Red Phoenix

her. She had improved a great deal. We moved in perfect harmony.
    ‘I think you’re ready for a real sword too,’ I said. ‘You should take mine.’
    ‘Oh!’ Simone said. ‘Make it sing for your mother.’ She stopped and gestured. ‘Show her.’
    ‘Enough weirdness for one day, pet,’ I said kindly.
    ‘I think Emma has a point,’ my mother said.
    Simone inhaled sharply and her eyes went wide with delight. She danced over to the weapons rack and put her sword away. ‘Monica’s here!’
    I quickly put my own sword away. Then I stopped. ‘Oh no,’ I said. ‘That means the Tiger’s here.’
    ‘Uncle Bai’s here too!’ Simone said. ‘Monica’ll cook Western food for your family, Emma.’ She suddenly went serious. ‘Daddy says to explain to your mummy about Uncle Bai first.’
    ‘What form’s he in, Simone?’ I said.
    ‘Human,’ Simone said.
    ‘Oh Lord,’ my mother said quietly at the side of the room.
    The Tiger stayed and had dinner with us. It was complicated: my parents were served Western food, and the rest of us ate vegetarian Chinese, even Leo and Michael.
    I introduced everybody as we sat.
    ‘Everybody, these are my parents, Brendan and Barbara Donahoe. Mum, Dad, this is most of the family.’
    My parents appeared bewildered.
    ‘Okay,’ I said, ‘here goes.’ I gestured towards John. ‘John you know.’ I gestured towards the Tiger. ‘This is Tiger.’
    ‘Tiger,’ my father said, nodding. ‘Unusual name.’ ‘Not that unusual in Hong Kong,’ the Tiger said with a grin.
    ‘Leo you’ve met.’ Leo nodded to my parents. ‘The other bodyguard.’
    ‘I’m a perfectly normal human being, one of the few in the household,’ Leo lisped. ‘Pleased to meet you.’
    ‘Pleased to meet you too,’ my father said loudly and clearly.
    Leo and I both flinched.
    ‘Please don’t talk to him like that, Dad,’ I said softly. ‘Leo’s not deaf.’
    ‘Oh,’ my father said. ‘Sorry.’
    ‘The Snake Mothers hurt his mouth,’ Simone said, helping. ‘He can’t talk well now.’
    ‘What’s a Snake Mother?’ my mother said.
    Nobody said anything, not even Simone.
    ‘Okay,’ I said briskly. ‘Next to Leo is Michael. Trainee bodyguard.’
    Michael nodded to my father then turned to me. ‘Can I go out after dinner, Emma?’
    ‘Who with?’ I said.
    ‘Na Zha,’ he said defiantly.
    ‘Certainly,’ John said, and I glared at him.
    ‘Can Na Zha take anything that Wong throws at him?’ I said.
    ‘Na Zha is the best person he could be with in the current circumstances,’ John said. ‘He is a better demon killer than you and Leo put together.’
    My parents shared a look.
    ‘All right then, you can go,’ I said. ‘Take your phone…’ I cut him off before he could protest. ‘I know you don’t need it, but I do, so take your phone and be back by ten.’
    ‘My Lady,’ Michael said with a grin.
    ‘What do these demons look like?’ my father said.
    ‘You’ve seen them already,’ I said. ‘The guy at the airport was one.’ Ah Yat came in. ‘Here’s another.’
    My parents looked around, bewildered.
    ‘Ah Yat here, the housekeeper, is a demon,’ I said.
    Ah Yat smiled and bowed slightly. ‘I am honoured to meet you, sir, madam,’ she said. ‘Yes, I am a demon.’
    ‘You look like a perfectly ordinary person to me,’ my father said.
    ‘Oh, thank you, sir, you really are most gracious,’ Ah Yat said.
    ‘They can take different forms,’ I said. ‘They can take human form.’
    Ah Yat took the teapots into the kitchen with her.
    ‘She’s a tame one, she joined us,’ I said.
    ‘I see,’ my father said.
    ‘That’s everybody,’ I said.
    John and the Tiger focused on one another.
    ‘Oh no you don’t!’ I said. ‘Out loud!’
    ‘What do you mean, Emma? “Out loud”?’ my mother said softly.
    ‘I’ll explain later,’ I said.
    ‘We’re discussing what we should do, Emma,’ John said. ‘Maybe your parents shouldn’t be involved in this.’
    ‘We’re involved now,’ my father said. ‘I want to know what your plans are. We’re in this now. We have a right to know.’
    ‘He’s right, John,’ I said.
    ‘People have died, Brendan,’ John said softly.
    ‘Even more reason for us to know what you have planned,’ my father said.
    ‘We will not let them control us. We are not going to hide,’ John said. ‘We will go to Emma’s graduation, and we will show you around Hong Kong. After that, we will ensure that you are safe.’
    ‘They