Blue Dragon

Simone?’
    John and the Tiger faced the door at the end of the room and concentrated.
    ‘No idea,’ John said. ‘Stone?’
    ‘What you just faced was nothing compared to what is on the other side of that door,’ the stone said grimly. ‘Twice as many. Much bigger. Turtles.’ Its voice softened. ‘They are guarding Simone. She is on the other side of that room, in a holding room.’
    Everybody looked blankly at me, so I relayed the message.
    ‘Emma, Leo,’ John said, ‘you two will go straight through, grab Simone and take her out. Take her straight home, both of you. The Tiger and I will finish our business here. Just make sure Simone is safe.’
    I didn’t say anything, I just studied the door.
    ‘Emma?’ John said.
    I nodded. ‘Okay. I suppose this is goodbye.’
    ‘No, it isn’t,’ John said. ‘Because I will return for you. I promise. Now.’ He hefted his sword. ‘Let’s get Simone out of this.’ He didn’t look away from the door. ‘Leo, I am giving you a direct order. You do not have permission to give your life. Simone will need both of you. I order you to stay alive.’
    ‘My Lord,’ Leo said, expressionless. ‘It’s the least I deserve.’
    ‘Tiger, on the count of three, open the door,’ John said. ‘One, two—’
    The door flew open by itself and Martin threw himself through, holding Simone, unconscious, in his arms. His eyes blazed. ‘Go!’ he shouted when he saw us. ‘Get out of here!’
    John ran to them and turned to bring up the rear. ‘You heard him, run!’
    We all turned and raced for the door. Leo hit it first and went down. The Tiger crashed into it as well. The rest of us managed to stop before we reached it.
    I put my hand out. There was an invisible barrierwhere the door should have been. The door appeared to be open, but we couldn’t go through.
    ‘Move,’ John said. He raised Dark Heavens, filled it with brilliant white shen energy and tried to break the barrier with it. The sword glanced off.
    John pulled the energy back out. We all faced back into the room. The door on the other side was open, but the demons weren’t coming in yet.
    The Tiger shook his shaggy head and pulled himself to his feet. ‘Never seen that before.’
    ‘Leo?’ I said.
    Leo grunted, then pulled himself up to sit, shaking his head as well. The Tiger moved next to him. ‘How many paws am I holding up?’
    ‘Two,’ Leo said.
    ‘Close enough,’ the Tiger said.
    Leo clumsily pulled himself to his feet and staggered to the white katana to retrieve it.
    I went to Martin. Simone lay limp in his arms.
    ‘Is she okay?’ I said.
    ‘Yes,’ Martin said. ‘I broke out of my cell and found her. But—’ He glanced at the other room, then gently put Simone onto the floor next to the door. ‘Give me your sword, and stand back with Simone. Let us deal with them.’
    I glanced at John. ‘Do as he says,’ John said.
    I passed the Silver Serpent to Martin and he studied it. ‘It’s been a long time.’ He hefted it and faced the centre of the room with the other men.
    ‘You two stay back,’ John said. ‘Emma, lean on the doorway. If the barrier is taken down, grab Simone and run. Leo, stay with them, stand your ground. Go with them if the barrier falls.’
    They all stiffened and faced the open door.
    ‘Here they come,’ Martin said softly.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
    J ohn was ugly in Turtle form, but these were monsters. Their shells were twisted with protuberances and indentations; some of them dragged feet that seemed to be only half flipper. Each was about a metre and a half from nose to tail; not physically large, but at least level eighty demons. Enormous.
    John raised Dark Heavens, then opened his mouth and released a sound I had never heard before. It was a combination of rage, anguish and grief, and seemed to gather all of the pain that he had suffered since the demon had killed Michelle.
    Then his voice was drowned out by the Tiger’s roar and the three of them threw themselves at the demons. I clutched Simone.
    ‘Don’t look,’ Leo said without turning to me. ‘Some of these are more animal than demon.’ He ducked and a spray of blood shot over our heads and splattered on the wall above us.
    ‘Has John taken True Form?’ I said, trying to peer around him to see.
    ‘No.’ Leo ducked again, then raised the sword and sliced the head off an injured turtle that had come for us. It dissipated into black feathery streamers.
    Martin moved in front of Leo, blocking