Blue Dragon

Mark didn’t seem so sure.
    ‘You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Mark,’ I said.
    He nodded, serious.
    ‘Why are you vegetarian, John?’ my mother said.
    ‘It’s a long story,’ John said. ‘All human Immortals are vegetarian.’
    ‘But you’re a Shen, Daddy, not a human Immortal,’ Simone said. ‘So why? Uncle Bai isn’t vegetarian.’
    I made my voice very deep. ‘That is not for one such as you to know.’
    Leo did an excellent imitation of John, Cantonese accent and all. ‘That information is not for mortal ears.’
    The Tiger’s mouth opened with astonishment, then he banged his palm on the table and roared with laughter.
    ‘Directly after dinner, twenty-five level one sword katas, both of you,’ John snapped, but his eyes sparkled.
    ‘Yes, my Lord!’ Leo and I both shot back, saluting.
    ‘You’re a fool to have human staff, Ah Wu,’ the Tiger said, still chuckling.
    ‘Neither of them are staff, they are family,’ John said. ‘I love both of them dearly, and they know it.’
    A swift expression of pain swept across Leo’s face, so quick that it was almost unnoticeable. Neither John nor I missed it though, and we both decided to change the subject.
    ‘The Dragon says they will be here with your sister’s family in about an hour,’ John said. ‘Jade is bringing the bags.’
    ‘Will she be okay? Gold was followed and attacked,’ I said.
    ‘With the Dragon and Phoenix carrying them, your family will be protected, Emma,’ the Tiger said. ‘Jade can outrun just about anything; dragons are much faster than stones. Don’t worry about her.’
    ‘Was Jennifer okay about coming?’ I said.
    John didn’t reply.
    ‘Damn,’ I said quietly.
    ‘What’s a sword kata?’ Amanda said.
    ‘You’ve already seen me do it,’ I said. ‘A sword set. What I did for you in the yard back home.’
    ‘Wanna see some real stuff?’ Leo said.
    ‘Show Amanda how you can take Leo down,’ my father said to me.
    I glanced at my father. His face was full of pride. I grinned with delight; my father was proud of me.
    ‘Let’s just rub it in,’ Leo growled, but his small brown eyes sparkled as well.
    ‘You want to see?’ I asked Amanda and Alan.
    ‘We’re here, we might as well have a look,’ Alan said.
    ‘Yes, I want to see,’ Amanda said. ‘Mum’s beentelling me some of the stuff you can do, and I find it difficult to believe.’
    ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘After Jennifer’s here and settled in, Leo and I will give you a small demonstration. The sword katas can wait.’
    ‘I ordered you to do them directly after dinner,’ John said.
    ‘Yes, my Lord,’ I shot back, saluting again. ‘Like I said, the sword katas can wait.’
    The Tiger roared with laughter again.
    The Tiger was giving both Mark and David a ride in the living room when the Phoenix and the Dragon turned up with Jennifer and her kids. Leonard had legal business to tidy up in London and would follow in a week.
    The Dragon placed Jennifer gently on the couch, and the Phoenix lowered her boys next to her.
    The Tiger quickly dropped to his belly and guided Mark and David off, then changed back to human form.
    ‘I still want to ride,’ David whined.
    ‘If I’m a tiger when your cousins wake up they’ll be scared to death,’ the Tiger said.
    John and I went to Jennifer. Amanda pushed John out of the way and she and I hovered above Jennifer, waiting for her to wake.
    She came around slowly, rubbing her hand over her face. She saw us, her sisters, then cast around for the boys. She reached out to hold both of them and glared at John. ‘Stay away from us,’ she hissed.
    John and I shared a look and he silently moved away.
    Amanda dropped to crouch in front of Jennifer. ‘Hi, Jen.’
    Jennifer didn’t say anything. She hugged Colin, still unconscious, to her and pulled Andrew closer on the sofa.
    ‘What’s her problem?’ the opal said.
    ‘Stop it!’ Jennifer whispered ferociously. ‘Go away!’
    The boys began to come around. Colin whimpered and Jennifer held him tighter. Andrew’s eyes opened and he looked around, then buried his face in his mother’s sweater.
    ‘I think it would be a good idea if you people were to leave us alone for a while,’ my father said grimly, moving around the couch to sit next to Jennifer.
    John nodded without saying a word, and all the Shen disappeared. John turned and went down the hall to his study. Leo took Simone’s hand and led her out as well.
    ‘Well, here we are, all