Red Phoenix

heard them. Their footsteps made the ground tremble. More of them. A lot more of them. They appeared on our left, coming out of the tunnel. No wonder John had not sensed them coming. They were earth elementals. Fake ones. Water was destroyed by earth.
    ‘Shit,’ John said quietly. ‘I can’t see them at all. How many are there?’
    ‘Jade, Gold,’ I said, ‘do it. Get them out of here now.’
    ‘We can’t,’ Jade said. ‘The way out is blocked.’ ‘Simone,’ I said, ‘call a Celestial Master. We’re getting you out of here.’
    ‘I’m calling a few Masters,’ John said. ‘Damn!’ ‘Blocked,’ Simone said. ‘Can’t call anybody.’ ‘Stone?’ I said.
    ‘Sorry, my Lady, they have us silenced,’ the stone said. ‘There are about thirty of them, my Lord, ranging from about level thirty to level sixty or sixty-five.’
    ‘I killed its Mother!’ Leo said desperately. ‘How could it make things that big?’
    ‘They are fake stone elementals,’ the stone continued. ‘They have used sacred stones from circles in Europe to make them; they are extremely powerful Eastern-Western hybrids. The Jade Emperor is going to be monumentally pissed.’
    ‘Not as much as I am,’ John growled. ‘I can’t see them at all. Wait.’ He stopped and concentrated. ‘Not even with the Inner Eye. Emma, take the others and run. Get out of here. I’ll try to hold them off.’
    ‘Nowhere to run, my love. We’re trapped.’ I gestured towards the tunnel. ‘There are at least thirty of them blocking the way.’
    ‘Weapons?’ John said.
    ‘Sorry,’ Gold said, his voice full of remorse. ‘This is it.’
    ‘Mum, Dad, I am so sorry about this,’ I said.
    ‘Brendan, Barbara, listen to me,’ John said quietly. ‘Stay in the corner, stay very still and stay quiet. They don’t want you, they want us. They will probably ignore you.’
    ‘Do as he says, Mum, Dad,’ I said softly. ‘He’s right.’
    My parents moved into the corner and crouched, clutching each other. Their faces were masks of terror.
    ‘Simone,’ John said, ‘go over into the corner with Emma’s parents. Jade, Gold. Guard them.’
    Simone, Jade and Gold hurried into the corner. Jade and Gold transformed and stood guarding.
    ‘Please move behind me and allow me the honour of taking point, my Lord, my Lady,’ Leo said, stepping forward. ‘I should be able to stop quite a few of them before I go down.’
    Neither John nor I moved. Words weren’t necessary.
    ‘Granted,’ John said.
    Leo moved in front of us. We stood ready, waiting. The demons didn’t shift.
    ‘What are they waiting for?’ Simone whispered.
    John and I shared a look. We knew what they were waiting for.
    Simon Wong appeared in front of the massed demons.
    ‘Where’s your Wudang sword?’ I said loudly.
    Wong scowled but didn’t reply.
    ‘The Tiger broke it in Guangzhou,’ John said.
    Wong strode forward and faced us. He was in human form: an ordinary good-looking Chinese guy of about thirty.
    ‘Where’s the boy?’ he said. ‘I want him too.’
    ‘He’s with Na Zha,’ I said with satisfaction. ‘Go and find him.’
    Wong’s face twisted into a grimace. ‘He’ll keep.’
    ‘We can take you,’ I said. ‘We can all take you. Even Simone could take you.’
    Wong leered at Simone. ‘She gets prettier all the time.’
    John stiffened but remained where he was. ‘Try me.’
    Wong’s leer widened. ‘Why would I bother? You can see me. You can’t see them. I think I’ll just let them have some fun, and then come back later and collect all the prizes.’
    ‘You are such a coward,’ I said softly, but he had already disappeared.
    I ripped my handbag open and fumbled through it. I found the phone. I shoved it into my pocket and threw my bag to one side.
    ‘No, Emma!’ John hissed.
    ‘I won’t use it unless you go down, or Simone is in real danger,’ I said.
    John faced the direction of the demons appraisingly without saying a word. Then he nodded once, sharply, and moved fluidly into a guard position. ‘Are you wearing your black jade earrings?’ he said without looking at me.
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Good. I wish I could tell you exactly what I’m thinking right now without endangering you. Don’t come too close to me.’
    ‘That’s enough for me,’ I said, and readied myself too.
    ‘I think this has to be the happiest goddamn moment in my entire life,’ Leo said, his voice breaking as he positioned himself in front of us. ‘I cannot tell you