by J. D. Brown
The women jumped in surprise. The older of the two scowled at me and said something in Mandarin. It sounded like a scolding.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
“Visit over!” she said in accented English. “Hospital closed.”
“I’m looking for someone who works here. Her name is Shénshèng. Do you know her?”
The guys approached, flanking my sides. Mr. Wu took over, speaking quickly to the nurses in their native tongue. After a moment, he bowed his thanks to the women and then turned a wide smile to us.
“You are in luck. Shénshèng is a doctor here. Her office is in the basement.”
My brow rose as Shénshèng’s profession sank in. A vampyre doctor working in a human hospital? I didn’t question it out loud because Mr. Wu was already on the move. We followed him into an elevator that carried us down two floors.
A warm sensation tingled against my chest. As the elevator doors opened, my hand automatically went to the wood charm between my breasts. It singed my skin and I jumped at the sharp sting.
“Everything all right?” Jesu watched as I released the woodchip under my shirt. Whatever the odd sensation had been, it was over now. I looked at my fingers, but there was no sign of the burn I’d felt. And that was impossible anyway. Wood didn’t change temperature for no reason.
“Splinter,” I murmured before stepping off the crane into the basement corridor.
“Third door to the left.” Mr. Wu gestured. Green lockers and office doors lined the hallway.
“Thank you,” I said as we shuffled past Mr. Wu. He hung back, remaining near the elevator while we forged ahead.
Tancred reached the plain wooden door first and knocked. When no one answered, he knocked again. “Doctor Shénshèng? This is the Aplan Hand speaking. I’d like a moment of your time.”
I rolled my eyes. Tancred sounded like a cop. I pushed past the stuffy militant and gripped the door knob, turning it easily. “Dr. Shénshèng? My name is Ema. May I come—”
My voice died in my throat as I entered the room and gasped. I expected an office, or maybe an exam room. Instead, I walked into a science lab, but the room had been trashed. Desks and tables had been overturned. A floor lamp lay askew as it impaled a computer monitor. Rivers of iodine and other brightly colored liquids dripped from counters. Papers, springs, bits of machinery, and glass—so much broken glass—covered the floor.
“What happened?” I whispered.
Jesu gripped my shoulder. I glanced up at him, and he nodded toward the far back corner of the room. I followed his line of sight, and my breath hitched. A woman in a long white coat sat crouched on her heels, hunched forward so that her long, platinum white hair fell over her face, obscuring her features like a curtain. Pale hands swept out from under the white coat, frantically brushing the rubble on the floor. She muttered nonsense in a hushed feminine voice. For a moment, my mind was transferred to a literal hell, where I watched an old crone perched atop a large boulder fuss over a stone in her withered hands. The name puffed from my lips in a moment of terror.
“Lilith.”
The woman froze and then jerked her gaze up. Her hair fell away to reveal her face, and I gasped for the third time as two beady pink eyes stared at me. She was flawless—every inch of her youthful skin powder white. Her delicate lashes and eyebrows were like the small white down feathers of a bird, her hair like strands of fresh snow. Vampyres were always pale, but this frail creature was something else entirely. I understood now why the Chinese R.E.D. took greater measures to keep the Ch’ing Shih hidden. If the entire clan looked like her...
“They’re albinos,” I said. “The entire clan is albino.”
Tancred nodded. “Among other things.”
“So this is not Lilith.” Jesu approached the woman, but kept a wide breadth as he crouched in front of her. “Are you Dr. Shénshèng?”
The woman lowered her gaze and ran her palms over the linoleum, muttering to herself in Chinese. I noticed the cuffs of her sleeves were stained red. Her fingertips were pink and raw from a dozen tiny cuts. Panic erupted in my chest.
“What are you doing?” I knelt in front of her, grabbed her hands, and turned them palm-side-up. More cuts and scrapes marred her skin, some of them deep with tiny shards of glass embedded in the flesh. A pile of broken glass rested between her knees. My stomach churned. “What is wrong with you, use a broom!”
She hissed at me, her mouth full of very long, very sharp teeth. Her reaction caught me off guard and I fell back on my butt, letting go of her hands in the process. She immediately reached her arms out and raked more glass and broken bits into the pile with her bare hands.
“She’s nuts,” I said.
Jesu offered his hand. I took it.
“It’s no use,” said Tancred. “She has to count every last piece.”
“What are you talking about?” I winced as Jesu pulled me to my feet. My tailbone must have hit the floor harder than I realized.
“She’s Ch’ing Shih,” Tancred continued, as if that explained everything. “Whenever something spills or breaks in front of a Ch’ing Shih, they must stop whatever they are doing and count every grain—or shard in this case. It’s a mental tick they suffer from.”
I blinked at the albino woman. Her constant muttering could’ve been her counting to herself in Mandarin, for all I knew. Still, what Tancred implied seemed impossible. “You’re telling me an entire race of vampyres is plagued by obsessive compulsive disorder?”
“It’s not technically OCD, but I supposed that’s one way of looking at it.”
“This was not an accident,” said Jesu. His gaze swept the room, scanning the destruction in its entirety. “Someone got here before us and smashed everything in front of Shénshèng so she would be too distracted to talk to you.”
“Oh man,” I groaned. “Damn Valafar.” Sure, I gave him a few hints as to where I was going and why, but I wasn’t quite expecting this. Then again, what was I expecting? Lilith wouldn’t make this easy, especially if she believed I was trying to make another stone to use against her. “Can we tie her down, or take her somewhere else? Would that help?”
Tancred shook his head. “She’ll just be erratic until she’s done.”
“Then let’s help her count.” Looking at the glass strewn about the room again, I grimaced. Some of the shards were no bigger than salt crystals.
“We’re better off coming back tomorrow,” said Tancred.
“No,” said Jesu. “The incubus will only incapacitate her again.”
“Perhaps, but what choice do you have? She is useless right now.”
“Shut up!” Shénshèng slammed her fists against the floor. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Fresh blood squeezed from between her fingers. “You made me lose count. No coming back tomorrow. I can’t help you.” Shénshèng squelched her cheeks as she spread the pile of glass at her knees over the floor, and began counting over again from one.
A lump welled in my throat. “Crap, you guys, this is bad. Can’t Mr. Wu help her?” For a moment, I was more concerned about Shénshèng’s safety than the safety of my own children, but that moment passed quickly as the full weight of the loss rested against my shoulders. If Shénshèng couldn’t help me, then Lilith really was my last hope—which meant whatever she wanted as payment, she would get.
Mr. Wu screamed, and my attention snapped back to the present.
Tancred flung open the door and we rushed into the hall, Jesu with a dagger in each hand. Dad stood midway between us and a shocked Mr. Wu, clutching a thin one-handed sword in the air like a baseball bat.
“What happened?” Jesu demanded.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, letting my disbelief color my words. Seriously, even if he managed to untie himself, how did he know where to find us?
Dad looked at me, then at Jesu. His hand went to a woodchip that dangled from a length of leather cord around his neck. I noticed the eye carved into the wood before his fists closed ove
r the charm, and my own hand went to my chest.
Why do we have matching necklaces?
“Your incubus problem is getting worse,” said Dad.
“Is he here?” Jesu scanned the corridor, pivoting to check behind us.
“No. I think he left when I showed up.”
“Or he just moved out of range,” said Jesu. His gaze narrowed to slits, and I knew he had all his senses on high alert.
“Is Mr. Wu okay?” I asked.
Dad glanced at poor Mr. Wu, cowering in the corner near the elevator, and then sheathed his sword. “Sorry, man. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Apology accepted.” Mr. Wu pushed to his feet and smoothed his hands over his suit buttons.
“Did you find your alchemist?” Dad was talking to me, but Jesu answered first.
“Yes, but Valafar got to her. You should see this.” He nodded in the direction of the lab.
“Wait, wait, wait,” I said, making a stopping motion with both hands. Was I the only one losing my mind? “Hold your horses. How did you find us?”
“It’s not that hard to follow a limousine in the middle of the night. Next time take a cab.” Dad slid past me, into the room.
“But how did you untie yourself and get downstairs fast enough to follow us?” I entered after him. Jesu and Tancred followed.
Shénshèng was still on the floor, bleeding and counting. Was she even aware we had left the room? It didn’t seem like it.
Dad studied Shénshèng for a moment then shook his head. “Poor girl.” He walked up to her, and then crouched down so he could look at her eye to eye. He whispered something, then placed his palms on either side of her temples, framing her face with his large hands. With his back to me, I couldn’t see what he was doing, but after a moment, Dad and Shénshèng both rose to their feet, moving in unison. Her pink eyes focused on his. Then her eyelids closed, and she sighed deeply.
Dad let go, and Shénshèng blinked her eyes open. A gracious smile touched her lips, and for the first time the doctor looked sane.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
I put my hands on my hips. “Okay, seriously. What did you just do and how?”
Shénshèng looked at me and her brow furrowed. “We must leave. Quickly. Do you have Angelica sinensis?”
“I have Adders Tongue.” Dad reached into his coat pocket and pulled out what looked like a smudge stick. Jesu tossed his lighter at my father. Dad caught it and lit the herbs.
“My place,” said Shénshèng. “It is safe.”
“Are you sure?” asked Jesu.
She regarded him for a moment, and then nodded. “Lilith cannot enter its walls.”
“Good enough,” said Jesu. “Let’s go.”
I was brimming with questions—and accusations—but now wasn’t the time. I clamped my jaw shut and led the group back to the elevator.
Mr. Wu took one look at Shénshèng and protested. “Where is she going? It’s nearly dawn. She is Ch’ing Shih. She cannot go with you.”
I pushed past him and pressed the elevator button. “Sorry, Mr. Wu, but you can tell the R.E.D. to shove their prejudices where the sun doesn’t shine. This is vampyre business.”
Mr. Wu’s jaw fell open. The doors parted and the six of us entered the elevator. The smoke from the Adder’s Tongue grew thick in the cramped space, but there was something else—something in the back of my mind—that said we were definitely being watched. Without knowing why, my hand went to the necklace Jesu had given me; specifically the wooden charm, where my thumb traced the eye symbol.
CHAPTER 17
We emerged from the limousine, to the rancid scent of barnyard animals. The grandeur of the city was far behind us, though we were nowhere near the countryside either. The buildings here were no more than three stories tall and made of concrete that had seen better days if the crumbled edges were any indication. Trash littered the narrowed footpaths, and the surrounding shops had that low-income flea market appearance.
Shénshèng led us around a simple brown abode that matched a dozen others on the block, to an entrance in the back. Something about the air around us felt thick, but I couldn’t quite figure out why. I was no stranger to the slums, having grown up in Chicago, but even if I was, human street crime would be the least of my concerns. I touched the necklace again.
Shénshèng unlocked the door, and the four of us followed her into a basement apartment. She literally lived underground. The apartment was tiny and cluttered. Charms hung from the ceiling. Small statues of deities I didn’t recognize lined the shelves. Incense burners dominated the small coffee table in the living room. The air smelled of a smorgasbord of sweet smoke. Symbols painted in big red strokes covered all four walls. Shénshèng locked the door, and I noticed a set of matching symbols painted on the back.
“What are those?” I gestured to the red marks.
She smiled as she moved to the cramped kitchen. “A Taoist spell. The succubus and her kin cannot break it.”
“Does that mean you’re an alchemist?”
Shénshèng nodded. “Among other things.”
“You did this a long time ago,” Jesu remarked. He touched a finger to the tip of a red stroke that peaked out from behind a shelf of talisman, scrolls, and other items. “Do you have a history of succubae problems?”
Shénshèng found a kettle and filled it with water from the tap. “I may have poked the serpent once or twice in the past.”
“And now you’re helping me.” I winced. “I have to be honest, Lilith probably won’t like this.”
“No,” she agreed as she lit an iron potbelly stove and set the kettle on one of the burners. “In fact, she threatened to hurt me if I didn’t turn you away.”
Crap. “She threatened you? I mean Lilith specifically, not just Valafar?”
Shénshèng nodded. She reached into an overhead cupboard and took down a small gauze bag full of large seeds. From there, she went to the living room and slowly scanned the shelves.
“So Lilith is here in Shanghai,” said Jesu. His gaze narrowed in thought and the edges of his lips sank into a frown. I wrapped my arms around myself and lowered my gaze. My goal to bait Lilith had apparently worked a little too well.
“But you are helping my daughter anyway,” said Dad. “Despite the risk to your own safety. Why?”
Shénshèng selected a gold emblem from the rows of strange charms. It resembled a geometric flower pattern held within a simple circle. “Your daughter’s path began lifetimes ago. I have seen the outcome of this meeting. My part in it is too great to ignore.”
She returned to the kitchen and retrieved a small tea cup.
The four of us looked at her, but to my surprise, I managed to speak first. “You knew about me before today?”
Shénshèng placed the emblem in the tea cup, along with one of the large seeds, and then filled the remainder with hot water from the kettle. “Yes.” She held the tea cup in both hands and offered it to me. “Drink this.”
“Wait a second.” Jesu came forward. “You are a seer?”
“Yes.” Shénshèng grinned brightly, her kind eyes focused on mine. The pink coloring was eerie, but a sense of wisdom hid in their depths. “Which means I already know why you are here.”
“Y-you do?” I exclaimed.
She extended the drink again in offer. “This will save your child.”
“Child?” Dad looked at me. His brow pinched in askance. When I didn’t say anything, he sighed softly. “Oh Ema.”
Tancred, however, was glaringly silent, and I couldn’t quite meet his gaze. Would he use this against me, too? Would he tell the Council the contract was a ploy to manipulate the royal family into serving my children? Would Brinnon feel betrayed by the news? Heat rose to my cheeks and I lowered my gaze. I only wanted to protect them... and I would, no matter the cost.
I took the tea cup and sniffed the contents. It didn’t have much of a scent. “How does it work?”
“I spelled the seeds and the t
alisman for you long ago. They have been dormant, waiting. Water wakes the spell, but you must drink every last drop and swallow the seed for it to reach your child.”
“Children,” I corrected. Dad made a strange guttural sound in his throat, but the cat was already out of the bag. I might as well make sure Shénshèng got the spell right for both babies, just in case I needed to swallow two seeds or something. “I’m having twins.”
Shénshèng tilted her snow-kissed features. “Yes, but only the son is tainted.”
I nearly dropped the cup. Shénshèng caught my hands, and wrapped them more tightly around the frail china. Jesu put a hand on my shoulder.
“Can you elaborate?” he asked.
“I cannot say everything.” Shénshèng shook her head. “Only that the tea is not a cure.” She went back to the kitchen to fetch the bag of seeds. “Once he is born, you must continue to feed your child the seeds exactly as I have prepared this one, with the emblem and hot water to activate the spell. He must consume a single seed each year on the eve of his birthday. It will keep the stain upon his essence dormant.” She handed the bag of seeds to Jesu. Hesitantly, he took them. “You have enough for twenty-one years,” she said. “Then it is up to fate.”
“Can’t we just get more seeds?” I frowned.
Shénshèng shook her head in apology. “You will see.”
“That is all you can tell us?” Jesu’s gaze darkened. “We will see? You have already seen. Tell us more.”
“You of all people know the rules, Draugrian.” Shénshèng leveled her gaze with his, and some unspoken meaning flickered in her pink eyes. Jesu clenched his jaw and looked away.
“Is it bad,” I whispered, “my child’s future?”
“Good and bad are relevant. All life has ups and downs.” She gave me a smile that was probably supposed to be reassuring, but I was too miserable to appreciate the gesture.
“Well,” I sighed, “bottom’s up.”
I drank the scalding water and swallowed the acorn-sized seed with it. It scraped my throat going down. I coughed, choking it back with stubborn determination. When that was done, I picked the gold emblem out of the cup and stuffed it in my pocket opposite the side that held Apollyon’s stone.