Blue Dragon Part 71

'I hope you're right, Xuan Wu,' I said. 'But what about the energy?'

'I received nearly all of his energy, and most of hers,' he said. 'She nearly drained herself.' He rose. 'Are you okay?'

'I'm fine.'

John glanced at Simone. 'She is heavily sedated. I can't even say goodbye.'

'Stone, if you can hear me, take a recording,' I said. The stone didn't change its shape or say anything. 'Do we have time?'

'No,' John said. 'I will break the barrier, then you will go.'

'Will you still transform after breaking the barrier?'

'Yes.' John studied the door on the other side of the room. 'They're here. We have to move.' He turned back to me. 'Hold Simone. Ready yourself to run once the barrier is down. Don't look back.'

I gathered Simone and rose. John rose with difficulty, grimacing. He reached out and stroked Simone's cheek, then his face went rigid and he seized her out of my arms, ran to the wall and pinned her against it with his body.

There was a thumping bang and John was thrown away from the wall towards me, spreadeagled. He skidded to a halt next to me. His face and the front of his black s.h.i.+rt were covered with blood.

Something grabbed me, turned me around and pushed me into the wall. He had used PK to turn me away so I couldn't see him.

Stay there, he said urgently. he said urgently. Don't look at me, the injuries are major. She was programmed to explode at my touch. Don't look at me, the injuries are major. She was programmed to explode at my touch.

I suddenly understood what had happened. John had s.h.i.+elded me from the blast with his body. He must have been horribly injured.

He still held me. Leo was gone. John was dying. Simone was dead. My insides hurt like I was about to burst, but I couldn't move or make a sound.

'That was the copy of Simone,' John said. His voice sounded completely normal. He released me. 'I couldn't see what it really was until I touched it.'

I heard him moving but didn't turn around. 'It's okay,' he said. I glanced at him, expecting his face to be a b.l.o.o.d.y shredded ma.s.s of flesh, but he was fine. 'I've healed myself. I must be whole, because we need to go in there and get Simone out.'

Leo was gone. John wouldn't make it. Simone was still held by the demon. We'd lost. We'd lost everything.

Hold, John said silently, but I didn't really hear him. John said silently, but I didn't really hear him. I concede. Wait. I concede. Wait.

I slid down the wall to sit on the floor. I was very close to losing it. That monster had Simone. I tried to breathe but my throat was thick and my heart was pounding. I couldn't see for the tears in my eyes. I was going to lose both of them. I was going to lose all of them. No. No No!

'Emma. Concentrate. Move your chi into your central dan tian,' John said.

I did as he directed, trying to breathe as I did.

'Good. Now move it up the major meridian to the top cauldron.'

I concentrated.

'Don't open the gate. Leave the chi there. Do you have it?'

'Yes,' I said, concentrating, my breath rasping through my dry throat.

'Now. Slowly. Move it all into your Inner Eye. Concentrate. Carefully. If you lose it then immediately drop it and recentre it. You have time. The demons are waiting for us now, they're not coming in.'

The world glowed around me.

'Don't open the Eye. Leave the chi there. Concentrate.'

I nodded silently.

'Now. Very carefully, move the chi back down and recentre it.'

I moved the chi and suddenly felt completely relaxed and in control. I was calm and focused and absolutely serene.

'Thanks,' I said.

'I should have taught you that a long time ago,' he said. 'I think in the near future, unfortunately, you will be using that skill quite a lot. Emma.' His voice sharpened and I glanced up at him. 'You can only do that twice at one time. The effect will last for six to twelve hours. At the end of that time, the stress will return, and it will be worse. If you do it twice, it will be four times worse when it returns. If you do it more than twice in a row, you could easily kill yourself.'

'I understand.' As I rose I pulled the Demon King's phone out of my pocket.

'I have not gone down, and Simone is not yet in real danger,' John said. 'You cannot use that yet. Put it away, I don't think you will need it.' He studied the door. 'We will just go in and get her.'

I hesitated, then shrugged, put the phone away and retrieved my sword. The stupid d.a.m.n Turtle was right. I had given him my word. Simone was alive and we were getting her out. Right now.

'Why didn't you tell us she was a copy, stone?' I said.

'I've been shouting at you for the last twenty minutes!' the stone snapped, its voice desperate. 'I even tried to stab you again, but that hybrid child was binding me even though she was unconscious!'

John collected his sword without saying a word.

I was suddenly full of ice-cold fury. The monster that held my Simone had used a copy child-April's child-as a weapon, and child-as a weapon, and killed killed her. her.

'That little piece of sc.u.m is going to die die,' I growled.

'No, it isn't,' John said as he moved towards the door. 'We will trade my head for Simone's safety. That is the only way, love.' He spoke silently again, and this time I heard what he said and felt a shock of dismay.

I concede. I am willing to trade my head for my Lady's and daughter's freedom and safety.

Come on through, Simon Wong said. Simon Wong said.

The other side of the door was a corridor, empty and featureless. It went for about twenty metres, then there was another door at the end.

'This is not what I sensed,' John said. 'This is different. I cannot sense any large demons now. It was an illusion.'

'They're waiting for you at the end,' the stone said. Its voice changed. 'My Lord Xuan. It's been a great deal of pleasure.'

'Look after her,' John said.

'My Lord.'

Wong waited for us with a couple of minor demons and Kitty Kwok. Simone sat quietly in a chair between them. When she saw us she jumped to get away from them, but Kitty grabbed her by the arm and threw her back into the chair.

The room was like a large, modern library: shelves with books, a bank of computers, pale blue carpet tiles on the floor, but no windows. They sat at a meeting table together, with books strewn around them.

Wong rose and came around the table to face us. Kitty Kwok stood behind Simone and held her shoulder.

Wong leaned back on the table and crossed his arms over his chest, quite relaxed. 'Don't try taking True Form and coming for me. You wouldn't make it in time.'

Don't do anything to attack it, Emma, John said. John said. It's immensely powerful. You don't need to use the phone; I don't think either of you are in danger. We'll just give him what he wants. It's immensely powerful. You don't need to use the phone; I don't think either of you are in danger. We'll just give him what he wants.

'No,' I moaned, my heart breaking, but John ignored me.

He stretched his arms in front of him at eye level and slid Dark Heavens back into its scabbard, acknowledging defeat. 'One Two Two,' he said without emotion as he lowered the sword, 'whatever you want, you can have it. Just don't harm the child or the Lady. You want my head? It's yours.'

'Have they hurt you, Simone?' I said.

'I'm okay,' Simone said, her little voice strained. 'They haven't done anything to me.'

Wong moved his hands so that they were on the table either side of him and leaned back. 'I just want your head, Turtle. That's all.'

'I won't give it to you until I'm sure that my daughter is safe,' John said.

Wong gestured with his head. Kitty roughly pulled Simone out of the chair and walked her around the table until she was on the same side as us.

'Is that her?' I said softly.

John was silent.

'My, but you are very drained, aren't you, Turtle,' Wong said. 'It's astonis.h.i.+ng you can hold the shape at all.'

'If I lose the shape my head will be gone,' John said.

'h.e.l.lo, Emma,' Wong said. 'You're a prize in your own right, you know.'

I didn't say anything.

'Okay,' Wong said, crossing his arms over his chest again. 'Let's do this, before the Turtle loses it completely. You.' He nodded towards John. 'Kneel, drop your weapon. You.' He nodded towards me and smiled. 'Take his weapon, take his head and bring it to me. Then you'll get the girl.'

'No!' Simone wailed, a long drawn-out sound of misery.

'I want to be a hundred per cent sure that it's her, and I want safe pa.s.sage out of here,' I said.

'Even if he guarantees it, his word's no good, Emma,' John said. 'How about this: we go to the roof of Kowloon City Plaza. I'll give you my head, you go. But I want you to do it; you take the head, not Emma. End of transaction.'

'Inside the yamen yamen building,' Wong said. 'The girls can go out from there.' building,' Wong said. 'The girls can go out from there.'

'Done,' John said. 'I'll have to walk out. I'm too big to carry.'

'Oh, we'll come with you,' Wong said. 'An afternoon stroll with the family.'

John turned and gestured. 'After you.'

Wong grinned and concentrated. An enormous hunting knife appeared in his hand. He grabbed Simone, jerked her towards him and put the knife to her throat. 'By all means.' He removed his hand and the knife remained at her throat. 'Kill me and she dies anyway.'

'I've done a deal, I won't go back on it,' John said. 'I am a creature of honour.'

Wong jerked Simone closer. 'Come on, little girl,' he said through his teeth. 'Let's go see the creature of honour lose his head.'

'I don't want you to die, Daddy,' Simone said as we went back down the tunnels.

'I can't die, sweetheart,' John said. 'Even if he cuts off my head, I'll just turn into the Turtle and be gone for a while. I'll be back.'

'And we'll all have a lot of fun in the meantime,' Wong said. 'All of h.e.l.l will come out to play.'

'You sure that's Simone?' I said.

'Emma, I'm so drained that I can hardly see anything,' John said. 'I can't be sure, but I'm not willing to take the risk.'

'Say something silently,' I said to Simone.

'I can't,' Simone said. 'He can somehow block me.'

I opened my Inner Eye and turned it on her.

'It's me me, Emma,' she said.

'Is it?' John said softly.

I asked the stone.

It's her.

I hesitated.

Yes, of course I'm sure! It's really her. I had the copy picked immediately. I would know if it wasn't her!

'What's the word, Simone?' I said.

'I say "cool" too much,' Simone said.

'Yes,' I said. 'It's her.'

'Shut up. All of you. All I want is the head.'

We went up the stairs and through the floor into the yamen yamen building. A hot humid breeze blew in from the open doors. The park and the glowing clouds of the Hong Kong night sky were visible through the doorway. building. A hot humid breeze blew in from the open doors. The park and the glowing clouds of the Hong Kong night sky were visible through the doorway.

So close.

'Where's Leo?' Simone said.

'Emma will explain after you're out of here,' John said.