Red Phoenix (16 page)

I dropped my forehead onto his chest; I’d had a sudden horrible thought. ‘If they come at us with guns we’re defenceless, aren’t we?’

‘No. I just fill everything with water, change the cartridge to water. Makes them useless. Never had a chance with her though; when I’d lost control I wasn’t thinking.’

‘Can you still fill them with water? Even now?’

He nodded, and his body moved underneath me. ‘One or two, not a problem. There are other ways to disable them as well. Simone will learn a few tricks that will stand her in good stead against them. Don’t worry.’

I relaxed. ‘When you come back I want to have a go too.’

‘You are welcome to try. If you can take me I will give you anything you desire, which is within my power to give.’

‘Not fair. You know I don’t want anything in the world right now.’ I pulled myself upright with delight. ‘Except an answer! I have you.’

He glanced down to where I sat on him. ‘You certainly have me.’ He smiled back up at me. ‘What?’

I fingered his hair. ‘Why the hell does it keep coming out all the time? And what’s the thing with the bare feet?’

He laughed gently and I shook on top of him. ‘I thought you did some research on me.’

I slapped him lightly on the chest. ‘Tell me.’

He wrapped his arms around my back. ‘Is the water too cold?’

‘No. Tell me!’

His eyes sparkled for a while. I was ready to slap him again when he smiled. ‘It’s a very simple story.’

I leaned forward on his chest so that my face was right next to his and gazed into his eyes. ‘Tell me.’

Bad move. He stopped to kiss me first and I couldn’t concentrate for a while. The water warmed up. Steam rose.

He pulled back, still smiling. ‘When an Immortal is Raised, they are Raised as they stand. I was Raised directly after an enormous battle. My hair,’ he stopped and moved it to one side out of the way, ‘was in the standard style of the time, long and tied on top. But it was a mess after the battle; it usually is. My shoes were gone. So that was that. Stuck like it.’

‘That is totally ridiculous.’

‘That’s what happened. You’ve seen Iron Crutch—he was even worse off. I don’t have to keep the form; you know I can take any form I want. But despite myself, I keep reverting.’ His eyes sparkled even more. ‘It’s a damn nuisance.’

‘But you’re a
Turtle.
How can you be a human Raised Immortal as well?’

‘That is not for one such as you to know,’ he said sadly, but he still smiled. ‘Later you will know. Now is not the time.’

I didn’t push it. ‘Give me plenty of warning before you Raise me. I’ll put some make-up on and make sure my hair is tidy.’

‘Doesn’t work like that. Sorry.’

‘I don’t think you are. I think you want us to be the scruffiest Immortals on the Celestial Plane.’

He brushed his hands over my back. ‘You have found me out.’

‘Took your sweet time,’ the Tiger said. Dinner was set out on a long low table with a large number of cushions scattered around it. ‘I know what you two were doing.’

‘You know I hate Western food.’ John eyed the dishes with contempt. ‘You are doing everything you possibly can to annoy me because you know it will be a
long time before I can get you back with the thorough and detailed cruelty that you deserve.’

‘Can’t you two grow up?’ I said. ‘It’s not Western food, John, it’s definitely Chinese.’

‘Western Chinese,’ the Tiger said. ‘Lots of chilli. Spicy.’

‘I hate it,’ John moaned.

‘How about a beggar’s chicken for the Lady, and some vegetarian buckwheat noodles and a selection of Northern-style steamed buns for the Lord?’ The Tiger’s voice was amused but his face didn’t show it.

‘Now you’re talking. Monica can’t do Northern food.’ John grinned. ‘I was there, you know.’

‘Where?’ I said.

‘When the beggar was caught with the chicken. I was riding past the palace with my guards.’

‘You are a lying bastard,’ the Tiger growled.

‘I saw him do it. It was already wrapped. He covered it with mud and buried it next to the little fire he’d built. I told my guards, silently, to leave him, as he’d already ruined his dinner. I changed my form and went back later to check on him.’ John smiled, remembering. ‘He was a great guy.’

‘That’s not vegetarian, John. I can’t eat the chicken.’

‘Beside the point on the Celestial Plane. You can let your hair down here.’

‘Don’t you dare,’ the Tiger said. ‘I am very careful not to get any fur in the food, and you will be too. Mao tai?’

‘Now you are really talking,’ John said with grim pleasure.

‘Yuck,’ I said. ‘Mao tai tastes like donkey urine that something died in.’

‘It’s an acquired taste,’ John said. ‘After a couple of hundred years I think you’ll probably like it as much as we do.’

‘I sincerely hope I’ll have the chance.’

‘You will. Here’s the chicken,’ the Tiger said. A servant brought a large covered platter. ‘My Lady, would you like to do the honours?’

‘Sure, where’s the hammer?’

‘I usually make one on the spot.’ The Tiger looked around. The lid of the serving platter twisted and went shiny. Part of it separated and formed a tiny golden hammer. The hammer floated in front of me, and I picked it out of the air and nodded to the Tiger.

The servant removed the remains of the platter’s lid to reveal a large lump of baked dough. ‘I have to be careful not to hit it so hard that I completely destroy it,’ I said, almost to myself.

‘Look inside the dough, see where its weakness is,’ John said. ‘It will have points in its structure where a single firm tap, not too hard, will crack it open.’

‘How do I look inside it?’

He took my hand and showed me. He opened his consciousness and studied the dough. He released my hand. ‘Now you try.’

I did the same thing he had. I opened my inner sight and peered inside the dough. I could see its structure, the way it was put together. The dough had been made slightly unevenly and there were parts where it was strong and other parts where it was weak. There were points where the strong and weak parts met, making clearly visible fracture lines. I studied one of the lines and followed it, searching for the place where a single light tap would crack the dough open. I found it.

I drew my consciousness back, remembering the location of the weak spot. I put the hammer down; I wouldn’t need it.

I reached with my index finger and lightly tapped the dough on the weak point. It fell open like a flower, revealing the steaming chicken wrapped in lotus leaf. A
wonderful warm aroma of wine and chicken and lotus leaf spread around us.

‘You should not have been able to do that,’ the Tiger said with awe.

‘She did
shen
work this afternoon as well,’ John said.

The Tiger pondered for a while, then spoke. ‘There is something seriously weird going on here, Xuan Wu. Lady Emma is an ordinary human. Why is she able to do this? It’s worrying.’

‘Please let’s just enjoy the meal and not freak me out,’ I said with a calmness I didn’t feel.

‘Good idea, Emma,’ John said briskly. He lifted his chopsticks and eyed the buns impatiently as they were brought in. ‘I haven’t had this in a while and I don’t think I’ll leave you any.’

‘How will you eat, Bai Hu?’

‘Very messily,’ the Tiger said. ‘Looks like I get all the chilli peppers.’

Familiar music began to play. It was soft enough for us to talk and seemed to come from all directions. The Tiger pointed with his head. ‘They’re over there.’ An alcove on one side of the room was covered with a gauzy curtain. ‘I had them come over and play specially for you, since I know you like them. They sound different when they’re unplugged, but we need to be able to talk.’ He nodded towards the Szechuan food. ‘Fits the generally spicy theme. Peppers for the food, Peppers for the music.’

‘How do you know what music I like?’ I demanded. I glared at John and he shook his head, innocent.

‘I had Leo go through your CDs.’ The Tiger’s golden eyes sparkled with amusement. ‘He said you have one of the most distressing collections of trash that he’s ever seen.’

‘That can’t be right,’ John said through a mouthful of noodles. ‘Leo said that
my
CDs were the most distressing collection of trash he’d ever seen.’

‘No, Turtle,’ the Tiger said patiently. ‘That was your
vinyl
he was talking about.’

‘You are quite correct,’ John said. ‘Shame I threw away my eight-tracks. Leo is quite incapable of appreciating the subtle harmonics and delicate nuances of truly fine Western heavy metal.’

‘But do you have to play it so damn
loud
?’ I said.

‘Nuances.’ He grinned. ‘Wait till we have Simone off to school and I can turn the bass up to where it belongs.’

‘You are very scary sometimes, you know that?’ He just grinned over the noodles. But I knew what he was thinking: good.

It was very late when we returned to our room. We quickly changed out of the fancy clothes and into something much more comfortable; him in his black cotton jacket and pants, me in a flowing long top and matching trousers.

The desert sky was full of a million brilliant stars. We sat on the balcony together and warm candlelight flickered in the room behind us.

‘How long have we known each other, Emma?’ he said quietly, his arm draped around my shoulder and his other hand holding mine.

‘I don’t know, let me think. I started part-time with you end of the year before last. I changed to full-time beginning of last year. Just over a year and a half. Is that all? It feels like forever.’

‘It does, doesn’t it? It seems like there’s never been a time when I didn’t know you.’ He pulled me into his lap. I leaned back and put my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his strong arms around me. ‘It’s as if we’ve known each other forever.’

‘I know how you feel. I feel the same way. Maybe we’re soulmates or something.’

‘Could be.’ His voice vibrated through his chest. ‘That was one of the toughest battles I have ever faced.’ ‘What was?’

‘Simone and Leo wanted you to come full-time almost immediately. Simone particularly made my life complete hell. She wanted you there all the time. I should have listened to her.’ He ran his mouth over the side of my neck, then pulled away slightly to speak softly into my ear. ‘We could have had more time.’

‘I don’t want to go back. I want to stay here forever with you.’

‘That is the fate of the ruler,’ he said, his voice soft and sad. ‘Our own happiness always comes second. We have so many people who rely on us. We must care for them first.’

‘You’re right. There are people relying on us. We are so lucky to have had this short time together. I am so privileged. Not only have I met you, but I’ve gained your trust, and your love, and your promise.’ He kissed the back of my neck and I shivered. ‘There isn’t a thing in the world that I want for myself right now.’

He unbuttoned my shirt, gently pulled it over my head and threw it aside. He put his arms back around me and his grip tightened. He kissed the side of my throat, then over my shoulder.

I turned on his lap so that I was side-on to him. I gazed into his dark eyes; they glowed in the starlight. I ran my fingertips over his high cheekbone and over the edge of his jaw. He watched me without moving. I reached behind his neck and pulled his long braid towards me. I undid the tie holding it and combed it free with my fingers. I nibbled lightly along the edge of his jaw then ran my mouth down the silken skin on the side of his throat. I pulled away slightly to speak into his ear.

‘I changed my mind. There
is
something I want for myself, right now.’

He studied my face intensely. ‘I have no idea what you are talking about. Please come inside with me and explain in complete and accurate detail exactly what you would like for yourself, and I’ll see what I can do.’

He moved his face closer to mine and our lips met. We pushed into each other. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him in. He rose and carried me inside, which was a very good thing. My legs weren’t working at all.

T
he warm desert sun shone through the window but we ignored it. I straddled his lap and ran my fingertips over his face. We didn’t have much more time.

I took his hands and moved them onto my bare breasts. His face went strange and he shifted his hands to my shoulders.

I’d noticed that. I tried it again, moved his hands onto my breasts. He slid them around to my back.

He saw what I was doing and watched me, expressionless. ‘Tell me,’ I said. He didn’t reply.

I bent and kissed him for a long time. I pressed myself against him and felt him stir.

When I came up for air, I moved his hands again and he shifted them away. I grinned, and he smiled slightly in response. ‘You’re not upset?’

‘More curious than anything.’

He put his hands on my shoulders and drifted them down my back. This what he really liked; it was easy to tell.

I bent and spoke into his ear. ‘I like you touching my back better too.’

He jerked his head back to see me. ‘You’re joking.’ ‘It seems we like the same thing.’ ‘That can’t be right,’ he said, bemused. ‘Why not?’

He laughed quietly and shook beneath me.

‘Don’t do that again,’ I said more loudly, ‘or I’ll have to stop talking.’

‘Laughing? Or…’ He brushed his hands lightly over my back and I wriggled in response.

‘Both! Why can’t it be right? It feels perfectly right to me.’

‘This,’ he said as he brushed his hands over my back and shoulders, ‘is something to do with my true nature.’ ‘Oh my God.’ ‘Right here, all yours.’

‘It’s because you’re a
reptile,
isn’t it? You aren’t a
mammal
at all.’

His face froze. ‘I am a mammal in this form,’ he said grimly. ‘I am one hundred per cent human.’

‘You’re worried I’ll be freaked out.’

He was silent but his face said it all.

‘Did it freak her out?’

He hesitated, his face still expressionless, then nodded once, sharply. ‘Sit up.’

He didn’t move. ‘Do it!’

He pulled himself upright. I shifted to let him move but remained on his lap.

I brushed my hands over his shoulders and down his back. He shivered and his eyes went very dark.

I loaded my hands with a tiny amount of
chi
and did it again.

He closed his eyes, arched his back and quivered into my hands. Yes.

I pressed myself against him and ran my loaded hands up and down his back, then brushed them over his shoulders. He stiffened under my hands and his face became a mask of rapture. A low sound of pleasure floated from deep within him.

Then he completely lost control. His eyes went black. He threw me onto my back and forced himself on top of me.

‘Yes!’

When he came back he fell beside me and watched me.

‘Listen to me,’ I said firmly.

He didn’t move but his eyes studied my face.

‘I am not freaked out. In fact I am so turned on I cannot believe myself. This…’ I ran my hand over his back and watched his response with delight. ‘…is the coolest thing I have ever experienced in my entire life.
God
but I am glad we had this time before you went.’ I kissed him and sat up. ‘I’m starving. Do we have time for breakfast before we go?’

‘With or without another mutual back rub?’

‘I’ll skip the breakfast for the back rub.’

I came around on one of the couches in the living room of the Peak apartment.

John and Leo sat on the other couch, watching me with concern. The Tiger was stretched on the carpet in front of them in True Form. Simone reclined on his back and stroked his fur.

I rose, slightly dizzy, and saw them. I suddenly wanted a photo of them all together like that. My family.

‘Before we do anything, guys, could you all stay like that so I can take a photo? Please?’

‘Monica can fetch the digital camera,’ John said. ‘Monica!’

Monica hurried out of the kitchen, then fell back against the wall and clutched her chest, her face ashen.

‘Damn!’ I yelled and rushed to her.

‘Damn!’ John shouted at the same time. ‘I completely forgot.’

Everybody crowded around Monica. We took her into the dining room and sat her down. I fanned her face. John patted her hand. Leo hovered, concerned.

‘Get her some cold water, please, Leo.’ I sat next to her. She gasped for breath and clutched her chest. ‘Monica, it’s all right, it won’t hurt you.’

Monica stared at me with her mouth wide, still gasping for breath.

Leo returned with the water and I held it for her to take a couple of sips. ‘Breathe, Monica. You’ll be fine. Relax. Breathe.’

Monica nodded, took some deep breaths, and then another sip of water. Colour returned to her face.

‘Everybody out except me,’ I said. ‘John, tell the Tiger to stay right where he is. I still want that photo. And Monica will need to get used to it. Now is as good a time as any.’

‘You sure about that, Emma?’ Leo said.

I turned and spoke softly to them. ‘If she doesn’t see for herself that he’s harmless, she’ll be living in constant fear of what comes in the front door.’

‘I’ll go and find the digital camera,’ John said. ‘Come on, people. Emma knows what she’s doing.’

I sat with Monica for a while, letting her settle, holding her hand. Her breathing returned to normal, but her eyes brimmed with tears and I gave her some tissues.

‘All right now?’ I said.

She nodded, wiping her eyes.

‘Monica, you know that Chinese man with the white hair who comes over sometimes? Bai Hu?’

‘Yes, ma’am, I know him.’ ‘That’s him. He’s a tiger.’

‘I don’t want to know, ma’am.’ She winced and looked down. ‘I don’t want to know about it.’

‘You have to know, because he’s Michael’s father.’

Her head shot up to look at me and her eyes went wide.

‘Yes, that’s right, Michael’s father is a tiger. Many of the people who come through here are strange, you know that. You’ll just have to be ready for it. And not be frightened, because nobody who comes in here will ever hurt you.’

She was silent, her face full of misery.

‘He’s stuck as a tiger right now. Come out and say hello to him. He won’t hurt you; in fact his fur is very nice. You can touch him. You saw Simone, you know we wouldn’t let anything ever hurt Simone.’

‘I think I’ll just stay in here, ma’am. I don’t want to. Please don’t make me.’

‘If that’s what you want, then I won’t force you.’ I moved closer and put my arm around her shoulders. ‘I just don’t want you to be frightened. It would be better if you came out and saw him. I can come with you, I won’t let him hurt you.’

‘I can really touch him?’ she said, still frightened but becoming curious.

‘You really can. Come and see. You know him already; you’ve seen him come and go. He’s just the same person.’

‘What about the others, the blue man and the red lady? Are they tigers too?’

‘No. The blue man is a dragon, and the red lady is a phoenix, a big bird. Monica.’ I spoke more firmly. ‘Mr Chen is an animal too.’

‘Sir is an
animal
!’

‘Yes, he is. Are you scared of him?’

‘No,’ she said, her eyes wide. ‘I’m not scared of him. Sir is a
good man.’

‘So is the Tiger. He’s a wonderful man as well. Come and say hello. I promise he won’t hurt you. Did you know that he can talk? A talking tiger, how about that? Come and see.’

Monica thought about it, then nodded and rose, still clutching my hand. I kept my other arm around her shoulder. ‘Don’t be afraid.’

We went out of the dining room together, Monica still holding my hand. I eased her slightly into the living room, and let her stand for a moment and become accustomed to it.

The Tiger stretched out on the carpet with Simone draped casually over his back and rubbing the sides of his head. He lay with his eyes half-closed, obviously enjoying it. Leo and John sat on the couch waiting for us.

Monica pointed at the Tiger. ‘That’s where the fur comes from. I’m vacuuming it all the time. I thought it was coming out of the carpet.’

‘Sorry, Monica,’ the Tiger said.

She stiffened and clutched my hand.

‘It’s all right, Monica.’ I rubbed her arm and squeezed her around the shoulders. ‘He won’t hurt you. Remember, you know him already. It’s Mr Chen’s friend, Bai Hu.’

‘I’m sorry I scared you, Monica,’ the Tiger said, his voice gentle. ‘I won’t hurt you, I promise.’

‘Uncle Bai is great, Monica,’ Simone said without moving from his back. ‘He gives me rides.’

‘Do you want to touch him?’ I said softly into Monica’s ear.

She remained unmoving, pondering. Then she straightened. ‘No, thank you, ma’am.’ She pulled her hand free from mine. ‘Do you need anything? Sir? Ma’am? Mr Tiger?’

‘Tea, tikuanyin,’ John said. The Tiger chuckled.

‘Off you go, Monica,’ I said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’ ‘Can I ask you something inside, ma’am?’ ‘Sure.’ I shrugged and followed her into the kitchen. ‘Hurry up, Emma, if you want to take a photo,’ John said.

‘I’ll be right out, don’t be so impatient.’

‘Humph,’ John said, and the Tiger chuckled again.

I went into the kitchen and closed the door. Monica rinsed the teapot for us.

‘What did you want to ask me, Monica?’

‘Ma’am,’ Monica said without stopping or looking up, ‘what animal is Mr Chen?’

‘He’s a turtle.’

Monica collapsed over the sink and howled with laughter. I had never heard her laugh like that before. Tears sprang from her eyes. She shook her head, speechless.

I just smiled and went out. Obviously she knew.

‘One more,’ I said, fell to one knee and lined them up. Before I pressed the button I stopped and glared at the Tiger. ‘Put that tail
back.’

The Tiger grinned and covered himself with his tail again.

‘What’s he doing, Emma?’ Simone said from his back.

‘Nothing,’ the Tiger said, but the minute I’d taken the photo he moved his tail away again. ‘Good thing it’s a digital camera.’

‘I forgot once before and had some photos taken out and processed,’ John said. ‘Family photos at a banquet. The staff asked me a lot of questions. They recognised us as the Four Winds. I told them it was a movie set.’

‘I’d love a photo of all four of you Winds in True Form,’ I said.

‘Bai Hu?’ John said.

‘You’re on,’ the Tiger said with a smile in his voice. ‘What a good idea.’

‘As soon as I’m back, we’ll do one for you, Serpent and all,’ John said.

‘Not eating,’ I said.

Monica came out of the kitchen holding the tray of tea things. I didn’t push her; I went to her to take the tray.

‘No, ma’am, I’m fine.’ She walked calmly around the Tiger and put the tray on the coffee table. She returned around the Tiger as if he was a big cat, carefully stepping over his tail, and proceeded into the kitchen as if absolutely nothing was amiss.

We stared at each other. Leo grinned like an idiot.

‘Every single member of my household staff is a treasure beyond compare,’ John said with wonder.

‘I don’t know how you do it, Ah Wu,’ the Tiger said. ‘I have hundreds, and not a single one can hold a candle to anything you have. And you have less than a dozen.’

Michael had heard our voices and came down the hallway. He stopped dead when he saw the Tiger. The Tiger gently eased Simone off his back, then rose to face Michael. He stood completely immobile, but the tip of his tail twitched.

Simone moved to John’s lap and he wrapped his arms around her.

We all waited quietly to see what would happen.

‘Is this him, my Lady?’ Michael said.

‘Michael MacLaren,’ I said loudly, ‘this is your father, the White Tiger of the West, Lord Bai Hu.’

‘You are Rhonda’s boy?’ the Tiger rasped.

Michael nodded and his blond hair fell over his forehead.

The Tiger’s voice was still a low rasp. ‘How is your mother, boy?’

‘My mother is well, my Lord.’ ‘She remarried?’ ‘No, sir.’

The Tiger sat on his haunches and flicked one ear. ‘You are working as a Retainer for the Dark Lord, Xuan Wu?’

Michael nodded, his hair flipping over. It was an even match. The kid was totally unafraid.

‘Ah Wu.’ The Tiger spoke to John over his shoulder. ‘If the kid ever wants to leave your service, let me know. I have a place for him with the Horsemen.’ He turned back to Michael. ‘Serve the Dark Lord well, Three One Five. If you wish to leave his service, I will take you.’ He paused, then dropped his voice. ‘Say hello to your mother for me.’

He turned and bowed to John, lowering his head over his front legs. ‘My Lord. I think I should return and recuperate. By your leave.’

‘Bai Hu,’ John said kindly.

The Tiger bowed similarly to me. ‘My Lady. I suggest that you permit me to offer my services and my palace one more time before the Dark Lord departs. It is the least I can offer the two of you.’

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, Tiger,’ I said, my heart breaking. ‘We need you strong.’

‘I understand. But I’ll see what I can do.’ He bowed again. ‘By your leave, my Lady.’

‘Go home to your palace, Tiger. Come back soon. I like having you around.’

He gazed at me with his golden eyes, then he was gone.

Michael stumbled to the couch and dropped to sit on it. John saw what was up and took Simone out, gesturing for Leo to follow him. Michael didn’t even notice.

I sat on the other couch and waited for him to recover and start asking questions. But he just sat for a long time, staring at me without saying anything. I sighed. Two in one day. Maybe I should make a set of signs to hold up. ‘No, it won’t hurt you.’ ‘Yes, this is a strange household.’ ‘A turtle.’

I suddenly understood: this was why John never told anybody anything. He always asked somebody else to tell people the truth about him. It wasn’t just because it wasn’t fitting, him being who he was. It was because he was bored to death of telling people the same things over and over and having to explain the truth patiently to them.

I wondered if I could delegate the job to somebody else after he’d gone. Maybe Jade could do it.

Monica came to collect the tea things. She saw Michael’s face and smiled.