Red Phoenix

exploded, covering both of us with black stuff. ‘Too slow. Damn. We’ll need to take a shower now. Ask the other demon if it knew that its partner wasn’t tamed.’
    ‘Did you know that it wasn’t tamed?’
    ‘No, my Lady, on my honour,’ she said. ‘I honestly thought that he had turned. But he was more hesitant about coming, he knew that this might happen.’
    ‘Good enough,’ John said. ‘We can shower upstairs. Not together.’
    ‘I dunno, together sounds like a good idea.’
    ‘Yes, it does.’ He shrugged. That was enough for both of us; we had more important things to do than brood. ‘Let’s go up and work out what to do with your new little toy.’
    I opened my mouth to protest that it was a living thing, not a toy, then closed my mouth again. Low-level demons weren’t really alive. They were more like animated black stuff. Automatons, programmed to take orders, and really only mildly sentient—unless they had a flash of free will, decided to take matters into their own hands, and joined us in an attempt to attain humanity.
    ‘Come on,’ I said, and the demon followed us to the lift. ‘Why were you following us? Were you ordered to attack us?’
    ‘My Lady,’ she said, ‘we escaped.’
    ‘Who was your master?’ John said quickly.
    ‘One Two Two.’
    We shared a look. Simon freaking Wong.
    ‘Why did you escape?’ John said. ‘Such an act of disobedience is highly unusual. You know what will happen to you if you are caught?’
    ‘I know,’ she said, miserable. ‘But One Two Two is completely without honour. He treats his thralls worse than he treats his victims. I have already lost fifty nest mates to him. I would be next. Coming to you was my only, slim hope.’
    ‘Why did your partner change his mind?’ I said.
    ‘I honestly don’t know. I think he panicked at the idea of touching the Dark Lord.’ She stared at John with awe. ‘Why could I touch you, Highness? It felt…’ She hesitated. ‘I don’t know how it felt.’
    ‘I will explain that later, after you have truly proved your worth,’ John said.
    ‘You are a legend, my Lord. I have touched you. I serve your Lady. You have no idea what this feels like, for a small thing such as I.’
    ‘Why did you call me Dark Lady?’ I said.
    ‘Because your essence is dark,’ she said. ‘Dark, and pure, and beautiful. Same as his.’
    ‘You have tamed a poet,’ John said with quiet delight. ‘She has described you in a nutshell. Dark, and pure, and beautiful.’
    I suddenly felt a million times better.
    We stopped at the ninth floor to shower and change into some training gear we kept at the Academy. The demon waited patiently outside for us.
    Back on the sixth floor, one of the Celestial Masters was taking an advanced group through hand-to-hand. Leo and Michael practised the moves at the back of the class. Michael had some trouble, the moves were slightly too complicated for him, but he tried valiantly anyway with Leo’s help. Gold and Simone sat to one side and watched. When weentered everyone stopped, fell to one knee and saluted us, then rose and continued.
    Simone ran to her father. He hoisted her to sit on his hip and they watched the class.
    I saw my opportunity. I gestured for the demon to stay put, then went to John and cuddled into him, wrapping my arm around his waist. He put his free arm around my shoulders and rubbed me affectionately. The three of us, him holding Simone, watched the students together. It was delightful.
    Leo saw us out of the corner of his eye and his face went rigid. He spun and rushed towards us, but stopped halfway. His eyes turned inward as he listened. Then he smiled, nodded, raised his hand in understanding, and returned to Michael.
    ‘Which one of you told him?’ I said.
    ‘Me,’ Simone said.
    ‘I didn’t know you knew, Simone,’ I said. John smiled affectionately down at Simone. ‘I never told her.’
    ‘You did, Emma,’ Simone said. ‘You said Daddy could never drain me. And that means that while he’s holding me, he can’t hurt you.’
    ‘You are a very clever little girl, you know that?’ John said, delighted.
    We enjoyed the closeness as we watched the students.
    ‘I think a couple of these are ready to move up, Emma,’ John said. ‘What do you think?’
    ‘Matthew, definitely. Yong Xin, maybe. I’d give her more time if it was me.’
    ‘Whatever you say, my Lady. You’re the boss.’
    ‘Not here. When it comes to the Arts I think you have the tiniest