Red Phoenix

concentrating far too much on the energy stuff lately, Emma. When was the last time you did some hand-to-hand with Mr Chen?’
    I shrugged. ‘Last time we tried, we were only five minutes into the lesson when he had to run out the door. We’ve given up.’ I had a brilliant idea. ‘Find time in your schedule to work with me, Leo, we’ll brush me up together.’
    ‘Waste of time, my Lady,’ Leo lisped softly, and I winced. ‘Ask one of the more advanced Masters to teach you; you’re already way past me. I lied. You could probably take me now.’
    ‘No way ! You have always been better than me at hand-to-hand!’
    Leo went into a guard position. ‘Let’s see.’
    I raised my hands. ‘No, Leo, you can take me, don’t waste your time.’
    Leo performed a magnificent roundhouse kick straight at my head and I ducked underneath it.
    ‘Chicken,’ Leo said.
    ‘Oh, come on, this is a total waste of time,’ I said. ‘I have things I need to do. I was in the middle of my thesis.’
    Leo threw another roundhouse at me. I ducked. He spun and did it again. He kept coming at me, forcing me back as I ducked under the kicks.
    ‘Stop it, Leo!’ I said, becoming irate.
    Leo stopped, then stepped forward and lightly tapped me under the chin with his fist.
    ‘Ouch. My face still hurts, you know.’
    ‘Come on, Emma, good practice. What’s wrong? Frightened you’ll beat me?’
    ‘No,’ I said as I took a guard position, ‘I’m frightened I’ll hurt you.’ I grinned. ‘You’ll cry like a little girl.’
    ‘No, I won’t,’ Leo said as he went for my head with his foot again. ‘You will.’
    I didn’t duck under his foot this time. I blocked his leg with my left, swept it down, gave it a good push in the direction it was already going, and then kicked his other foot out from underneath him.
    He jumped with my movement and somersaulted backwards. He was incredibly lithe and graceful for such a big guy. He landed neatly on his feet and came right after me again, this time with his fists.
    ‘Wasting your time, Leo,’ I said as I blocked the blows. ‘You’ll have to be cleverer than that, I really am faster than you.’
    He suddenly spun under me and tried to take my feet out, but I leapt right over the top of his head, somersaulted, and landed facing him.
    ‘Whoa,’ Leo said. ‘Good one.’ He came at me again, this time with both fists and feet. He threw everything he had at me.
    He was through me. He hit my feet, and I could feel myself falling forwards. I put my hands out, landed on them hard, and then pushed away from the floor with them. I did a handspring, but I didn’t stop. I used the energy centres and lifted myself until I hit the ceiling. I bounced off it, somersaulted, and landed lightly on my feet behind Leo. He still faced the other way. I spun and quickly took his feet out from under him.
    He fell with a thud. He obviously wasn’t expecting it. He didn’t even know where I was.
    I stopped and stared at him with wonder.
    Suddenly a round of applause burst from the doorway. At least two dozen students of all levels were grinning and clapping. There were even a couple of Masters watching as well.
    Leo pulled himself up and performed an elaborate bow for the audience. They cheered and wolf-whistled.
    I didn’t say anything. I went to the door, pushed through the students and took the lift back up to the top floor. I went into my office and fell into the chair behind my desk. I put my head in my hands.
    Leo came in after me and sat in the visitor’s chair, which protested under his weight. He studied me silently. Eventually he said, ‘I thought you’d be pleased.’
    ‘Leo.’ I looked desperately up at him. ‘I really should not have been able to do that.’
    ‘Why not?’ Leo said. ‘You’re damn good, you know that. I’m not surprised you can take me.’ He grinned. ‘But I won’t cry like a little girl.’
    I turned away. ‘How long has Mr Chen been teaching you?’
    ‘Nearly eight years.’
    ‘Did you do self-defence in the Navy? And when you were a bodyguard? And a bouncer?’
    ‘Yeah. Sure. I did about six years of martial arts before I came to Mr Chen. But what he’s taught me is light years ahead.’
    ‘How long has he been teaching me?’
    Leo paused. ‘Damn, Emma, you’re really talented. Only about…what? Fourteen months? Is it really only such a short time? You’re incredibly good. Damn.’
    ‘I am inhumanly good, Leo. Before I met John, I’d never done