‘Right,’ I said, as casually as I could. ‘Who sent you?’
She relaxed and concentrated, and something to the left of me in a corner of the car park pinged loudly.
I raised my left hand and pulled it towards me: it was a pebble, one of Six’s stones. This was what was blocking teleportation and telepathy inside the car park. It flew into my hand and I crushed it; the blocking ceased.
Leo went to David and Bridget and knelt to check them.
‘A buttload of big Celestials are on their way,’ I said to the demon. ‘You can turn if you like; or you can tell me who sent you and why, and I’ll spare you. Do neither and I’ll suck the life out of you and put you in my demon jar.’
‘The Death Mother sent me,’ she said urgently. ‘She wants you dead. She knows you’ve made a pact with the King to take Kitty Kwok to him. It’s only a matter of time before you know where she is, and she won’t have Kitty’s protection any more.’
‘You’re here because she’s scared,’ I said. ‘Good. She has reason to be. Where’s her base?’
She shook her head, mute.
I put my left hand around her throat and lifted her. A small part of me whistled with admiration at me doing this to a level eighty-three Mother.
‘Holy shit, Emma,’ Leo said softly from behind me.
The Mother’s eyes bugged out and I enjoyed the show as I throttled her. ‘Where’s. Her. Base?’
‘I don’t know!’ she gasped. ‘One of the other Mothers organised this — I don’t know where Forty-Four’s base is. That’s the truth, you can see it!’
It was the truth. I released her slightly.
‘I told you who sent me; you vowed to spare me.’
‘That I did,’ I said, my hand still around her throat. ‘The only one who’ll be able to change you back is the Demon King himself. Good luck going to see him; he may not be as merciful as I am.’ I sent some black chi into my hand, pumped it into her and changed her into a cat. I stroked the top of her head and released her. ‘Go find a rat to eat.’
I sighed. I shouldn’t have destroyed all of the Mothers; the last one hadn’t given me any information that I didn’t already know. I heard footsteps behind me: Simone, with Michael leaning heavily on her. I turned and smiled at their shocked expressions.
‘We have people on their way,’ Simone said. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Just fine,’ I said, going to David and Leo.
Leo had loosened David’s shirt collar and was checking him for injuries. ‘He’s been hit in the abdomen. Bridget’s been shot in the leg.’
Bridget was lying panting on the ground, her eyes wide and glazed.
‘Simone, get me a pad to put on David’s bleeding,’ Leo said.
‘I can’t, I’m flat out telling them where we are,’ Simone said.
‘Bridget,’ I said, and she focused on me. ‘Tell me your home phone number and your domestic helper’s name. We’ll take you to hospital, but we need to tell your boys that you’re all right and you’ll be late home.’
‘We need to call an ambulance,’ Bridget said. She howled with pain. ‘God, it hurts!’
‘Help is coming but we need to fix up your boys,’ I said.
She reeled off a mobile phone number. ‘Rosalinda’s our helper. She’s at home with them right now.’
‘Stone, can you relay through someone?’ I said.
‘We’re underground, Emma,’ Simone said. ‘I’m in touch with Gold and he’s sending the message.’
Bridget groaned and lay back on the floor. I moved to hold her head in my lap and her hand in mine while Leo looked after David, who was still unconscious.
‘God, hurry with the ambulance, any pain relief, please,’ Bridget said.
I used the contact I had with her hand and worked through her meridians, easing the pain.
She panted again and turned her head to see me. ‘What did you do?’
‘Magic,’ I said, but the buzz was leaving me and I was beginning to feel weak. I could barely hold myself upright where I sat.
I turned to Simone. ‘Are they close?’
Meredith and Liu appeared behind her.
‘Do you want us to drop them at a human hospital or take them with us?’ Meredith said.
‘Take them with us,’ I said. ‘David knows all about it; Bridget doesn’t. But they were shot by demons so we’ll have to check the wounds and make sure they weren’t contaminated with essence.’
Meredith pulled Michael’s shirt open and examined him. ‘Let’s get all of these people to the infirmary.’ She leaned towards me. ‘Are you all right? You look terribly drained.’
‘I changed, went bigger,’ I said. ‘I’m coming down off it now.’
‘I see,’ Meredith said. She looked up at Liu. ‘Let’s get them home.’
‘Leo, human male; Meredith, human female,’ Liu said. ‘I’ll take Michael; Simone take Emma.’
The car park disappeared.
We arrived at the infirmary and the staff rushed to help us. I leaned against the nearest wall, but it was moving behind me.
‘Something’s wrong with Emma,’ Simone said loudly as Michael, Bridget and David were put onto gurneys. ‘She changed down there — she did her powerful thing — and now she’s white as a ghost.’
I completely lost my balance and Simone caught me. ‘Someone help Emma!’
‘Bring her in,’ Edwin called from inside, and Simone picked me up and carried me into the ward. I didn’t really understand what was happening as Simone placed me onto one of the four beds. People were rushing from bed to bed, but it was all a blur.
‘Is everybody all right?’ I said, but Simone had gone. I moved my head with difficulty to see where she was and relaxed. She was at Michael’s bedside.
The noise and light faded in and out, and I hoped with detachment that it was just exhaustion and nothing more serious.
Meredith’s face swam into view above me and she put her hands on either side of my face. Her exploratory energy moved through me. ‘Emma’s fine, just exhaustion,’ she said.
I grabbed her hand to stop her before she left me. ‘Is everybody okay?’ I said. ‘They shot David and Bridget because they were with us. Are they all right?’
She smiled and squeezed my hand to reassure me. ‘They’re fine; everybody will be okay. Close your eyes and rest.’
‘Do you need my snake?’
‘Not while you’re half-dead like this,’ she said. ‘So close your eyes, go down deep, rebuild your energy, and when you’re back you can help. Either way they’ll be fine; the injuries aren’t life-threatening.’
‘Good,’ I said, and let go.
CHAPTER 6
I came around in my own bed in the servants’ quarters. As soon as I sat up, Meredith and Simone appeared next to me.
‘How do you feel?’ Simone said.
‘Great. Full