‘The Treaty is none of your affair, mortal. In fact, a mortal entering my realm is the equivalent of willingly offering me your yang.’ She lifts a finger and the handmaids all look to her. ‘Are you hungry, my darlings?’ she asks.
I stride into the hall, channelling all my resolve into my voice.
‘Stop,’ I say. But my voice is no different from before. The command won’t come.
I almost stumble from the disappointment. But one look at Mr Lee – his rotted doe eyes shining in greeting – and I straighten my spine.I keep going and take my place beside him. My eyes water from the presence of yin silver – he must be wearing a Lei talisman. Perhaps Big Wang got him a new one. I breathe easier, despite the burn. A layer of ministry protection. Maybe the two of us can bluff our way out.
‘Mr Tony Lee is here on my behalf. I am a ward of Hell, and thus the Treaty applies. Venerable Matriarch, I demand you comply.’
I don’t dare look away from my grandmother, but part of me focusses on Mr Lee’s scent. Snowflakes. Watermelon. Persimmons. Ripe walnut fruit. I frown. There’s something else there – flint and peaches? Those are new...
I don’t have time to puzzle out the odd scents before Niang Niang stands and flicks the voluminous silk of her skirts behind her. She flows down the dais towards me but I hold my ground.
‘I demand parley,’ I say. ‘You brought me here against my will. Held me captive, threatened me with yin silver, and hired thugs to beat me into submission. You’ve broken the Treaty and must face the consequences.’
Niang Niang’s lips curve like a scythe. ‘So many demands today. First from a mortal, and now a mongrel. Both of you clearly have paste for brains.’
Mr Lee pulls out his talisman and holds it in front of my grandmother. The silver makes my eyes burn.
‘This was blessed by Lord Lei himself. I am here in an official capacity on behalf of the Ministry of Hell.’ Mr Lee speaks with a clarity that rings through the hall. ‘Stay back, demon.’
Shock crosses Niang Niang’s smooth oval face. She averts her eyes, lifts a water sleeve as if to hide behind it. Her handmaids watch in silence.
My vision blurs and doubles. There are two Niang Niangs before me, one lifts her hand and reaches towards Mr Lee. I blink. The blur is gone. Niang Niang moves and the déjà vu slams into me. She lifts her hand, reaches towards Mr Lee, exactly as I saw it. In one swift gesture, she yanks the talisman from Mr Lee’s neck.
‘No!’ I shout.
Without it, Mr Lee is a lame rabbit in a den of foxes. I lunge forward to grab the talisman from her at the same time her handmaids lunge towards Mr Lee.
I’m too slow. Niang Niang leaps backwards and lands lightly at the top of the dais, just in front of her throne. Her handmaids surround us, ripping Mr Lee away.
Niang Niang’s smile chills. ‘Silly melon. You thought you could outwit me?’ She seats herself on her throne, adjusts her skirts before leaning into her cushions. I struggle but there are too many holding me.
Niang Niang’s gaze locks on mine. ‘You have been a thorn in my side for far too long.’ With a lazy wave of her hand, the handmaids fall on Mr Lee.
Their jaws elongate, deforming their beautiful faces. The wet sounds of tongues lapping at flesh turn my stomach. He shrieks as his yang is pulled from him in long golden strands. The shrieking becomes a wheezing wail. He convulses, knuckles and head knocking against the polished wood floor. His eyes roll back until only white remains. His flesh falls in on itself. He is withering as I watch. He will die here, and it will be my fault.
Lord Black’s words return to me.Embrace the Cosmos, and you become embraced. Nurture the Cosmos, and you become nurtured. Accept the Cosmos, and you become accepted. Clear your vision, and you will see. Open your heart, and you will be loved.
I’m supposedly one with the Cosmos. If I claimed him with Celestial command, that could stop them. I clench my hands. How though? I couldn’t manifest it before.
Mr Lee no longer shrieks. His convulsions have slowed too. I don’t have time to wait. Gathering my qi, I take a deep breath, and speak: ‘Re-lease him.’
My voice starts out with Celestial power but then fizzles into nothing. Disappointment rips through me. I don’t wallow, I don’t have time. I push forward hoping my ruse will still work. ‘I have prior claim on Mr Lee.’
‘Enough,’ Niang Niang says, and her handmaids stop their frenzied lapping.
I hold my breath. Mr Lee groans. His skin is a dull grey, collapsing like wet paper against his bones.
‘You are very amusing, mongrel. You think to claim the mortal?’ She leans forward. ‘In order for prior claim to work, he must willingly offer you his yang qi, and you must have already fed on it. I happen to know you are too squeamish to feed from mortals.’
My shoulders slump and I bow my head. This I cannot bluff. There is no hope. I drop to my knees. Niang Niang smiles in triumph.
‘Since you admit you have the pearl, forfeit it and I will spare Mr Lee.’
Twenty-Nine
Dragon Sight
