Jackie Chan Adventures doesn't belong to me and I'm most definitely not making any money with this.
I'm incredibly sorry for the slow update. I'm having the biggest writer's block for this story. I also have other reasons, but I doubt you're interested in them. However, this fic will be finished one day, even if it takes me years to do it.
This chapter is a little slow, but things will pick up again once I get the next one posted.
DEMONIC DREAMS
Chapter 4
"So, how much did you get?" Finn asked Ratso
The other man shrugged. "A few grands," he said.
"Does that include your extra pay yet?" the Irishman asked and made his friend frown.
"You're going to steal from Valmont? It's pretty strange that he's ready to even share equally. I wouldn't try my luck with him," he said.
"Come on!" Finn laughed. "We've been through a lot. We deserve a little extra. Besides, Valmont took the magic rod. It's only justified if we look after ourselves."
"Yeah," Chow added. "He'll never know."
Ratso considered it for a moment and decided to agree with his friends. It wouldn't hurt if he kept a few bucks to himself. Soon enough Valmont would have enough money for a lifetime anyway. After all that they had been through and lost, they deserved more than they got.
Hak Foo shot an expressionless glance at them, and Ratso could sense the warrior's disapproval. Probably some warrior honour thing, he thought but wasn't worried. Hak Foo might not take anything, but he wouldn't reveal them to Valmont either.
They returned to the warehouse and found Valmont there.
"So?" the Brit asked with a lifted brow. The men showed the money to him and it was soon shared. Ratso could sense how much the act annoyed Valmont.
"Finally I can get my own place," Ratso said, slipping his share into his pocket. He liked his friends but didn't want to spend every moment with them. He had his own life and everything couldn't be shared.
"Yeah," Finn agreed.
"Don't go looking for apartments quite yet. We've got work to do tonight," Valmont said.
"Again?" Chow asked, not sounding very pleased.
"Well, what did you expect? We aren't on holiday! We need a lot of money if we want to be able to pay for our new HQ," Valmont said. "I also assume you want to move into better apartments than you could get for that pocket money."
"Fine, fine. Sheesh. You don't have to get so worked up over it," Finn said.
"What will we do this time?" Hak Foo asked for them.
"While you were elsewhere, I ran a little test. It is possible to travel long distances with the help of this magic and tonight we will give it a try. I'm going to empty a bank," Valmont replied.
"Good idea, but shouldn't you know what it's like in the vault before you can zap yourself in there?" Ratso asked.
"But I do. Remember the bank we tried to rob during the wind demon fiasco? If everything goes as I've planned, I'm just going to jump in, fill the sacks with money, jump back into a car that you've got parked nearby, and then we'll drive away. Nobody will notice a thing before morning," Valmont said, voice thick with self-confidence.
Ratso couldn't blame the Brit. It was a good plan.
And so the five members of The Dark Hand were sitting in a van a few blocks away from the bank that Shendu had made them rob once. Hak Foo was driving, as usual, and everyone else was in the back.
What had happened to him after stealing the bottle of detergent was still fresh in Valmont's mind, but he tried not to think about it. Still, he had taken a bucket with him just in case he started feeling ill again. What worried him more was the chance of something going wrong. What if he set off the alarm? What if there was a guard in the vault? What if he wouldn't be able to leap back with so much money?
He considered if he should let someone else do the dirty work and take the risks. However, he soon abandoned that line of thought. He wanted to do this to show himself and his men that he was capable of field work. Soon he could get back to giving orders behind his desk, but at this point he still had to make sacrifices.
Besides, he didn't like the idea of letting anyone else use his new magic.
"I'm ready," he said and took a deep breath. Closing his eyes, he forced the image of a bank vault into his mind. It wasn't too difficult. He was natural at thinking about money.
When he opened his eyes a few seconds later, he found himself exactly where he was supposed to. His head was pounding as the trip had been rather long and he was carrying a few sacks and a flashlight, but he was sure he could take it.
He turned on the flashlight and looked around. It felt almost spooky to be alone with the money, surrounded by thick iron walls. Forcing himself to get a hold of reality, he started filling the sacks with bills. He had been lucky this far, but he was not about to play with fate by gawking around.
The bills felt wonderful in his hands and he took as many as he could. He didn't even try to count the amount of money, but he guessed it was at least a million. When he could take no more, he grabbed each sack and leaped back into the van.
He couldn't be sure of it, but he felt like the trip took longer this time. For a moment it was as if he was hanging in the middle of nothing. Coldness tickled his skin and his lungs were about to collapse under the pressure. Right when he was starting to panic, the feeling disappeared and he found himself back with his men.
Another but not any more pleasant feeling took over him, and he grabbed the bucket while his men cheered. They grew silent when he started throwing up and barely noticed how Hak Foo started the engine.
"You okay, Big V?" Finn asked.
"What does it look like?" Valmont snapped. Did Finn really even have to ask? He coughed and wiped his mouth. "It has side effects."
"Yeah, I noticed," Chow said, but once glance at the money wiped the sour expression from his face.
That night they slept in a better hotel than the previous time. It was their last night in a place like that, and the next day would be spent looking for apartments of their own.
However, for Valmont it didn't matter where they spent the night. It would have been the same to him in any case.
He and Bai Tsa appeared in the same place where they had left last time. They were alone now and the monkeys were nowhere in sight.
"Took you long enough," Bai Tsa snapped with venom in her voice.
"I have other things to do besides sleeping. You know, living and so on," Valmont replied. "Or then again, you don't. How could you when you have nothing but the Netherworld?"
Judging by the way the demon bared her teeth, he had struck a sore spot. With triumph, Valmont realised that he did have a trump card against the demon. She didn't want to go back to Netherworld and the empty, hellish reality it offered. That meant she would have to do as he said.
Had he been dealing with anyone but the water demon, he might have found it within himself to feel a little pity. However, Bai Tsa had only earned his hatred and disgust, so her agony was his satisfaction.
"Don't tempt me, mortal," the demon growled.
"It does sound good, but I have other plans. You must know what is behind the curse. Tell me and maybe we'll find a way to end this," Valmont said. He had no time for childish power games with the demon. That kind of activity was below him.
"What makes you think I want this to end?" Bai Tsa asked.
"This place is dangerous and you know it," he said back.
"I'm not afraid of a few monkeys," Bai Tsa snorted.
"It didn't look like that. Do you even know what happens if they get you? What if I don't wake up in time to prevent your death?" Valmont asked. Bai Tsa turned away with a huff. Valmont didn't think that was a good sign.
"In that case I just have to be careful!" the water demon snapped, making Valmont frown. How could she be that stubborn? Maybe he'd get this solved faster if he tried to find help in the real world, even if that doubled his work load over there.
"As you wish," he said, turned his back, and started walking away.
"Where do you think you're going?" Bai Tsa shouted after him.
"We have nothing else to say to each other, so I don't intend to enjoy your company any longer," Valmont said and grinned at the words coming out his mouth. The little power he had over the demon tasted sweet and he hoped that he'd be able to talk like that to Shendu one day.
"Fine. It's not like I need you," Bai Tsa growled and started slithering to the opposite direction.
They both hoped they wouldn't face the kind of surprises as last time. Still, this worry was not enough to make them stick together.
Despite the mortal's insult and disrespectful behaviour, Bai Tsa realised she was in a fairly good mood. Valmont had no idea how to counter the curse, so she didn't have to worry. As long as she was in charge, the curse would never be lifted.
A few funny animals don't scare me, she convinced herself as she slithered off to the horizon, towards what seemed to be a group of small bushes. She was careful not to go near the river again.
If I only manage to keep out of trouble, I'll be fine and this might turn into an interesting experience, she continued.
She did her best at keeping away the thought that in the end this dream Africa was no better than the Netherworld. She was still trapped, not able to do what she wanted.
The terrain was not good for her and the scorching sun made her scales dry. Soon enough, she decided to take a human form for practical reasons. It didn't make her feel much better, though.
¨The most important question in her mind was what she'd do now. Africa, especially the dry savannahs, was not her idea of paradise. She would have to find most humid areas, maybe the Nile or the Victoria Falls.
The demon lifted her head. She hoped that Valmont would sleep long enough for her to see where the sun would set. Then it wouldn't be difficult to start heading for the right direction.
The dry grass, lifeless sand under her feet and the immense heat were a horrible reminder of that she was still a prisoner. Now it was simply crueller as she was being shown something that wasn't real and wouldn't last.
There was no sign of the monkeys or other creatures. Bai Tsa wondered where they had disappeared and when they'd come back. She shouldn't have had to worry because of them, but she had already learnt that nothing should be judged based on appearances only. Those monkeys had more to them than she had thought.
She took one glance around to see where Valmont had gone off to. Whether she liked the man or not, he was the only thing that was real in this place. Besides, when he was close she only had to play another round of "torture Valmont until his screams" if she wanted a quick way out. It was a fun way to kill some time.
On the other hand, it would be humiliating to go after him. No, she wouldn't do that. As a demon she could survive on her own long enough for him to crawl to her for help.
So, she searched for shade beside a huge rock and sat down to wait.
Valmont was enjoying the fact that he obviously had the upper hand in this situation. He was the cursed one, so everything was up to him. Without him Bai Tsa was nothing in this world, and the Brit didn't particularly desire the demon's company or services.
Of course, it would have been much easier if the water demon had simply told him what was going on and how to fix it. In a way he understood her motives for wanting to keep the situation as it was, but he didn't feel any sympathy for her.
She was cruel, selfish and rotten in every aspect and deserved her imprisonment. Just like he deserved to sit in prison for the rest of his life. The difference between them was that Valmont wasn't stupid enough to get caught.
He kept walking, not really knowing where he was going. He went through everything he'd have to do in the real world to find more about the curse. Firstly, it had been placed a few days ago...
Suddenly, he stopped and almost slapped himself. He had been so stupid! The curse had come to effect right after he had angered that black woman in the street. Normally, Valmont wouldn't have remembered something minor like that, but she had ripped off some of his hair and hurt both his head and pride.
He didn't like stereotypes, but at that moment he couldn't come up with anything else. His heart was beating with new inspiration and he tried to remember everything about the woman. She had been old and ordinary in every possible way. Nothing in her indicated her name or where she was living. She had had a southern accent, but that was no use as long as he didn't even know what state she was from.
That still didn't mean he would give up. The next morning he'd start looking for the woman or someone else who could break the curse.
Valmont had been so excited by his thoughts that he hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings. That was why he was so surprised when he noticed that farther away, next to a huge boulder, there was a little fire. Dark smoke was rising to the sky and Valmont stopped to stare at it for a while.
He covered his eyes from the sun. There was nobody by the fire. Someone had to have lit it though, and he stepped closer in curiosity.
Once he got closer to it, he looked at it with a frown. There was nobody else in sight, but that wasn't the only peculiar fact. The flames were licking the wood, yes, but it looked like they were consuming nothing.
Nothing will surprise me anymore, he thought and let the fire be. Instead, he turned his eyes to the boulder that looked strange in the middle of the savannah. It was a few times taller than him and was leaning to its side so that it created a decent shelter.
Valmont went to take a closer look. Despite that the sun wasn't shining on that side, he could clearly see something painted on the boulder. He went to take a burning piece of wood from the fire and used it to give himself some light.
What he saw made him feel quite unreal.
Different shades of brown and red had been used. However, this simple colour scheme didn't make it difficult to understand what the pictures were telling.
A man wearing a red mask on his face was impaling a large snake with a spear, killing it. At the same time another man was falling to the ground in pain and a group consisting of various animals was cheering, as if ready to devour the two victims.
The pictures might not have bothered him that much if he hadn't felt like the snake and falling man looked a little too much like him and Bai Tsa. He was just about to take another look at the pictures, but everything started fading around him.
Valmont opened his eyes. He had woken up. For the first time during the mess it had happened without pain or trouble. It was also the first time he would have liked to keep dreaming a little longer.
He took a look at the glowing face of an alarm clock. It was an early morning. The time he spent sleeping didn't seem to reflect how long it felt like in the dream world. Last time he had slept over a day, but it hadn't felt that long in Africa.
The sheets under him were white and felt harsh against his skin every time he moved. They had a clean, almost sterile smell, similar to hospitals. This helped Valmont concentrate as he stared at the ceiling and thought about what he had just learned.
It felt stupid to think that the pictures might have anything to do with him and Bai Tsa, but the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach wouldn't leave him alone. The curse had to have a meaning, and it would have been too much of a coincidence that he just happened to be trapped with someone who was also in the pictures.
However silly it sounded, he decided to play along and think that the pictures were about them. What did they mean, then? Impaling Bai Tsa was not a bad idea, but he was worried about what he had looked like. In pain in the ground, almost as if drawing his last breaths. No wounds, nothing to kill him.
Poison, perhaps?
Valmont felt a sudden desire to fall asleep again and return to the mystery. If he ever wanted his life to get back to normal, he'd have to get rid of the curse and demons for good.
The dreams didn't come, though. He lay on the bed until morning and only when the first rays of the sun peeked into the room did he give up. With an irritated sigh, he got up.
He forced himself to calm down. He had enough things to take care of in this world, too. Learning to know the new headquarters of The Dark Hand was one of them. In fact, it was quite a pleasurable task and he was already eager to have everything organized. Finally, for the first time in a while, he'd have a desk again. Sitting behind it, he'd feel more at home than anywhere else.
His men wouldn't be accompanying him. They had made it clear that they would start looking for apartments for themselves. Another thing that made Valmont happy. During these last days, he had grown sick of sleeping under the same roof with his Enforcers.
I need an apartment, too, he thought. Something expensive and fine, perhaps in the highest floor of some skyscraper. These thoughts increased his positive mood and the problems of the dream world faded in the background. This was reality and he had no time for anything else.
Everything went as he had planned and only a few hours later Valmont found himself in rooms that would soon serve as their new HQ. The rooms were naked with no furniture and a thick layer of dust revealed how long it had been since anyone had last been there. Still, it wasn't difficult for him to imagine the glory that would soon inhabit the place.
He had already decided where he'd place his desk, what kind of chairs he wanted in the lobby -- he realised he needed a trustworthy secretary -- and what kind of carpet he'd buy. It shouldn't be like in the previous HQ. Everything had to be new and tell about their rise from the ashes.
I have to get a new cane, he thought as he tapped the floor. All in all, everything was starting to look very good. In this reality, at least.
He had managed to keep the dreams out of his thoughts when he had had other things to do. Now that the mission was completed, he realised that his thoughts were drifting back to very unwelcome tracks.
Well, at this point he could spare a few minutes and try solving the mystery. Somehow he'd have to contact the woman who had cursed him. He could only hope that she was still in San Francisco.
Where could he start looking for her? All he could think about was Chinatown, but he doubted he could find anyone familiar with African magic in there. He'd have much better luck in Jamaica or the southern states -- thought Valmont felt like even there he wouldn't be able to find genuine practitioners. If they still existed, they'd be hard to locate.
Africa was the most natural option, of course, but right now he didn't have the time to travel there. The meeting he had arranged with Domisch was getting closer and was currently on the top of his things to do list. Earlier that day, he had given his new address to Domisch's secretary and would get a reply soon. If he got a fax in time, though.
He was starting to grow annoyed at how many things he still needed. So much had to be done and he had so little time -- another thing he needed was a hoax company to serve as an image for The Dark Hand, not to mention hiring more men and making sure certain people got paid regularly and kept their mouths shut.
Sometime in the middle of that he also had to keep running around Africa with a demon he couldn't stand. Luck certainly wasn't on his side.
With an angry growl, Valmont decided to get back to work and forget the curse after all. He'd try getting more information out of Bai Tsa and start his own research only after his real life was in order.
Chow looked around in the apartment he had come to view. It was clean, recently repaired and located in a decent area. It was like from another dimension compared to the hole where he had been living for the past weeks.
The price terrified him a little, but he reminded himself that he could afford it now. The new rise of The Dark Hand had started well and while they were far from what they had once been, the beginning felt promising. Especially when compared to what they had gone through with Shendu.
"I'll take it," he announced and his future landlady seemed a little suspicious. Chow knew that in his black jacket and orange shades he didn't look like a very trustworthy tenant.
"I've got a job and I can pay a few months beforehand," he stated, drawing a stack of bills from his pocket. It was his share of what they had got the previous night.
Seeing the money made the eyes of the slim woman brighten and she seemed to forget all her previous doubts.
"I see," she said and tried to snatch the money. Chow was wise enough not to let go before they had signed the necessary papers and he had received copies of them. He could never be careful enough with these vultures.
"I'm moving in today," he announced. He didn't have any furniture but could put together everything necessary. If Finn and the rest had found what they were looking for, they'd probably spend the rest of the day moving stuff into their new apartments.
If that didn't work out, he could spend one night on the floor. He had slept in more uncomfortable places.
"Works for me," the landlady said. "But remember my rules. No noise after midnight. If you've got a boyfriend, fine with me. Just don't bring him over. Go to his place to do your thing. Girls are welcome."
Chow nodded and muttered something inaudible as a reply. He was positive it wouldn't be difficult to follow these rules. He wasn't really looking for a wild life in the future.
"Fine," the landlady, Mrs. Perkins, said and gave him the keys. She was a little shorter than Chow and skinny like a stick, but there was power behind her strict voice. Her cold blue eyes seemed to follow Chow's every move and drill into his insides. He was starting to feel like he wouldn't make friends with his new landlady.
She left and Chow was alone. He looked around in the empty apartment. Sooner or later he'd have to get things cleaned up, and he decided to start right away. It wasn't his favourite past time activity, but it kept him busy. Lying still with nothing to do was not what he wanted at the moment. He had been doing quite a lot of that lately.
Later that evening, when the sun was already starting to set, the apartment looked a lot better. They had brought some pieces of furniture along and Chow was almost feeling at home.
"This is looking pretty good. I'm almost jealous," Finn said.
Chow couldn't say why, but the comment made him feel a lot better all of sudden. "Your place wasn't bad either," he replied. For the first time in a very long time he wouldn't be living under the same roof with his friends. He couldn't deny that it felt refreshing.
They both turned to look how Ratso stepped in. "There's some witch guarding the entrance," he said.
"She's my landlord. She's worried about what we're doing up here," Chow said with a shrug.
Finn chuckled. "Suddenly, this doesn't look like such a dreamland after all. Be careful with her. Who knows what kind of monster she is?"
"Yeah," Chow said shortly. "So, has there been any news about Valmont?" he asked.
"Oh yeah, he called me and said he'd tell us when something's up. He said we should ask around and see if anyone from the old gang is still around. We need more men if we want to get back in business," Ratso said.
Finn crossed his hands behind his head. "Sounds like Big V has big plans," he said. "Not that I have anything against it."
They exchanged a few more words before Finn and Ratso left. For a moment Chow felt like his apartment was strangely empty. He pushed thoughts of deserted corners and silent mornings out of his head and decided to get into bed. It had been a while since he had last slept well.
It was the first night that Valmont spent in his new apartment. Roos had almost died from delight when he had been asked to arrange another deal so soon. He had found Valmont a spacious flat on top of a recently built skyscraper.
The place had all the luxuries that Valmont had learnt to miss during the demon adventure, starting from a spacious hot tub and ending with a large blue bedroom. These earthly pleasures were all he needed to satisfy himself at the moment.
He was resting on the soft bed sheets, eyes closed and feeling happy.
Bai Tsa flinched. She was back in dream Africa. Everything had happened in the blink of an eyes and it took a few seconds before she understood the situation.
She was exactly where she had been the last time. The demon could almost swear that she was in the exact same position, too. Valmont was nowhere in sight. So, we don't automatically appear next to each other, she thought. It means that they could go on forever without meeting each other again.
She guessed he must have already realised that he couldn't survive without her, and that he would soon come running back to her. Bai Tsa was already entertaining herself with thought of how she'd make him crawl and beg for mercy.
With a deep inhale, she leaned back. The sun was hot above her and she wiped a drop of sweat off her brow. She would have to get close to water if she wanted to take her real form.
I have rotten luck, she thought. Why couldn't the mortal fall under a Roman curse?
A twig snapped in two and Bai Tsa shot up, every muscle tense. The demon was ready to take her true form if something dangerous happened. She was aware that this time she couldn't have an easy escape by slitting Valmont's throat.
"Who's there?" she asked.
Everything was quiet for a moment, but then a man stepped forth. Or at least he looked very much like a man. He was tall and lean and his body was very beautiful. His skin was black as coal, not the lovely brown shade of most Africans. A red mask was covering his face, so Bai Tsa couldn't read his expression.
"Who are you?" she asked on guard. The man hadn't given her one reason to relax yet.
"My name is Khala," the man said. He had a voice that was soft and deep.
"Well, what do you want?" Bai Tsa asked. She was starting to feel annoyed with having to be the one to ask questions. This man probably knew everything about this place. The water demon felt disgusted. She wanted to be the one to gloat with answers.
Khala sat down and crossed his legs. He was resting his hands on his knees and staring at Bai Tsa, not moving at all.
"I asked a question!" the demon snapped. "You have no idea who you're dealing with!" When even this got no reaction, she quickly took her real form. It made her feel more confident and she hovered over the sitting man like a cobra ready to strike.
Her tail slashed and Khala flew to the ground in a heap of long limbs. He didn't let out a single sound, only sat back up. He brushed sand off his skin and made a clicking sound with his tongue.
"It has been a while since I last saw a demon," he said. "What is your name?"
"What is it to you?" Bai Tsa asked, already feeling her anger fade. This man wasn't afraid of her, so he couldn't be just anyone. With a start she realised that he might know the way to real freedom.
"I usually want to know the name of my victim beforehand," Khala said. He made no attempt to move, but something in his calm voice convinced Bai Tsa that she should keep her guard up.
The demon hissed with malice and slit her eyes. "Who do you think you are? I am a demon sorceress! You can't do anything to me!" she snapped, almost daring Khala to try. It would be amusing to shatter the man's spine and see how long it would take for him to die.
Khala shrugged. Bai Tsa was starting to feel really annoyed at that she couldn't see his face.
"I'm in no hurry. It has been a while since I got a sacrifice. I can wait," the man replied, almost as if guessing Bai Tsa's thoughts.
"You fool," the demon growled. She drew her powerful tail back, hit and again Khala was struck to the ground. This time the water demon didn't wait for him to get up but charged at him at once. She caught his neck and lifted him roughly to the air.
"How does it feel like?" she asked with a grin. She ran her claws lightly over his black chest.
"Interesting," was Khala's reply. The man's voice hadn't changed one bit and Bai Tsa realised that he had been using the same tone for every line. Suddenly, before she even had the time to react, Khala kicked her into the stomach and made her lose her hold on him.
Khala fell to his feet and watched how Bai Tsa collected herself from the ground. The demon forced herself not to rub the sore spot. That man knew how to kick!
"You surprised me, but it won't happen again!" she snapped and attacked him again. She almost got to sink her claws into him, but he kicked her again, harder this time. There was a snap when a rib was broken, but Bai Tsa hardly paid attention to it.
Valmont was looking around and trying to find the demon. Ever since he had fallen asleep, he had wanted to talk to her. As much as he disliked the thought, they would have to discuss the image he had found.
Supposing that he remembered which direction Bai Tsa had taken, he continued on. Unless the demon had run off on purpose, it shouldn't be difficult to find her in the open. Valmont suppressed the desire to call out for her.
After wandering around for a while, he finally saw her. She was far away and clearly in her real form. On top of that, she wasn't alone. Because of the distance, Valmont couldn't see who was accompanying the demon but he had a good idea.
I hope they won't see me, he thought as he slowed down. Thankfully, the duo seemed to be concentrating entirely on each other.
"What are you?" the Brit heard Bai Tsa ask. The man was sitting on the ground and didn't show any interest in answering the question. He reminded Valmont of the figure he had seen in the image, though he wasn't carrying a spear.
"What is it with you?" Bai Tsa asked. Valmont noted that she was holding her side, as if she had been injured in a fight. Her tentacles were swirling wildly in the air, almost getting tangled with each other. He was also sure that he could almost hear something other than anger in her voice, but he couldn't determine what it was.
Suddenly, the man on the ground turned to look straight at him. "How long are you going to keep hiding?" he asked.
Valmont cursed in his mind and stood up.
"How long have you been there?" Bai Tsa inquired. Her crossed arms and slit eyes revealed how annoyed she was for not having noticed him at all.
Before Valmont had the time to reply, Khala had stood up and walked to him.
"Fascinating," he said. "I can't even remember when I last saw a mortal here. And I doubt I've ever seen anyone with such horribly pale skin. Are you ill?"
Valmont ignored that. "If I were you, I'd get away from him," he said to Bai Tsa.
"So, you understand," Khala remarked.
Bai Tsa snorted. "Don't you start, too. What could he do to me?" she asked.
"Anything!" Valmont snapped. He was starting to get enough of the demon's habit of underestimating everything and acting like nothing could harm her. She had been wise enough to escape the Chans when fighting would have been of no use, but apparently that had been only a case of temporary intelligence. Now she was being just as stubborn as Tchang Zu.
He glanced at Khala. The man wasn't doing anything threatening, but Valmont felt nervous around him. The image in the stone haunted his mind.
"We need to talk," he told the demon.
"About what?" she asked.
"About him," Valmont said and pointed Khala. Except that he was no longer there. The Brit blinked. "Where did he go?"
Bai Tsa lifted her brows and glanced around. Khala had disappeared without a trace. A low growl escaped the demon's throat and she turned to glare at Valmont. "What do you want? Just a moment ago you didn't want to have anything to do with me."
"I still don't, but it looks like I have to. At least long enough for us to clear up some points." Valmont stopped to gather his thoughts. "He will kill you," he said then.
The expression on the demon's face was worth seeing. For a moment all traces of malice disappeared and her jaw hang open for a while before she caught herself again. "What?"
"And that is why I want you to keep out of trouble. You're part of this curse and I don't want you to die before I solve this problem. After that you can get yourself killed in any way you want," Valmont continued coldly. A plan was starting to form in his mind.
"What makes you think he could hurt me?" Bai Tsa laughed. "I am a demon!"
Valmont didn't know if she was being stupid on purpose. In any case, he was starting to have enough. "And he is no mortal either! Why do you think he is here? If what I saw is true, he can barely wait to get his hands on us," he said, instantly getting the demon's attention.
"What did you see?" she asked.
"I'll show you if you answer my questions," Valmont said. He knew he had her now. She would never be able to pass news about herself. "And don't try to lie. I've learnt to know when a demon is telling the truth."
"You pathetic... I should --" Bai Tsa snarled and hunched her back. She looked like she was ready to attack him. The Brit stood straight and made no move. He knew he was in control of the situation. The thought almost made him smile, but he kept himself in control. It wouldn't do to anger the demon too much.
"Well?" he asked.
Bai Tsa drew a deep breath. Her tail and tentacles were twitching and her face was twisted into a mask of hatred and frustration. "Fine," she hissed. "What do you want to know?"
"I already know that this is an African curse but not what it's like. Tell me everything you know."
The water demon pondered it for a while. "I don't know much, but according to Tso Lan, it's a reversed love rite. A couple about to get married performed it in ancient Africa and proved that they were meant to be. In this case someone has cursed you to spend your dreams with the woman you hate the most in the world. This place is also different from the one in the original rite and I have no idea what we're doing here. Tso Lan says that if we complete our mission, we get away," she said.
This sounded really good to Valmont. "What do we have to do?" he asked in a hurry.
"How should I know? Finding out is part of the challenge!" Bai Tsa spat. "Well, something else in your mind?"
"What are the strange animals and that man?" Valmont asked.
"I have no idea. Tso Lan couldn't say anything about the animals, but he might be able to tell me about Khala," Bai Tsa said.
"Then ask him. We have to know everything," Valmont said.
Bai Tsa merely snorted and crossed her arms on her chest. Her bared teeth and quickened breath told Valmont she was about to snap, so he decided to play it safe again.
"Come, I have something to show you."
Bai Tsa could feel the anger flow in her veins. The situation was pleasing her less and less with every second. Khala's visit had frustrated her bad enough. She wasn't afraid of him and didn't take him seriously, but the fact that she hadn't been able to kill him bothered her.
She was a demon! She should have been able to take care of such a pest! However, every painful breath reminded her of that she was the loser of their short battle. It wouldn't be so the next time they met.
As if this wasn't bad enough, Valmont had turned the tables on her. She hadn't wanted to tell him anything, but at the moment she hated Khala more than the Brit. After all, he had only kicked her once.
"Where are we going?" she asked in impatience.
Valmont glanced at her over his shoulder. "I found something that will interest you," he replied.
After a while, they arrived to a great boulder. In front of it was a fire and Bai Tsa saw Valmont glance at it with a frown.
"Well?" she asked.
"Over here," Valmont said and Bai Tsa walked over to him. She had taken her human form again to be able to stand the scorching sun a little better.
She noticed the reddish images at once. They were harsh and simple, but it was not difficult to recognise the snake figure. What she saw didn't please her one bit.
"What is this?" she asked, slitting her eyes. Khala impaling her?
"To me it looks like this Khala has decided to have our heads, and I doubt either of us would find that pleasing. I don't want to know what this feels like," Valmont said and pointed at the image of him rolling on the ground.
"Me neither," Bai Tsa muttered. Khala's threat about killing her was starting to feel a lot more real and she couldn't help glancing around. The black man was somewhere here, ready to attack her...
She was just about to ask Valmont if he knew anything else, but her surroundings started to fade away. Valmont had woken up again.
To be continued...
