Blue Dragon

Michael said vehemently.
    ‘Three of us. That is all.’
    ‘My Lord,’ Leo said. He hesitated. ‘Thank you.’
    ‘I don’t want you to go, Leo,’ Simone said, still sniffling. ‘You’ll die .’
    Leo smiled gently and took Simone’s hand. ‘You know I won’t last long anyway, sweetheart.’ Simone grabbed some more tissues with her other hand. Leo turned to John, still holding Simone’s little hand in his enormous dark one. ‘Where will we go to see the Lady?’
    ‘How far away can you go now? Back to Kota Kinabalu?’ I asked.
    ‘I can’t go any further than here,’ John said. ‘We’ll do it on the top floor of Hennessy Road. We will be attacked when we do. Emma: you, Simone and Leo will remain here at the Peak. The seals will protect you, and I trust the two of you to defend Simone. Michael will go to the Western Palace. I expect the main assault to be at Hennessy Road. I will call the Phoenix and Na Zha, and perhaps a couple of other friends, to defend the building. We will clear the students out and put them in the Folly, defended there.’
    ‘This is a very bad idea, my Lord,’ Leo said. ‘I think if all of them are at that sort of risk, then perhaps we should just go in now.’
    ‘ No !’ Simone shouted.
    ‘I don’t have the strength,’ John said. ‘I am much too drained to go in right now. I will not be able to do it until after the feed.’
    The doorbell rang, and both John and Michael shot to their feet.
    ‘He is supposed to be in Hell,’ John growled. ‘I will take his head for this. Leo, Emma, with me. Michael, stay here with Simone.’
    He turned and went out, Leo and I following him.
    Ah Yat held the door open. Martin was on the other side of the huge metal gate.
    ‘Let me in. I know the situation—I can help you protect Simone,’ Martin said. ‘I give you my word: I will harm none of you.’
    ‘Go to hell,’ John said.
    ‘My Lord. Lord Xuan. Father ,’ Martin said, and John winced. ‘She’s my sister and I want to see her safe. I can arrange safety for her while Kwan Yin helps you. Let me in. I swear, this is an honest offer.’
    I moved forward to open the gate.
    ‘No, Emma,’ John said, but I ignored him. I let Martin in, and he smiled and saluted me.
    ‘I will kill you one day,’ Leo said in a menacing rumble.
    ‘I don’t blame you,’ Martin said gently. ‘If it means anything to you, I wasn’t pretending.’
    Leo glared silently at him.
    ‘Living room. Let’s talk about it,’ I said.
    Martin sat on one of the couches and we all stood around him. ‘It’s like this,’ he said, leaning his elbows on his knees. ‘Number One knows that once you’ve been fed this time, it’s the end. So you’re probably planning to take True Form and see One Two Two straight after.’
    Nobody said anything.
    ‘But you can’t travel any distance right now. So when she does feed you, you’ll do it here, and attract the largest horde of demons the Celestial has ever seen.’
    ‘Tell me something I don’t know,’ John said.
    ‘Number One has provided me with a safe house. Your Lady and my sister can go there while you do this. They will be safe.’
    ‘Why?’ I said.
    Martin spread his hands and looked up at John. ‘Obvious. He wants you to win. He wants One Two Two out of the way as much as you do. And if you don’t have to worry about the Lady and the child, your chances are that much better.’
    ‘I do not require a demon’s assistance,’ John said, glowering.
    ‘The demon will not be assisting you. It will be me providing safety for the Lady and the child. He’s given his word, Ah Ba.’ John winced again. ‘They will be safe.’
    ‘I will consider,’ John said, turning away.
    ‘No! Wait!’ I said, and Martin glanced up at me. ‘Contact me the first week of August. You can take Simone, but I’m staying here.’
    ‘You can’t trust him, Emma,’ Leo said softly.
    ‘Neither of you are going,’ John said.
    I glared at John. ‘Simone will be safe. You want me to use the phone?’
    ‘Shit,’ John said, spun on his heel and stalked out.
    ‘I’ll be in touch,’ Martin said, smiling gently. He disappeared.
    The next morning I went into the training room and quietly closed the door behind me. I moved into position in the middle of the mats, then began to work through a wu-style Tai Chi set. The rest of the apartment was silent. Michael was at the Western Palace; Leo was out; John was resting; and Simone was watching television.
    I felt