Red Phoenix

lose.’
    I clutched the table. ‘She’s dead?’
    John nodded, his face still expressionless.
    ‘I am going to rip the arms and legs off that bastard, tear out his innards and feed them to him,’ the Tiger said with quiet menace.
    ‘No you aren’t, because I am,’ I said.
    The Tiger made a soft sound and I turned to look at him; he studied me intently, his tawny eyes glowing.
    I crossed my arms on the table and dropped my head onto them. ‘No. Charlie.’
    John moved closer and put his arm around me. ‘She didn’t suffer, Emma. He hadn’t laid a hand on her until he saw he was losing. Then he took her head off and ran. I was honestly not expecting it. It is the first time I have ever seen a Demon Prince go back on his word.’
    ‘We will be ready for him next time,’ I said fiercely into my arms. ‘We will get that bastard.’
    ‘Call me if you see him,’ the Tiger said. ‘Let me help. I have a score to settle with him as well.’
    ‘Very well, Tiger, we will get him together.’ John squeezed my shoulders. ‘We can’t go home for another day, love. Try to enjoy this short time we have.’
    The Tiger wandered back to us and threw himself to lie beside the table. He proceeded to wash himself, his tongue rasping over his fur. He turned one of his front paws over and licked the pads, then nibbled delicately between the toes.
    ‘Go and have a screw,’ he said between licks, his eyes half-closed. ‘It will make you feel better. Worry about the rest of the world when you return.’ He stopped licking and twitched one ear. ‘Actually, that’s good advice, and I might take it myself.’ He winked. ‘Later.’ He lazily pulled himself up, stretched like a big cat, flicked his tail and padded away.
    John watched the Tiger go with amusement. ‘He is absolutely incorrigible.’
    ‘And very wise. Up for it?’
    ‘I am a Turtle.’ He smiled gently. ‘Don’t you know about us?’ ‘What?’
    His eyes crinkled up. ‘We always are.’
    He brushed his hand over my back as we lay silently side by side. His hair had come completely out and I twisted it through my fingers. The dark purple silken bedcovers were exquisitely comfortable and I dozed in his arms. Despite the warmth of the afternoon, the room was shady and cool. A fountain splashed outside the window and a bird sang some distance away.
    ‘Tell him about the shen,’ the stone said.
    ‘You are not supposed to be listening,’ John said. ‘Go back to sleep.’
    ‘I really will flush this thing down the toilet and ask you for a diamond instead,’ I said. ‘Imagine. A little green voyeur on my finger.’
    ‘I am not a voyeur,’ the stone said crisply. ‘I am not at all interested in what you animals get up to—’
    ‘Animals!’ I squawked.
    ‘I am,’ John said, amused.
    ‘—but you really should tell him about the shen,’ the stone said, ignoring us. ‘It is quite important.’ ‘Which Shen?’John said.
    ‘I did a Yang tai chi set while I was waiting for you last night. I thought I was working with chi, but then I saw I was working with shen.’
    ‘You did shen work?’ John pulled himself up and threw his long legs over the side of the bed. ‘Show me.’
    I hesitated; then, what the hell. I went to the middle of the room, moved into position and began.
    It happened again about halfway through the set. I didn’t need to see it to know; he went very still. It felt absolutely marvellous. I was one with the universe; all of history stretched before me. His presence shimmered dark and cool behind me. The warmth of the desert smouldered outside the window. It was exquisite.
    I finished the set, moved my hands through the final position, and put the shen back. Then I took a deep breath and stood still for a moment, revelling in the wonderful feeling.
    ‘You should not have been able to do that,’ John said quietly.
    I turned to see him. ‘What?’
    ‘Only Immortals can work with shen, my love.’ His voice went strange. ‘Come here.’ I went to him and sat next to him. He put his hands on my face. ‘Open up, love.’ I relaxed and let him in.
    He shuffled through all my feelings. He looked in all my corners. It was much easier this time; I was accustomed to the feeling of him inside my head. I relaxed and enjoyed it.
    He sighed when he felt the after-effects of the shen work. ‘That really does feel wonderful, doesn’t it? I haven’t been able to do that in a long time. I miss it. But why can you work with shen?’
    I