by Kylie Chan
Qing Long stopped at the end of the tunnel and put his hand on a door that was embossed with the circular motif of the Blue Dragon. The door split vertically into two pieces, which slid smoothly sideways. We went into a brightly lit room that was four metres to a side and contained only a carved wooden box, forty centimetres wide, standing on a metre-tall pillar.
‘The Jade Emperor says to give this to you,’ the Dragon said. ‘In your current state, it’s probably a good idea.’
He opened the lid of the casket and John and I both took a step back. The casket contained a cage of what appeared to be Celestial Jade, the same size as the interior of the casket and sitting flush with its walls.
‘Oh, dear Lord, is that what I think it is?’ I said.
‘What are you doing with one of these?’ John said, his voice a horrified rasp.
The Dragon put the lid back on the casket. ‘This is the safest place it could be.’
‘You should destroy it,’ John said.
‘I was as distressed as you are when the Celestial gave it to me four hundred years ago, and I wanted to destroy it. The Celestial told me not to; he said there would be a time when such a thing is needed.’ He lifted the casket in both hands. ‘And now is the time. Take True Form in this and you can heal without risk.’
‘You should have told me about this when my feet were first injured. The demons are preparing to attack now,’ John said.
The Dragon dropped his head slightly. ‘The Jade Emperor suggested I give it to you three days ago and I ignored him.’ He put one hand on top of the casket as he held it with the other. ‘I didn’t want to see you trapped inside this awful thing.’
‘And now the Jade Emperor’s changed it to an order,’ John said.
‘I know, I know,’ the Dragon said with resignation. ‘Obey the Celestial, he knows what he’s doing.’
‘No,’ I said softly.
John took a step forward and accepted the casket from the Dragon, his face grim.
‘No!’ I said. ‘We can’t risk this.’
‘Enter it and rest here,’ the Dragon said. ‘You will be safe under the sea.’
‘I will go to the Grotto,’ John said. ‘I will reap the most benefit in the heart of my Mountain.’
The Dragon nodded. ‘Good idea.’ He ducked slightly to gaze into John’s eyes; he was a good head taller. ‘Let me come to ensure you aren’t imprisoned by a demon seeking advancement.’ He put his hand on John’s shoulder. ‘I’ll watch you, Ah Wu.’
‘Emma can watch me. You have more important things to do.’
‘And I don’t,’ I said. ‘I can sit with him for as long as it takes.’
The Dragon glanced at me, seeing the lie, then obviously relented and nodded.
He stood more upright and turned to me. ‘He won’t be able to do anything while he’s in it. He can’t call or travel or carry.’ He held his hand out and one of his AI phones appeared in it, slim and blue–silver. ‘Go down with him and watch him, and the minute you think anything is wrong, contact me immediately. I’ll be right there.’
‘Thanks, Dragon,’ I said, my voice small. ‘God, this is such a bad idea.’
‘And it’s not one of yours for a change,’ the Dragon said with grim humour. He turned to John. ‘Let me know when you enter, and also when you leave. I’ll be on alert while you’re in it.’
‘Thank you, Ah Qing,’ John said, and gave the Dragon a clumsy one-handed embrace while he held the casket with the other. ‘I’ll be very glad to have my feet back.’
‘My pleasure,’ the Dragon said. ‘Please don’t tell anyone it exists. Its presence imperils us all.’
‘Hopefully very soon it will be destroyed,’ John said.
‘Hopefully you are right,’ the Dragon said.
7
John was sitting in an armchair next to the fire in our bedroom when I came around after the journey back. His long hair was damp from the shower and he was wearing his black silk bathrobe, loosely tied and open to his waist. He was studying some of the reports, the papers held casually on his crossed knee as he read. I lay for a moment watching him, wishing I could take a photo of him like this, relaxed and elegant — until I saw the blood on his bandaged feet.
He smiled slightly without looking away from the papers.
‘When do you want to do it?’ I said without rising.
‘Immediately.’ He didn’t look up. ‘After we’ve decided whether to go into lockdown or continue normally while I’m in it.’
‘What did the Masters say?’
‘Continue normally.’ He glanced up at me. ‘Do you agree?’
‘What do you think?’
He sighed and placed the reports on the floor next to him, then rubbed his eyes. ‘Lockdown. We’ll be vulnerable while I’m bound and we need to take every precaution.’
I sat up. ‘I agree with you. We should go into lockdown for the duration.’
He nodded and unfocused, giving the order. He snapped back as the bells started to ring in the slow rhythm of lockdown.
‘Let me use the bathroom and we can go down,’ I said.
He concentrated and changed out of the robe into a Mountain uniform, then bent and picked up the jade cage, which had been sitting in its casket beside his chair, and put it in his lap while he waited for me.
Students were wandering back to their barracks, sharing their confusion about the reason for the lockdown, as I helped John from the Residence to the wall that held the entrance to the Grotto. We paused at the entrance and waited for the bells to stop, indicating that all the students had been accounted for. I studied my feet as we leaned side by side on the rock wall. John shifted slightly.
The bells stopped ringing, and John nodded acknowledgement as the Masters told him the lockdown was complete.
We levered ourselves off the wall and turned, and John put one hand out to open it. I put my hand on his arm to stop him before we went in.
‘Talk about it inside where it’s secure,’ he said.
I nodded and followed him down the stairs, conjuring a ball of chi to see by when the wall closed behind us.
‘You can manage the light yourself?’ he asked softly.
‘Yes.’
When we reached the bottom, he placed the casket on the floor of the ledge next to the lake, opened it and took out the jade cage.
‘John …’ I said.
He straightened to see me.
I ran my hands through my hair. ‘Are you absolutely sure the Western Demon King can’t flash into my eyes and see what we’re doing?’
He sagged slightly. ‘I was wondering when you’d work it out.’ He straightened again. ‘Why didn’t you tell me when you knew?’
‘Because I’m no longer controlled by them and they can’t do it any more.’ I shook my head. ‘At least, I hope I’m not. Are you sure they can’t do it any more? I don’t feel any different. I just feel like me.’
‘They can’t do it any more.’
‘How many others know it was me?’ I said.
‘About four of the Celestial Masters. The Lius pulled me in for a meeting about it after you came back from the West. They’d worked out the Western King was doing it, and wanted to be sure that it wouldn’t happen any more.’ He saw my face. ‘The Western King could only flash into your head for less than a second each time, Emma. It wasn’t a major security breach.’
‘Are you absolutely sure it won’t happen again?’
‘You broke their hold. You stopped obeying them so you became …’ He searched for the words. ‘Completely human. You are no longer under their control.’
I looked into his eyes and saw the lie. ‘The Western King said there was enough demon there for him to control. There was enough demon there to fill me with Eastern demon essence.’
‘You regained your free will. You are now human.’
‘You know that’s not possible. When a demon becomes human they Ascend, and I know that hasn’t happened to me.’
‘I can�
��t talk about that and you know it.’
‘I know how powerful the Jade Emperor’s orders are. I also know I can’t have Ascended. That hasn’t happened to me, so I’m still a demon.’
‘You are not a demon and you never were, Emma. You’re a human with a very small amount of demon in you that’s been overcome. There’s no distinct line between human and demon; with interbreeding, the grey areas are huge. You were very far on the human side of the border. You are so human it doesn’t matter.’
I sat on the bench and leaned my elbows on my knees. ‘You need to stop living in denial, John; you’ve been doing it for more than ten years. Face the fact that I’m a demon and I’m a security risk.’
‘You’re human.’ He shrugged. ‘I’m not in denial.’
‘You need to check me and make sure.’
‘I have seen all I need to see inside your head.’
‘That was before I went to the West and the Western King controlled me.’ I studied him, seeing his conflict. ‘Who knows what they did to me while they’d taken my will?’
‘I won’t do it, Emma.’ He paced in a circle, then crouched to open the jade cage. ‘You broke their hold, that’s all that matters.’
‘Face the fact that I may be a security risk and check me again.’
He didn’t reply, studying the cage.
‘If I am a security risk, we do not want the Western Demon King to know you’re in that,’ I said, pointing at the cage. ‘You need to double-check, John.’
‘No.’
‘Please.’ I went to him and crouched next to him. I put my hand on his face. ‘I want to be sure. Do it for me. If you’re right, then it makes no difference.’
‘I am right. I don’t like looking inside your head.’
‘It would ease my mind and it won’t hurt me. Just do it, John.’
‘All right. If I must. Let’s get this over with so we can stop arguing like the old married couple we are and I can have my nap.’
He stood and waved for me to rise as well.
‘Why didn’t you see my demon nature when you looked inside me before?’ I said as I moved closer. ‘Never mind; you’ve been in denial for years.’
‘Your Western demon nature was not visible to me, and it was dormant until you encountered the Western King,’ he said, putting his hands on either side of my face. ‘Your mixed Western nature was something we haven’t encountered in the past, and it is so small that there’s hardly any of it.’
‘I remember. The Western King said that one more generation and he wouldn’t be able to control me.’
‘That’s right. The grey area is huge, and your demon nature is minuscule. There is also something about you that is very hard to spot — the same as our Demon King when he is disguised as human, as Kitty Kwok.’
‘Kitty was originally human.’
‘So are you, you see?’
He raised his face and closed his eyes, and his dark cool essence flowed through my nerves, up and down my spine.
‘It feels like there’s ice water running through me,’ I said.
‘I’m not hurting you?’
‘No. It feels …’ I hesitated. ‘Really good, actually.’
‘Oh, Emma,’ he said, his voice soft with awe. ‘No wonder we are so in tune. You’re right, you haven’t Ascended at all. You have done the same thing as I have: you’ve turned. You broke their hold and disobeyed their orders, and turned to the Celestial by choice. Every other demon has required taming with the Fire Essence Pill to control their nature. You have done it by yourself.’
‘I’m still a demon?’
‘Am I?’
I paused at that.
‘Exactly,’ he said. ‘You have overcome it and it is no longer part of your nature, same as me.’
‘How many demons have done this? Overcome their natures and turned without being tamed?’
‘There are very rare cases of it happening. Very few of us have done it. I hoped Ronnie Wong would do it, but he remained obedient to Number One and had to be tamed. A couple of the Generals are the only ones I know of apart from me — and now you as well.’
‘I don’t feel that special,’ I said, unconvinced.
‘You have done this by force of will, and through the love you hold for your family. By the Heavens, Emma, you are a very strange creature.’
‘Oh, that’s a true compliment coming from you, Xuan Wu.’
‘I know.’ He removed his essence from me and I shivered. ‘I wonder if your Western heritage and growing up in the South had something to do with it? Bred in the West, grew up in the South, trained in the East. Maybe there are other cross-nation spirits that are as complex as you are. When all this is resolved, we must go and speak to the Grandmother. In the meantime, you are no more a danger to the security of the Celestial than I am.’ He put his hands on my shoulders. ‘Now that you have transcended your demon nature and the training I have given you is approaching its full potential, you have grown into something astonishing. When we have that Elixir inside you, it will be a sight to see.’
‘So there’s no chance that the Western Demon King can see through my eyes?’ I said. ‘I’m sorry for doubting you. You were right.’
‘No, you were right,’ he said. ‘I was absolutely positive you weren’t a demon, but I think to some degree I have been in denial. I didn’t want you to be something I have vowed to destroy, however slim that possibility is.’
‘Maybe we should have kept it casual and not gone into lockdown then,’ I said.
‘Even so,’ he said, turning back to the jade cage. ‘Even without a single untamed demon on the Mountain, you can never be sure that nobody will try us. And since we have no seals I’d prefer to be safe.’
He handed the lid to me and I readied myself. I would have to be fast to shut the Turtle in the cage before it took off to merge with the Serpent.
John attempted to stand inside the cage to make it easier for me, but even with his mutilated feet he didn’t fit. He put one foot in and turned to face me.
I crouched with the cover in both hands, ready to imprison him, then stopped and shook my head. ‘I can’t put you in and close the lid at the same time. We need another person here to make sure you go into the cage.’
‘Leo’s on the Earthly with Ming. Yue is at the Northern Heavens. None of them can come in now that we’ve locked down.’ He was silent for a moment. ‘Simone is here.’
‘She’s perfect. You should have asked her first.’
‘I don’t want her to see me imprisoned.’
‘I don’t want to see it either, John,’ I said, my voice hoarse.
The Grotto lit up as Simone opened the doorway far above, then darkened as she came down the stairs to us.
‘I’ll put him in, you slam the lid on,’ she said, her voice thick with tears.
‘Simone.’ John put one hand on her shoulder. ‘It’s okay. It’ll be like a rest for me. Nothing will happen.’
‘I just have a really bad feeling about this.’ She raised her head to see him. ‘How will we know to let you out?’
‘I’ll just ask,’ he said. ‘When I’m in control enough to speak to you, take the lid off.’
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Ready, Emma?’
‘I have it.’
‘I’m going to mess this up,’ she whispered.
‘No, you aren’t,’ John said. ‘Are you ready?’
‘How big will you make yourself?’ Simone said.
‘As small as I can. It will be about the same size as the cage. If I’m too big …’ He hesitated. ‘Never mind.’
Simone glanced at me and her expression matched my own dread. If he was too big, we wouldn’t be able to put him in the cage and he would be gone.
John pushed one leg out towards her. ‘Hold behind my knee. When I change, you will have one of my back legs. Use it to put me in.’
Simone silently shook her head. She threw her arms around him and embraced him, and he rested his face on top of her head and kissed
her hair.
‘I’ll be fine,’ he said.
She nodded, knelt, and did as he suggested.
‘Ready?’ he said.
‘I love you,’ I said.
‘I love you too, Daddy,’ Simone said, her voice still thick with tears.
‘Both of you are my life,’ he said. ‘I will count to three and change. One, two … three.’
He collapsed into his small tortoise form and Simone swept both hands around it. She nearly threw it into the cage and I slammed the lid on, hoping that I didn’t catch any fingers or feet. I held the lid on against the tortoise’s struggles.
‘We did it,’ Simone said with disbelief as I closed the latches on the lid to hold it in place.
‘You don’t have to hang around now. I’ll sit with him,’ I said.
‘I’ll stay a while too, just to make sure nothing bad happens,’ Simone said. ‘He’s fighting it.’
She was right: the tortoise was banging its beak against the bars of the cage. It was nearly as big as the cage itself so couldn’t turn around, but it raised its feet and stamped at the bars.
‘He’s really distressed,’ Simone said.
The tortoise raised its head, beak wide, and made a pathetic hissing sound, then banged its beak on the cage. It slammed the top of its head against the lid. It opened its mouth and hissed again, then tried to prise its beak between the bars of the cage. When it didn’t succeed, it squatted with frustration and systematically banged its beak on the inside of the cage.
‘I can’t watch this,’ Simone said, and turned away.
‘Go out. I can mind him,’ I said.
She stood and went up the stairs and out of the Grotto. I picked up the cage, which was surprisingly heavy with him in it, put it on the stone bench and settled next to it to supervise as the tortoise struggled and hissed.
Half an hour later, the tortoise was still banging its beak on the interior of the cage and was bleeding from its nose. This process was causing more damage instead of healing him. I pulled out my mundane phone and called Simone but she didn’t answer. I called the Dragon on his AI phone instead.