Black Jade (44 page)

She led us around the lake towards the houses. A small temple stood on the lawn next to the lake, and a few dragons were gathered around it in True Form, their bright scales shining in the moonlight.

‘Did my father give you a hard time, Emma?' Jade said as we walked.

‘He was impeccably polite,' I said. ‘You're allowed back home now? He disowned you.'

‘The Blue Dragon revealed his true nature during the conflict, and Father is horrified that the “strong manly” dragon is a . . . what was the word he used? “Pussy”. He has forbidden me from seeing Qing Long ever again.'

‘He's using reverse psychology,' I said.

‘I know,' she said. ‘It's in this temple. You'll like this.'

‘What is dragonkind's reaction to Qing Long revealing his true nature?' John said with interest. ‘Was there much hilarity at his expense? He has been very quiet.'

‘The other dragons seem more relieved than anything. They're happy that Qing Long seems to have mellowed after suffering so much during the war.'

‘I'm glad,' I said. ‘And you? Now that he's no longer living a lie, will you give him a chance?'

‘I won't act purely to defy my father, but I'll think about it. General Ma knows how I feel about Qing Long, and keeps suggesting that I go back to him. But I'm loath to leave Hua Guang. He's a fine companion and a generous partner, and we have something very good together.'

‘Just marry both of them,' John said. ‘Talk to them about it. They're good friends and would probably be happy to share.'

Jade smiled. ‘Now that's an idea that would
really
piss my father off. I'll definitely think about it.'

‘Reptiles,' I said under my breath.

‘Dragons,' Jade said with grim pleasure.

We stopped at the entrance to the small temple, and the dragons around us grinned. We went in to find two statues sitting on the altar, each about half life-size. The statue on the right was obviously John: fierce face, wild hair, Seven Stars across his knees, and a snake and turtle under his bare feet. I couldn't place the one on the left. She was sitting as well, holding a sword vertically in her right hand, and the back of her throne was a black cobra hood. Her skin was pure white, her hair brown and as wild as his, and her eyes were dotted blue . . .

‘Holy shit,' I said softly. ‘No
way
.'

Jade collapsed over her knees laughing.

‘Was this your idea?' John said, obviously delighted.

‘No, my Lord,' she said through the gasps, wiping her eyes again. ‘It was here when I returned. The dragons placed it after the war ended.'

‘I should not be in here, I'm not a Sh—' I began, and stopped.

John chuckled.

‘That statue should be of
me
,' the stone said. ‘Nobody ever acknowledges my contribution.'

‘No,' I said. ‘It should be of Simone.'

‘She has her own temple further up the hill,' Jade said. ‘Would you like to see?'

I pulled out my mobile phone. ‘Hell, yeah. I want to take a photo and show it to her. She'll probably have the same reaction I just did.' I checked the phone settings. ‘But she completely deserves it, and I hope many more temples are built with her effigy in them.'

‘I'll make sure they are,' John said.

* * *

‘Who won last time?' he said as we lifted out of the atoll.

‘Me.'

‘You cheated.'

‘Oh, that's very good coming from you, Mr Fertility God.'

‘So your choice. Where and what?'

‘Back at the hotel room, and I'll tell you when we get there.'

When we'd been in bed for a while, he pulled back to see me, the room's lights glowing in his eyes. ‘You have yet to tell me how you want me, my Lady, and if you don't make a choice soon the decision will be made for you. You are pushing me very hard here.'

‘I thought I was pulling,' I said, and stroked him again.

He shivered and closed his eyes. ‘Last chance, Emma,' he growled. ‘Otherwise I'll let it go.'

‘But I love it when you let it go,' I breathed into the side of his throat.

‘If that's what you want, you can have it, but I must warn you: it won't be gentle.'

‘No,' I said, and levered myself off the bed to stand next to it. I studied him as he lay there in his human form, completely at my mercy. He reclined, showing himself off. I admired him, then gathered myself and pointed at the bedhead. ‘Serpent, human form, up that end.'

He separated, and the Serpent, in male human form, scooted up to the top of the bed. The Turtle, also in male human form, remained lying in the middle.

‘Female, please, Serpent,' I said.

The Serpent bobbed his head. ‘As my Lady wishes.' He changed to female.

I cocked my head. ‘Do you want it male, John?'

‘Tonight is what you want, and I can see what you're doing in wanting me female. But I will win anyway, and then next time you will do what
I
want,' the Serpent said intensely. ‘And my choice will be for
you
to be the male one.'

‘Uh,' I said, breathless at the idea, then, ‘No. I know what I want.' I pointed at the Turtle. ‘True Form.'

The Turtle didn't argue, it just changed for me. I couldn't resist the urge to sit on the bed and run my hands over its smooth shell. It raised its head with bliss.

The Serpent threw her head back as well, her face full of rapture. ‘This again. I
love
this.' She smiled at me. ‘I will win.'

I climbed onto the bed on all fours between them, enjoying her reaction as she watched me. ‘I'll make sure you don't.'

‘Not a chance,' the Turtle said. ‘The only uncertainty is whether you have eight or nine.'

‘If I have nine, you can choose the next two,' I said. I rested my cheek against the top of the Serpent's thigh and smiled up at her.

She stroked my face and her eyes roamed my features. ‘Before we are lost in it: I love you, my Emma. My wife. You have always been my only one.'

‘My only one,' the Turtle said behind me.

‘And you are —'

I lost the ability to speak when the Turtle touched me without physically making contact. I was unable to move as he slid over me, cool and slick, then gasped as his touch became firmer and more demanding.

‘Oh, you are so ready,' he said, husky.

The Serpent slid down the bed so she was under me, and kissed me, her hands brushing over my skin. She mouthed my nipples as the Turtle teased me into quivering readiness.

‘Up,' I said, my voice hoarse. ‘I want you. Both of you.'

The Serpent smiled into my eyes, kissed me, and moved up again. ‘Whatever my Lady wishes.'

I gently pushed her thighs apart and buried my face into her as the Turtle slid into me, and the world lifted into a blinding explosion of pleasure.

Three hours later I was too exhausted to lift my head. ‘You win: I was first. You have the next two,' I said, muffled by the pillow.

‘Nine?' he said.

‘No.' I gasped a few times. ‘Ten.'

I heard a slap and looked up. He was in two human forms and he'd high-fived himself. He slid under the covers on either side of me, then wrapped his arms around me and held me tight between both of him.

‘You are the
best
,' the Serpent said, half-asleep.

‘And so are you.'

The Turtle chuckled and his chest shook against my back. ‘I know.'

‘Just remember,' I said as I stopped the van at the entrance to the new school, ‘if you feel the charm slipping, let us know and we'll fix it.'

‘I'm so short,' Frankie grumbled. ‘It feels really weird.'

‘And don't forget, you're five years old and you can't do anything that Buffy can't,' Leo said. ‘And no talking about weapons.'

‘And tell the Murasame to stay away,' I said. ‘Even if you get mad or get hurt, it's not allowed to come.'

‘I won't remember everything!' he protested.

‘That's why your mother and I are here,' Leo said. ‘We'll be here all day, so you can ask us anything any time.'

‘I'll help too,' Buffy said.

‘If it's too hard, let us know,' I said. ‘You're not really old enough yet, so you can wait a year and start with Matthew. It's okay.'

‘No, I want to start now.'

‘We'll help him,' Richie said. ‘It's fine, Aunty Emma.'

The security guard stood in the middle of the car park entrance and I lowered the window to speak to him.

‘No parking,' he said.

‘I have a special permit,' I said, handing him the letter from the principal. ‘We're allowed to park here for the first two weeks.'

He checked the letter, and nodded. ‘Oh, yes, they told us about you.' He stepped back and gestured towards an empty space. ‘That one's for you, Mrs Chen.'

‘No, I'm not —' I said, and stopped. I blinked at him, then grinned broadly, my heart lifting. ‘Thank you.'

‘Mrs Chen,' Leo said softly with affection from the seat behind me.

I parked the van, and the children bolted out and ran up the stairs to the entrance, having a quick tussle as they tried to open the locked door.

‘Cut that out,' Gold said as he followed them. ‘You need to press the button to open the door.'

‘Hurry up, Daddy, open it for us!' Richie said.

I checked that the children hadn't left anything behind in the van as they argued over who would press the button.

‘Who forgot their bag?' I called, raising the one they'd left behind.

Gold checked them. ‘Buffy? Where's your bag?'

I looked at the bag I was holding. ‘This is Frankie's.'

‘Frankie, you have Buffy's bag,' Leo said, taking the bag Frankie was carrying.

Gold checked his own children's bags. ‘These are the right ones.'

‘We all set?' I said, handing the bag to Frankie.

‘Yes!' they all said, jumping up and down with excitement.

I helped Frankie put the bag on his back as Buffy unlocked the door, and Richie opened it. They charged through and ran into the school yard.

‘Hurry up, hurry
up
,' Frankie said to me as we struggled with the straps. ‘Come on, Mummy, they're gone!'

He finally had the bag sorted and ran after them. I couldn't stop the huge grin: he'd called me Mummy.

Leo patted me on the shoulder. ‘Time to be parents, Mrs Chen. I think your life is about to become way less interesting.'

‘You haven't seen her in-tray, Mr Alexander-Chen,' the stone said as I followed the excited children through the door.

Andrew (Emma's Nephew):
middle son of Emma's sister Jennifer.

Andy Ho:
husband of Emma's friend April; later turned out to be a demon and promoted to the Demon King's Number One.

Bai Hu:
the White Tiger, God of the West. His element is Metal.

Barbara Donahoe:
Emma's mother.

Black Jade (BJ):
stone Shen, child of Gold, created when he was damaged in battle.

Blue Dragon:
Qing Long, God of the East. His element is Wood. Father to Jade's three dragon children.

Brendan Donahoe:
Emma's father.

Bridget Hawkes:
wife of David Hawkes, who was an executive in a large Hong Kong company until he was replaced by a demon.

Chang:
human, ex-Shaolin monk. Manages the orphanages supported by John and Emma.

Clarissa Huang:
human woman, engaged to Michael MacLaren, held and tortured by demons in the past.

Colin (Emma's Nephew):
oldest son of Emma's sister Jennifer.

Da Shih Yeh:
the Little Grandfather; ancient mystical blue-skinned demon who wanders the Halls of Hell comforting those who are in most need. Rumoured to be a demonic incarnation of Kwan Yin.

David (Emma's Nephew):
younger son of Emma's sister Amanda.

David Hawkes:
human executive director of one of Hong Kong's large family-owned companies; husband to Bridget. Replaced by a demon copy.

Demon King (East):
calls himself George. Has several male and female human forms, one of which is Kitty Kwok. His True Form is similar to a Snake Mother (human front end, snake back end) but red instead of black.

Demon King (West):
calls himself Francis. Has teamed up with the Eastern Demon King and they are building an army together.

Edwin:
Wudang Mountain's staff doctor.

Elise Alexander:
Leo's sister from Chicago.

Emma Donahoe:
human Australian woman who can change into a snake; engaged to Xuan Wu.

Er Hao:
tame demon, major domo of the Imperial Residence on Celestial Wudang.

Er Lang:
Second Heavenly General, the Jade Emperor's left hand and John's assistant in defence of the Heavenly realm. Has a third eye in the centre of his forehead and is most often seen in the company of his Celestial Dog.

Francis:
see Demon King (West).

Frankie:
John and Emma's son; aborted when he was three months old and brought to term in a demon egg by the King of the Demons, who adopted him.

Freddo:
Freddo Frog, Simone's half-demon horse.

George:
see Demon King (East).

Gold:
stone Shen, child of the Jade Building Block. Works as the Academy's legal adviser. Husband to Amy, stone parent to BJ, and human father to Richard and Jade Leong.

Grandmother of All the Rocks:
Uluru, the massive stone in the centre of Australia. Spiritual mother of all the stone Shen in the world.

Greg White:
human Immortal husband to Emma's sister Jennifer. Used to be the White Tiger's Number One son; resigned to marry Jennifer.

Guan Yu:
also called ‘Guan Gong', Marshal of the True Spirit and Guardian of the Gates of Heaven; one of the Thirty-Six.

Jade Emperor:
supreme ruler of Taoist Heaven, God of the Centre and the element of Earth.

Jade Girl:
daughter of the King of the Dragons; John's earthly accountant, now Wudang PR Director.

Jennifer:
Emma's sister, mother to Colin and Andrew with her first husband, Leonard. Divorced, and remarried the White Tiger's previous Number One son, Greg. They have a son called Matthew.

John Chen:
Xuan Wu, the Dark Emperor of the Northern Heavens; God of the North and Martial Arts. His True Form is a snake and turtle combined together. His element is Water.

Justin:
a son of the Dragon of the East who specialises in IT. Dated Simone for about two weeks.

Kitty Kwok:
Emma's previous employer, who ran kindergartens in Hong Kong; revealed to be the Eastern Demon King in female human form.

Kwan Yin:
a Buddha, one who has attained enlightenment and has returned to Earth to help others. Goddess of Mercy and Compassion.

Leo Alexander:
African-American bodyguard to Simone when she was a child; now a Taoist Immortal. Engaged to Prince Martin Ming Gui, son of Xuan Wu.

Liu, Cheng Rong:
the Academy's Immortal Shaolin Master; married to Master Meredith Liu.

LK Pak:
previous Wudang Demon Master.

Louise:
Emma's good friend for many years; married the White Tiger and became wife number ninety-seven. Died in a demon attack on the Western Palace.

Ma Hua Guang:
vanguard of the Thirty-Six; one of the Thirty-Six (now Thirty-Five) Heavenly Generals and John's right hand.

Mark (Emma's Nephew):
older son of Emma's sister Amanda. Martin Ming Gui: turtle Shen, son of Xuan Wu, elder brother to Simone, younger brother to Yue Gui; Prince of the Northern Heavens and John's Number One son. Engaged to Leo Alexander.

Master (Miss) Lucy Chen:
Wudang Weapons Master.

Matthew (Emma's Nephew):
younger son of Emma's sister Jennifer.

Meredith Liu:
the Academy's Energy Master; a European Immortal; married to Liu Cheng Rong, the Academy's Shaolin Master.

Michael MacLaren:
Number One son of the White Tiger.

Michelle LeBlanc:
Xuan Wu's first human wife, Simone's mother. Killed by demons when Simone was two years old.

Number One:
an honorary title given to the most senior son (or daughter). Most rulers have a Number One to assist them in running their realms, and a Number One has precedence second only to their father/mother.

Nu Wa:
ancient Chinese Goddess, believed to have originally created humanity and used the Stone Building Blocks (one of which was Emma's stone) to hold up the sky when it fell.

Pao Qing Tian:
Celestial Judge of the Tenth Level of Hell. Responsible for releasing Immortals back to the world when they're killed; also makes the decision on who is Worthy to be Raised to Immortal.

Peony:
the Serpent Concubine. John's concubine during the Qing Dynasty; became mentally ill, murdered her servants, and was executed.

Qing Long:
the Blue Dragon, God of the East. His element is Wood.

Red Phoenix:
Zhu Que, Goddess of the South. Her element is Fire.

Ronnie Wong:
half-demon son of the Demon King, worked as a Fung Shui Master and expert on demon seals until he Ascended to a new human life.

Simone:
Simone Chen, Princess of the Dark Northern Heavens; daughter of Xuan Wu and his human wife, Michelle LeBlanc.

Stone:
the Jade Building Block of the World; the stone that sits in Emma's engagement ring. One of the stones created by Nu Wa to hold up the Heavens when the Pillars were damaged by an angry god, but was never used for this purpose. The ring Emma wears was created for the Yellow Empress.

White Tiger:
Bai Hu, God of the Western Heavens. His element is Metal. Michael MacLaren's father, and husband to more than a hundred wives.

Xuan Wu:
Dark Emperor of the Northern Heavens, God of the North and Martial Arts. His True Form is a snake combined with a turtle. His element is Water. English name: John Chen Wu.

Yellow Empress:
wife of the Yellow Emperor, a fabled ruler from ancient times who taught humanity the basics of civilisation.

Yi Hao:
tame demon, Emma's secretary on Celestial Wudang.

Yue Gui:
turtle Shen; Xuan Wu's older daughter, older sister to Simone and Martin Ming Gui, mother to Sang Shen. Manages the Northern Heavens' administrative side.

Zhu Que:
the Red Phoenix, Goddess of the South. Her element is Fire.