‘Fourteen,’ Simone said. ‘You’ve been gone eight years. The real you was in Hell refusing Immortality all that time, but was somehow replaced by a demon copy that exploded when we went to get him out. Now we don’t know where he is.’
‘This could be the real Leo,’ I said.
Neither Simone nor Leo replied.
‘Anyway, the Dark Lord is gone,’ I continued. ‘I’m managing the Academy and the Heavens very poorly, the Demon King is attacking the Celestial all the time, John hasn’t been heard of in ages, and basically things are falling to bits.’
‘Oh, give it up, Emma,’ Simone said patiently. ‘We’re doing the best we can in the circumstances, and everybody says you’re doing an okay job. The King hasn’t won yet, and we won’t let him as long as we can fight.’ She turned in her seat to see Leo. ‘And we’ll find the real you and be a family again.’
‘What’s the last thing you remember?’ I asked Leo.
‘It’s really vague, sort of a blur,’ Leo said. ‘I remember waking up on the floor of the nest when I heard your voices. Before that …’ He paused, thinking. ‘Before that I sort of remember being in the Peak apartment, and something about Martin, and Mr Chen being mad at me for something, but that’s about it.’
‘Nothing from inside the nest?’ I said.
‘Not really,’ Leo said. ‘I’ll do my best to remember so that we can find the real me. You can’t afford to waste your time searching for me if you have so many issues at the moment.’
‘Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I really can’t stay quiet here,’ Denis said. ‘Are you sure this is a good idea? This is a demon!’
‘Does he scan as a demon to you, Denis?’
Denis was quiet for a moment, then, ‘No.’
‘It’s had a compulsion put on it, Denis,’ Simone said. ‘The King’s told it to die before it hurts me or Emma.’
Denis shook his head. ‘You should not be taking this back to your home, ma’am.’
‘Actually I think home is the best place for him,’ Simone said. ‘Emma thinks he’s the real Leo, and I don’t. Either way, he’ll be close and we can watch him.’
Denis shook his head again but didn’t argue any more.
‘If it means anything at all, Denis, I agree with you, and I think I should be destroyed on the spot,’ Leo said.
‘We have tame demons at home all the time,’ Simone said. ‘One more won’t make much difference.’
‘This one’s not tamed,’ Denis said.
‘Tame me then,’ Leo said. ‘Whatever it takes. I want you two to be safe.’
‘Say, “Protect me, I am yours”,’ Denis said.
‘Protect me, I am yours,’ Leo said.
Simone shrugged. ‘Okay, I’ll finish it up at the Peak.’
‘I don’t feel any different,’ Leo said. ‘Should I?’
‘Don’t know,’ Simone said. ‘Let’s see what happens when I complete it at home.’
‘Yeah, the pool’s been like that for a year,’ Simone said as we approached the front door on the eleventh floor of the apartment building. ‘The concrete cracked shortly after it was built and it’s been unusable for a long time.’
‘Just get a Celestial in to fix it,’ Leo said.
‘I’m going to use elementals, I think,’ Simone said. ‘We have to be careful — the first and third floors are leased out to ordinary humans and we can’t have them seeing anything weird or the Jade Emperor goes stupid at us.’ She keyed the numeric code into the keypad on the front gate and the gears inside meshed. ‘Haven’t changed the key code, Leo, it’s the same one.’
She opened the front door, entered and kicked off her shoes. ‘Ah Yat?’
‘I don’t remember the door code,’ Leo said, then stopped at the doorway, bewildered. ‘What the hell?’
I made it through the new seals, but it was more than an unpleasant buzz, it was like walking through a high-voltage electrical field. My legs collapsed under me and Denis caught me.
‘I’m okay,’ I said before they could ask. ‘New seals.’
Denis effortlessly raised me to stand on my feet and then took a couple of steps back to study me. He looked from me, to Simone, to Leo, who still stood on the other side of the door, bewildered because he couldn’t go in.
Denis turned back to me and opened his Inner Eye on me — another electric jolt that blinded me and felt like it had split my head open. I staggered back against the wall, seeing nothing but red, my ears roaring, my brain pierced with a massive burning spike.
The pain switched off and I slid down the wall to sit on the floor, still unable to see.
‘Don’t hurt her!’ Simone shouted. ‘She’s not a demon! It’s all right, the demon who killed my father did this to her.’
‘I think I’m going to throw up, Simone,’ I said. ‘Help.’
A bowl was thrust into my hands and I retched over it, too weak to move. Nothing came up and I collapsed back against the wall, trying to breathe, heavy nausea churning my stomach. I took deep breaths.
‘You okay, Emma?’ Simone said.
I nodded, still taking deep breaths. ‘I’ll be all right. That’s a hell of an Inner Eye you have there, Denis.’
‘That’s right, take a good look at me too, Denis,’ Simone said. ‘I’m not a demon, I’m the real Simone. This household hasn’t been taken over or anything. Emma was injected with demon essence when One Two Two held her and she’s been transformed into a horrible demon … thing. She can control it, and we’re going to get this demon stuff out of her.’
‘Sorry, Princess,’ Denis said, sounding rueful. ‘Your housekeeper is a demon, this Leo is a demon copy, the fung shui man was half-demon, and now Lady Emma is struck down by demon seals — it’s not a difficult conclusion to make.’
‘The house has been taken over by demons,’ I gasped. My vision began to clear and I saw Denis and Simone were standing over me looking concerned. ‘And Simone is the biggest one of all.’
‘Well, I’m a teenager, what do you expect?’ Simone said. ‘I can’t help you up, Emma. Do you want Denis to help you to your room?’
‘Leave me here, I’ll get over it,’ I said. ‘Let Leo in. He’s standing there looking as confused as ever.’
‘You may enter, Leo,’ Simone said.
Leo entered, and quickly crouched next to me. ‘Are you okay, Emma? What happened?’
‘It’s a long story,’ I said.
‘What’s this thing with the door?’
‘Obviously the demon seals that Ronnie put in are exceptionally good ones,’ I said. ‘I’m going to pay him double when he sends his bill.’
‘But why is it affecting you?’ Leo said. ‘Me I can understand, I’m a demon. I couldn’t even come in. But why you?’
‘Simon Wong turned me into a Snake Mother,’ I said. ‘If Simone touches me I’ll fall back into that form. I’m just as much demon as you are, mate.’
‘You’re a copy too?’ Leo said.
‘Nope.’ I raised my hand and he helped me up. I placed the bowl on the hall table, pleased that I hadn’t had to use it. ‘I’m the real Emma all right — snake, Snake Mother, demon, the whole works.’ I turned to Denis, who was watching me like a predatory creature. ‘I hate to do this, Denis, but I’m ordering you not to tell anybody about my demon nature. If some of those assholes on the Celestial Plane found out about this I’d lose the Academy and the Northern Heavens.’
‘Snake?’ Denis said.
‘Snake. I’m a big black snake as well. Only seems to come out when my family are threatened.’ I shook my head. ‘John thought it was cool.’
‘Remember what Kwan Yin said,’ Simone said. ‘It could be useful in controlling your demon nature.’
‘I don’t want to pull my demon nature out to try it,’ I said. ‘Well, we have Leo here — let’s settle him in, and try to get some rest. I have another challenge tomorrow.’
‘I know, and I’m sorry I ever said that, Emma,’ Simone said. ‘This is a pain in the neck for you. You go; I’ll tame this Leo.’
‘I want to watch,’ I said. ‘I want to see what happens when you complete the process.’
Simone waved Leo closer and held her hand out. He took it. Simone’s eyes unfocused and her brow wrinkled. She frowned. ‘Um.’
‘Say “Protect me, I will serve you, I am yours”,’ Denis said.
‘Protect me, I will serve you, I am yours,’ Leo said. ‘Is something supposed to happen?’
‘Yes.’ Simone dropped his hand. ‘And it isn’t. It’s like trying to tame a human being.’ She focused on him again. ‘Maybe you are the real Leo.’
‘Is he too big for you to tame, Princess?’ Denis said.
‘I’ve tamed a level eighty-nine, Denis,’ Simone said. ‘I don’t think so.’
Denis whistled softly between his teeth. ‘Eighty-nine? Damn.’
‘Tomorrow, we’re going to take you to the Academy and we’re going to clear up once and for all whether you are a human being or a demon copy,’ Simone said. ‘Go get some rest, Leo. If you’re hungry ask Ah Yat for something.’ She picked her little backpack up from the floor. ‘I’m going to bed. If any demons attack the Celestial Plane, or Hell erupts and demons take over the world, or the Celestial Palace starts to fall from the sky,’ she grinned at me, ‘tell them to get lost.’
‘Sounds like a very good idea. Night, Simone,’ I said. ‘Come on, Leo, your room is the same, pink underwear and all.’
‘Pink underwear?’ Leo asked.
‘Never mind,’ I said. ‘This way.’
Leo stopped just inside his room. ‘This feels very strange.’
‘How much do you remember?’
‘It’s weird.’ He went to his television unit in the living section and fingered his R&B CDs. ‘I can remember all of this and yet it’s all new.’ He looked around. ‘Which is not surprising since I’m a copy. I have Leo’s memories, but I’ve never been here before.’
‘Get some rest,’ I said. ‘We’ll go to the Academy tomorrow. Regina and, if we’re lucky, Meredith can check you out.’
‘I don’t know what the Academy is but I know that I want to be there, it’s one of my favourite places,’ Leo said. He pulled me into a warm embrace. ‘It’s good to see you again, Emma.’
I held him close and buried my face into his huge chest. ‘I’ve missed you so much. You’re like a brother to me.’
He held me close for a while, then pulled back to see me. His expression became intense, and he raised his hands to circle my throat. I felt a moment of concern but he smiled slightly, pushed one hand behind my neck, and raised the other to brush my cheek.
‘I could never hurt you, Emma,’ he whispered, pulled me closer, and lowered his face to mine to kiss me. I kissed him back, a chaste kiss, but he wanted more. He opened his mouth on mine and turned the kiss from gentle to passionate and full of need. I freed myself and stared at him, bewildered. ‘What are you doing?’
He raised his hands and smiled ruefully. ‘Sorry. My hormones got away from me there, my bad.’ He dropped his hands. ‘Won’t happen again, Emma, I promise. But you really can’t blame me — you are still just as attractive as ever.’
‘You find me attractive?’
He shrugged. ‘Of course I do. Always have. Must be exhausted or something, because I never acted on it before.’ He smiled ruefully again. ‘Don’t worry, I know that the Dark Lord has your heart.’
‘Get some rest, Leo, we have an early start tomorrow,’ I said, and went out, closing the door behind me. I hesitated for a moment, then tapped on Simone’s door.
‘Come on in, Emma.’
Simone sat on the bed wearing a cute set of ‘I hate boys’ pyjamas she’d bought on our last trip to London. ‘What happened? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.’
I went in, pulled out her study chair and sat on it. ‘Leo just made a pass at me.’
She didn’t seem surprised. ‘I know, the elementals told me. More evidence that he’s a demon copy, Emma.’ She waved one hand at me. ‘Go to bed. Don’t worry about him — I have a couple of elementals standing guard over him. If he tries anything I’ll know about it.’
‘The elemental thing working out okay? It was just today you learned to summon them.’
She quirked a small smile. ‘Actually, it’s really easy. And they’re quite fun to talk to as well, they travel around a lot. Must thank Aunty Zhu for teaching me.’
She held out one hand and a tiny water elemental, only about ten centimetres tall, appeared on her palm. The little elemental waved to me, then turned into a streak of water and shot up into the air, separated into droplets that spread horizontally in a circle, and disappeared.
‘That’s great, Simone.’ I took a breath to ask about Celestial High, then changed my mind and rose from the chair. ‘I’m going to bed. Night.’
‘Night, Emma. Sleep well. Don’t worry, we’ll find the real Leo. This fake one wants to help.’
The next morning I took Leo with me to the Academy and Regina checked him out. She was as confused as everybody else was.
‘Human, not demon, as far as I can see, Emma,’ she said. ‘Even his blood is red.’ She sighed and leaned on her desk, studying Leo. ‘What we have here is a perfectly normal forty-one-year-old human male, HIV positive, exactly the same as when he left, except he is no longer a paraplegic with a speech impediment.’
‘Still HIV positive?’ I said. ‘He’s a demon, he can’t be!’
Regina nodded. ‘His blood is human, and he has AIDS.’
Leo sagged and leaned his elbows on his knees where he sat. ‘Wonderful. Back exactly the way I was, but now I’m a demon that has a maximum of twelve months to live, probably less, and I can’t be trusted to protect you or Simone.’ He glanced up at me. ‘We need to find the real me in a hurry, before I turn or die.’