Blue Dragon

went blank. He turned, walked towards the door, then turned and came back to us.
    He snapped out of it and shook his head.
    ‘Let me try,’ Simone said.
    Leo went rigid again. He turned, walked and returned.
    ‘See if you can make him sit on the floor,’ John said softly.
    Leo snapped out of it.
    ‘No, Daddy, that’s enough,’ Simone said. ‘I can do it, and I won’t do it any more.’ She turned back to Leo. ‘Are you okay?’
    ‘I’m fine, sweetheart,’ Leo said. ‘I don’t even know what you made me do.’
    Simone shook Michael’s hand free. ‘I don’t like that skill. Are we finished yet? I’m hungry .’
    ‘Emma should try it,’ John said, gesturing. ‘Michael, show her.’
    Michael took my hand. I felt him reach inside Leo and pull the strings. Leo walked away and back again. My throat thickened; Leo didn’t care at all. He trusted us completely.
    When Michael had finished I attempted to reach inside Leo and pull the strings as well, but I simply didn’t have the strength to make them move. I struggled, trying to gather enough power to control him.
    ‘You can’t do it, Emma,’ John said. ‘Maybe after a year or so more of training you may be able to. Right now, I don’t think so.’
    ‘Good,’ I said, and I meant it.
    ‘One more,’ John said. ‘The most fun one of all. Carrying. Michael can already do it, he’ll show you.’ He looked around. ‘Anybody have a pen?’
    Nobody replied; nope.
    ‘How about we have some lunch beside the pool and do it there?’ I said. ‘Simone’s starving.’
    ‘Yeah!’ Simone said.
    ‘You’ll have to be careful that nobody sees you,’ Leo said.
    ‘Not a problem,’ John said. ‘We’ll do it at the end of the pool nearest the lobby, to one side, and if anybody sees us Michael can just blank out their memory.’
    ‘I really don’t like messing with people’s heads, my Lord,’ Michael said as we rose to go out to the pool. ‘I thought it was cool when Na Zha showed it to me, but every time I do it I feel lousy afterwards.’
    ‘What, it makes you feel ill?’ I said. ‘Drained?’
    ‘No,’ Michael said. ‘It makes me feel bad. It’s wrong.’
    John moved to walk beside me as we went through the lobby to the stairs that would take us down to the pool. ‘It’s a shame Leo won’t be around to help you, Emma,’ he said softly. ‘He is the finest judge of character I have ever seen.’
    ‘I know. And I think he and Martin are developing something very special.’
    John sighed. ‘I know.’
    Michael and Simone could do PK. I couldn’t. John said I was the weirdest mix of talents he’d ever seen. Great. Even the Xuan Wu thought I was weird.
    After lunch we returned to the suite. I sat on the balcony enjoying the scenery and putting photos together for the Tiger to take to my family. John was with Kwan Yin having a quick top-up. Michael had gone with his parents to the islands. Leo and Simone were playing Go Fish in the living room.
    A commotion erupted inside. ‘ Leo !’ John shouted. ‘Guard!’
    I heard thumping and doors banging, and rushed into the living room.
    John and Ms Kwan raced in too and stared at the front door. Leo had pushed Simone behind him. John and Ms Kwan went forward to stand in front of them.
    ‘Emma,’ John said. ‘Stay back.’
    ‘What’s going on?’ I said.
    ‘He would not do this. I cannot believe this,’ Ms Kwan said. ‘Why?’
    The Dragon appeared next to John and Kwan Yin. ‘You are entirely much more trouble than you are worth, my Lord,’ he said evenly. ‘The seals are blown. I will never have them back to what they were. NoCelestial will be able to stay here unmolested for a very long time. I will lose a great deal of money on this.’
    Nobody said anything.
    The doorbell rang.
    ‘Leo, weapons, quickly,’ John said.
    Leo raced to the hall cupboard, scrabbled through the bag and pulled out swords for each of us. He threw Dark Heavens to John, my Serpent sword to me, and hefted Michael’s white blade in his own hand.
    ‘Back, Leo,’ John said. ‘Guard.’
    Leo moved to stand in front of Simone and me.
    ‘What’s going on?’ I whispered.
    Ms Kwan answered the door. Martin stood there, smiling slightly. Next to him was an enormous demon. It had taken the shape of an ordinary-looking Chinese man in his mid-fifties wearing a plain shirt and pants. It was the biggest demon I had ever seen short of the Demon King himself. Way into the nineties in level. Absolutely enormous.