Blue Dragon

the scroll in his other hand. He moved his face right into mine. ‘Don’t worry, I can’t start on you yet,’ he whispered. ‘There are some others who are a slightly higher priority.’ He stepped back. ‘But don’t worry, sweetheart, you’ll get your turn.’
    The room around us disappeared. We were on the dais in the Demon King’s throne room.
    Wong sat on the throne and gestured for me to sit next to him. I could move now; he had unbound me.
    I sized him up. He was more powerful than anything I had ever seen. Even if I hit him with chi and blew myself up, I wouldn’t be able to destroy him.
    Okay. Wait and see. I turned and sat on the throne next to him.
    The doors to the hall flew open. Two very senior demons, both with the heads of bulls, dragged in the King. He was in his usual human form, wearing his maroon jeans and T-shirt. When they were halfway intothe hall every single demon in Hell materialised around them.
    The King righted himself and shook the demons off. He walked with slow dignity to the bottom of the stairs leading to the dais. When he saw me he gave me a huge friendly smile, his whole face lighting up.
    ‘Stay there,’ Wong said, and went down the steps to his father.
    The two of them faced off, silent and unmoving.
    Wong took True Form. He was a huge humanoid with black scales and three eyes. He towered over the King. He had grown since I had last seen his True Form at the charity night; he was nearly five metres tall.
    The King also took True Form: blood-red, like a Snake Mother, and three metres tall. Wong towered over him.
    Wong growled, a deep sound within his throat. The sound became louder and louder. He raised his taloned arms, the black scales glittering. Dark energy sprang from his hands.
    The King silently raised his skinless hands and blood-red energy sprang from them to meet it.
    The energy clashed in a ball of black and red.
    It didn’t take long. The energy ball hit the King and both of them changed. Wong into a blood-red Snake Mother-type demon; the King into a red humanoid, about three metres tall, without scales and with tusks.
    Wong was King.
    ‘Hold him!’ Wong said.
    The bull-headed demons grabbed the King’s arms, and he changed back into human form.
    Wong took human form as well. The scroll reappeared in his hands. He tore it in half, right down the middle. ‘You’re next, sweetheart,’ he called to me, and some of the Snake Mothers in the hall hissed.
    The King didn’t attempt to escape. He smiled slightly. Wong led them up the stairs, the King walking calmly between his captors. When they were in front of the throne Wong turned and pushed his face right into his father’s.
    ‘You thought I couldn’t do it,’ he hissed. ‘You thought you were stronger than anything. Well, you know what, Dad? You’re stupid .’
    ‘Not as stupid as you are, Number One,’ the King said. ‘If you didn’t have your little pussy, you wouldn’t be anything.’
    Wong viciously backhanded the King, but the King ignored it.
    ‘All of this was my idea,’ Wong said. ‘Kitty might have had people with the knowledge and the science, but I’m the one who got us here.’ He stepped back and his voice calmed. ‘And here we are. I’ve taken the Dark Lord’s head. Which should I take next? Yours, or the Lady’s?’
    ‘Do me first,’ the King said. ‘The Lady has a job to do.’
    I glanced at the King, wondering, but he didn’t look at me.
    ‘Okay, if you like. Push him down,’ Wong said. ‘On his knees.’
    The King fell to his knees before the demons could push him. He glanced at me and smiled slightly. Wong didn’t miss it.
    ‘As soon as I’ve taken his head, I think I’ll take my time with you,’ he said to me.
    ‘You really are an incredibly stupid fucking prick, Simon,’ the King said softly. ‘I cannot believe you are walking into this with all three of your eyes open.’
    Wong hesitated, then he grinned. ‘Too late, Dad.’ He gestured to the demons. ‘Hold him.’
    He concentrated, and a sword appeared in his hand. It was very plain, with no decoration on either the hiltor the blade. It was Dark Heavens. He held it up in front of him.
    ‘Fitting, eh? You get to go by the Dark Lord’s earthly weapon, the one that’s already taken the Xuan Wu’s head.’ He stopped and mused. ‘I wonder if I can get that stone thing to pull out the other one. The Star one. That would be lovely.’ He turned to me. ‘Can you get it?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘No