– CHAPTER 28 –
Disagreements
"Yade... what... what are you..." Paco stuttered, then paused to organise his thoughts into a complete sentence. "Yade, you're alright!" he said happily and hugged her. Surprised at the boy's reaction, Jade clumsily hugged him back.
"Hmm... Yeah, of course I am, Paco..." she said, smiling nervously. If Hsi Wu saw her like this, things could get really nasty to the Mexican boy.
Paco backed away and eyed her in awe.
"But... how did you get to escape from the demons?" he asked.
"Uh... Escape?" she repeated in confusion, but then realised he still had no idea that she did not want to escape, that she actually wanted to stay with Hsi Wu. But she couldn't tell him yet; this was not the most appropriate moment. "Oh... Yeah... Well, they got distracted and I escaped," Jade lied, uneasy.
"Ah, but that's great, Yade! Now we can go back to the shop. Everybody is so worried about you!"
"Is that... why you were here, so depressed?" she asked sadly and he nodded.
"I was wondering how much you were suffering in the hands of those demons, and I was also trying to think of a way to save you."
Jade never felt guiltier. She was beginning to think that it had been a mistake to come and talk to Paco.
She sighed and sat beside him on the bench.
"Look, Paco... there's something that... You see, when I was with... I..." She stopped. It was no use, she could not tell the truth. She thought it would be the best to tell him, but she just didn't have courage to do that. Words were missing, as if she had suddenly forgotten all of them.
Paco's smile died and his expression turned extremely concerned.
"Yade, did something happen when you were with the demons?" he asked and she hesitantly nodded.
"Yeah, one of them... he... uh..." She fell silent again. It was impossible. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't tell him the truth. Deep inside her, she did not want anyone to know, especially Paco. But for some reason, she couldn't lie either.
Paco suddenly gasped and paled. "Yade...! He didn't... He..."
Jade frowned. What was that about now?
"He didn't... ra... r-ra..." Now it was him who was not able to form a complete sentence, but Jade understood what he meant.
"No! No, it's not that!" she hurried to reply. "It's just that..."
Before she could go on, the boy held her hands. "Yade, if they touched you in any way, tell me now," he said in determination. "Because if they did, I will make them pay for that."
He was serious. Jade could see the determination in his eyes. But she could not let that happen, Paco had no chance against the demons. Though it would be hard to convince him that the demons had caused her no harm.
"Paco, nothing happened to me, I swear..." she began, but the boy did not seem to believe in one single word. He gently held her hands tighter, making her blush. "Paco...?"
"I'm serious, Yade! I'll make those demons pay for what they've done to you!"
"They haven't done anything to me! Why don't you believe me?"
"What is the meaning of this?" an angry voice asked and they turned to see a certain grey-haired, young man who Jade knew very well.
Oh, no... she thought, sighing inwardly. Then, she noted that the sky demon's eyes were staring at Paco's hands holding hers and quickly let go of him.
"Hsi, I mean, Seymour... Uhn, it's not what it looks like," she said. She didn't care if he got mad at her, but she couldn't let him harm Paco.
Hsi Wu, however, did not seem very understanding.
"Liar," he hissed.
"Yade, who's that?" Paco asked, alarmed.
Jade nervously glanced at the two young men. "That's Seymour, a... er... friend of mine. I think you don't know each other," she replied, forcing a smile. Hsi Wu slowly approached them, facing Paco. "Eh, Seymour, this is..."
"Actually, I know who he is," the sky demon interrupted her.
"Oh, you do?" she asked. Hsi Wu then grabbed Paco by his collar and pulled him up. Jade immediately stood up, but she didn't know what to do in order to keep the situation from getting bloody.
"Yes," Hsi Wu answered. Paco faced him in suspicion and was in guard. "Now see here, mortal. Jade is mine, and only mine. She is in my hands."
"Seymour, what are you talking about? I'm not yours! I'm not anybody's!" Jade protested, but Hsi Wu ignored her.
"If you get any closer to her again, I shall have the pleasure to tear you into pieces with my own bare hands. So get away from my sight if you know what's good for you," Hsi Wu hissed, pushing Paco onto the ground as he finished speaking. Paco yelped and Jade gasped, covering her mouth.
"Paco!"
However, the boy quickly jumped on his feet and faced Hsi Wu again. "You're not a human being, are you? You are a demon!" he stated, angry.
"Paco, no! Seymour, please..." Jade tried to calm them down, but it was impossible. They deeply hated each other and were ready to fight.
"Let Yade go, demon!" the Mexican boy demanded. Hsi Wu narrowed his eyes in disdain.
"I warned you, mortal," he said before grabbing Paco's neck with one of his hands and preparing an attack with the other, making his claws in them appear. Jade's eyes widened and she tried to move him away from Paco, but the sky demon was much stronger than her and didn't move at all. Some people around them noted the fight and stopped to stare at them in surprise and expectation.
oOo
Bai Tsa finished eating her ice-cream and took a deep breath, glancing around in annoyance. This place had not much water but many humans, and that did not please her at all. Her group was not very cheerful, either; Hsi Wu had left a while ago after his mortal, Po Kong would not stop staring at a hot-dog stand near them, and Valmont looked around as if he were calculating a grandiose escape or expecting someone he knew to appear and rescue him somehow.
"You had better not try to escape," she warned and leaned closer. Valmont stopped observing the park and looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Because if you do, I shall go after you, and this time I shall break more than just your ribs," she threatened, clenching a fist before him. Valmont unconsciously touched his side and moved a bit away from the water demon.
"Why would I do that? You are the ones who will take me to my daughter," he said coldly. Bai Tsa snorted in contempt.
"You make it look like you are using us," she commented.
"Perhaps I am," he suggested, shrugging. The water demon's eyes glowed red for an instant and she grabbed him by his collar.
"You are very arrogant, are you not?" she hissed.
"Bai Tsa," Po Kong called her, seeming completely oblivious to the little disagreement between her sister and the human. "I want to buy more food. I think those are western sweets," she said, observing a cake shop. Then, she stretched her hand to Valmont. However, he was still facing Bai Tsa.
"Give her the rest of the money," the mermaid ordered. Valmont frowned and took his wallet out of his pocket to hand it to Po Kong, not taking his eyes off Bai Tsa. The mountain demon grabbed the wallet, stood up and headed to the cake shop, leaving the duo alone. "Why do you insist on following that little girl? She doesn't like you, she doesn't want to be near you."
"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing," he answered petulantly. When Bai Tsa gave him a questioning look, he went on, "You don't like me and I don't like you. I don't want to be near you either. And yet, you can't leave me alone. Why do you do that?"
This time, Bai Tsa was taken by surprise. "You fool, that is completely different! In the first place, I took you as mine because my siblings and I need the human money while we organise," she snapped.
"That is not the only reason," he said, standing up when the demon approached and almost made him fall.
"Of course that is the only reason!" she retorted, standing up also. "When all of this is over, you will be the first to die in my hands."
"Really? I thought you wanted to prove that you can make your slaves live longer," he provoked. Bai Tsa clenched her fists, trying to keep her self-control and not kill him right now.
"I have changed my mind. You are too arrogant and insolent, and I never resent killing that kind of man."
Valmont smirked. "You are pathetic. You and your siblings just think that getting slaves make you feel powerful, but nowadays, that doesn't work anymore. Now you are even afraid of showing your true self in public because the Chans may find out and banish you. No one else knows you exist and you can't do anything about it, and that frustrates you. I almost pity you."
Bai Tsa was aghast by the man's daring. He must have either finally lost his mind or just given up his life and thought that this was a good way to suicide.
"Enough!" She took a threatening step forward, her eyes glowing dangerously, but Valmont just kept smirking.
"Are you going to kill me? Are you going to use your demonic, special powers to do that?" he asked, making her hesitate and frown. What was his point? "Go ahead. It's just a pity that I won't be able to see you being banished," he continued, looking in triumph at something behind her.
Bai Tsa turned around and gasped when she saw the old Chan and his apprentice on the other side of the street. She turned to Valmont, glaring daggers at him and making her eyes turn blue again.
He chuckled. "That was brilliant. I could finally tell you a few home truths and still get away with it," he remarked, amused.
"I will take care of you later," she hissed through clenched teeth. At that moment, a woman screamed on the other side of the park, where Jade and Hsi Wu had gone. "What now?" she wondered, then narrowed her eyes. "Hsi Wu..."
oOo
"Hsi Wu, no! Stop it!" Jade shouted, trying to move him away or at least get in his way. The sky demon had just punched Paco in the face, scratching him with his claws. A few people around them watched the scene in horror, not knowing what to do.
Hsi Wu then finally turned to face her. "Jade, why are you trying to protect this pathetic human?" he questioned.
"Because he's my friend! I can't let you hurt him!" she answered. The sky demon snorted and shoved her, making her fall to the ground. The girl yelped, and when she raised her glance to the fighting duo, Hsi Wu was already lunging at the boy for another attack – and this time, Jade would not have time to help Paco.
Fortunately, the Mexican boy was fast and managed to dodge a mortal blow, getting just some scratches in the chest caused by the demon's sharp claws. He lost his balance and fell, becoming an easy target to Hsi Wu. However, when the winged demon prepared to a new assail, someone grabbed him from behind rather easily. Jade's eyes widened as she noticed that Bai Tsa had come to hold back the fight.
"Hsi Wu, what do you think you are doing?" she hissed so angrily that even Hsi Wu had to calm down a bit and speak in a quieter tone.
"I was getting rid of this wretched mortal," he answered, pointing at Paco.
"You idiot! That chi wizard and his apprentice are right over there, on the next corner! If they see and recognise you, we both might end up being banished back into the Netherworld!" she hissed and let go if her brother so violently that he almost fell, as well. Meanwhile, Jade hurried and knelt down beside Paco.
"Paco! Paco, talk to me! Are you okay?" she asked, examining his bleeding chest.
"I... am..." he murmured, trying to sit up.
"Don't move! I'll get help!" she said.
"Oh, no, you don't," Bai Tsa said sharply and then turned to Hsi Wu. "Get your slave. Let's get the groceries and go back to our hideout."
"But..." he tried to object, but was silent when he saw his sister's furious expression.
"Now!" she demanded. The sky demon hissed in annoyance and grabbed Jade by her wrist.
"Hey, let go of me!" she protested, but was completely ignored. The people watching them got out of the demons' way in fear. "Hsi Wu, let me go, now! I'm warning you! Let me go!"
Some men took a hesitant step forward, but Hsi Wu glared so dangerously at them that they stopped. No one else moved; everyone was aware that these people were really strange and most likely dangerous.
"Yade!" Paco shouted, struggling to get up.
"Paco, call Uncle! He's somewhere around here!" she shouted, remembering what Bai Tsa had just said. He stopped and nodded, while Hsi Wu tightened his grip and pulled the girl closer to him.
"Will you be quiet or will I have to make you?"
Jade glared at him, angry. She then touched her belly; it was that strange feeling again, and suddenly, she was no longer so ready to face him.
When the small group left, some people approached Paco to help him, others went to call an ambulance or the police, and others just went away, not wanting to get involved.
oOo
Po Kong had thought that the supermarket was the best place in the world, but this cake shop was not bad at all. There were lots of sweets, cakes, biscuits, pies, donuts and other delicacies everywhere. Everything was just irresistible.
While she took everything she could, someone entered the cake shop. Po Kong came out from behind the shelf holding several sweets and placed them on the counter with the other things she had chosen. Only then she noticed who had just come in and was now next to her.
"Wow, so many candies..." he remarked to strike a conversation, smiling friendly.
Po Kong's eyes widened as she stared at Tohru. The chi wizard's apprentice was right beside her! But fortunately, he seemed to have no idea who she actually was. In order to keep her disguise, Po Kong smiled back and said, "It is for my family. I have many siblings, you know."
"Oh, I see," Tohru replied, nodding. Then, he hesitantly added, "Hmm... Are you Japanese?"
"Why do you think that?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
He shrugged. "Well, your appearance, your hairstyle..." he explained a bit clumsily and Po Kong smirked.
"I was born in Japan, all right, though I was raised in China," she clarified in amusement.
"Oh... I am Japanese, as well... My name is Tohru. Nice to meet you," he introduced himself shyly and bowed.
"My name is... is..." She hesitated to think of a random name. However, before she could answer him, the cashier of the cake shop talked to him.
"It's four dollars and ninety-eight cents."
Tohru nervously paid the man and took his packet to leave. Po Kong discreetly watched him from the corner of her eye while he slowly left the cake shop and smiled.
"It's twenty dollars and fifty-five cents," the cashier told her. Po Kong gave him some money, not caring whether it was the right amount or not, and took her two packets, which were rather bigger than Tohru's.
When she left the cake shop, he was still standing in front of it.
"You're still here?" she asked him.
"I... I am waiting for my sensei," he replied. The mountain demon's expression turned a bit gloom. She had better get away from him while she still could.
"Oh, all right, then. I have to go," she said coldly and turned around.
"Wait!" he called and Po Kong looked at him again. "Uhn... I still don't know your name."
"Hmm... It's Keiko," she said the first Japanese name that came to her mind and turned to leave, not waiting for any other word from him.
She went back to that bench in the park, but when she got there, there was a couple and an old man sitting on it. She raised her eyebrows and glanced around. There was no sign of her siblings and the two humans. Even the groceries were gone.
Then, she saw a commotion on the other side of the park. She decided to go and see what was going on, always watching her surroundings and trying to see anyone familiar. When she approached the crowd, she saw it was about an injured boy. She narrowed her eyes as she noted the scratches in his chest. They really resembled the marks that Hsi Wu's claws caused when he scratched something, but she couldn't be sure.
"I have to talk to Uncle! It's an emergency! Yade is in danger!" the boy yelled, trying to dodge the people who were trying to help him. Po Kong frowned and quickly walked away. That boy should be an acquaintance of the Chan's, and now it was obvious to her that Hsi Wu had indeed attacked that human. He was such a fool! How could he expose himself like that?
In any case, now she could guess where her siblings had gone. So, she went back to the hideout.
oOo
They were almost reaching the top of a mountain, in Hong Kong. Chow was the one who was feeling worse with all this, due to his fear of heights. Finn and Ratso were also quite exhausted because of the ascent.
Finn glanced down and noted that Chow was being left behind the group.
"C'mon, Chow! Just don't look down!" he advised and kept climbing. When he got to a flat surface of the mountain where he could stand, he wasn't surprised to see that Mei Liang and Julia were already there waiting.
"What took you so long?" the demon asked in annoyance.
"Hey, we're not demons and we don't have any jewel that gives us powers. We had to climb up in the hardest way," Finn defended himself, while Ratso was just joining them.
"Idiots," Julia muttered.
"Never mind. Follow me, all of you," Mei Liang said, entering a small cave. The two females went in, followed by Finn and Ratso after some hesitation. Chow caught them up some while later.
The entrance was very narrow, but then it was getting larger until leading to a sort of round room, similar to the ones they had been when Shendu released all the demons at once, in Antarctica. In the centre of the room was a hole the size of a large pizza. From a distance, it seemed empty, but when they approached, they could see it contained a liquid whose colour switched regularly between dark blue and purple. Or perhaps it was not a liquid, but a flame. Finn scratched his head; it was actually hard to tell.
"Sit down here," Mei Liang told Julia, pointing at a spot next to the hole. Julia hesitated a bit, but then obeyed her. Mei sat on the other side and faced her, while the enforcers just stood and watched them. "This room used to be a secret temple, but it was abandoned in the ancient times," the demon of the dreams began.
Julia nodded. "And why are we here? How is this place going to help me?" she wanted to know.
"Do you see this?" Mei glanced at the currently blue liquid in the hole. Julia frowned.
"It looks like plasma," the girl murmured.
"It is chi. A long time ago, wizards used to come here to purify their souls. They left their... negative chi, their yang here," Mei Liang explained and Julia raised her eyebrows.
"So this is..."
"Pure evil, dark chi. This temple was abandoned because the wizards feared that all this concentrated dark chi might break the balance between Yin and Yang and turn against them."
"Wow, dude...!" Finn remarked, observing the chi in the hole in awe.
"From what I could understand so far, you use the tiger talisman to be able to use the Hun Yu jewel. Do you know exactly how that works?" Mei Liang questioned.
"Yes. Instead of dividing me into two people, the tiger talisman, combined with the jewel, divides my chi. Thus, only my yin is left on me and I become pure," the girl explained as if she had memorised it.
Mei smiled coldly. "There is where you are wrong, child. I will tell you exactly what happens. You are right until the part about the tiger talisman dividing your yin from your yang, but have you ever wondered where all that yang is going?"
Julia blinked and shook her head.
"Your yang goes to the jewel itself. That is why the jewel is getting corrupted. Despite your little trick, it just accepts actually pure people." Mei looked at her up and down arrogantly. "And you are far from being pure. You have much hatred in your heart."
The three enforcers glanced at each other, not liking where this was going.
"Do you think it was a mistake to absorb the Hun Yu jewel?" Julia asked, unsure and slightly alarmed.
"Oh, no. No, not at all. On the contrary, it was a good idea," the demon answered evenly. "You just have to know what you are doing so that this won't end up turning into a disaster. As you must know, that jewel is very powerful, and it can destroy you if you don't do something soon."
The four humans' eyes widened.
"Destroy me!" Julia repeated in horror.
"But do not worry, because I will help you," Mei assured.
The enforcers, however, could not contain themselves anymore.
"Oh, yeah? And since when demons like you go around helping people without having ulterior motives?" Finn questioned.
"I bet she's going to betray us as soon as she gets what she wants," Ratso added.
"Don't trust her, Julia. Remember what happened to your father after he got involved with those demons," Chow said.
"My father is an idiot, and so are you!" the girl retorted, angry.
"Then don't follow his example, Julia! Don't join forces with demons! That's a big, big mistake!" Finn said.
"But there's no danger. You see, I just have to purify my soul. Once I place all my negative energy in this hole, I'll be pure and able to use the jewel at will," Julia said, staring at the chi in the hole. The chi began to darken and move more quickly, as if it could sense her anger.
"Ah, wrong again, child," Mei Liang said and everyone looked at her. "Weren't you listening to me? If you add any more dark chi here, it may turn against us."
"So... what am I supposed to do?" Julia asked, getting desperate. Mei Liang gestured at her to calm down.
"You must absorb all this dark chi," she answered simply.
"What?" the enforcers asked in unison.
"But if I do that... the jewel will get corrupted... It can be used only by pure people," Julia said in confusion.
"Precisely," Mei said, pointing at the girl. "People who are purely good... or purely evil."
Julia reflected on it for a while. At last, she stared at the chi in the hole with sudden determination in her eyes, which scared the enforcers.
"Julia, don't listen to her!"
"It's not worth it!"
"It's a trap!"
Julia frowned, indecisive and suspicious.
"If you don't hurry, the jewel will destroy you," Mei Liang reminded her, unpleased at the girl's indecision.
"But I... How am I going to know...? Perhaps that wasn't... What would she say?" Julia murmured, holding her head.
"She's falling apart!" Chow gasped.
"Come on, absorb the dark chi here!" Mei Liang ordered, losing her nerves. "Now! Before it's too late!"
"But... But... I can't..."
The demon of the dreams hissed and leaned forward, holding the girl's head.
"Perhaps you need some persuasion."
Suddenly, Julia's sight darkened and the enforcers' shouts were getting more and more distant. She felt her body heavy, but also had the feeling that she was floating and falling very slowly. She closed her eyes and tried to move, but found out she couldn't do that. Even breathing was rather hard.
When her body landed, she heard sounds of cars and motorcycles far, far away. She opened her eyes and found herself in a long and dark corridor, except for a few lamps that produced a dim light. She heard voices and turned around to see three men coming towards her. One of them should be the boss; he was elegantly dressed and walked ahead of the others, who were simpler and dubious-looking.
"Uh... Who are you?" she asked, but was completely ignored. The men kept coming towards her and she decided to back away to the wall so that they would not bump into her.
Their steps got more distant until she could hear nothing. Julia wasn't sure if she should follow them, but then she heard more voices, and these were very familiar. Finn and Ratso were coming!
She turned to see them and nodded to herself. Her father, Finn, Ratso, Chow and Hak Foo were coming towards her – Valmont in the lead and beside a younger Julia.
The group went past her without paying her any attention, but now Julia knew why. This should be a memory of hers. She vaguely remembered this building and what they were doing here. Her father and other criminals would have a "business" meeting. But what was she doing here, in this memory? Or rather, how had she come here?
She decided to follow the group. Perhaps she could find out what was going on.
In the end of the corridor was a room with a long, rectangular table in the centre and several people who were already seated while others – their respective enforcers – stood next to them, watching their surroundings carefully. As expected, no one noticed when she arrived and wandered around the room. She recognised a few faces and voices, and had a bad feeling. Something terrible was going to happen at any moment now, but she didn't know what.
The meeting started and there was no problem so far. They discussed their criminal business and Julia was beginning to get bored – just like her younger self – when suddenly, a shot was heard and one of the men at the table fell over, his back bleeding. Everyone in the room immediately stood up and looked at the direction where the bullet had come from.
Seemingly, some other criminals did not want competition and thought that the meeting would be a good opportunity to get rid of all their rivals at once. The assaulter group was formed by about fifteen people, and soon a shooting was started – while the people nearer to the door tried to run away.
"Take Julia!" her father ordered Chow and Ratso while he and Finn shot at the enemy group, using the table as a shield. Chow held her and ran after Ratso out of the room. Julia followed them, not feeling like standing in the middle of a shooting – even though she knew that the bullets could not harm her.
Unfortunately, there were more enemies in the corridor and Ratso had to distract them while Chow and some other criminals went through a door to the left. Julia went after them and noted that this door leaded to a new corridor with a lot of closed doors. Chow should have taken her to one of those rooms, but which one?
She tried to remember... Near the door they had entered, there was a puddle on the floor, due to a leak... Julia looked down at the floor, searching for a puddle. Almost in the end, she found it and went though the nearest door. It leaded to a large corridor. Julia ran to its end, where there was a half-open door. She opened it and Chow fell past her. He had been grazed in the right arm by a bullet.
Julia ignored him and left the building just to see the shooter some metres away, aiming at her scared younger self. Before she could do anything, she watched herself screaming and falling to the ground, bleeding. She had been shot in the shoulder, she remembered very well. Her life was not in danger, but it had been close.
The man who had shot her and Chow approached and a companion of his came running from the other side of the path to join him. The two stared at the girl's still body; she seemed to be dead.
"Boss, she was just a little girl... Was it really necessary to...?" the second man asked, uneasy. His boss nodded seriously.
"I recognise her. She's Valmont's daughter... the leader of the Dark Hand. He's been a nuisance to my business for quite a while, so it's good to put an end to his heirs as well."
"You bastard!" Julia shouted, even thought she knew she would not be heard. Then, all of a sudden, someone behind Julia shot the second man in the chest, certainly killing him. The girl turned and could see that it was her father who did it. "Late as usual..." she muttered.
"Drop your gun," Valmont ordered, aiming at the other man.
"M-Mister Valmont... L-Look, I swear I... d-didn't know she was your daughter... T-This idiot just told me after it was too late..." the man babbled, pointing at the fallen enforcer. Valmont just stared at him coldly.
Why didn't he at least glance at her? Or why didn't he just kill that man at once and ran to save her? Wasn't he worried to know if she was even alive? If she were about to die, each second counted, so why didn't he even glance at her?
"Drop your gun," Valmont repeated clearer. The man slowly bent down and put his gun on the ground, then raised his hands. Julia snorted. He was such a coward.
"M-Mister Valmont, please... I can make up for this great misfortune... I-I... I'll pay you whatever you want! J-Just tell me your price..."
Valmont hesitated. Julia felt her blood boiling. Why didn't he finish him at once? Why was he wasting time with that idiot?
"Look at me," she hissed though clenched teeth.
"... y-you can even have my limousine and my summer house in the Caribbean! It's very luxurious, you know!" the man went on with his bargain and Valmont smirked.
"Go to hell," he said and shot the man in the forehead. Julia flinched and looked away, and then decided to just watch her father. He was completely expressionless, his look cold as ice.
"So cold..." she muttered, trembling. "Please, look at me..."
Valmont didn't look at her, though. Finn came out of the building and took a quick glance at the scene before hurrying to examine Julia. Meanwhile, Valmont kept the gun on an inner pocket of his suit and finally looked at Julia.
"How is she?" he asked.
"I think she'll be okay, if we take her to a hospital," Finn answered.
"So what are you waiting for?" Valmont said sharply and turned around to enter the building again while Finn held Julia in his arms and took her to the opposite direction.
Julia was astonished. She had always known that her father was a cold person, but not that much. Was that it? He took a glance at her from a distance, asked if she was all right to the first buffoon who bothered to examine her and then leave while said buffoon took her to a hospital?
She went after her father, wishing she could kill him by just glaring at him.
"Cold..." she muttered in contempt, remembering herself lying on the ground, bleeding. "Cruel..." She remembered the man being hit in the forehead. "Greedy!"
He stopped, and so did she.
"I don't know why my mother liked you."
He took something out of another pocket within his suit. It was a photo of Julia's mother, Sara.
"She didn't deserve you, and nor do I."
He smiled bitterly, then frowned and tore up the photo angrily.
"It's all my fault," he muttered.
"It's all your fault!" she shouted and closed her eyes, trying to hold back tears of hatred. "Because you're so cold, cruel and greedy!"
When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in that building, but lying on the ground of that cave with the dark chi in a hole, holding her head and being intently watched by Mei Liang and her father's enforcers. She sat up, still feeling her heart beating very fast and tears finally falling.
"Why? Why did he do that?" she asked herself, making the enforcers look at her in confusion. Mei Liang, on the other hand, just smiled, pleased.
"He does not love you, and never loved your mother either. He is cold, cruel and greedy, he does not care about you," she whispered maliciously.
"Julia, don't listen to her!" Finn shouted, realising what the demon was trying to do. He approached the girl and held her by her shoulders. "She's just trying to confuse you! She has powers to manipulate your dreams and control your mind!"
"You know that I am just saying the truth, child," Mei Liang said.
Her chest began to hurt, her heart feeling like it was about to explode. The jewel was probably being corrupted and was going to destroy her if she didn't purify her soul any soon.
And she would do that. She would join her mother after getting her revenge; her father would pay dearly for what he had done to the both of them. Afterwards, she could finally bring her mother back. He would not ruin their lives ever again.
She turned to the hole and stretched her hands to it. The chi in it rose, spinning round slowly and being absorbed by her body little by little. The pain in her chest quickly subsided, and she felt like she had just been born again.
She stood up and raised her gaze, smirking evilly. The enforcers stepped back, scared, and Mei Liang smiled triumphantly.
"Now we can perform the spell to release my brothers."
oOo
Uncle stopped in the middle of the pavement and felt cold shivers going down his spine, which almost caused him to drop the sack with some of the ingredients he needed for the locator spell. Something was wrong. He looked around carefully, searching for anything that seemed strange. If he was feeling like this, it was probably because of the demons.
Since there was nothing suspicious where he was, he decided to go ahead. As soon as he turned the corner, he saw his apprentice in front of a cake shop, with some new packets in his hands.
"Tohru!" he called him aloud. The Japanese man turned to see him and smiled. When the two were close to each other, Uncle gloomily said, "Uncle has the willies."
Recognising that reaction, Tohru looked at him in concern.
"What do you think it is, sensei?"
"What do you mean? It is obvious that the demons are near us!" Uncle snapped. Tohru flinched and glanced around.
"Do you really think they are here?" he asked in a quiet tone. Before Uncle could answer, their attention was caught by an ambulance that was coming and stopped next to the park on the other side of the street.
Suspicious, Uncle narrowed his eyes and gestured at Tohru to follow him. They quickly crossed the street, without really paying attention to the cars and ignoring the drivers' protests. As soon as they got to the park, Uncle gasped as he heard Paco's voice. The two hurried to a crowd that was surrounding the boy and made their way past the people.
"Please, let me go! I need to talk to Uncle before they escape!" the boy pleaded to the men of the ambulance.
"Sir, please, don't move. You are seriously injured," one of them said, placing a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
"Paco!" Uncle called. Everyone turned to the old man with curious looks, while the Mexican boy seemed happy to see him.
"Uncle! The demons were here!" he said. Uncle nodded and knelt down next to him.
"Thought so. Can you tell me where they went?"
"There." Paco pointed and sighed. "But that was some time ago and they must be far away by now. It's too late." He lowered his head and clenched his fists. "They took Yade... again!" he said in frustration. Then, he yelped when Uncle whacked him in the head with two fingers.
"It is never too late! Now Uncle can try to locate the demons in that direction!" Uncle slit his eyes in determination. "We can save Jade. We just need to have patience."
Paco stared at him and nodded.
"Now, you must go to the hospital to take care of that wound," Uncle went on before turning to his apprentice. "Tohru, call Jackie and tell him to meet us at the hospital."
To be continued...
Hee! I'm glad that you liked the last chapter, especially the supermarket scene. .:smiles:. Special thanks to my wonderful reviewers: Spleef, VampireNaomi, Brick X, Hellblaze, and Dragolover1 (This fic is kind of AU and I couldn't fit Drago anywhere, so Shendu's son is someone else in this story).