Black Jade (34 page)

‘I'm not ready for this!'

‘Do it.'

‘I should kill you now,' Andy said.

Instead, he picked up the small knife from the table, slashed his wrist, and pumped his hand a few times to make the blood flow. He picked up a brush, swiped it over the wound, then signed the scroll with a single horizontal stroke. He concentrated and the wound healed. The scroll was covered in script but it was too small to see what it said.

‘Now in words.'

‘I pledge my allegiance —'

‘On your knees!' the Eastern King said.

‘I'm not ready for this!' he said again, but fell to one knee. ‘I pledge allegiance to you, Francis, King of Demonkind. Protect me, I am yours. I will obey you as long as you live.'

The Eastern King's expression went beatific and she made a soft sound of pleasure. Her eyes unfocused, and she panted a few times. She reached for the Western King and he held her as she shook with jerking tremors. She straightened, her face full of satisfaction.

A few demons in the hall cheered and she waved without looking at them.

Simone made some quiet sounds of disgust in her throat, but we were still restricted from saying anything.

Frankie sat silent on the throne, his expression dull and uninterested. He seemed a million miles away.

‘All right, let's do it,' the Eastern King said. She took the Western King's hand and gazed into his eyes. ‘My last gift to you. All the Heavens, the Earthly, and Hell itself. Once I am gone you will have half the world, and you will quickly conquer the other half. I only wish I could be around to see it.'

‘You can still change your mind, my love.'

‘Not as long as he lives.' She turned to face the audience. ‘Bring him.'

The Dukes guarding the base of the dais pushed the crowd back. Five Dukes appeared in the space they'd made, each of them with one hand on the Celestial Jade cage containing John. He lay on the bottom of the cage in True Form, covered in still-bleeding cuts.

I looked desperately at Simone, but she was standing blank and emotionless, staring at the cage.

‘Frankie,' the Eastern King said.

‘Yes, Mummy?'

‘Repeat my orders
exactly.
'

Frankie's voice was small. ‘Yes, Mummy.'

‘I'm not ready for this!' Andy growled under his breath.

‘Xuan Wu, take human form and present yourself on your knees in front of me,' the Eastern King said.

Frankie repeated the order.

The Dukes gingerly opened the cage.

John took human form in his black Mountain uniform, his hair a mess and his feet bare, and stepped out of the cage. His face was expressionless, but his dark eyes glittered as he walked up the stairs onto the dais and knelt in front of Frankie.

He looked up at Frankie and said, ‘George, if you love him, don't make him do this.' His voice was full of pain. ‘When he understands what he has done, it will break him.'

‘He's already broken,' the Western King said with relish.

‘Andy, stand behind the throne until it's time for you to move up,' the Eastern King said.

‘Majesty,' Andy said, and moved into position. He glared at John. ‘You had to force this, didn't you? I'm not ready!'

‘This will backfire on you in ways that you cannot begin to comprehend,' John said.

‘Frankie, silence,' the Eastern King said.

‘Silence!' Frankie repeated.

John looked me in the eyes.
I will be profoundly changed by this. Once it has happened, let me be dead to you. Do not love the thing that I become.

I will always love you, whatever you become,
I said.

John focused on Simone and they concentrated on each other.

‘They're talking, shut them up,' the Western King said. ‘Frankie!' the Eastern King barked. ‘No one is to speak silently in my presence!'

Frankie repeated the order and John and Simone looked away from each other. John's face became even more stony and he knelt silent and unmoving.

The Eastern King held her arms out to the Western one. ‘Francis.'

His control broke and he embraced her, burying his face in her neck. ‘There has to be another way.'

‘There isn't. This is what needs to happen,' the Eastern King said. She pulled the Western King tighter. ‘We made it. We won. We've freed our children. But if they're to be safe, we must do this.' She pulled back and smiled, then brushed away the Western King's tears. ‘No tears, my love. Joy for the freedom of our children.'

The Western King kissed her, a lingering kiss full of love, then wiped his eyes and turned away.

‘Now,' the Eastern King said. She knelt in front of Frankie. ‘You know how that big dark man tried to kill us last night?'

‘I know,' Frankie said. ‘He was scary.'

I was only peripherally aware of them talking. I focused on John, willing him to love me enough not to be changed by this; sure in the knowledge that when it happened, he would be gone.

‘His name is Xuan Wu. This is him here,' the Eastern King said, pointing at John. ‘In a different form.'

Frankie inhaled sharply and stared at John, his eyes wide. John lowered his head, full of grief. His own son was terrified of him, and with good reason.

‘So we have to make sure he never hurts us again,' the Eastern King said. ‘I know it sounds strange, but to make him go away forever you have to order Xuan Wu to destroy
me
with his sword, Seven Stars. Tell him to hit me with the loaded Seven Stars.'

I couldn't stop the tiny sound of pain that escaped me. John glanced at me, full of despair, but couldn't speak. We were still ordered to silence.

‘He has to kill you?' Frankie said. He looked up at Simone, who was still staring at him, expressionless. He turned back to
the Eastern King. ‘I don't want you to die, Mummy.' He threw his arms around her. ‘What will I do without you?'

‘Don't worry, it's not real, little love,' the Eastern King said. ‘I'll be gone for a while, then I'll be back. You'll be just fine. Daddy and Number One will advise you until I return. But make sure you do what Daddy tells you while I'm gone, okay?'

‘I can't do it,' Frankie moaned.

‘You have to,' the Eastern King said, rising. ‘He needs to be destroyed. As long as he exists, all of us are in danger. He'll keep trying to kill us and won't ever give up.' She raised her head, her expression beatific. ‘Order him, Frankie. If you love me, you'll do this for me. And remember, it's not forever. I'll be back with you before you know it.'

Frankie sat silently on the throne. He glanced at Simone, then at all of us in turn.

‘Do it, Frankie,' the Western King growled, and Frankie flinched. ‘Say it right now or you'll be punished. I mean it. Do it!'

‘Thank you, my love,' the Eastern King said.

‘I will never love anyone the way I love you,' the Western King said.

‘For our children,' the Eastern King said.

‘What do you want me to say again, Mummy?' Frankie said.

‘Good boy,' the Western King said, full of approval, and Frankie lit up. ‘Well done.'

‘You say “Xuan Wu, kill the Celestial Regent with loaded Seven Stars”,' the Eastern King said.

Frankie mechanically repeated the words. ‘Xuan Wu. Kill the Celestial Regent with loaded Seven Stars.'

John didn't move, quivering with effort as he fought it. I had a wild moment of hope: maybe he was powerful enough to disobey Frankie. Maybe he had renounced his Celestial allegiance.

‘That's an order,' Frankie said. He turned to Simone. ‘Kill her with the . . .' He hesitated, then gathered himself. He pointed at the Eastern King. ‘Kill her with the loaded blades!'

John turned like an automaton and took Celestial Form.

The Demon King raised her arms and lowered her head, ready to die.

Simone took Celestial Form, summoned her twin blades, Bo and Bei, and moved faster than the eye could see. She ran to the Eastern King and buried the points of the blades in her abdomen.

The King stared at her, dumbfounded, then changed to his bigger male form and grinned. ‘That's not enough to take me out.' He concentrated, and the blades slid halfway out of him.

Simone grunted, put more effort into it and pushed the blades back in. ‘You thought I'm weaker because I'm a girl.'

Her muscles bulged as she buried the blades deeper into the Demon King. His face went rigid as he put his hands on the hilts and fought her.

‘You thought he'd be stronger than me because his mother's a snake and mine was just a human.' She glared into the King's eyes, and he smiled back at her, defiant. ‘Well, you know what, stupid? I'm a girl, and I'm stronger than my brother.' She punctuated her next words by loading the indentations in the swords with her chakras, and his eyes went wide. ‘And. My. Mother. Was. A. Serpent. Too!'

She ripped the blades across him, and he screamed as he dissolved into a blizzard of black demon essence that hit her like a tidal wave, forcing her back. She disappeared into the essence and it overwhelmed her. She was a dark shape within it, forced down by it.

‘Simone!' Frankie yelled, and jumped off the throne, reaching for her.

John moved faster than any of us. He ran to her first, grabbed her, and both of them disappeared, taking all the demon essence with them.

The Eastern King was gone.

‘George,' the Western King said. He fell to his knees and put his head in his hands. ‘No. My George. My Kitty. I don't believe it.' He stood again. ‘Frankie, listen to me. We have to —'

‘Bring Simone back!' Frankie yelled, his face twisted with loathing.

‘You'll do what I tell you!' the Western King said. ‘You stupid little shit. George is gone for
nothing
because of you. What the hell is wrong with you? Do as I say!'

‘Where's my Simone? You killed my Simone!'

‘No, I didn't, you stupid little fuck,' the Western King said, his voice full of venom. ‘
You
did by letting them manipulate you. You let them destroy the love of my life and we lost
everything
.' He took two quick steps to Frankie and raised his hand to strike him.

I rushed to Frankie's side to defend him but I was too slow.

The Western King stopped and his face went blank with shock. Frankie had his right hand out, and the Murasame was lodged through the Western King without Frankie touching it.

The King looked down at the blade through him, then up at Frankie. ‘You'll need more than that to stop me, you little shit.'

He grabbed the Murasame's handle and screamed with agony as he pulled the blade out.

‘No,' the Murasame shouted with fury. ‘You'll never hit this child again!'

It shrieked with triumph and darkened. Mist appeared around it, and I felt the cold two metres away. The Western King was covered in ice, spreading from the sword. He crystallised, as if he'd been dropped in liquid nitrogen, and became bright, hard and brittle.

‘This is for every time you hurt this child!' the Murasame shouted in a thousand screaming voices, and it grew three times higher and thicker.

The Western King shattered from the inside out, exploding into chunks of demon essence that shot out in all directions, then stopped and hung suspended in the air. The frozen demon pieces contracted and tumbled back to be absorbed by the blade, hissing as they hit the dark metal. When they were all gone, the sword returned to its normal shape and size, floating in front of Frankie's face.

‘Delicious,' it said with a voice of ice and darkness. ‘Unlike anything I've ever tasted before.'

‘Thanks, Muri,' Frankie said, his voice small.

‘You are welcome, little one,' the sword said. ‘Thank you for giving me to this child, Emma. His destructive potential is greater than your own and he is truly a worthy wielder of me. I look forward to enhancing his abilities as he grows.'

‘I'm not sure that's a good idea, but we will discuss it later,' I said.

‘I look forward to it,' the sword said, and disappeared.

I knelt in front of Frankie. ‘Are you okay, love?'

‘I
told
him I wasn't ready!' Andy said, and disappeared.

‘Where's Simone? I want Simone!' Frankie said.

We have an agreement, One,
I said to Andy.
Or should I say Loathsome Majesty? Don't go far; we need to meet and sign the treaty. And order these demons out of the Heavens before the Xuan Wu returns and removes them himself.

I'll agree to anything you ask, just keep those fucking scary kids away from me,
Andy said.
I wasn't ready for this, dammit. Dad spoilt everything.

The demons disappeared from the hall, and the sky grew brighter.

‘Where's Simone, Emma?' Frankie said. ‘Is Simone dead too?' He shook with tears and put his arm over his eyes.

I pulled him into a huge hug. ‘I'll always be here for you.'

He clutched me, still crying. ‘Everybody's dead!'

John appeared next to me.

Frankie saw him and cowered against the throne. ‘You killed my Simone!'

‘Simone's fine, I would never hurt her,' John said. ‘She's stuck where she is, she can't come up here any more, but you can go visit her any time. She's not hurt.'

‘Really?' Frankie said, full of desperate hope.

Really, I'm fine,
Simone said.
Just sort of stuck down here.

‘I need you to help me, Simone,' he said. ‘Where are you? I want to be with you.'

You have to abdicate first,
Simone said.

‘I have to what?' Frankie sobbed quietly, the tears streaming down his face. ‘Where's Simone?'

‘Oh, Frankie,' I said, and gathered him into another huge hug. He clutched me. ‘We'll go to her as soon as you abdicate,' I said into his shoulder. ‘Everything will be okay.'

Do what they tell you,
Simone said.
Listen to Dad, he's good at this sort of rubbish.

‘Dad?' Frankie said, suddenly fearful. ‘You tried to
kill
me!'

‘I will never hurt you,' John said.

‘He won't hurt you, Frankie, I won't let him,' I said.

John shot me a look and I shrugged.

Say the words and come visit me, squirt,
Simone said.

‘What words do I have to say?' Frankie said.

‘Say, “I abdicate the Jade Throne”,' John said. ‘Say, “The Qilin Jade Emperor is restored”.'

Frankie said the words. When he'd finished, the Jade Emperor appeared in a flash of light next to the throne, smiling kindly.

The sky cleared to a brighter purer blue, and the sunlight intensified. The air sweetened and the feeling of oppression — which I hadn't even been aware of — lifted. The people working in the garden outside the window stopped and dropped their tools. They spoke to each other, obviously confused and asking what had happened.

The Demon Kings are destroyed and the Heavens are free,
the Jade Emperor said.
The Jade Throne commends Princess Simone of the Northern Heavens for her courage and intelligence. Celebrate, Celestial residents, because the demons are expelled and order is restored.

The people stared at each other with disbelief, then started hugging and laughing. Some ran off, probably to find family members, and others stood still and shocked. A few people fell to sit on the ground, weeping with joy. Some picked up their tools and continued to work, not believing that the Heavens were really free.

‘Well done, House of the North. Princess Simone is to be particularly commended. Her sacrifice is honoured,' the Jade Emperor said.

Can you take the demon essence out so I can come back?
Simone said.

‘Sorry, Princess, you must find your own way.'

Not fair!

‘Speak to the Lady, Simone, she will explain. Now.' The Jade Emperor rubbed his hands together. ‘I appreciate that the House of the North needs to catch up, but there is a great deal of restoration to do, and a new treaty must be ratified with demonkind. Northern Heavens, I delegate all of this to you.'

‘What? Give me a break! Can't Er Lang —' John began, but the Jade Emperor raised one hand.

‘Dismissed.'

‘At least let us —' John said, but the Jade Emperor disappeared.

The air cleared even more and felt fresher and purer. The world became brighter and more serene. Then it was as if a great silent bell rang through the Heavens and everything around us slotted into its rightful place. The Jade Emperor had returned to the Celestial Palace and order was restored.

The people outside who had taken up their tools dropped them again and stood stunned, looking at each other.

‘I don't care what the Jade Emperor says, we're taking Frankie to see Simone right now,' I said.

‘Yes, please,' Frankie said, his voice small.

I'm sending my horse. Hop on and he'll bring you to me,
Simone said.

Freddo appeared in front of the dais and Frankie cowered.

Freddo knelt on his forelegs in front of Frankie. ‘Good day, Prince Francis. I'm Simone's magical flying horse. Hop on and I'll take you to see her.'

Frankie straightened and his face filled with wonder. ‘A magical flying horse?'

‘Yes,' Freddo said with amusement.

‘She told me about you. Where are your wings?'

‘I'm working on it. So will you come with me to see Simone?'

Hurry up and hop on, silly!
Simone said.

Frankie walked off the dais to Freddo's side, but was too small to climb on. John moved to lift him, but Frankie ran away from him, nearly colliding with the windows. ‘Stay away!'

John flinched as if he'd been struck, then moved back.

‘It's okay, Frankie, I'll do it,' I said.

He came to me, and I picked him up under his arms and lifted him to sit on Freddo, then held him as Freddo carefully stood upright again.

‘Hold on to my mane,' Freddo said.

Frankie's expression filled with delight as he grabbed Freddo's mane and held it. ‘I'm up so high! Walk around for me!'

Freddo carefully walked in a circle and I held Frankie as he crowed with delight. My throat thickened to see him so happy.

‘Take him carefully,' John said.

‘He won't feel the movement,' Freddo said. ‘Lady Emma, if you will.'

I put my hand on Frankie's shoulder, and the hall disappeared around us. We landed next to the swimming pool that Simone had built for the Peak apartment building.

‘Simone!' Frankie shouted. He slid down off Freddo's back and ran to her with his arms out. ‘Thank you, Simone.' She crouched to hug him and he kissed her on the cheek. ‘Thank you. I wouldn't have made it without you. I love you so much.' He threw his arms around her neck and buried his face in her shoulder. ‘Thank you, Simone.'

‘We're free now, Di Di, nobody will ever hurt us again,' she said, as tearful as he was. ‘Can I tell them now?'

‘Yes!' he said. ‘Tell them everything!'

‘I've been talking to him since he was . . .' Simone pulled back to see his face, and brushed his hair out of his eyes. ‘Three months old?'

‘Younger than that,' he said, and embraced her again. They held each other tight, their eyes bright with tears. ‘I was riding a flyer. There was a fight. You saw me and said hello, and then you were hurt and went away.' He gazed into her eyes. ‘That was a long time ago.'

‘Why didn't you tell us?' I said.

‘He made me promise not to tell anyone,' Simone said. ‘He was worried he'd be in trouble for talking to me.'

‘I see.'

She rubbed his back. ‘I'm sorry we couldn't bring you out sooner, but I wanted to be sure you'd be okay when I'd gone.'

‘Oh lord, you thought it would destroy you,' I said.

‘It nearly did,' John said. ‘For a moment I feared I wasn't fast enough.'

‘Worth it,' she said.

‘You freed the Heavens, Simone,' I said. ‘The demons are gone and the Jade Emperor is restored, all because of you. Do you have any idea how awesome you are?'

‘Yeah!' Frankie said, gazing up at her with adoration.

‘Oh, not you too,' she said. ‘Daddy already gave me the “you're so awesome” talk — you don't need to. I just did what I had to do!'

‘You put us all to shame. I should hand you my throne,' John said.

‘Don't you dare,' she said fiercely. ‘I want nothing to do with any of that bull—' She looked down at Frankie. ‘—dust.'

‘It was worth a try,' John said.

‘There's one more thing I have to do,' she said. ‘Be brave, Frankie, it's about to get really freaky. Don't be scared.'

She concentrated on John. He changed to True Form and the two animals separated. The Serpent grabbed me and wrapped itself around me, pulling me to the ground. It flipped me over, still held in its coils, so I was on my stomach.

‘Don't hurt my Emma!' Frankie shouted. ‘Simone, stop them! Stop them!'

‘No, Frankie, stay put,' Simone said, and grunted with effort. ‘No, Frankie!'

‘John?' I said.

‘Hold still,' the Turtle said, and ripped the back of my neck open.

Frankie shrieked and I screamed with pain as the Turtle's beak scissored through me. BJ disappeared from my neck, and the Turtle's beak snapped.

‘Damn, missed it,' John said. ‘Frankie, let me go, I didn't hurt her. She's fine. Are you sure it was there, Simone? I didn't see anything.'

‘It was there,' Simone said. ‘Ask Emma.'

My mind cleared. It was like taking sunglasses off: the world around me became brighter and more colourful. The Serpent's cold healing energy moved through my neck and closed the wound.

‘It's okay, Frankie, it's
okay
,' Simone said. ‘Get off him! He didn't hurt her, she's
fine
!'

‘Are you all right, love?' the Serpent said in John's female voice.

‘That stone was controlling me and I had no idea!' I said.

‘We know,' Simone said.

John released me and I turned around to sit up. Frankie was leaning on the Turtle, smacking its shell, and Simone was attempting to prise him off it.

‘It's okay, Frankie,' she said, and wrenched him away.

John combined and returned to human form.

‘What
was
that?' I said. ‘It felt like BJ, it had her energy signature, it was definitely a Shen. I could have sworn it was her.'

‘I knew something was up when she wouldn't talk to me,' Simone said. ‘It was in your neck and you didn't seem yourself. It was like all the fight had gone out of you. It didn't look like a copy, it felt like BJ to me too — was she a demonic agent all along?'

‘I couldn't even see it, I never knew it was there,' John said.

‘Are you okay, Emma?' Frankie said.

‘It's all right, love, he didn't hurt me,' I said, going to him. ‘I had something bad in the back of my neck and they took it out.' He was still watching John with a mixture of suspicion and fear. ‘It's really okay. Ask Simone.'

‘You're very brave, Frankie,' John said gently. ‘Most children run when I take my True Form.'

Frankie flinched, and John lowered his head and wiped his eyes.

‘He will never hurt you,' Simone said. She bent to look Frankie in the eyes. ‘Are you really okay, squirt? A lot's happened.'

He shook his head, silent. Tears ran down his cheeks and he gasped with a single sob.

‘Don't be scared, Frankie,' she said, pulling him tight. ‘You're safe now. Don't be afraid of the snakes, they will never hurt you. Emma and I are snakes, and you're not frightened of us.'

‘You're snakes?' Frankie said, choking through his tears.

She nodded into the top of his head.

‘When did you realise your mother was one of the serpent people?' John said Simone.

‘When we met Mabel Defaiote and she said her name meant “white”,' Simone said. ‘I thought, wow, that's a coincidence, her name in Irish is the same as my mother's surname in French — and then I realised, there's no such thing as a coincidence. I put it all together. Mummy was French-Canadian, a Gallic Celt, one of the serpent people.' She shook her head. ‘You should have told me; it would have made my True Form much easier to deal with.'

‘You have a True Form?' John said.

Simone and I shared a look.

‘And Emma knew all along,' John said with patient exasperation.

I sent him a mental image of what she looked like in True Form and he nodded. ‘I see.'

‘Actually I lost the arms when I stopped fighting it,' Simone said. ‘It's pure snake now. We're all a big ugly reptile family.' She
smiled down at Frankie. ‘You have another grown-up brother and sister, but they're in Hell. We have to release everybody — they'll be so happy to see us. Oh.' She sagged with disappointment. ‘I can't do anything, I'm stuck on the Earthly.'

‘Simone, do you have a bunch of people stashed away somewhere?' I said. ‘Celestials and loyal demons have been disappearing from the Heavens for weeks. There were rumours they were being eaten.'

‘The tunnels in Western, and the Underground City in Beijing,' she said. ‘We overflowed into the old fallout shelters in Beijing as well. I have about two hundred people and a hundred demons in hiding.'

‘Do you have Yi Hao and Er Hao?'

‘Yes.'

I sagged with relief.

‘The timed lock on the door won't open for a couple of hours so I'd better go release them,' Simone said.

‘No, Simone, don't leave me!' Frankie shouted. He dropped his voice. ‘What happens to me now? My mummy and daddy are both dead. Can I go back to the Palace, please, Emma? Simone, can you come and live with me there?'

‘Your mummy and daddy aren't dead, because they're right here,' Simone said. ‘Remember I told you that you had real loving parents? Emma's your real mummy, and Xuan Wu's your real daddy.'

‘Emma's my real mother?' Frankie turned and studied me appraisingly. ‘Why didn't you tell me that?'

‘They ordered me not to. I couldn't.'

‘You should have told me, Emma,' he said.

‘She didn't have a choice, Frankie,' John said.

‘And you're my real father?'

John nodded.

‘You tried to
kill
me.'

‘I would not have hurt you. I could destroy the demon without touching you.' He saw Frankie's face. ‘Believe me, Frankie. I promise I will never harm you.'

Frankie turned away from us and hugged Simone. ‘Let's go back to the Palace, Simone.' He glanced at me under her arm. ‘You can come too, Emma, but the man can't.'

‘I can't go, squirt,' she said, squeezing him. ‘I'm stuck on the Earthly now. You should be with your real parents.'