Red Phoenix

but misery. I’m going.’
    ‘Wait.’ I jumped up and put my hand on her arm. ‘I’m not a Shen. I’m just the nanny. Well, I used to be. I know what the White Tiger is like; he tried it with me too. I don’t blame you for falling for him. But Xuan Wu is completely different. He’s only ever been married to a single human woman in his whole history, and he only has one human child, and that’s Simone.’
    She stared at me. ‘Is he really that different?’
    ‘Yes I am,’ John said from the doorway. He came in and sat on the couch, stretching his long legs in front of him. His torn black cotton pants were really starting to fall apart and I made a mental note to throw them away and send Leo shopping. ‘Monica, another tea cup!’
    Monica rushed in with a tea cup for him, then disappeared back into the kitchen.
    ‘Sit down, Ms MacLaren,’ he said. ‘Let me tell you about myself, and what I can do for young Michael.’
    After we’d explained the situation for about ten minutes, Simone came out of the kitchen with a plate ofchocolate chip cookies. She served them around, then put the plate onto the coffee table and crawled into John’s lap. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. Rhonda didn’t miss that. He concentrated.
    Charlie poked her head out of the kitchen across the hall from the living room. ‘Of course you can eat them, sir, completely vegetarian. Simone made them for you.’ She smiled around at us and returned to the kitchen.
    John reached around Simone to try one of the biscuits. Simone watched him carefully as he took a bite.
    ‘Good,’ he said through a mouthful of biscuit. He raised it to see it. ‘What’s this black stuff?’
    ‘Chocolate,’ Simone said. ‘Chocolate chip.’
    ‘Oh. I thought it was red bean. Needs milk with it, it’s very sweet,’ he said, still through the biscuit. ‘Soy milk would be good.’
    ‘Don’t talk with your mouth full, Daddy. That’s rude for Westerners.’
    ‘Okay.’
    Simone leaned back to put her head on his shoulder and snuggled into him. He pulled her tight and took another bite of the biscuit.
    Rhonda’s face softened.
    ‘Will you let Michael come and work for us, Rhonda?’ I said.
    ‘Let me think about it,’ she said. ‘I’m not sure I want him to follow in his father’s footsteps too much. I was hoping he would just lead a normal life, away from all of this.’
    ‘It’s his birthright, Rhonda,’ John said softly.
    Rhonda snorted with disdain. ‘His birthright is to be completely ignored by his father, who is too busy chasing women and horses to care for his mother.’
    ‘The White Tiger always tells his women thesituation before he takes them,’ John said. ‘You knew what you were getting into.’
    Rhonda sighed. ‘I thought I was different. I thought I could change him. I thought I was so special that he wouldn’t need anybody else.’
    ‘You all think that,’ John said sadly. ‘Every single one of you. But the others stayed. You left.’
    ‘I was wasting my time. I was surprised that he let me go, but in the end I think he didn’t give a damn one way or the other. He has provided well for us, I don’t need to worry about money. It’s a sad episode of my life that I want to forget. But I did gain a wonderful son out of the whole sorry mess, and that’s made it sort of worthwhile.’
    ‘What are you doing with yourself now, Rhonda?’ I said.
    ‘I started a business with the money he gave me. I deal in antique furniture from China. It’s quite lucrative. I don’t actually need the child support money now, but it’s nice to hit him where it hurts, so I still collect. I suppose if Michael moves in with you, I’ll tell the Tiger not to worry any more.’
    ‘I can see where Michael gets his spirit,’ John said. ‘He is a very impressive young man. I hope you’ll let us take him on.’
    ‘Will you be teaching him martial arts?’
    ‘Yes. It will be part of his job.’
    ‘Another part of his job will be to go to the same school as Simone and guard her,’ I said. ‘And I will expect his grades to be good as well.’
    Simone looked at me. She hadn’t known that. She didn’t say anything.
    ‘He shouldn’t have left school, but he’s old enough to choose for himself,’ Rhonda said. ‘If you can make him go to school, then it will be worth it. Does the Tiger ever come here?’ She turned to John. ‘You’re one of the Winds, too.’
    ‘He’s over here all the time,