by Kylie Chan
He followed the advantage, swinging at my staff so fast that I was barely able to block it. He continued to press me back, hitting my staff relentlessly. The worst part was that he wasn’t hitting it very hard, just tapping it, but he was so fast I had trouble keeping up. He raised the speed and I couldn’t stop him: his blow passed my staff and hit me on the abdomen. He finished it with a flick to take my feet out from under me and I hit the ground hard, my muscles soft after so many months of enforced rest.
I lay on my back, trying to get my breath back, and he stood over me.
‘I yield,’ I managed to wheeze out. ‘You’ve beaten me fairly.’
He held his hand out to me and I took it. He pulled me easily to my feet and we stood with our hands clasped for a long moment while he gazed into my eyes.
‘You were holding back,’ he said. ‘You’re much better than that, I know it.’
‘That was the best I can do at the moment,’ I said. ‘I didn’t hold back.’
He released my hand but continued to examine me. ‘But I’ve heard stories about you. You took down some huge Mothers. You turned one into a cat. You fought off One Two Two single-handed. You defeated the Demon King in single combat.’
‘Really?’ I couldn’t help myself: I grinned like an idiot. ‘Who’s spreading these ridiculous stories, and where can I sign them up to write my memoirs? Most of that’s pure fabrication.’
‘Is it?’
‘Hell, yeah. I may have taken down a couple of medium-sized Mothers and done the cat thing, but that was probably when I was possessed by the Xuan Wu’s Serpent. Without any supernatural help I’m about as good as a really good human.’
He studied me with his face rigid.
‘Do it. Go ahead,’ I said, and braced for the impact.
He snapped his Third Eye open in the middle of his forehead. His intense gaze swept right through me like a blast of brilliant light, burning my flesh from my bones and shredding my essence. The light blinked out and I bent over, gasping.
You should have warned me before you let him do that, Emma. You could have damaged me, the stone said.
I don’t think anything can damage you, I said. You’re surrounded by an impenetrable field of your own superiority.
‘I have misjudged you, ma’am,’ Er Lang said. He held his hand out again. ‘My Earthly name is Robert. People call me Rob when they work with me in English.’
I straightened and shook his hand. ‘And I’d prefer to be called Emma, really. Hey, I know where Liu’s secret boutique beer stash is, and where his vintage wines are. He’s occupied with the students right now — want to come and raid it?’
‘What?’ Liu said from the side.
‘I’d love to, Emma,’ Er Lang said. He waved cheerily to Liu. ‘Meet up with us later, we might have some alcohol left over for you.’
This play-acting is extremely tedious, the stone said. Why don’t you just be yourself? Drinking alcohol indeed. You can’t stand the stuff.
The safety of all the Celestial is at stake, I said. It’s worth a little play-acting.
And you could have done better against him.
Uh, no, I gave it all I have. He’s just straight-up better than me.
I completely disagree.
CHAPTER 8
I sat with Mum and Dad on the back terrace of their house, talking as the sun set over the Western Plains. I took a deep breath: they’d planted a few wattle trees in the yard and the powdery fragrance spread over us. I was fiddling with my still-full plate of salad when my sister Jen knocked on the door and the demon maid let her in. She came out to the terrace and sat next to me, giving me a quick hug.
‘Emma, you should have told me that Andrew’s visiting the Mountain. I didn’t know he was heading over there. I only just got it out of Colin when I came home from work.’
My stomach fell out. ‘Andrew never made it home?’
Her eyes widened. ‘Isn’t he staying at your Academy?’
I shook my head. ‘I sent him home with the Horseman and Mark. I told them I wouldn’t take them, it’s too dangerous.’
She sagged with relief. ‘Thank you.’
‘But he never came home?’
‘No,’ Jennifer said, her voice weak.
‘Call him, see if he answers,’ I said, and pulled out my own phone. I dialled Amanda’s number and she answered. ‘Amanda, it’s me. Did Mark come back from Wudang?’
‘I don’t know — he’s not home. He went to Wudang? He knows we’re trying to live a normal life down here and he was specifically told not to harass you about joining Wudang. He did it anyway?’
I dropped the phone into my lap, my mind racing. I put it back to my ear. ‘Amanda, I’m going to hang up now. I want you to call around and try to find Mark. He was with Andrew, but he’s not home either. Get your opal to help.’
‘Oh my God,’ she said.
‘Hang up, and start looking for him. I want to make sure both boys are okay.’
She hung up and I turned to Jen, who was holding her phone to her ear. She shook her head and snapped it shut. ‘Voicemail.’
‘They’ve taken them,’ Simone said.
‘We can’t be sure of that. They may have tried to find another way into Wudang,’ I said. ‘They were determined.’
Jen thumped the table, then rose and paced the terrace. ‘You are non-stop trouble, you know that, Emma Donahoe? You cause nothing but difficulty for this family.’
‘That’s not fair, Jen,’ my mother said.
I raised a hand to stop her. ‘She’s right, Mum. I’ve caused the family nothing but strife since I met John.’
Simone made a small gasping sound of pain and disappeared.
‘Where’d she go?’ my father said.
‘Probably to look for the boys. She’ll feel as responsible as I do.’ I tapped the stone. ‘Wake up.’
‘I’m awake, I’m hooked into the network,’ the stone said. ‘Opal says that Amanda’s son isn’t answering his phone. Hold.’
My father leaned on the table to speak to me, the burning steaks behind him forgotten. ‘Who’s taken them?’
I shook my head.
‘Tell us,’ Jennifer said. ‘Don’t try to keep it a secret from us.’
‘There’s a chance the Death Mother may have abducted them,’ I said. ‘She knows we’re after her and she wants to stop us before we get there. She tried to assassinate us last night; Michael and a couple of our human friends were shot.’
My father thumped the table. ‘Someone tried to kill you and you didn’t bother to tell us?’
‘There’s always someone trying to kill me.’
My mother put her hand over her mouth and turned away.
‘Where’s John?’ my father said. ‘Can’t he protect you?’
‘He’s a turtle in the heart of Wudang Mountain, and no,’ I said. ‘He may come to defend me if my life’s in danger, but then again he may not.’
Simone reappeared. ‘I have no idea where they are.’
‘Opal’s looking, also has no idea,’ the stone said. ‘They seem to have just disappeared.’
‘What about the Horseman who was looking after them?’ I said. ‘Ask the Tiger.’
The Tiger knocked on the door and came in without being invited. ‘They ditched the guard, they were very clever about it. He’s close on committing suicide over it. Don’t worry, we’ll find them. This is an insult to the House of the West — not being able to defend our own. It will not go unavenged.’
Jen leaned on the table, holding her stomach. The Tiger went to her and guided her to a chair. ‘Take it easy. You’re in no condition to be under stress. Don’t worry, we’ll find them.’
‘What condition?’ I said, alarmed.
‘I’m pregnant,’ Jennifer said.
‘Congratulations,’ I said.
‘You and my son must marry, it’s the honourable thing to do,’ the Tiger said.
‘Not while my son is missing.’ Jennifer glanced at me. ‘We have to
tell Leonard; he has a right to know as well.’
‘Stone?’
‘Done,’ the stone said. ‘Leonard requests entry to the Western Heavens to join the search.’
‘There isn’t much he can do here,’ the Tiger said.
‘Let him come. It’ll be better than him staying at home worrying,’ Jennifer said. She leaned her forehead on her hand.
‘You okay to see him?’ I said.
She nodded into her hand. ‘It’s been a few years since the divorce now, Emma. We’re still friends.’
‘Tiger?’ I said.
The Tiger nodded. ‘Ma’am.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Now what? We have absolutely no leads on where they went.’
Jennifer’s phone rang and she jumped, then answered it. ‘Hello?’ She listened for a while, then burst into tears. ‘You have no idea how worried we were. Where were you?’ She didn’t wait for a reply. ‘I don’t care what you were doing, you get yourself home now! Then you’re grounded for a month, young man. We thought you’d been taken by … by …’ She took a deep breath and shook her head. ‘Is Mark with you? He went home too? I’ll be there shortly. Don’t you go anywhere, I want to have a serious talk with you.’
She snapped the phone shut and grabbed some napkins from the table to wipe her face. ‘They’re home. They’re all home. He says he wanted to show Mark the Celestial Plane since Mark isn’t allowed up here.’ She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. ‘They’re okay.’ She rose. ‘I have to go see him. And give him a big hug.’
I got up too and embraced her. ‘Go tell him what an idiot he is for giving all of us such a scare, and never to do it again. And congratulations again on the little one.’
She nodded and left.
The Tiger’s face was grim. ‘I have to go talk to their guard. I have no idea what the fuck that idiot was thinking.’ He disappeared.
My father sighed loudly and tipped the burnt meat into the garbage. ‘I’ll find something else to cook. Won’t be a minute.’ He left the plate on the table and went inside.
My mother buttered a slice of bread and pushed the plate across to share it with Simone. ‘The Tiger gave us some giraffe steaks once. Your father popped them on the barbecue and they were absolutely horrible. We’re sticking to good old beef and lamb now.’
Simone wrinkled her nose. ‘Lamb is too strong.’
I gave her a friendly push. ‘You’re such a Chinese kid sometimes.’
She shrugged. ‘Lamb is yuck.’
My father returned with a plate of sausages. ‘This is it, I’m afraid.’
‘Whatever,’ Simone said. ‘I’m starving.’
Michael and Clarissa came and visited me the next morning, and I waved them into my office. Since returning to the Celestial, Michael had gained muscle mass from spending time practising the Arts, and he’d grown his hair out into a short ponytail. Clarissa looked much the same as she always had: a slender Chinese girl with a sweet smile and shoulder-length hair cut to frame her face.
‘The Mountain is very beautiful,’ she said. ‘Michael told me about the attack, but you’d hardly know it ever happened.’
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘We’ve worked hard to bring it back to what it was.’ I turned to Michael. ‘I hear you’ve been promoted. Congratulations.’
Michael shook his head. ‘I’ve been given a lower number, that’s all. He had to move fifty of us up because of the fifty that died when the elementals attacked the ski lodge. It doesn’t mean much, particularly when everybody calls me by name anyway.’
‘Apparently it’s a huge honour,’ Clarissa said, glancing sideways at him with obvious pride. ‘He’s not even thirty years old and already lower than two hundred. It’s unheard of. Some say he’ll be given a double-digit number even before he attains Immortality.’
Michael gestured dismissively. ‘Means nothing. I am here because of the promotion, though. I want to ask you something.’
‘Ask away,’ I said.
‘Dad’s offered us space in the barracks in the West, as is fitting for a high-ranking son. But what I’d really like to do, if I’m going to full-time it on the Celestial, is to be here …’ His voice petered out.
‘We want to move here and join the Wudang staff, if that’s okay,’ Clarissa finished for him, and he looked relieved at her assistance.
‘How do you feel about it, Clarissa?’ I asked.
‘About moving to the Celestial or moving here?’
‘Both.’
‘Moving to the Celestial …’ She smiled slightly. ‘It’s a chance that’s too good to refuse. I’ll be able to learn what to do to attain Immortality, and who wouldn’t want that? Even if I don’t attain it, I’ll live extra long and illness free. I’d have to be completely crazy to turn down an opportunity like this.’
‘And the Mountain?’
‘Doesn’t matter where we live, as long as Michael’s happy,’ she said. ‘Both places are beautiful in different ways, and we’ll spend time in the Western Heavens anyway.’ She leaned towards me. ‘But … would you have something like a job for me to do? I’d die of boredom being a housewife for Michael. I’d rather stay on the Earthly Plane if I can’t work.’
‘We’ll definitely have something for you to do, and it won’t be mundane, I can guarantee it,’ I said. ‘We have extensive investments on the Earthly that need to be managed, and frankly, if you could take over the management of the shares and properties down there it would be a boon for both me and Jade.’
‘A portfolio?’ she said.
‘Several hundred million Hong Kong dollars worth,’ I said.
‘A really big portfolio all to myself? That’s a dream come true,’ Clarissa said with enthusiasm.
‘As for me, I want to take up duty full-time as your personal bodyguard again, ma’am,’ Michael said. ‘If you’ll have me, that is. I want to permanently join the staff of Wudang, as opposed to the Western Heavens.’
Clarissa turned to glare at him. ‘What are you talking about? I never agreed to that. You said you were just coming on staff to teach, there wasn’t anything about being her bodyguard again.’ She glanced from me to Michael. ‘You just took a bullet for her the other night, you haven’t even recovered from that and you want to put yourself back in the firing line again?’
‘It’s all right, Clarissa, I won’t let him do it anyway,’ I said. ‘Michael’s been injured too many times protecting me, and we’ve decided it’ll be best if I’m only guarded by Immortals.’
She exhaled loudly. ‘Well, that’s a relief.’
‘You decided, did you? Without consulting me? You can’t give the job to anyone else — I won’t let you!’ Michael said.
‘Not even Leo?’
Michael swiped his hand through the air. ‘Leo’s in a wheelchair.’
‘You say that in front of him and he’ll call you out,’ I said.
‘And own my ass,’ he said wryly. He sagged. ‘I concede if it’s Leo.’ His expression grew stern. ‘But nobody else; and if I get good enough or attain Immortality, the job is mine, right?’
‘Deal,’ I said.
I put my hand out over the table and he shook it.
‘Good,’ he said. ‘So, can I come?’
I pulled a blank scroll off a stack sitting to one side, pushed it open, scribbled the directions to give Michael a staff position and residence on the Mountain, then signed it. I pulled my black jade chop — square and three centimetres to a side — closer, flipped open the modern Japanese stamp pad, inked the chop well and stamped it over my signature. I rolled the scroll back up and handed it to Michael. ‘Orders. Give them to Gold.’
He took the scroll with both hands. ‘Ma’am.’
‘That seal is beautiful. What’s that on top of it? Is it a dragon?’ Clarissa said, curious.
I passed the chop to her and she admired it, carefully avoiding the remaining red ink on the bottom. ‘Oh, it’s a snake.’ She turned it in her hands, then glanced up at me. ‘Is that what you look like?’
/> I nodded.
‘Is it big?’
‘Huge,’ Michael said. ‘Smallest is about three metres long, and I’ve seen her up to ten metres when she’s really big.’
Clarissa appeared thoughtful as she handed the seal back. ‘To look at you, no one would ever think you’re something so completely scary.’
‘What you’re seeing now is the scariest Emma ever,’ Michael said. ‘The snake is nothing.’
‘Give me that scroll back and go home to your father,’ I said. ‘I don’t want you.’
He saluted me with it. ‘I’ll be back when I’m done moving in, and we can talk about what you want me to do.’
‘I’ve told Gold to give you Persimmon Tree Pavilion; it’s a nice one, and nobody’s living there right now.’
He fell to one knee and saluted me. Clarissa smiled and they went out together.
A couple of hours later my mobile rang.
‘Miss Donahoe, is Citrus. We have major problem in Wellington Street. Can you come over visit now? We need you.’
‘I’m on my way,’ I said, then called Leo. ‘I have to go down to Wellington Street — Citrus sounded really upset. Can you take me?’
‘On my way.’
I thought for a moment, then tapped the stone in my ring.
‘Yes? I was asleep.’
‘Of course you were. I need to go down to Wellington Street. Ask Zara if Clarissa would like to come along.’
The stone was silent for a moment, then said, ‘Clarissa’s on her way. Zara says she’s eager to take up her duties. Do we have to continue calling it Zara? It should take its stone name back.’
‘Zara says she likes being female and she likes being called something that means “star”, so deal.’
‘Humph.’
Leo wheeled himself into my office. ‘What happened?’
‘Citrus wouldn’t say. Can you carry me and Clarissa?’