White Tiger

them,’ he said. ‘Knives, poles, bladed weapons. You need to cut them or break them.’ ‘What else didn’t he tell me?’
    ‘Probably a lot,’ Leo said with grim humour. He turned to me, raised Dark Heavens and lowered his voice. ‘If I go down, take this. It’s his. It will do a great deal of damage.’ He gestured. ‘In front of Simone.’
    I moved into position. Leo stood in front of me. They would have to make it through both of us to get to her.
    ‘Sharpened your sword recently?’
    ‘Yep. Mr Chen showed me how. But I’d prefer not to have to use it.’
    ‘I’d prefer you didn’t have to use it either.’ Leo faced the door. ‘Ready?’
    I prepared myself in front of Simone. ‘Bring it on.’
    ‘Have I told you how stupid you are?’
    ‘Yep.’
    We waited silently.
    I began to feel ridiculous, standing over the child with a sword, when it was possible that nothing would happen.
    Leo lowered Dark Heavens. ‘Maybe we’ll be lucky and they won’t—’
    The door crashed open. Simone squeaked, then, ‘Demons coming, Leo.’
    ‘Good girl, you remembered.’ Leo unsheathed Dark Heavens and threw the scabbard to one side. ‘How many?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ Simone said.
    ‘They can only come in one at a time,’ Leo said. ‘The seals stop them.’
    I pulled my sword out and readied myself.
    The demon appeared in the doorway. It was only about four feet tall, skinny and as black as Leo. It had huge ears and a grotesque, almost comical face. It grinned at us and disappeared.
    ‘Small one,’ Leo said. ‘Saw its own reflection. How many more are there, Simone?’
    Mr Chen walked in the door, holding his sword and smiling. I dropped my arm with relief. ‘Thank God.’
    ‘That’s. Not. My. Daddy,’ Simone said loudly and clearly.
    The demon smiled, raised its sword in a salute to Leo, and moved into a defensive position.
    Leo didn’t move at all in front of me.
    The demon rushed forward and Leo sprang to meet it. Their swords met over their heads then moved together to lock at the hilts with a painful grating sound. Leo and the demon were face to face. The demon’s smile widened. Its other hand shot out to hit Leo’s head, but Leo dodged the blow, spun and jumped back, twisting the demon’s sword away at the same time.
    The demon’s smile disappeared as it leapt forward to strike. Leo blocked the blow, the swords ringing together, but the demon continued to come at him with lightning-fast attacks. Leo moved back as he parried theblows, but when Simone cried out behind him he stood his ground and blocked the demon’s thrusts without shifting his feet.
    The demon became concerned as it saw that Leo had no difficulty dealing with its attacks. Leo didn’t miss the shift in control and pressed forward, still parrying the blows.
    The demon jumped back out of Leo’s reach.
    Leo didn’t give it time to recover. He tore straight into it with a series of fierce attacks. The demon grimaced and fell back. Leo hit it harder each time and the demon blocked with difficulty.
    Leo feinted into the demon’s face with his left fist, and at the same time ran it through with his sword. He twisted the blade inside the demon, then slashed upwards through the demon’s body and out its shoulder.
    The demon smiled. ‘Now you will meet my mother.’ It dissolved.
    Something came down the hallway. A sickening wet slither.
    ‘Mother, Leo,’ Simone whispered. ‘Oh my God,’ Leo said under his breath. I readied myself and hefted my sword. ‘I’m right behind you.’
    ‘Stay there. Don’t get in the way. If I go down…’ He hesitated. ‘Don’t let it have you, Emma. It won’t hurt her, she’ll be okay. But whatever you do, don’t let it take you.’
    ‘I understand.’
    The demon appeared in the doorway.
    Its back end was a slimy snake that oozed toxin over its black scales. The front end looked like the top half of a man with the skin taken off. It had to lower itself on its coils to fit through the door; it was enormous.
    It came halfway into the room and raised its body on the coils. Its skinless head nearly touched the ceiling. ‘You are the Black Lion? Disciple of the Dark Lord?’
    ‘I am just an ordinary man.’
    The demon smiled and its red eyes flashed. ‘I like your skin. I think I will take it.’
    Leo readied himself. ‘Come and get it.’
    It moved incredibly fast for something without legs. Leo stepped forward and spun to strike it with the sword, but it was too fast. Its