Dark_Serpent

8




I left the Residence in some jogging gear for my pre-dinner run and waved to Simone, who was just arriving back from school on a cloud. A couple of students were waiting at the front of the Residence and I stopped to see if they wanted me.

Julie, an American student who was brilliant with bladed weapons, tried to say something and hesitated, bewildered.

‘Remember the Jade Emperor’s limitation on me,’ I said. ‘No honorifics, just Emma. What’s the problem, guys?’

‘If you don’t mind, ma … Emma,’ Lai, a phoenix, said, ‘Alvin’s been severely injured and …’ She shared a look with Julie. ‘We know you’re a snake, and we were wondering if you could come to the infirmary and help?’

Simone landed behind me and stepped off her cloud. ‘Don’t you dare, Emma,’ she said.

I started moving towards the infirmary and the students walked with me. ‘How bad is it?’

‘We think he may have a broken spine.’

I stopped. ‘Only the Dark Lord’s Serpent can fix something as big as that.’

Lai put her hand on my forearm. ‘Could you try anyway? Please?’

‘Don’t you dare!’ Simone yelled.

Lai glanced at Simone, confused. ‘Princess, my Lady, why won’t you let her?’

‘Because she could take off and merge with Daddy’s Serpent if she changes to snake!’ Simone shouted.

‘Don’t be ridiculous. It’s in a cage of Celestial Jade and nothing’s getting in there,’ I said. ‘There’s no chance. It’s always been the Serpent coming to possess me in the past anyway, so if I do this it may even escape and find me.’

‘No, don’t risk yourself,’ Simone said. She raised her voice again. ‘I cannot believe you’re thinking of doing this! Didn’t Dad say you shouldn’t take serpent form?’

I ignored her. ‘How long ago did this happen, Julie?’

‘Only less than half an hour. Dr Edwin said something about it being fixable if you catch it quickly, before his nerves die.’

‘Let’s go then,’ I said, moving off again.

Simone grabbed my arm. ‘I am not letting you do this. They don’t need you. Meredith’s a better energy healer than you.’

‘Energy can’t do anything for a broken spine, but a serpent healer may be able to, particularly if it’s just happened.’

‘It’s not worth the risk, Emma.’

‘I’m the only snake on the Mountain, which means I’m his only chance of being able to walk. I have to try, otherwise I couldn’t live with myself.’

She studied my face, then released me.

‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘Let’s go.’

We arrived at the infirmary to find Edwin standing over Alvin, checking the drip. Alvin’s face was grey and he was on a traction bed, keeping his spine straight. Edwin’s expression was grim.

‘It’s a similar injury to what Lord Leo suffered. The bones of his spine are crushed at T … about halfway down, and his spine is damaged beyond repair.’ He brushed one hand over Alvin’s forehead. ‘He is in an induced coma to keep him still so that the swelling doesn’t cause further damage, but he’ll never walk again.’

Lai gave a little cry and ran to kneel next to Alvin. ‘It all happened so quickly. If I hadn’t swept him down and out of the way like that, he’d be okay.’ She rested her head on her arms, leaning on the bed. ‘This is all my fault.’

‘A routine training day and suddenly it ends up like this,’ Julie said, her voice thick with tears. She wiped her eyes. ‘I’ll never be able to spar with him again.’ She turned to me, blinking the tears away. ‘Please try, Emma.’

‘I’ll do my best, let’s see what I can manage,’ I said, and put my hand on Lai’s shoulder. ‘Back out of the way, Lai.’

She moved back and I touched my inner serpent. I hadn’t changed to snake in a while, but I need not have been concerned; I easily fell into the form.

I raised my head and touched my snout to Alvin, examining him. I moved my healing power through him, doing what I could to reduce the swelling and knit together the damaged nerve fibres and bones, which were in tiny pieces and all jumbled together. It was incredibly fiddly work. If I could reduce the pressure on his spinal column, he might be able to regain a small amount of mobility. But Edwin was right: there was a good chance he would never walk again.

I heard rather than saw John and Simone appear in the doorway.

‘Oh, Emma, this is a very bad idea,’ John said.

‘Quiet, I’m concentrating,’ I said through my closed mouth.

He came and knelt next to me and touched the top of my head. ‘Magnificent.’

The contact made something dark and primal flare within me, which made me grow and strengthen and fill with power.

He saw what happened. ‘Oh, shit, no.’

He removed his hand, but it was too late. His Serpent, the love of my life, was lying at the bottom of the world, alone and in pain, and I went to it.


Zhenwu

John saw her trail as she spun down to Hell and disappeared into it. Voices swirled around him, loud and demanding.

‘Quiet!’ he roared, and the noise ceased.

‘Daddy, I —’ Simone began.

John raised his hand to stop her. ‘I know. Be quiet. I’m working.’

Number Two, he called. Number Two!

Ah Wu? Er Lang said.

This. He shared the information. Emma knows where my Serpent is! She went to it. I must find it. Check with legal to see if I have the right to go down there and retrieve my wife and Serpent without Celestial permission.

Give me a moment, Er Lang said.

John used the time to contact Leo and Martin. Prepare for battle. This happened. We must find them. You two are coming with me. Gather your equipment and meet me on the forecourt.

John paced the infirmary as he waited for Er Lang to return to him. If he didn’t need permission, he could head down immediately and find both her and his Serpent. He deliberately avoided thinking about the possibility that she was in the jade cage with the Serpent …

No, Er Lang said. She’s not your wife. Legal says if you’d had a formal betrothal ceremony … No, that still would not have been enough. You need permission from the Jade Emperor to go down there and retrieve her.

When’s his next appointment?

He’s finished for the day. Just a moment.

John continued pacing.

‘Daddy?’ Simone said.

He raised his hand. ‘Wait.’

Number One, this is most inconvenient, the Jade Emperor said. I have retired for the evening and I will take no more appointments this day. I will see you in the morning; talk to my secretary. You will have priority and be the first I see.

Majesty, I implore you, my wife —

She is not your wife and she is not in danger. It can wait. Now if you do not mind, I am fatigued. Good evening to you, Number One.

The Jade Emperor shut off communication.

The old bastard won’t see me until the morning! John said to Er Lang. What the hell? They could do anything to my wife —

She’s not your wife.

Beside the point! The demons could have her and he won’t give permission until tomorrow morning? Realisation dawned. He knows something.

Ah Wu, he knows everything. So when will he see you?

First thing tomorrow.

I’ll speak to you then. Do you want the paperwork drawn up for an approved sortie into hell?

Of course I do! What a stupid —

Good night, Ah Wu.

Er Lang shut him off as well.

John snapped back to see Simone and Edwin glaring at him, a couple of bewildered students behind them.

‘I need permission from the Jade Emperor before I can go down,’ he said. ‘He won’t see me until first thing tomorrow morning.’

‘I’m going down myself right now,’ Simone said. She held out her hand. ‘Give me my yin back.’

‘Try,’ John said. ‘Try heading to Hell. The Jade Emperor knows and he’s blocked you.’

Her face filled with concentration, then frustration. ‘How can he block me like this?’

‘He is who he is,’ John said. ‘I’ll be staying in the Celestial Palace tonight and heading directly out after I’ve spoken to him tomorrow morning. Leo and Martin will be with me. Stay here where you are safe.’

Simone opened her mouth and closed it again. ‘I’d just be in the way in the Celestial Palace, wouldn’t I?’

‘That’s why I’m asking you to stay here,’ John said. He nodded to Edwin. ‘Look after the boy.’

He patted Simone on the shoulder and went out of the infirmary towards the central court. Leo and Martin were standing on the edge of the square together, fully armed and in their black livery. Leo had his sword, the Black Lion, at his side; Martin wore his black enamel armour and carried the Silver Serpent in its scabbard in his right hand. They saluted John when he arrived.

‘The Jade Emperor is being a shit and won’t see me until tomorrow morning,’ he said.

‘Go now,’ Leo said.

‘I’m blocked. I need permission.’

Leo concentrated and his expression filled with a frustration similar to Simone’s. ‘I see.’

‘Gather what you need and we’ll spend the night in the Celestial Palace. We can head out the minute I have permission from the Jade Emperor in the morning.’

Both of them nodded, and called clouds to take them to the Celestial Palace. John summoned Seven Stars and his battledress and called a cloud to carry him as well. He checked his watch: 7 pm. He had at least twelve hours before he could see the JE. The wait would kill him.


Emma

The room containing the jade cage was dark and fearsomely hot. The tiles beneath my coils were scorching, and the heat shot through my scales into my flesh. The Serpent lay coiled in the centre of the cage, in as small a space as possible. It was covered with open wounds from the acid and its black scales were dull and white around the edges.

I slid over the burning tiles as quietly as I could to the cage and raised my head to see it. ‘John.’

It moved and lifted its own head to see me, and kept its warm, female voice as quiet as I had. ‘Emma! Emma, my beautiful Emma. What are you doing here? You need to go. Now.’

‘I saw you here. I have to get you out.’

I pressed my nose to the latch on the cage door and pushed it. My nose was too big to move it easily and the bar caught on the edge of the latch so it wouldn’t move. My tongue didn’t have the strength and my tail didn’t have the finesse; it had to be my nose. I slid it across the end of the bar repeatedly, trying to shift it. It moved slightly and I felt a jolt of excitement.

The Serpent moved so it was on the other side of the cage door. ‘Stop, Emma. I may possess you if I’m released. I can’t do that to you.’ It dropped its head with frustration and lowered its voice to a barely discernible hiss. ‘Quickly, go before they come. If you free me, I could drain and destroy you.’ It tapped its nose on the bars with frustration. ‘Just go!’

‘I want to be one with you. I want to be possessed by you and absorbed by you,’ I said, still fiddling with the latch. Then I stopped attacking the latch and raised my head to look straight into its wonderful wise eyes. ‘Hold on, no, I don’t.’ I backed away from the door. ‘Screw that, I want to keep my individuality. Are you sure you’ll absorb me if I let you out?’

‘It’s not worth the risk.’

I made a quick decision. ‘Yes, it is. The world needs you whole to protect it.’

I pressed my nose against the latch again, but pushed the bar flush with the wall of the cage instead of away from it.

‘I have to do this human,’ I said.

‘Then go. You can’t teleport human, and they’re probably on their way. Just leave!’

I tried to change to human, but the form wouldn’t come. I hit the latch again, cursing the lack of sensitivity in my nose. ‘It’s so damn fat!’

‘Emma, run,’ the Serpent said, moving closer to me. ‘Get out now!’

‘What?’ I said, but it was too late. Something grabbed me around the neck in a double-handed hold and I couldn’t move. I tried to lash my tail but someone was standing on it.

‘Got you,’ the Demon King said. He held me so tight I couldn’t turn to see him.

‘Ready,’ someone else said.

‘Over her head then,’ the King said.

A noose was dropped over my head and pulled tight around my neck.

‘Teleport out, love,’ the Serpent said.

The King sent a blast of black energy into the cage, knocking the Serpent backwards. ‘You shut the f*ck up.’

I turned to attack him, but he’d stepped out of reach. A huge bull-head demon was holding me with a snake noose on the end of a pole. The pole was so long that they could stand well away from me and I couldn’t touch them. I raised and lowered my head, trying to free it, but the noose held me firmly.

The King put his hands on his hips. ‘Take her to a cell on level six and leave her there.’

‘Are you sure that’s wise, Dad? Wouldn’t you like her closer to your own quarters?’ the bull-head said.

The King glared at him. ‘You question me?’

The bull-head dropped his snout. ‘No way, Dad, I just want to be sure about her. I know how much …’ he shook the pole, making me hiss with pain, ‘misery she’s caused you.’

‘I’m going to kill you,’ I said to the King.

He turned to me. ‘Are you now?’

I stopped fighting the noose and stared into his eyes. ‘You raped my nephews.’

He waved me down. ‘They would have passed the time jerking off anyway. Males can’t be raped.’

‘What you did to them was rape, George. You hurt my family and my little girl. You’ve caused so much misery to everybody I love …’ My voice cracked, and I took a deep breath. ‘So many innocents. I can’t see my family any more because of you. Watch your back, Kitty Kwok, because one day there will be a snake behind you with her fangs out.’ I felt ice-cold and full of purpose. ‘And I will take a great deal of pleasure in squeezing the life out of your ugly throat.’

‘You can’t throttle me, I don’t breathe,’ he said.

‘Then I will crush your bones within my coils.’

He took True Form: a snake back end and a male human front end with no skin. Where the Mothers were black, he was the colour of blood. He towered over me, close on five metres, even bigger than the last time I’d seen his True Form. His voice changed to a deep hiss. ‘Try me.’ He slithered closer. ‘I won’t force myself on you, but with the right tools your human form could still be very useful. You may even come to like me.’

He changed back to his human form, still smiling. ‘Hopefully I’ll have the opportunity, but there’s something that needs to be done first.’ He spoke to the bull-head without looking away from me. ‘He made an oath to her that he would find her. They probably don’t know that I’m aware of it. Before I can do anything with her, I have to get this oath out of the way.’

He bent to see me more closely, and I spat poison at him. It landed on his face and hair and he jerked back. He pulled an ordinary packet of Hong Kong tissues out of his pocket and wiped his face.

‘Demons thrive on poison, Emma, don’t waste your spit,’ he said.

He threw the dirty tissue onto the floor and put the packet back in his pocket. He took his blood-red hair out of its short ponytail, swept his hands through it and retied it.

‘Put her somewhere where it’ll take a while for him to find her, but he will find her in the end,’ he said. ‘Let him find her and take her, and then we’ll take her back and she’ll be ours.’ He straightened. ‘You hear me, Emma? We will have you.’

‘I will kill you with the sword you gave me,’ I said.

‘Not today, sweetie.’

‘So, level six?’ the bull-head said.

‘Put her in a cell right up the back where it’ll take them a while to find her. Make sure she’s fed and watered and kept reasonably clean. If she changes to human, let me know immediately; I have some plans for her in that form.’ He turned back to me. ‘If he comes for her, make sure it’s him, that he finds her and that he gets her out. One of his oaths is a very powerful thing and we can’t do anything with her as long as it’s over our heads.’

The bull-head bowed slightly. ‘Majesty.’

The King nodded to him with approval. ‘Show some more respect like this, son, and you may find yourself promoted.’

The bull-head grinned, revealing even cow’s teeth. ‘How about I clear a spot for myself?’

‘After she’s been taken home, you can challenge anyone you like for their spot. Go for it.’

The bull-head’s grin widened. ‘You’re a prince, Dad.’

‘Do a good job and you may be one as well,’ the Demon King said. He glanced back at me. ‘Off you go.’

The bull-head raised the pole and took me with it. I tried to see behind me for a last look at John’s Serpent, but I couldn’t.