White Tiger

without hesitation. I wish I did not have to require this of you.’
    Our eyes didn’t shift from each other.
    ‘I’m glad to be learning from you, John…Mr Chen. Sir.’
    He winced.
    ‘I’m happy to be with you and Simone. I don’t need more.’
    He took a deep breath and let it out. ‘Very well.’ He turned away and walked to the weapons rack. ‘I will give you time to consider whether you are willing to take the step. Until then, we’ll work with the sword.’
    But I didn’t need to consider anything. I trusted him completely. If he’d ordered me to let go of his hands when we were floating above the building on the Gold Coast, I’d have happily complied and fallen to my death content.
    Swearing allegiance was just a formality. I would obey him anyway. I fell to my knees.
    He collected my short sword from the rack, then turned and saw me. He froze.
    ‘I swear allegiance,’ I said. ‘I accept you as Lord. I promise to obey you.’
    And I hoped that was all there was to it.
    He stood watching me for a long time before he spoke. ‘Very well, Emma Donahoe, you may rise. I hope you understand the gravity of what you have just done.’
    ‘I do, my Lord.’ And suddenly I knew why Leo called him that.
    ‘Dismissed. Return tomorrow.’
    ‘My Lord.’ I rose without looking at him. I hesitated, then went out.
    He closed the door quietly behind me.
    Two hours later Simone’s eyes unfocused while she sat with me. ‘Why is Daddy upset, Emma?’ ‘Is he upset? I haven’t seen him.’
    ‘He’s in the training room doing sword katas over and over, and he’s been doing them for a long time. Do you know why?’
    I didn’t look at her. ‘No, darling, I have no idea.’

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
    I held Simone’s hand as we walked through the airport behind Leo and Mr Chen. Chinese New Year was always a busy time and the airport was packed with people going in both directions.
    Leo checked in, and we accompanied him to the immigration gates. He knelt to hug Simone.
    She kissed him on the cheek. ‘Say hello to your mummy for me.’
    ‘I will, sweetheart.’ He rose, hesitated, then pulled me into his arms and embraced me, surrounding me with the musky smell of his cologne. ‘Look after them for me,’ he whispered into my hair. ‘Don’t let him do anything stupid.’
    I pulled back to smile up at him. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t. I’ll look after them.’ He embraced me again, then released me.
    He turned to Mr Chen and stood rigid without looking at him for a long moment. Then he fell to one knee and saluted. He gazed up into Mr Chen’s eyes and for a fleeting second his true feelings showed.
    Mr Chen nodded.
    Leo ignored the amused looks from passing people. He rose, grabbed his bag and went into the immigration area without looking back.
    ‘I do not require looking after,’ Mr Chen growled softly as we walked back to the car.
    ‘Yes, you do, Daddy,’ Simone said. ‘You’re hopeless by yourself.’
    Mr Chen smiled and shook his head.
    I sat in the back of the car with Simone as Mr Chen drove us home. Chinese New Year had come in early February, and the weather was still quite cold.
    ‘Can you drive, Emma?’ Mr Chen said as he navigated the North Lantau expressway.
    ‘I have an Australian driver’s licence, but I’ve never been game to drive in Hong Kong,’ I said over the back of the seat. ‘Everybody drives so close, it’s scary.’
    ‘It’s not so bad once you’re used to it.’ He slid through the auto toll lane and moved into the right lane to pass over the Tsing Ma Bridge. ‘There is method to the madness, I assure you.’
    I didn’t say anything; I wasn’t sure where he was headed.
    ‘If you want to borrow the car over the Chinese New Year break, you can,’ he said. ‘I won’t be using it.’
    ‘You won’t be visiting anybody?’
    ‘Since I can’t travel, they’ll all come to me.’
    I inhaled sharply as I understood. ‘How many freaking gods are coming over?’
    ‘Pretty much all of them, I think.’
    I dropped my head into my hands. ‘I should have gone to visit my family. Leo’s the lucky one.’
    ‘That’s what you’re supposed to do at New Year—visit your family. For some couples in China, New Year is the only time they see each other.’
    ‘I have a friend like that. She’s in Australia, her husband’s here, and he’ll visit her at New Year and she’s quite happy with the situation.’
    ‘They’re called “astronauts”.’
    ‘Yeah. Is