by Reese, Jenn
"Impossible," Xia said at once. "This is too important."
"I understand its importance, Sifu," Shan said, "but this is my journey, not yours."
"You are not ready. You did not spend enough time in the Jade Circle to learn all you need for this."
Shan stared into Xia's eyes. "Yes, I am ready."
Xia stared back. "Then you will need to prove it to me."
"I accept your challenge," Shan said.
"What are you talking about?" Ian interjected. "I don't like the way this sounds."
"It doesn't matter what you like or don't like, boy," Xia said. "This is between Lin-Yao's daughter and myself."
"I have a name," Shan said tersely.
"Song Shan," said Xia. "I remember."
Shan stood. "Outside. By the pool. Now."
"Agreed." Xia leaped to her feet, ran past Shan, and jumped headfirst out the open window. Shan moved to the window and watched Xia somersault through the air and land on her feet like a cat. Xia's eyes glowed in the moonlight as she looked up at Shan and smiled.
Shan felt Ian's hand on her arm. "Shan, wait," he said. "Do you have to do this?"
"Yes," she said, "I do." Shan turned and touched Ian's hand resting on her arm. "Unless you're looking forward to a week on a remote island resort with Sifu Xia..."
Ian grunted. "Yeah, that's my fondest wish. And then I'm going to have a voluntary lobotomy."
"Then I need to do this," Shan said. "As much as I hate to admit it, Sifu Xia is right. The most capable one of us should go to the auction. Now I just need to show her that it's me."
Ian took a step closer, enveloping Shan in his aura of warmth. "What about your ribs?" he said softly. "You're injured."
"It's nothing," Shan said, but the words came out slowly. Ian's scent and the sharp white of his shirt were blocking her mind from rational thought.
"This isn't one of those to-the-death things, is it?" Ian skimmed his hand along her skin--up to her shoulder then back down to her forearm. Shan barely resisted the urge to groan and slip further into his arms.
"Members of the Jade Circle don't kill each other," Shan whispered. She stared into Ian's eyes and saw the heat that they both felt.
Something whizzed by Shan's head and lodged itself in the window frame. A nut of some kind. Shan looked down at the lawn and saw Xia aiming another one.
"I'm surprised she missed," Ian said softly.
"She didn't. First one was a warning."
"Can I watch the fight?" Ian asked.
Shan nodded. "But only if you don't interfere. Xia might use that as an excuse to kill you."
She couldn't risk another look at Ian's face, not with his body so close. Shan put her hands on the windowsill and vaulted out the window. She landed and rolled in the soft grass. Pain erupted in her side, but she gritted her teeth and didn't cry out. Her adrenaline was already flowing, and, combined with her body's chi, would prove sufficient to dull the pain for the upcoming fight. Provided it didn't go on too long, that was.
She stood. A cool night breeze plastered her silk nightgown against her skin and caused it to snap at the bottom.
"Damn." Shan had forgotten what she was wearing. She doubted she'd be able to kick very high wrapped in a tight sheath. At her side, already hidden in the shadows of the house, Xia chuckled. Shan spared her teacher a glower, then reached down and ripped the nightgown along the seam, stopping when it reached the top of her thigh. She mirrored the rip on the other side.
"Much better," Shan muttered.
"Let's go," Xia said in Mandarin, and the old woman was off, running across the lawn at an incredible speed. Shan bolted after her. It felt like the old games they used to play outside the sanctuary. The cool grass and warm earth caressed her feet as she ran. Laughter welled in her lungs, and she longed to release it into the night. But the Dashells and their servants slept just a few feet away, and the fewer spectators they had for their fight, the better.
Ahead of her, Xia paused at odd intervals; she seemed to jump into the air and somersault for no reason. Shan looked to the house and saw the cameras. She altered her own path and dodged their gaze as well. Together, she and Xia leaped, rolled, and ran their way to the expansive backyard of Dashell Manor.
The pool sat back, away from the house, and trickled darkly. A wide, circular spa rested at one end, dribbling its contents slowly into the large, oval pool. A rope cut the pool across its middle and floated quietly with the help of several white buoys. A five-foot-wide path of concrete outlined the pool and separated it from the surrounding grass and trees. Chairs and tables were scattered around the concrete.
Xia stepped onto the concrete and turned to face Shan. Shan arrived a second later and took her place opposite her teacher. Behind them, Shan could hear Ian's footsteps across the grass.
"I am sorry to prove your weakness in front of your man," Xia said, though the smile on her face spoke otherwise.
"I will do my best, Sifu, as I was taught."
Shan placed her palms together and bowed low. Xia deserved, and would always deserve, such respect from her. Shan didn't always agree with Xia's methods, but the woman's skills and devotion to the Jade Circle were an inspiration to Shan, as well as to any of the other students who had cared to see beyond Xia's coarse words and painful reproaches.
Xia bowed as well, but not as low.
Shan began the attack, using a standard method taught at the Jade Circle. Xia knew nothing of Shan's training since the Circle was broken, and Shan wanted to keep it that way until later in the fight. Hopefully, Xia would grow overconfident.
Xia countered Shan's initial attacks easily. The older woman's hands and feet blurred with speed in the darkness. Xia was small, but she had learned to compensate. Her lightning responses almost caught Shan off guard. Silently, Shan thanked the ponytailed woman named Dart for warming her up for such attacks.
They circled each other, crossing from the concrete onto the grass, and back again. Xia tested Shan with another series of attacks, these based on the five animals. She used two fingers to whip at Shan's temple, like a dragon tail. Her hands lashed out, alternating between leopard paws, tiger claws, snake's tooth, and the crane's beak. As Shan dodged and blocked, she understood. Xia was reminding her of the Jade Circle and their duty. She was reminding Shan that she had spent five decades in the presence of the jade animals, whereas Shan had spent barely more than one.
And she was showing off.
Shan dropped back, switched her fighting stance. Xia's eyes widened. It was not a stance taught at the Jade Circle. Shan had learned this style while studying Jeet Kune Do, the martial art devised by Bruce Lee. It was more practical than many of the older ways. As Xia kicked, Shan deflected the woman's leg with a kick of her own. Jeet Kune Do meant "way of the intercepting fist," and Shan had studied its methods long and hard.
Xia spun and kicked toward Shan's head, only to find herself blocked again. Shan aimed her answering blow at the woman's solar plexus, but only connected lightly with Xia's shoulder.
If Bruce Lee were still alive, and the Jade Circle still whole, Shan would have fought to join forces with him. Like the Circle, Lee wanted to bring martial arts to people who didn't have access to it. The Jade Circle had taught mainly women, and Lee had moved to America and taught non-Asians. Shan had often thought that the Jade Circle should have become public, like Lee's Jeet Kune Do schools. But would her mother and the other elders ever have permitted such a thing? Tradition can be a powerful master, even to those who purport to fight it.
Xia fought more warily now. She seemed to be studying Shan's movements. Shan kept herself light, shifted her weight from her lead leg to her back leg, then switched stances and did it again. Even with the element of surprise, Xia countered her attacks easily.
"So the martial arts of your ancestors aren't good enough for you, eh, girl?" Xia said.
"I had little choice but to seek out new masters," Shan said, "as you well know."
"Then who is
your master now?" Xia flipped over Shan, landed, and tried to sweep Shan's legs. Shan ducked as Xia flew overhead, then leaped over the woman's spinning leg.
Shan smiled grimly. "I live and die for the Jade Circle."
Ian kept his distance, but Shan was glad for his balancing presence. She and Xia danced around the pool, assessing each other's strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, Shan was having trouble finding any of the latter.
Xia went on the offensive, and Shan found herself leaning more heavily on her Aikido training. The Japanese art contained no attacks, but its defensive techniques were some of the best in the world. Xia punched, and Shan used the woman's own momentum to lift and throw her teacher to the ground. Xia rolled quickly to the side. Shan's axe kick, intended for Xia's head, drove Shan's heel several inches into the soft dirt instead.
On her feet in an instant, Xia let loose with a blazing series of attacks that drove Shan backward, toward the pool. Shan's body reacted to the assault as it was born to do. Her arms and legs moved to block and dodge even before her brain could register the need to protect itself. Shan could see the mushin, the no-mind state, in Xia's eyes as well. The two of them blurred into one animal, twisting and darting endlessly.
Xia caught Shan in the chest with a kick. The blow sent Shan stumbling back and reeling from the pain in her ribs. Her foot tripped on the edge of the pool. Shan arched her back and flipped onto the buoy rope stretching across the pool. Her legs sank into the icy water up to her calves, and the tips of her silk gown clung to her flesh. She balanced carefully and stepped further back, motioning for Xia to join her on the watery tightrope. They'd been fighting for ten minutes at least, and it was time to up the stakes.
"You fancy a dip in the pool, is that it?" Xia said. "I'll be happy to give you hand. Or a foot. Maybe both."
But the old woman looked apprehensive as she eyed the rope. Or maybe Shan was just hoping she looked apprehensive. Xia somersaulted into the air and landed on the rope in her fighting stance. The rope wobbled beneath their feet. Shan thought of the crane, its wings outstretched, and found her balance.
Xia launched a vicious kick at Shan's face. Shan caught Xia's leg, the old woman's ankle impossibly small in her hand, and yanked, trying to pull Xia into the water. Instead, the old woman used the energy to jump high and kick Shan with her other foot. The sole of Xia's shoe smacked Shan square in the nose. She let go of Xia's leg and staggered back, trying to keep the rope below her center of gravity, despite the stinging in her face. A trickle of warm blood dribbled onto Shan's lips.
The rope jerked slightly as Xia landed.
"First blood to me, child."
"It's the last blood that matters," growled Shan. She hopped up as Xia's leg swept under her, and landed back on the rope. Shan feinted with a kick, then went for a sweeping blow to Xia's temple. Xia blocked, but the angle of the strike almost caused her to lose her balance. Shan followed up with a flurry of strikes on that side: hook punches, ridgehands, roundhouses. Xia blocked and deflected each one. Suddenly, Shan feinted to that side again, then spun fast and hit Xia with a kick from the other side. The old woman's arms swung wildly as she tried to regain her balance. Shan crouched on the rope and swept Xia's legs.
Xia jumped awkwardly from the rope and landed hard on the concrete surrounding the pool. She rolled to her feet, but the cloth over her left shoulder was ripped, revealing bloodied flesh below. Shan's conscience flared. She hated using her training against a friend. But this was Xia's choice, and the woman's right. If Shan pulled her punches, she would disrespect and demean a woman whom she truly admired.
She had no choice but to continue until Xia called stop.
Shan ran along the rope toward Xia. Just before she reached the edge of the pool, Shan kicked water into Xia's face. The smell of chlorine had hung in the air since they arrived, giving her the idea. Xia wiped at her eyes and stepped backward, but not before Shan was on her.
There weren't many people in the world that Shan outweighed, but Xia was definitely one of them. Shan tackled the older woman, and the two of them tumbled into the grass. The Jade Circle had never emphasized grappling, since women were almost always at a disadvantage when doing it. Xia squirmed, but Shan contained her. Xia tried to punch, to kick, to scratch, to poke, but Shan stopped her.
"I win, Sifu," Shan huffed in Mandarin.
Xia managed to drive her knee into Shan's side, dangerously close to her wounded ribs, but Shan kept her grip.
"I win," she repeated. "You must concede."
Shan heard Ian's footsteps behind her and, at first, thought he was walking closer. But the sound lessened, and she realized that he was giving them privacy. Giving Xia the space she needed to admit defeat.
"You cheated," Xia spat. "Kicking water in my eyes. Where's the honor in that?"
Shan grinned. "A wise woman once told me there was no limit to the number of weapons the earth provides, and that we should seek to see them all, at all times."
"Must have been an idiot who told you that," Xia said, but she stopped struggling. Shan released the older woman and sat up into a crouch.
"One woman's idiot is another woman's Buddha."
Xia laughed. She sat up and put a hand to her wounded shoulder. "You win," she said, "at least for now."
"We're going to have to do this again?" Shan couldn't keep the weariness from her voice.
"Yes," said Xia, "but only after you teach me some of those fancy steps. This old bitch can still learn new tricks."
Shan laughed and tackled Xia again, this time in a hug. She ignored the woman's indignant sputtering but eventually released her again.
"You've been tainted by the West," Xia said scornfully. "All this hugging and mushiness. Disgusting."
Shan lay back on the grass and stared up at the stars. "Yes, Sifu, I suppose I have been." In more ways that you know, she added silently, thinking of Ian. But not as many as she'd like.
Ian gave Xia the spare bedroom next to Shan's, though her teacher had wanted to stay in the same room with Shan. Back at the Jade Circle sanctuary, the women had always shared rooms and beds with each other unless they were married or had children. Shan had almost agreed to Xia's wish, but something stopped her. Maybe Xia was right, and she had been tainted in a bad way by living in America. But the freedoms she'd had growing up were exactly the sort of things that the Jade Circle had been fighting for.
Shan walked over to the open window. A breeze welcomed her. She sat on the windowsill and let the breeze cool the sweat on her face.
What a day. What a night. What a week.
Being around Ian brought out feelings she'd thought had been lost to her forever. His presence tugged at her heart and her body, and they brought her mind kicking and screaming along with them.
On the other hand, she'd never been closer to recovering the Jade Circle animals. Their absence had driven every decision she'd made since she came to America, and now the path to their recovery lay before her. The tiger in her growled, eager to leap forward and reap its destiny.
How could she be so certain about one thing, and so uncertain about another?
Shan laughed. Yin and yang. No love without hate, no happiness without sadness, no decision without indecision. The Chinese were so damn smart about everything.
Shan walked to the bed and peeled the remnants of her silk nightgown over her head. Ick. Chlorine, blood from her nose, grass stains, and two big rips up the sides. She tossed it in the little enameled trashcan by the nightstand and started digging through the clothes Geof had put on her bed.
Bingo.
Shan's underwear followed the nightgown into the trash, and she pulled on a fresh pair. Clean underwear was better than sex, Shan thought. At least, from what she knew of sex so far. She found a soft oversized T-shirt in light blue and pulled it on.
Absolute heaven.
Shan moved the rest of the clothes into the wingback chair, then searched for the crystal ashtray she'd used as a missile weapon earlier. She foun
d it embedded halfway into the wall. In the end, she decided it looked better there than the big hole she'd create by removing it.
Besides, none of the Dashells smoked.
Shan climbed onto the bed and stretched. After so much activity, so much yang, her body certainly needed its fair share of yin. Then why was her mind so busy? Images flittered in and out of her brain like butterflies.
The dead security guard at the university. Buckley's leering smile. Ian's ruffled hair. Fred and Ginger, the Chow Chows. The jade tiger at her studio. The jade crane in its bag. The jade dragon at the tip of her fingers. One-eye. Xia.
Her mother.
Shan rolled to her feet, pulled back the bed's layers of sheets and comforters, and crawled into its warmth. The bed was huge, and canopied, and made her feel like a little girl. The playful breeze was back, this time swishing the gauzy drapes hanging from the canopy.
Someone rapped lightly on the door.
"Xia," Shan said.
But when the door opened, it was Ian.
"I know it's late," he said, "but I couldn't sleep without..."
"Without what?" Shan said. The bed covers were suddenly too heavy, too hot.
"Without making a complete fool of myself? No, wait. I already did that a few times today."
Shan laughed. "You did no such thing." She sat up in the bed, her back cushioned by a mountain of pillows. Her mind immediately summoned the image of Ian resting against the pillows at her side, their hands exploring, the wind blowing, their mouths about to touch...
"Are you okay?"
Shan gulped. "Yes, sorry." She felt the heat in her cheeks and laughed again. "Apparently it's my turn to make a fool of myself."
"I don't see how that's possible," Ian said.
He hadn't moved from his spot just inside the doorway. Shan was still in the bed. The distance between them seemed both unfathomably large and almost nonexistent. The sexual tension was asphyxiating her.
Shan was not a woman to wait for her fate. Not even a fate that terrified her.