Blue Dragon

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 damn 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 killed her.
    ‘That little piece of scum is going to 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.
    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 tileson 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. 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 astonishing you can hold the shape at all.’
    ‘If I lose the shape my head will be gone,’ John said.
    ‘Hello, Emma,’ Wong said. ‘You’re a prize in your own right, you know.’
    I didn’t say