White Tiger

baby donkey for good measure.’
    ‘Just when I thought our lives couldn’t be any more complicated,’ Leo growled.
    The next morning Leo was fine but John was still very weak. He put on his navy suit and changed to his older form, ready for the border crossing. Leo drove.
    John kept falling asleep in the car. I had to constantly remind him to change his hair; he seemed to have trouble keeping it short.
    When we reached the stables, John pulled his bag out of the boot and went inside to change. Simone lay on the seat next to me.
    Leo stiffened, then quickly pulled himself out of the car. Five armed demons approached us in the car park; level twenty or thirty. They looked like triads; their hair was dyed blond and red. They wore filthy jeans and T-shirts, and carried Chinese cleavers, the weapon of choice for Hong Kong gangsters.
    I hopped out of the car, leaving Simone sleeping on the seat. I went around and stood next to Leo.
    ‘There’re some swords in the boot.’ Leo moved his hand and the boot popped open. ‘Pull out Dark Heavens for me, will you?’
    I went and pulled out Dark Heavens, the sword that usually resided on clips in the hallway back at the Peak. My sword was there, and I took it as well, then slammed the boot shut.
    I passed Dark Heavens to Leo. ‘Thanks,’ he said. ‘Go and get Mr Chen.’ ‘No need,’ I said. ‘We can handle this.’ He glanced down at me.
    ‘I’ll take the two on the right. You take the three on the left.’ I pulled my sword from its scabbard. ‘Ready?’
    Leo turned back to the demons. ‘Hell, yeah.’
    They ran towards us and we moved to give each other room.
    I pushed some chi into the sword and made it sing; it didn’t affect them at all. They continued to run at us. I threw the chi at the demon on the far right and it exploded. The demon next to it was too close to hit with chi. It came at me with weapon raised and its face a grimace of anger.
    It attacked me with the cleaver. I felt perfectly calm as I watched it coming at me, then sidestepped.
    The demon was fast; it followed my movement, and turned to hit me horizontally.
    I blocked the cleaver with my left hand on the demon’s elbow, then pushed its arm in the direction it was already going. As the demon unbalanced with the push, I raised my own sword, spun, and sliced it in half.
    I didn’t have time to get out of the way, and the demon exploded all over me.
    I checked Leo; he had already destroyed one and faced the other two. He sliced one demon’s head off with a swinging arc of the sword, then swept down, moved back, and took another demon through the abdomen with an upward backhand slice. Both demons exploded on him.
    I saw movement and glanced up. Simon Wong stood at the end of the car park, arms crossed, watching. I filled with ice-cold fury, hefted my sword, and ran towards him.
    ‘Leo, there he is,’ I cried. ‘Let’s get him!’
    Leo looked up and saw Wong. He leapt to run towards the demon as well.
    Wong uncrossed his arms, put his hands on his hips and disappeared.
    Leo and I skidded to a halt.
    ‘That freaking coward !’ I shouted. I nearly threw my sword on the ground with frustration, but I’d put a great deal of work into its edge. ‘I am going to get him!’
    ‘Scary,’ Leo said.
    ‘You have no idea,’ I growled.
    We turned back to the car. John stood at the entrance to the country club, holding his bag, waiting for us.
    ‘I am going to get that ugly little freak if it is the last thing I ever do,’ I said.
    ‘You know what?’ Leo grinned down at me. ‘I believe you.’ He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave me an affectionate squeeze, nearly knocking me off my feet. ‘We’d better go into the change rooms and have a shower, my Lady.’
    ‘Call me “my Lady” one more time and you’ll feel my sword as well,’ I said.
    ‘Yes, my Lady,’ Leo said, saluting me with Dark Heavens still in his hand.
    ‘Shit,’ I said under my breath. I tried to shake the black stuff off my hands but it stuck. Leo was right; we both needed a shower.
    Simone had woken and hopped out of the car as we approached. ‘You were terrific, Emma!’ she squealed, jiggling with delight. ‘You were as good as Leo ! Isn’t she, Daddy?’
    John smiled with admiration. ‘Absolutely.’
    ‘Let me get a change of clothes. I need to have a shower.’ Leo popped the boot again and I threw my sword in, found a towel, and wiped my arms and face. Leo put Dark Heavens into the car. I