Blue Dragon

is better that you never know what you could be.’ He turned to me with Amy still in his arms. ‘Hello.’
    ‘Hi,’ I said. ‘Have you heard of the Academy?’
    ‘Of course I have,’ he said. ‘But I didn’t connect it with what Amy was doing in Hong Kong.’ He pulled away slightly to smile down at her and stroke her hair. ‘I should have realised. She isn’t here to teach English and avoid her husband at all. Like most dragons, she is unusually talented in the Arts and was recruited by the Dark Lord.’
    ‘You never knew?’ I said.
    ‘She never showed any inclination before,’ he said. ‘Before she started learning kung fu, she never displayed any signs whatsoever.’ He pulled her tight. ‘I am so proud , Amy. My own beloved daughter, a black dragon.’
    Amy was gasping. ‘A black dragon?’
    ‘Black as night,’ I said.
    ‘Is that why you tried to destroy me?’ she said. Her face filled with horror. ‘Oh my God, Brad! You killed Brad! How could you do that? No…no. You missed me, and killed him—he was helping you!’ She breathed in ragged gasps. ‘He died for me!’
    ‘He was a demon, Amy,’ I said. ‘I was counting on you changing so that I could destroy him without him knowing we were on to him.’
    ‘He was a demon?’
    ‘The stories are true, my Lady,’ Amy’s father said.
    ‘I’m sorry, sir, I don’t know your name,’ I said. ‘You’ll have to forgive me, I don’t remember Amy’s last name.’
    ‘Amy Wu,’ Amy said.
    Amy’s father released one hand and held it out to me.
    I shook it. ‘Mr Wu.’
    ‘You can call me Richard, it’s easier,’ Amy’s father said. He turned and smiled at Amy. ‘A black dragon. Wonderful.’
    ‘Am I a bad dragon?’ Amy whispered. ‘If I’m black?’
    Both her father and I laughed. ‘Colour has nothing to do with it,’ I said.
    ‘By your leave, Lady Emma, I would like to take my daughter to try out her new abilities,’ Amy’s father said. ‘And then, of course, I must present her to the King.’
    ‘Of course,’ I said. ‘Say hello to the Dragon King for me. You were something special, Amy, it was just very well hidden. Happens all the time with you dragons. You’re the third one this year. I should be getting used to it.’
    Amy released her father and embraced me. ‘Thank you so much, Emma.’ She turned to Gold and saddened. ‘Does this mean I won’t see you again?’
    Gold smiled gently. ‘Once you’ve been presented to the King you’ll probably be back here joining the advanced classes with the other dragons. I’m thinking of setting up a special school for you guys, so many of you keep turning up.’
    ‘The world is shrinking and we are finding more mates among the wider human population,’ Amy’s father said. He turned back to Amy. ‘Now, we will transform, and I will show you how to fly and how to swim, and then you will see the most magnificent palace in existence.’
    ‘Bye, Amy,’ I whispered as her father took True Form. ‘Have fun.’
    ‘How do I change?’ Amy said, but before she’d finished she was already in her dragon form. Her frill, fins and tail fin were all gold; the rest of her was shining jet black. She was magnificent. Her golden eyes flashed.
    ‘Whoa,’ Gold said softly.
    ‘Bye, Gold,’ Amy said.
    ‘Au revoir,’ Gold said. ‘Come back soon.’
    ‘Thanks, Emma,’ Amy said.
    I bowed slightly. ‘You are most welcome, Dragon Lady.’
    ‘Follow me. Watch closely,’ Amy’s father said and disappeared.
    Amy glanced at me with her golden eyes, then disappeared as well.
    Gold sighed with bliss.
    ‘She’ll be back soon,’ I said softly.
    ‘I know,’ Gold said.
    ‘Now we will sort out my students, and then the three of us will have a contingency meeting on how Brad the demon made it halfway through second year without any of us knowing,’ I said.
    Jade and Gold both looked sheepish.
    ‘Not good enough from any of us, guys,’ I said. ‘Stone, did you see all of that?’
    ‘Yep,’ the stone said.
    ‘Good,’ I said. ‘I’ll want you to replay the part where Brad was destroyed. I want a good look at that demon; obviously he was something very special. We’ll do a post-mortem on that thing and find out how we were duped.’
    ‘Good idea,’ Gold said.
    ‘I think it would also be a good idea if I kept you busy for the next week or so,’ I said to Gold.
    ‘Forgive me, my Lady, but I was sitting on a clutch,’ Jade said, miserable.
    ‘Oh, for God’s sake, why