Red Phoenix

wrists. I did too. I waited.
    She came at me with a spinning series of kicks, one after the other, head, head, abdomen. I blocked them all. I hit her hard with the blocks, trying to break through her human shell and get to the demon stuff underneath. Her shell was thick. If I could break it, she would be finished. I just needed to hit her hard enough.
    I retaliated with my fists. I struck at her head and abdomen with everything I had. I tried to be as fast as I possibly could. She was just as fast. She blocked it all. She grabbed my hand and pulled me in. I went in as she pulled me and hit her in the face with my other hand. Her face wasn’t there. I rolled past her and tried to take out her head with my feet as I went through. No such luck.
    I sprang back to my feet and stood panting.
    Before I even had time to catch my breath she was at me again. She spun fast. I blocked her foot with my left, but I wasn’t fast enough with the block and it hit me awkwardly.
    She hit my left forearm hard. I felt the impact. I felt the bone break inside. It was a remarkable sensation. And then the pain exploded and I wanted to tear my own arm off.
    I didn’t have time. Her feet were in my face, with multiple strikes. I tried to block with my right but I couldn’t block them all. She hit my forehead, my cheekbone, my cheek again, and then my jaw. Fortunately she didn’t break anything except the skin. Stars spun in front of me. I tried to shake them away, but it made my head spin and hurt. The blood ran down my face, making it hot and slick. It ran into my eyes.
    I hugged my left arm in close, somersaulted backwards, and concentrated.
    I did not have time for this pain. Come on, Emma, all you have to do is be better than yourself. For John. For Simone. For everybody who loves you.
    I brushed the blood out of my eyes. God, I hated the smell of blood.
    No, wait…it smelled good. I loved that smell. Sweet, delicious blood.
    And then my veins rushed with ice. I was calm and powerful and I could do it. The pain disappeared. I saw her as she really was. I saw her coming towards me. She came in slow motion. I had all the time in the world. I wanted blood. I could taste the blood. I wanted to eat her alive, black stuff and all.
    Her fist came towards me in a slow arabesque and I smiled. Her face went slack with horror. I ducked casually under her hand. I tapped her on the face, then again, and again, and again. So fast she didn’t even seemto move. Just enough to hurt her without destroying her. Great fun. Her eyes were wide with shock.
    Then I spun and hit her in the middle with a devastating butterfly kick that knocked her five metres backward into the wall.
    The force of the explosion of demon stuff slammed me off my feet, and suddenly everything was normal speed again. My left arm hurt so much I had trouble holding back the scream. My eyes were full of blood. I couldn’t think straight. The ground hit me hard.
    Black. Red. Dark.
    Gold’s boyish face was right in mine, but I couldn’t really see him.
    ‘I can’t carry you directly, my Lady,’ he seemed to be saying. ‘It would aggravate the injuries.’
    ‘I am in a lot of pain, Gold,’ I gasped. ‘Can you do anything for the pain? Anything? Anything at all?’
    ‘Wait,’ he said softly.
    I was about to protest that I didn’t want to wait when Jade appeared and put her hand on my forehead.
    Lying in the back of the Mercedes. Looking at the ceiling. Jade holding my hand. Every bump on the road exploding into agony. A hand on my forehead again.
    Strong hands lifting. Voices, but I didn’t understand. Smooth movement. Lights going past above me.
    A sharp pain through the suffering. Falling. Falling. Floating down, into a warm cloud of comfort. No more pain. Ease. Sigh. Darkness. John?
    God, I was tired. Why couldn’t I turn over? I hurt all over. Too bright. Open your eyes, come on, there you are…you can see. Dark hair. John. Sigh. Let go.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
    M ovement. Sounds. Soft voices. I snapped open my eyes. It was all blurry. I looked around, trying to focus, but everything kept going upwards. I grabbed the universe and told it to stay put. It did.
    A dark shape to my left. I tried to focus on it. Warm dark eyes. John. Another dark shape behind him; I focused. Leo had just come in, bringing Simone. All three of them watched me, concerned.
    ‘Hello,’ I croaked. ‘What happened to me?’ ‘Would you like a drink?’ John said quietly. ‘Do you think you