HEING MEH
Chapter 10
He felt the wind on his face and how his long white hair whipped his cheeks. It was dim and he was almost invisible in the shadows, only the red glow of his eyes betrayed him.
He heard growling ahead of him.
Ni Tang stiffened in the shadows and watched as a dragon - much bigger and more cruel looking than anything he had ever seen - lazily stretched his red feathered wings and slashed with his tail.
Black tongue licked sharp teeth.
"I am alive!" the dragon shouted sounding so victorious that Ni Tang didn't recall ever hearing something like it. Not even when brother Tchang Zu had been freed.
The dragon turned his red eyes in his direction.
"I am very grateful for what you did for me, Ni Tang. The young girl's blood tasted so sweet." he hissed poisonously and though his voice was lower than Shendu's it sounded very alike.
Ni Tang didn't take a step back.
"I will hunt all of the demons down one by one and kill them, but despite your age you can be the last one."
The dragon stopped to think for a moment and his eyes flashed.
"After all, it is you who now possesses the place that belonged to me!"
Valmont rose to sit and pressed his hand on where his heart was. It was dark around him, it was still night and he felt the sheets even through his pyjama.
He brushed his forehead and tried to gain control over his breathing.
Dreams couldn't hurt him.
Or so everyone said, but what about when the demon of your dreams lived inside your head?
Valmont switched light on the small lamp that stood on his bedside table and dim light filled the room. When buying lamps he had made sure they all were as dim as possible, yet not overly so to not rise anyone's suspicion. Not that he let anyone see his department.
Flinching despite himself he placed his feet on the floor and walked to the bathroom. He was neither naive nor stupid and knew that something serious was going on. Why would he be having dreams about his demon half and a strange dragon inside his head if everything was okay?
In the bathroom he glanced at the mirror.
His own face, nothing else.
Valmont didn't know should he have been relieved or worried.
Probably both.
Jackie sat in his car and kept an eye on the traffic of San Francisco. There was pretty much no conversation between him and his passenger.
"So, Xu Lin, what have you been doing these years?" Jackie asked suspecting that the girl was too shy to say anything. Xu Lin lifted her gaze from her hands.
"I have been in school a little and helped my mother. And I've learned to sew." she said. Jackie thought her voice hadn't changed much, it was still shy and quiet, though now she sounded a bit more like an adult.
"I see." he said and was sure that Jade could pull Xu Lin out of her shell. Jade always got along with everyone and the girl had the talent to make everybody trust her. Besides, Jade and Xu Lin were very good friends.
"Mister Chan?" Xu Lin asked and Jackie chuckled.
"You may call me Jackie, we already know each other. Besides, after what we've been through you can call me anything you want." he said cheerfully and Xu Lin smiled.
"All right, Jackie." she agreed.
"What did you want to ask?"
"Can your uncle tell me what my dreams mean?"
"I can't say. Uncle knows much and what he doesn't he finds from his books, but understanding dreams is always very difficult. Especially now when we know Shendu is somehow involved." Jackie said. He felt uncomfortable saying the demon's name when Xu Lin was around, the girl had already been through much in the Lotus Temple and didn't deserve to get involved with someone as cruel as Shendu.
"So you can't help me?" Xu Lin asked carefully.
"I didn't say that! Of course we will come up with something, but it might take time." Jackie hurried to say and stopped the car in front of Uncle's shop.
"We are here." he said.
Jackie had picked Xu Lin up from the airport and the others had stayed in the antique shop. Jade had done it reluctantly, but Tohru had needed her help in making the old storage room into something where Xu Lin could sleep.
Uncle, Tohru and Jade were already on the street and Uncle seemed to have at least one item that Jackie suspected he was going to use to see if Xu Lin was possessed by any evil spirits. The archaeologist hoped he wouldn't scare her.
"Xu Lin!" Jade exclaimed happily and rushed to greet her friend. Xu Lin's face melted into a smile and the girls hugged before anyone managed to do or say anything.
"So nice to have you here!" Jade said stepping back and eyeing her visitor.
Xu Lin had grown taller during the years and was now almost a half a head taller than Jade. Her raven black hair that Jackie had cut had grown back and reached her waist, and her big brown eyes had become - if possible - just sweeter. There was nothing wrong with her body, she looked very good in her green dress and Jade had to admit that Xu Lin was attractive.
But Jade had never been a jealous kind of person, so she just shrugged forgetting the whole thing and concentrating in what was important.
Xu Lin bowed in Uncle's direction.
"Thank you for inviting me, sir." she said and Jade laughed, but Uncle seemed to be pleased.
"You don't have to bow at anyone. Besides, we really wanted to invite you." Jade said.
"Jade is right, we are friends and don't have to be that formal with each other." Jackie added.
"I see. I am sorry if I caused any trouble." Xu Lin said, but a playful smile in her eyes told everyone she was just kidding. Jade rolled her eyes.
"Very funny Xu Lin. May I call you just Xu?" she said.
"Sure, we are friends. Right?"
"You bet!"
"Enough of greetings! Let Uncle try something." Uncle said sounding frustrated and pushing past Jackie right next to Xu Lin. He had a dried fruit filled with seeds in his hand. The old man shook the item above of Xu Lin's head and watched if anything happened.
Xu Lin glanced at Jade.
"What is he doing?" she whispered not to disturb him.
"Tries to find evil spirits in you, but don't worry. He never finds any." Jade replied. Xu Lin frowned slightly, but didn't say or do anything else that showed how little she liked the situation.
Uncle sighed, it was impossible to say was it a sigh of relief or disappointment.
"No evil spirits." he stated.
"No one thought you'd find them." Jade commented and then realised that they weren't all introduced.
"This is Uncle and this is Tohru." she said gesturing at them, but Xu Lin had already guessed who was who. After all, Jade had told her much in her letters, even stuff that they would have never dared to say aloud. Not even to each other.
Jade grabbed her hand.
"Come on Xu, I'll show you your room!" she exclaimed dragging the guest after her. Jackie, Tohru and Uncle stayed out.
"What do you think, Uncle?" Jackie asked from the old man, who frowned in thought.
"Uncle does not know. Nothing seems to be wrong, must talk with Xu Lin." he stated. He turned at Tohru.
"Have you found out anything from the dream book I made you read?" he asked from his apprentice, who was actually almost ready to become a real chi wizard. Tohru flinched.
"Uh, I have already started." he said avoiding his master's gaze. He knew he should have read the book at least twice by now, but he had been thinking about something else.
Pam of the Bakery.
Tohru had liked her, the woman had been interesting and somehow... he couldn't put his finger on it, but attractive was the best word. Tohru had never been very interested in women - to the nuisance of his mother who wanted grandchildren - and had dated only a couple of times.
Those times had been short, few women bothered to grow interested in someone as patient, calm and thoughtful as Tohru. And he wasn't interested in ordinary women, when he met a woman he knew if she had that something.
And just like Pomako, Pam had that. With the difference that Pam of the Bakery - a name that Tohru had given her - wasn't a dangerous mountain demon who didn't really care about his feelings.
On the other hand, Pam already seemed to have man.
"Tohru?" Jackie worried voice asked and he glanced at his friend a little surprise because he had talked.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Is everything all right? You seemed to be so lost in thought." Jackie said.
Uncle snorted.
"Bah! He is just lazy! Even Jade would have read that book by now!" the old man scolded marching in. Jackie lifted a brow asking Tohru to tell if he had something in his mind, but the Japanese just forced himself to smile.
"Don't worry Jackie, I am all right. Maybe a bit tired." he said.
"Well, if you say so."
Xu Lin placed her bag on the bed in the small room Tohru and Jade had given her. It had used to be a storage room where Uncle kept his extra items and you could still smell dust, but the girl didn't let it bother her. She was way too happy for being allowed to come here in Jade's world.
In a world that was so much more exciting than her own.
She sat on the bed surprised to feel how soft it actually was. Jade took a chair and sat on it placing her arms on the back.
"Boy, are we going to have fun." she said. Xu Lin didn't say anything, but smiled at her friend's enthusiasm anyway.
"And talking." Jade added.
Xu Lin bit her lip.
"Could you tell me more about this Shendu?" she asked and Jade's smile died. She was sure that from all of the demons she hated and feared Shendu the most.
For a while she wanted to soften the truth so that Xu Lin wouldn't get scared, but she decided to be honest. It was the right thing to do and that way her friend knew to be careful if she was ever going to meet the demon personally.
"Well, he is one of the eight ancient demons - though the oldest of them, Tchang Zu the thunder demon, is dead - and he controls fire. He is a huge dirty yellow dragon who has glowing red eyes, but you probably knew that already. Right?"
Xu Lin nodded.
"I have seen him in my dreams and heard his voice." she said. Jade made a face.
"Eh, disgusting. I don't understand how someone can stand that hissing." she said with compassion. Then she thought a while.
"Anyway, Shendu caused us all a lot of trouble when he tried to get all twelve talismans so that he could have returned to our world from the statue that he was cursed to be. He did it and we had a huge battle, but I sent him back in the Netherworld with the dragon talisman."
"Weren't you afraid?" Xu Lin asked and Jade shrugged. Well, of course, but she never thought about it until it was all over.
"Hm, he was in the statue form again and it wasn't difficult. But then the wretched thing came back and possessed a man called Valmont and tried to free his siblings with the Pan Ku box."
Xu Lin already knew this story, Jade had written her about it, but she still thought it was calming to hear how the good had killed the mighty Tchang Zu. The other demons were still free - Shendu too - and it made her nervous.
But there was one thing Jade had told her nothing about. It was what the demons had done to Valmont and how he had been made into Ni Tang, demon of the polar night. No one had told her to leave that detail untold, but she thought it was for the best.
"I don't think I like Shendu at all." Xu Lin stated.
"Duh, who would like any demon?" Jade asked brushing her black hair behind her ear. Xu Lin sneered at her.
"Not even the sky demon?" she asked.
"Hsi Wu doesn't count. He isn't a real demon. I mean he is, but hasn't always been." Jade said quickly. "And that reminds me of that I met him just a moment ago." she added.
"You did? What happened?" Xu Lin wanted to know.
"Nah, pretty much nothing. He was in his human form - thankfully - and came to talk to me. He wanted to take me with him without telling me where and he revealed that he is a demon in his heart despite what he once was." Jade said referring to how Hsi Wu had tried to force her to come with him.
"I see." Xu Lin said deciding not to point out that just a moment ago Jade had sworn that Hsi Wu wasn't a real demon. Her friend in China, Pei Mo, had acted just like that when talking about the boy next door who she had admired. At first Pei Mo had told how good he was and immediately after that scolded him in order to hide her feelings from everyone.
Jade sighed, but then she looked thoughtful.
"I wonder... Shendu and Hsi Wu have shown up again. Maybe that means something big is going on again." she guessed.
"Could be." Xu Lin admitted hoping that it wouldn't be as serious as Jade seemed to think. She wasn't actually afraid, but she wanted to enjoy her visit without any big demonic threats. Her dreams were enough.
Boring.
Origami leaned in the windowsill in his apartment and stared at the city of San Francisco that spread in front of him. He lived in the sixth floor in a pretty nice block of flats, and it wasn't that high when you knew how tall the building was.
He sighed in frustration.
It was a good while since he had arrived in the city and Valmont hadn't given him anything to do. It made him really mad, the thief was sure that Valmont did it on purpose to keep him away from business as long as possible.
Origami had thought that in a city as big as San Francisco he'd find something to do until he was free - how ironic that sounded - but he had been wrong. Firstly, he didn't dare to walk on the streets just like that, they probably looked for him even here, and secondly, this American city didn't please him. He was too used to the cultural Europe and though the difference was very thin at times he didn't like San Francisco.
Maybe he was just too suspicious.
Well, whatever it was, he was also disturbed by Valmont's men who followed him everywhere he went. At first he had tried to lose them just to amuse himself, but that had turned out to be boring too.
"I hate this city." he muttered at himself. When he had last time felt this uncomfortable he had been in prison, and though you couldn't really compare it with this he felt empty.
Like something important was missing.
He slipped his hand in his pocket where he still kept the small artefact he had stolen from the British Museum and placed it on the windowsill. He still didn't know what it was, but it amused him nevertheless.
Origami had no idea of what it was and though it interested him a lot he hadn't tried to find it out. Something told him that all would happen in time, he just had to find something to do for the time being.
He reached to take another sheet of paper and started to fold a dragon while staring at the street below his window.
Bai Tsa pressed her hand on her cheek and backed away few steps. Her face stung where Shendu had hit her and she glared at her young brother eyes blazing with anger.
"You hit me!" she hissed angrily considering about taking her real form and destroying Shendu before the dragon even knew what hit him, but she decided against him. She'd destroy her apartment too and that wasn't a nice thought.
"And you let our prisoner escape!" Shendu blamed. His eyes glowed bright red and seemed to be redder than Bai Tsa had ever seen. Everything else in the fire demon was somehow cruel at the moment, he looked like he could have exploded at any moment.
"I did not! She tricked me!" Bai Tsa defended herself. It was true, sort of. Maybe she had let Viper go unconsciously, but her sensible side hadn't been about to do that.
"Don't lie to me!" Shendu hissed hitting his sister again and Bai Tsa fell on the floor giving a quiet yelp. She had to admit that Shendu could hit hard when he wanted.
"Be careful Shendu, you have already broken many rules by attacking your older sister!" Bai Tsa warned poisonously brushing blood from the corners of her mouth and standing up.
"A weak idiot like you can't be my sister! What are you? Mortal?"
"Don't talk to me like that!"
The two demons glared at each other in such fury that Xiao Fung, who had been silent during the whole argument, was starting to feel uncomfortable. He didn't even like fights like these, he wanted to see fierce and bloody battles where demons slaughtered humans or other creatures, but never each other.
"This is ridiculous." he stated, but neither of his siblings noticed. Xiao Fung frowned in frustration, he didn't like it when no one paid him any attention.
"Because of your soft heart my plans of taking over the world have fallen again! Don't you remember who you are loyal to?" Shendu asked.
"Yes I do, to my family! But you have cut all ties with us and left!" Bai Tsa reminded.
"It's still an insult to side with mortals!"
"I haven't done that!"
"Liar!"
There was another sharp slap when Shendu charged at his sister, but Bai Tsa wasn't helpless. She hit back with the same strength and Xiao Fung could just watch as his siblings fought on the floor of Bai Tsa apartment.
"I just thought of something." he said and stepped aside to dodge a lamp Shendu threw at him.
Neither of the fighters listened. Bai Tsa's television fell and was destroyed when Shendu fell on it, standing up immediately to continue. It seemed they both had forgotten why they were fighting and continued only because they hated each other.
They had never got along well, but the wind demon thought it was starting to get too far. On the other hand, they hadn't killed each other yet and that was always good.
Xiao Fung stepped in the kitchen. He had once been just walking around and seen how a man had separated fighting dogs and he decided to try the same trick just to amuse himself. He opened a cupboard, took the biggest kettle he could find and filled it with cold water. Then he returned to the living room just in time to save the few still standing pieces of furniture.
The wind demon poured the water on the fighting duo and waited to see what would happen. At least he had managed to do something, both Bai Tsa and Shendu calmed down and blinked.
"Xiao Fung." Shendu said turning at his brother hair dripping with water. "What do you think you are doing?"
Xiao Fung shrugged.
"Nothing." he said.
Shendu shook his head and brushed his wet hair from his forehead. Surprisingly, the cold water had made him calm down and though beating the heck out Bai Tsa was still a very nice thought he could think straight now.
"Viper is certainly on her way to San Francisco and there we shall go too." he decided.
"You too." he added glancing at Bai Tsa.
"We have to gather our family back together if we want to survive this." Tso Lan said and Po Kong nodded. The mountain demon was still a bit uncertain of this, but even she didn't want to be unprepared if Heing Meh arrived.
"Bai Tsa lives in New York, Shendu is in Washington, Dai Gui probably somewhere in Europe, Xiao Fung with Shendu and Hsi Wu can be anywhere." she said.
Tso Lan nodded. He hadn't been in touch with anyone else than Po Kong and didn't actually know what his other siblings were doing. It hadn't been his intention, but in the silence of the moon it had been so easy to forget everything that had happened on Earth and he had wanted to forget.
Forget that Tchang Zu was dead and Hsi Wu didn't want to see him anymore.
"We should find Dai Gui, I don't want to see Shendu right now." the moon demon said. In a way he understood Shendu's desire for power, but he had always thought the dragon was more or less an annoying creature. Tso Lan certainly wasn't on the mood to hear his brother's complaints about the situation.
"That shouldn't be difficult. He has few palaces all over the world, but only one in Europe. It is in the Carpathian Mountains in Easter Europe." Po Kong said.
"Sounds like a place of your liking." the moon demon stated.
"Sort of. We built it together. It was supposed to be a resting place for both of us, but for some reason I haven't returned there after it was constructed."
"Could it be because of a certain mortal?"
Po Kong didn't reply and Tso Lan sighed.
"Look what happened to Hsi Wu when he let himself get too attached to his slave. He is alone somewhere without the guidance of his older siblings, who knows if he is even alive. You are the oldest of us, you can't let yourself fall in a trap of feelings." he said.
"Who said I was falling? I just want to have some fun." Po Kong said.
"Your eyes betray you."
The mountain demon snorted quietly and started to prepare a strong chi spell that would send them straight to Dai Gui's palace. Doing it wouldn't take long, Po Kong always kept it ready to be able to flee to her brother if she ever needed to.
She raised a red crystal above her head, drew two marks in the air and muttered few words. Casting chi spells was easier for her than for any human - even the strongest one - the mountain demon's inner magic always helped her and let her do almost anything with her spells.
The air flashed around them and in the next moment Po Kong's apartment was empty.
They appeared in a hallway that was lit by dim magical fire. It was enough for even humans to see, but weak to not hurt the sensitive eyes of the earth demon.
The ceiling was so high that Po Kong could take her true form and she did it with a sigh of pleasure. It was way too long since she had last time been allowed to be her real self and she enjoyed this freedom.
"Where is Dai Gui?" Tso Lan asked levitating next to his sister and resting his arms on his chest. Po Kong looked around herself.
"This hallways is just a small part of the palace. If Dai Gui is here, he will be in the big hall. He has a magical altar for summoning European spirits and gods there." Po Kong replied.
"Has he had any luck?" the moon demon wanted to know. He had never been very interested in European gods, but some of his siblings had. If he remembered correctly Xiao Fung had got pretty well along with some Norwegian god. His name had probably been Loki. And an annoying creature.
Po Kong shook her head.
"No one has replied to his calls, they have all disappeared somewhere. Maybe mortal's weak belief in magic has killed them, maybe they have got enough of this world. Whatever it is, all ancient gods are gone." she said.
That didn't sound very comforting and Tso Lan frowned slightly.
And then he felt as if someone flashed through him and he froze.
"What is it?" Po Kong asked.
"Something is wrong." Tso Lan said. He couldn't describe the feeling, but he felt the same than when someone had destroyed his palace. And that didn't mean good.
He glanced around himself, but everything was fine and quiet in the dim corridor. Too quiet, in fact.
"Come." the moon demon said quickly and gestured his sister to follow. The duo rushed on the hallway until it opened into a huge hall with so high ceiling that even Po Kong didn't see it. This hall was also lit with magic and the floor was hard stone. The walls were the same material and Tso Lan saw the magical characters Po Kong had painted everywhere.
On the other side of the hall the wall was shattered and huge pieces of stone and earth lay on the floor. The hall was so big that all of the demons could have stood there and the destruction didn't struck your eye if you didn't look for it.
Po Kong and Tso Lan might have walked past it if an arm covered by brown scales hadn't peeked out under it.
"Brother Dai Gui!" Po Kong shouted and rushed at the landslide Tso Lan following her. The moon demon already knew what had happened; the one who had attacked him had chosen Dai Gui - the oldest male demon after him - as his next victim.
And it looked like their enemy had done it this time.
Po Kong threw rocks, earth and pieces of the wall away with such fury that Tso Lan had to back away to avoid being hit by them. He wanted to help, but knew his power wasn't physical and that he would just be in the way if he tried to do something. He settled with watching as Po Kong slowly dug Dai Gui out and then he flowed next to his sister.
"Is he alive?" the moon demon asked quietly. Po Kong touched the earth demon gently.
"Barely. Something has really hurt him." she replied. Dai Gui lay in front of them eyes closed and scaled body covered in slashes and bruises. His dog-like face wore an expression of pain and he looked very dead and helpless.
"This doesn't look good." Po Kong said.
Here we go.
Sharon remembered well the instructions Black had given her and she had decided to go along with them. The man had told her to get to know Valmont and the man's current situation. If she played her part well her brother might learn to trust her again and then it would be child's play to get enough prove to throw him in jail.
She snorted.
If she was patient everything would be well and Sebastian in prison before he even knew what had hit him. Her brother would be forever gone from her life and she could concentrate in raising her child into an honest man.
A man who never broke the law.
Sharon brushed her short white hair behind her ear and with self-confident steps she walked in the high building where her brother took care of his business. Sharon thought it was very ironic that there had used to be a law firm in the building and she thought it was wrong. The building had used to serve the law, now it served criminals.
She shook her head at herself and drove those thoughts away, now she had to concentrate in winning Sebastian's trust.
"I am here to meet mister Valmont." she announced in the hall to the woman, who peered at her over her glasses.
"Do you have an appointment?" she asked with a tone the revealed her opinion about everything that existed.
"Tell him that his little sister has come to pay him a visit." Sharon said leaving the question unanswered on purpose and leaning against the desk with her arm. The woman hesitated for a moment, but decided to give it a try anyway. Even though this would could be lying she'd get some amusement in her boring life that was nothing but staring at passing people.
"Well, I shall do that." she said pressing a button.
"Mister Valmont?" she asked.
"What is it Lisa? Please don't tell me the carbage man is back..."
Sharon had to flinch when she heard her brother's voice. It was years since she had last heard it and though she still recognised it she had to admit it had changed. Sebastian's voice had become lower, more adult and a bit more tired. His accent had lost its sharp edge and not everyone could have told he was from England.
"Your welcome, sir, it is someone else. She says she is your sister." the secretary, apparently Lisa, replied.
It was quiet at the other end of the line.
"What... what is her name?" Valmont asked sounding truly shocked and surprised now, but he managed to hide some of it.
Lisa gave Sharon a questioning glance.
"Sharon Valmont." she replied immediately. She wasn't going to tell Sebastian anything of her husband or child, it was better if he never found out. You couldn't destroy something you didn't know about.
"Let her here." Valmont said.
Sharon was here!
Valmont sat in his chair staring at the door of his office waiting for the moment when his little sister would step in to meet him. Would it really be her?
How many years was it since he had last seen her?
Many, that he was sure of. He hadn't missed his sister much during these years, they had once been close but when he had started to concentrate more in crimes and the so called medical studies they had been separated.
Now that he thought of it, did he even want Sharon here?
After all, his world was a mess. A strange demon lived in his head, his own demon half was making a come back, he had to decide what he was going to do with Origami and take care of his illegal business. A little sister would just make it all more confusing.
Why was Sharon even here?
None of his relatives had wanted to have anything to do with him after it had been revealed that he was not going to change his ways. Why should he have? The life of a crime lord was of course hard and tiring, but he was rich and mighty among his kind.
Of course he would have been rich if he had settled with the life his parents had planned for him. But who really wanted to be a respected doctor who lived with his family's money without ever achieving anything?
Well, he sure didn't.
Valmont's thoughts were interrupted when the door was opened. He stood up and waited as Sharon stepped in. The woman closed the door after her and stood still.
"You have cut your hair." Valmont stated. The Sharon of his memories had long flowing white hair, but now her hair barely reached her shoulders. It was still his sister, he didn't doubt that, but Sharon had changed much from the cute girl she had once been.
Valmont couldn't say he liked the change.
Sharon eyed her brother and tried to notice everything that had changed. He still had long hair, it was something Sharon didn't like in a man and he was dressed in a fine business suit. Her brother was older and looked tired compared to the image in her memory.
Just what he deserved.
"Don't you have anything else to say now?" she asked.
"What should I have? I haven't seen you in years and then you just appear. Where did you find out where I am?" Valmont asked suddenly remembering that if Sharon had found out his whereabouts, so could someone else.
Sharon laughed.
"Don't worry, a friend of mine works in the police and got some crook to sing. In London no one is interested in your doings as long as you remain here, so you are safe." she assured.
Valmont didn't look like the knowledge had made him feel any better.
"And what are you doing here?" he asked. Sharon had clearly shown her despise the last time they had seen each other, why was his sister this friendly now?
"It is actually a very simple story. You probably remember Ann, my best friend? Anyway, her brother Anthony died in a car accident two weeks ago and believe it or not, it made me think. I still don't accept what you do, but you are better than a dead brother." Sharon lied swiftly. She didn't feel bad at all, she was doing this for common good, right?
Besides, didn't Sebastian deserve to be betrayed?
Valmont frowned. Something in what Sharon said sounded wrong to him. Or life surrounded by crime had made him too suspicious.
"I see." he said.
"Aren't you happy to see me?" Sharon asked managing to sound both surprised and insulted. She had always liked acting, but unlike her brother had never understood even the most simple mathematical problem. She had always hated biology too.
"I am very surprised." Valmont said dodging the question, because he wasn't sure what to answer.
Sharon shrugged.
"Well, I am going to stay in San Francisco for a while. Maybe we can take back some of the years we've missed." she said.
Valmont still didn't believe his sister was serious, but maybe there was a twinkle of light in the middle of this mess.
"Maybe so." he replied.
Hissing...
Tonight we shall hunt...
To be continued...
AN: Just to inform you, Sharon won't show up again before chapter 13. And in that chapter I will get rid of her. She has no place in this demons/Shin/Heing Meh mess I've created and it greatly bothers me to have her around. There just isn't any room for her and the development between her and Valmont. Besides, I have way too much characters running around and am going to have to get rid of some. Might as well start from original ones. Though at least one canon character is going to die... But anyway, Sharon might appear again later in the story and I've seriously thought about making Valmont visit his parents in the very end of this thing. We shall see what happens...