Author's Note: Hello everyone! Sorry for my long absence! Unfortunately, school work has really needed to come first these past couple of weeks. But I only have three weeks left and then I'm done! More story time! So yay! :D So I hope that this nice long chapter was worth the wait for all of you lovely readers!
A big massive thank you to InsanityisReality for being my beta! You rock!
Please don't forget to review! Thanks x
Into The Shadows
"Jade…" Came a voice.
Jade groaned from the deep clutches of sleep, pulling the blankets over her head as she tried to drown herself in the darkness, hoping for just a little longer. But even in her cocoon, and even when she almost had drifted back into the land of dreams and ignorantly blissful slumber, the real world still came and kicked her butt back to reality.
"Jade?" She heard Jackie's voice again, closer and louder this time and rousing her further into a waking state. "Wake up! We're going to be late. I am going to Uncle's to help him find a tattoo-removing spell. So I will see you there after school."
Now awoken, Jade groaned as her eyelids still remained heavy and threatened to slide down and close again. Stiffly, groggily, she managed to pull herself out of her cocoon, hanging her head as she groaned. Walking like a zombie, she half stumbled her way towards the bathroom when she heard Jackie's voice again.
"Oh! Don't forget to eat breakfast!" He called from behind the door, seemingly far away.
"Tch… I wish I had time for breakfast…" Jade muttered bitterly as she came into the bathroom.
She brushed her teeth mechanically, still half dead from sleep as she stared at herself in the mirror as the foamy toothpaste half dribbled out of her mouth. Washing out her mouth, Jade opened the mirror cupboard as she reached for the mouthwash. Closing the mirror again, she rinsed her mouth, looking back up to the mirror –
And saw the Shadowkhan behind her, causing her to spit the mouthwash onto the mirror.
"Argh!" She cried out as she spun to see almost a dozen Shadowkhan surrounding her.
The shadow-warriors each came towards her almost menacingly, and the young girl trembled as she thought that this would be the moment that her life would end. She could see the reds of their eyes, surely this would be it… and it held up a steaming bowl of porridge. Jade had to blink in confusion before looking to another one. It held up an apple, and another held a carton of orange juice, and another held a toaster as the toast popped up cooked just how she liked it.
"Breakfast?" Jade asked aloud as she looked at the fearsome ninjas in amazement. As they surrounded her, she felt a tingling in her ankle and looked down at the mark on her flesh. "Whoa… the tattoo?" She murmured as she looked at the ink. The girl's eyes widened in understanding and mischief as she suddenly realised what was happening to her. "That's what happened last night! I called for help, and you guys came!"
Jade grinned as she stared at her newly acquired minions. She was suddenly very excited for today. It was going to be a very interesting day.
"We're telling ya!" Finn whined as he held a pack of frozen peas over his left eye, the whole of the left side of his face bruised and swollen. The other three enforcers were not in any better shape. "It was the shadowkhan who did this to us!"
Shendu stood with his back to his men, hands clasped behind his back, his lip curling in disgust at the pathetic fools he had working for him. It was mid-morning, Shendu had already given Valerie her bowl of healing brew and she had been sleeping it off when the demon had left her room to get a report from his battered enforcers. Now he was growing quickly frustrated with their persistent failures.
"Need I remind you," He murmured in a dangerously threatening voice, not liking to repeat what he had already said to the forgetful buffoons. "The Shadowkhan do only what I command! Come Minions!"
The power of his voice roared through the fish cannery, his power almost exploding in the air around him like a crash of lightning. He pulled with his will in order to summon a small army of his faithful minions, and awaited the dark shadow of their presence.
Nothing.
"Minions?" The fire-demon questioned as he looked about in confusion and slight uncertainty. But he was alone, the Shadowkhan had not answered his call – a complete impossibility in his mind, considering his possession of their tribe mask. Shendu didn't even flinch now when Valmont took control of the body, smirking as he turned as if to speak to the dragon.
"It would seem you have lost your touch, Shendu," Gloated the human with a smug grin.
"I have not lost my touch!" Shendu snarled indignantly as he seized back control of the body, glaring at the place where Valmont would have stood. "Chan is obviously using the power of my archive against me!" It could be the only possible explanation, unless Tarakudo himself was free of his imprisonment, which Shendu very much doubted. He then turned to his enforcers, who shrank away under his withering glare. "I don't care how you do it, but: Get. My. Book!"
The enforcers all mumbled their nods and then quickly fled out of the building, slamming the door behind them.
With their very presence gone, Shendu felt his ire slowly lessen, as if even the scent of the humans had set his anger brewing. Taking a long exhale to clear his head as he straightened himself, Shendu quickly turned on his heel to walk out of the main room of the warehouse. He passed the snivelling form of Hak Foo, looking considerably better than he had the day before, as he had been scraping the bottom of Shendu's cauldron for the last few drops of the healing potion whenever it had run low. Shendu had known this but still did nothing to warrant the mortal's pathetic existence. As he had told Valerie, the only reason the man still lived was because he was the least useless of his henchmen, and so in order for him to be well enough to be back out and doing as he was told was for him to heal. Shendu would have preferred to watch the man suffer slowly, but decided to do nothing. Hak still shivered and flinched every time Shendu walked past him, so he was reassured of the man's complete obedience from now on.
Ignoring the broken man, Shendu walked down the short hallway towards the door that lead to Valerie's temporary bedroom. He picked up a bag of books he had deposited outside her door on his way. The previous night he had gone out in order to retrieve a few things whilst Valerie slept sedated by magic and the enforcers were gone. Her words of boredom had at least slightly gotten to him, for he knew that if he wanted to keep the woman for the meantime then he would need to occupy her. And whilst he delighted in thinking that he could hold every second of her attention, he knew that he would need to attend to other matters at times, such as freeing his siblings, ending his imprisonment and re-obtaining his body. He had remembered from his time when he had watched her in astral form that she had a love for books, and so had stolen several random volumes from a local library. He had no idea what some of them were or if they were any good or if she would like them, being imprisoned as a statue for 900 years had not allowed him the want to read much of mortal literature. But he hoped these would do.
He entered the office at the very moment that Valerie seemed to be rousing herself from sleep. She was looking better with each time she took the potion, for her bruises were no longer black but still discoloured her skin slightly, and she could at least move on her makeshift bed without causing herself pain. She was still far from being in perfect health, but Shendu was satisfied with the progress made so far. And the longer she remained helpless, the easier it would be for him to keep her contained.
The woman looked up at him as she heard him close the door behind him, her hair messy from turning in her sleep, her skin blushed with warmth and her scent practically delicious as Shendu struggled to not taste the air. Her eyes regarded him for a moment before she slowly sat herself up straighter, bracing her aching back against the back of the sofa on which she always slept on. Shendu came into the room and sat himself on his usual chair across from her, happy with the fact that she seemed to no longer regard him with complete distrust since he had explained his non-involvement in her attack.
"Good morning," She mumbled as she rubbed her face as if to make herself more awake. Shendu refrained from commenting that it was almost noon.
"I brought you something…" He said as he held up the bag for her to see, his red eyes dancing with smug triumph as he saw her eyes brighten a little with interest.
"Oh?" She asked as she looked back at him almost suspiciously.
"You said that you wanted something to occupy your time, so I obliged." He dumped the bag by her feet, and the woman hesitated for only a moment before she reached down slowly. Like Pandora's Box, the temptation was too hard for her to resist.
"Books?!" She gasped in shock as she looked back up at him. "Are you serious?"
"Check the pages, they are not forged." He replied with another smirk.
"W-Where did you get these?" She mumbled as she pulled out the first book, her delicate little hands reverently stroking the covers before carefully opening the pages. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the inside cover and saw the mark of the Library they belonged to. She looked back at him, uncertainty in her gaze. "You stole them didn't you?"
"I could take them back, if you like." He snapped a little curtly as he reached to snatch the bag back from –
"No, no!" She quickly exclaimed, pulling the bag closer to her and out of his reach. Shendu cast her a hard stare, waiting for her to say something, though he kept his leer off of his face as he saw her blush a little at what she'd done. His innocent Valerie, always so sure she was so righteous, yet desperate for just a handful of useless books that she would forget that they were stolen so quickly. "I… I just don't… uh, thanks. The thought is appreciated." She murmured.
Shendu nodded and leaned back in his chair as he watched her as she tried to avoid his eyes. Despite the fact that there seemed to be this little 'trust' between them, she seemed to be more uncertain than ever. It was as if she no longer knew where she stood with him, or how to treat him. He was no longer her enemy in her eyes and not so untrustworthy, he had saved her life and avenged her, but she seemed unable to know how she should treat him. It still fascinated Shendu that she had so readily accepted Hak Foo's punishment, that little seed of darkness in her most intriguing to him. It was buried beneath all the goodness of her soul, but everyone had a dark side to them, and Shendu was just beginning to see hers where she probably had not shown anyone. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage, he thought as a greedy smile threatened to spread across his face.
"Do you read much, Shendu?" Her voice brought him back to the present.
"Only when it is needed for my research in spells and other academic needs." He replied truthfully. "And being a demon-sorcerer, I have no want of fiction."
"Fiction is a great way to escape the problems in your life. To dream that you are someone else, to go on grand adventures without ever leaving your own safe little corner." She explained with a wistful smile.
"One might call that cowardice," He pointed out.
"And another might call it foolishness and another might call it fantastic." She shot back almost defensively. Seeming to realise her tone, she lowered her voice as she spoke again. "I still love them."
"Why?" He was genuinely curious.
"When I was little, instead of watching all the Disney films or playing in the parks with other girls my age, I sat in a room and picked up a book and read. Books were my first real love and my first friends. With books… something came alive inside me, I felt more alive…" As she spoke, there was something in her voice that captivated Shendu, as if she were spinning her own unique magic that pulled him in as he suddenly thirsted to have it. "It's hard to explain, but no matter what happened, a book was always there to keep me safe… to keep me sane…" She murmured quietly before regaining her composure. "Before I came to San Francisco, books were really my only friends."
Shendu said nothing as he continued to watch her, not really interested in the books themselves or her opinions of them. He was only interested in how this could work in his favour. If she liked the books so much, if it allowed her to lower her guard just that little more, then perhaps he might get her more gifts in the future. She wanted him to win her over, and over the years Shendu had learned that the female gender was very prone to being bought for their affections.
"You got me all the great classics!" She suddenly exclaimed excitedly as she stared into the bag again.
"I did?"
"Yes!" She quickly pulled out the books and set them on the sofa beside her, reading their titles as she went. "Jekyll and Hyde! Jane Eyre! The Count of Monte Cristo! Treasure Island! Shakespeare! And…" She trailed off as she looked in wonder from the pile of books back to Shendu. "How did you know to get me these?"
"I didn't." He replied almost dismissively. "I didn't even know what they were."
"Haven't you read any of these yourself?"
"No. And I doubt that any human fiction could possibly be of any good."
"Ouch, that hurt, Shendu," She winced but her lips twitched into a small smile, which made him subtly raise a brow with interest. "And any good book can have something to identify with."
"I doubt anything could relate to my past experiences." He muttered.
"Oh! You even got me Phantom of the Opera!" She exclaimed happily as she pulled out another book from the bottom of the bag.
"Is that of any particular note?"
"Of course!" She said, looking at the cover and running her fingers worshipfully down the spine, and Shendu oddly envied the way she lovingly touched the book. "Such a tragic tale of love and murder… I personally prefer Susan Kay's adaptation, but nothing can beat some of the quotes in the original."
"What is it about?" He found himself asking.
"A man hideously disfigured from birth, falls in love with a young singer at the opera in Paris. But she cannot love him…" She trailed off almost mournfully as if she pitied the man she described. She then quickly opened the book and flipped to a seemingly random page towards the end. "Here, I'll read you my favourite passage."
"I don't really –" Shendu tried to say, but was cut off when she began to read anyway.
"'Now I want to live like everybody else. I want to have a wife like everybody else and to take her out on Sundays. I have invented a mask that makes me look like anybody. People will not even turn round in the streets. You will be the happiest of women. And we will sing, all by ourselves, till we swoon away with delight. You are crying! You are afraid of me! And yet I am not really wicked. Love me and you shall see! All I wanted was to be loved for myself. If you loved me I should be as gentle as a lamb; and you could do anything with me that you pleased.'"
As she continued to read, Shendu found himself staring at her, oddly feeling unsteady as the words rang in his mind. Had she done this on purpose? Had she known? He thought not as it seemed unlikely, but the words she read were truer than even he could have realised. What he'd done to Lo Mei, what he now wanted from Valerie… it seemed a little too close to home. She spoke the words as if she were plucking them from the darkest deepest thoughts of his mind, was displaying them mockingly before him, and declaring that she had everything he wanted, all his for the taking.
With that line of thought, he found it very difficult to keep himself seated in his chair. He had to try and focus himself in order to stop the impulse to lunge for her and take her as her aura seemed to be begging him to do. It was as if her very presence was becoming an addiction that was slowly taking his self-control, he wanted to be around her, and he wanted her for many different reasons. But the longer he stayed in her company just out of reach, the more he found himself losing what precious control he had left.
So he found focus by staring at her. He watched her as she read, tuning out her words and instead focusing all of his attention on her image. The way her lips moved softly, slightly revealing her little flat teeth and delicate tongue. How her eyes were slightly hooded as she looked down onto the pages, her eyes sparkling like a pond. Her blonde hair draped over one shoulder in heavy locks that looked so soft and delicate he wanted to wrap it around his fingers. The way her other shoulder was bare to reveal the curve of her pale neck, where he could see the teasing pulse of her heartbeat just beneath her flesh. How she sat reclined on the sofa, leaning back as if into a lover's chest behind her. The way she crossed her long thin legs…
Damn the woman, she was making this harder without even knowing it.
"Having ninja tutors is going to make homework way more fun," Jade said to herself with a grin as she walked down the street back to the shop with a slight spring in her step, books nestled under her arm. After a day where she had thought she would finally prove to Drew and the other kids that the Shadowkhan were real, she'd almost lost her cool, and daydreamed her way through every class, she couldn't help but feel a little smug with herself and her new "super power".
"Can you believe they bought my disguise?" She suddenly heard a familiar voice as she passed the alley by the shop. Jade paused, and looked back into the alley, seeing Chow and Ratso standing over a hole, and Finn dressed in a ridiculous costume.
"Haha!" Ratso chuckled with ecstatic triumph. "What a plan!"
"We're geniuses!" Chow cheered as he held up the Demon Archive.
Jade didn't know exactly why, but the moment she saw the book in their hands, she suddenly felt a great anger seep into her chest, feeling it burn her insides as she scowled. She knew that it was important that the Dark Hand not get their hands on the book, but more than that, she felt something primal urge her to get the book. She felt as if it didn't belong to them, they couldn't have it! She wouldn't let them!
"Huh?"Ratso murmured as he suddenly looked to the end of the alley, as if he could sense her glare and spotted Jade.
The young girl scowled at them as she felt her eyes burn as they changed colour, as they normally did as she summoned her new minions. She felt her tattoo tingle on her ankle as she used the power of her will to pull the beings from the shadows. A dozen Shadowkhan appeared behind her, blocking the alley entrance, their red eyes glowing menacingly.
"Uh-oh." The three enforcers murmured as they cringed away from her.
"Give 'em a spanking!" The girl ordered with a cruel grin.
The shadowkhan lunged forward, little more than blurs of speed as they attacked the three men. The enforcers screamed as they were punched and kicked until they fell to the ground, Chow dropping the book in the process. The Shadowkhan then whipped down the enforcers trousers until they were only in their underpants, and the ninjas proceeded to slap and kick the enforcers' behinds viciously as they literally spanked them. Jade grinned in amusement, watching the scene as if in a trance as she allowed the power of control to course through her veins. She didn't even notice the figure suddenly approach her until he was standing right in front of her.
"Jade!" She heard the voice of her uncle shout to her. She felt hands on her shoulders shaking her as the voice rang out again. "Jade!" Jackie called again, and as if waking from a dream, Jade lost the trance of power, feeling it slip from her fingers as she closed her eyes. It was as if she had been floating in the air, too excited to come down, and now returned to her body.
When she opened her eyes, the Dark Hand were quickly speeding away in their car, and the Shadowkhan had surrounded her and Jackie, glaring at the human man as they loomed protectively over their mistress. They seemed ready to attack Jackie, but Jade merely held up her hands and they paused.
"It's okay," She said calmly, serenely. "He's one of us…" The shadowkhan relaxed.
"What… how…" Jackie stammered as he looked about in shock, before turning to his niece. "Inside and explain. Now."
And so Jade went inside the shop with Jackie and explained everything to him, Uncle and Tohru. From how she and Valerie made the tattoo, to Jade's discovery to what had happened, to even giving her audience a demonstration. Jade was actually rather surprised at how calm she was.
"See Jackie: total control." She said proudly as she lifted her hands and the Shadowkhan bowed obediently. "They do what I tell 'em, and I only tell 'em to do good. So can I keep 'em?" She asked as she turned to look at her uncle imploringly.
"No Jade." Jackie said, a somewhat horrified tone in his voice which made Jade blink in surprise.
"Oh… why not?" She whined.
"Because you're turning blue!" He said sternly, though something in his voice betrayed his concern. Jade blinked as she glanced at her hand, and sure enough, her flesh was blue. She gave it the same surprise as realising she had three quarters in her pocket instead of two.
"Blue's my favourite colour," She shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, you gave Tohru a chance."
"Tohru is human." Jackie leaned in with a hard stare, as he would when he would tell her that that was the end of the discussion. Jade felt her lip curl with frustration at her uncle's audacity. "Now, I want you to make them go away, until Uncle can find a –"
"Hot-cha!" Uncle called out as he returned from the back room with a vial of purple liquid. "I have found a potion that will make Jade's tattoo vanish!"
"But I like my tattoo!" She argued desperately. "And the Shadowkhan could help us! They could help find Valerie!"
"No." Jackie said. "We want to find Valerie too. But we will not do it this way."
"You can't do this to me!" She exclaimed angrily.
"It's for your own safety, Jade," Jackie tried to say soothingly, but she saw the patronising smile as he turned to Uncle who was uncorking the vial.
"Now sit still," The old man said as he turned to her. "While I apply the potion."
Jade felt her tattoo tingle as her anger built inside her to the point where she burst. A gust of wind suddenly shot out from her, forcing Uncle to back-peddle away from her, gasping in horror and shock as her now-former family stared at her.
"Do not touch me!" She snarled, staring up at the adults as she felt the red overcome her eyes, the tattoo burning on her skin as she felt it engulf her. "I am, and shall remain, Queen of the Shadowkhan!"
"Jade!" Jackie shouted angrily but worriedly as he rushed forward, though was quickly halted as the shop was soon crowded with shadow-warriors. "Err… You're grounded!"
"Tch," She hissed. "You're not giving me orders anymore!" With a growl, she summoned her Shadowkhan to her, telling one to grab the Demon Archive whilst the others surrounded her and felt their hands upon her flesh as she slowly let them drag her into the shadows and vanish.
Valerie sat there reading A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, having already shot through Phantom of the Opera like nobody's business. For a moment, she forgot where she was, and who was not far from her door, she forgot her aches and pains – and she was pleased that she was starting to show signs of actually getting better – and for that moment she was at peace. She felt completely relaxed, her mind not worried with the next trembling fear, her imagination off to some grand place and time. And for just a second, she was so content that she briefly thought she was home.
Darkness had quickly swept in through the harbour, the light vanishing as evening came in. Valerie was only aware of any changes in the world when she had to turn on a lamp next to her sofa so that she could continue to read. Finally, the complains of her stomach seemed to break through the walls of her mind as she suddenly recognised that she was hungry.
As if on cue, the door handle turned and Valerie looked up as Shendu entered her makeshift room. He stood in the doorway, his ever smug smile firmly in place as he looked down on her with his confident red eyes, as if he knew something that she didn't.
"Good evening, Valerie," He spoke in an alluring murmur. "Have you enjoyed your afternoon?"
"Yes, thank you," She mumbled, still a little unsure of how she should treat him now. After everything that had happened with Hak Foo, she couldn't fear him or hate him, but she was still unsure if he was completely trustworthy.
"I thought you might like to part with those pages for just a moment in order to eat? I have dinner waiting for you." He grinned.
"Oh, yes, thanks." Valerie quickly nodded as she stood, her stomach grumbling in agreement. Taking a moment to steady herself on her still shaky legs, she went to walk to the door, when Shendu's stare stopped her.
"In that?" He asked almost disgustedly as he looked up and down her body. For a second Valerie felt shamed as she took a slight step back, not knowing why his words somehow stung. She looked down at the baggy hoodie and joggers she'd put on for the day, confused as to why he would disapprove.
"What's wrong with my clothes? You got them for me!" She retorted defensively.
"Wouldn't you like to change into something nicer?"
"I like these clothes." Valerie said as she folded her arms before adding with her usual dry humour: "And unless we're going to a five-star restaurant, I don't see the point."
"I'm merely saying that perhaps you would like to dress in something a little more appropriate." Shendu said in a tone that very much said that this was not advice but an order.
"You mean you want me to." Valerie bit out accusingly.
"You could always eat it cold if you preferred?" He smirked at her, already knowing he'd won. Valerie wanted to scream at him. How dare he make her dress up for him just because he demanded it?! She was not something for him to ogle at! But the power of hunger was stronger than her pride, and she glared at him.
"Fine." She growled.
Shendu exited the room and closed the door behind him. Valerie marched over to the sack of clothes, angrily tossing out items that she knew would be disapproved of. If Shendu wanted her to dress up, then she would. But she wouldn't be a tart for him. She eventually found a long sleeved black jumper with a low V-neck and a knee-length glittering skirt. Quickly tying her scraggily hair back into a make-shift pony-tail, she decided that she was the best that she was going to look, what with her skin still mottled different colours from her beating, though they didn't hurt as much. And if Shendu didn't like it, then he could damn well get used to it. She was still angry when she came outside of the door, and glared at the demon awaiting her, as if daring him to criticise her again. But Shendu's approving gaze did nothing to set her at ease.
"Ah… such an improvement, you look splendid, my dear." He grinned.
"Thanks…" She muttered as he led her down the hallway and into the main room. Valerie saw that a table and two chairs were set with a candle and two boxes on either side. "What's all this?"
"Seeing as you're much more mobile now, I thought you might want to actually have a proper meal," He explained.
"You bet," Valerie murmured as her stomach gave another growl as she could smell the food. She sat down at one end of the table, Shendu sitting across from her. Valerie noticed that the box in front of her had a Chinese restaurant logo. She looked at Shendu questioningly. "Take out?"
"I doubt that any of the imbeciles I have in my employ could actually cook a decent dinner." Shendu muttered. Valerie didn't complain as she opened the box and took out the chopsticks as she began to dig into her meal. For the first few minutes, she only concentrated on eating. But from where she was sat, she could see that Shendu's box was only a quarter full and he seemed to be eating slowly, whereas Valerie's was almost filled to the top.
"A rather small portion for you, Shendu?" She inquired curiously.
"I am merely eating for the sake of manners. Usually I allow Valmont to take control during the times when this body needs nourishment to continue to function. He seems to enjoy human food better then I." Shendu explained as he looked at the food in front of him with distaste.
"You don't eat human food?"
"Meat… that's something different, all predators like the taste of blood on a fresh kill. But other human cuisines are not to my liking."
"So what does a demon-sorcerer eat?" She asked.
"If I told you, I'm afraid you would lose your appetite." He chuckled to himself. "Humans are rather squeamish that way."
"Oh," Was all Valerie said. A silence fell over the table as she continued to eat, though Shendu seemed to give up with his.
"I have something for you, Valerie," He said finally as he reached into the inside pocket of his robes.
"Huh?" Valerie asked dumbly as she looked up from her food. Shendu produced a long thin case and set it on the table in front of her. As he slowly opened it, Valerie's eyes became transfixed on the glittering necklace of polished diamonds that winked at her in the dim light. "Oh… wow… its beautiful… but…"
"But?" Shendu prompted.
"I don't really think it's my type of thing – but the thought is appreciated!" She added hurriedly.
"You do not like it?" He seemed confused.
"I'm not the type of girl who likes lavish jewellery. I mean, where would I wear it?" She refrained from adding that it was probably stolen, and she didn't want to wear that sort of burden around her neck.
"I was under the impression that women liked baubles like this." He grumbled out icily.
"Not me," Valerie said.
"Now you're being contrary for the sake of it." Shendu sighed in frustration.
"No, I'm not. When you got me the books, I liked that sort of gift. That was something I liked. But I don't just want a piece of over-pretty, over-priced jewellery." She tried to explain. Why was it so hard for him to understand?
"Why could you not be like other women…" He growled lowly in frustration to himself. Perhaps she was not meant to hear him, but she did, and looked up sharply at him.
"Sorry for being an individual." She bit out.
"A thousand years ago, women were much simpler." The demon grumbled. A heavy silence fell over the table, and Valerie picked at her food as her anger simmered and something else pressed against her curiosity.
"Other women? Have you done this sort of thing before?" She finally asked.
"Jealous?" He grinned wickedly.
"Hardly." She snorted. "I just want to know if some poor girl has already suffered your attentions."
"I have had concubines in the past, which I sometimes gave pretty things too to make them less resistant to my… needs," As he said the words, Valerie's mind was assaulted with horrible images conjured from her imagination. She tried to block them out and tried to repress a shiver. "But rest assured, I have not given my attention to others as I have you."
"I'm guessing that was when you ruled China…" She said in the hope to steer the conversation to a safer topic.
"You are correct."
"How long did you rule there?"
"About three hundred years, give or take a decade,"
"Really? How old are you, Shendu?" She asked, a little disbelieving.
"Perhaps coming up for one-thousand-five-hundred in a decade or two…" The demon replied thoughtfully, as if he had to calculate it in his head. "Demons do not keep count like humans do, it is of no concern to us."
"What about your siblings? Are they much older or younger then you?"
"We were all born around the same time, a year or two between each of us."
"And what about your parents? Are they… still around?" She asked a little nervously, not sure how to approach this subject. She knew that Shendu and his siblings must have come from somewhere, they couldn't have been sprouted from thin air or simply created.
"Curious tonight, aren't we?" Shendu smirked at her. "Frightened my big-bad father is lurking in the deepest oceans somewhere?"
"A little…" Valerie admitted as she looked at him.
"Fear not. I never met my father." Shendu said dismissively. "He died shortly after the youngest of our litter was born. He never had any personal attachment towards his offspring anyways, only perhaps that they didn't shame him and that he wanted to create more."
"And your mother?" Valerie softly prompted, not sure what was compelling her to know.
"She disappeared shortly after my siblings and I came into our true powers and started our conquest of the earth." Shendu said, his gaze somewhat growing distant as he stared into the single flame of the candle in the middle of the table. "No doubt she has hidden herself away from the world for the past millennia, horrified at what she birthed."
"Why would she?" Valerie blurted in confusion. "I mean, if she's a demon then -"
"She was not."
"Really?" She gaped at him. "Then why would she –"
"Let us just say that rage does a lot to warp the mind. When conceived in hatred and birthed in anger, the vilest of creatures can be born from even the holiest of beings." Shendu spoke with finality, and Valerie knew that this was the end of that line of conversation.
"Oh…" She mumbled, and feeling the compulsion, she quickly added: "I… I'm sorry,"
"I do not want pity. I have never cared either way, you shouldn't either." He replied nonchalantly.
"Yes but…" Valerie stammered as she tried to find the right words. "I don't know, it just seems… horrible… I just… I'm sorry, Shendu…" She finally said softly.
He stared at her, his gaze searching hers for something she didn't know. He leaned forward, mouth opening as if he wanted to say something. Valerie found herself entranced, unable to look away as she waited with baited breath for –
"Err… Shendu, sir?" Came Finn's shaking voice. In an instant, the moment was broken, and Valerie quickly jumped back in her seat away from Shendu as her cheeks blushed – though she didn't know why. Shendu growled in frustration as he turned to where his enforcers were standing awkwardly, his glare making it very clear that his patience was thin with them. "We've got a problem…"
"Fro… chi… quan… shu…wi…?" Queen Jade struggled to read the ancient text of the book, sitting in her throne, surrounded by her subjects of the shadows, in her new palace. It had been easy for her to take over Section 13 and appoint it her palace. But now, as the night drew on, she was struggling to read, let alone translate a single word of the Demon Archive.
"Argh!" she growled in frustration as she finally gave up. "How can I know the secrets of the Archive, if I can't understand a single stupid word of it!" she screeched. She then stood, turning to her warriors of the shadow. "Bring me someone who can!"
Valerie watched the unfolding scene with growing anxiety as she could practically feel the tension in the room building. Shendu's serpentine hiss filled her ears, greatly contrasting the soft murmurs he had spoken to her. After the enforcers had reported to him of their recent failure, Shendu had been almost livid. Valerie had tried her best to be invisible, whilst listening in as she heard with growing worry and desperation of her friends back at the shop.
"So are you telling me I still don't have my book back…" Shendu demanded as his voice became louder as he spoke with growing outrage. "And the CHILD CONTROLS MY MINIONS?!"
"Jade?" Valerie whispered to herself. How could Jade somehow be involved with this? What had happened to the poor girl since Valerie had been gone?
Suddenly, she noticed shadows appearing on the floor, Shadowkhan emerging from them as they loomed behind Shendu. Valerie screamed as two even appeared on either side of her where she sat at the table still, alerting the others. Shendu tried to turn to her, but the Shadowkhan suddenly seized him and began to drag him backwards.
"What?!" Valmont's voice rang out in a pathetic squeal of fright as he took over the body in shock. "Argh! Help!"
At the pleading of their boss, the enforcers quickly tried to come to his aid as the Shadowkhan continued to drag him back even past Valerie as they seemed to be heading towards the wall. They didn't make it two steps however, before Shendu suddenly took back control, ceasing his struggling as he held up a hand to ward off his men.
"No." He ordered. Both the enforcers and the Shadowkhan stopped, Shendu straightening himself with a sly smile. "This could work to my… advantage…"
"Wait!" Valerie said quickly as she tried to quickly get up, though her lower back seized with pain, making her slow. She came towards Shendu, her eyes imploring him as she begged: "Take me with you! I need to see Ja–"
Her words were cut off with Shendu's withering, icy glare he cast her way. Valerie physically recoiled from his gaze, as if surprised at his change of character. It was clear that he wouldn't be agreeing to her request. Without another word, he turned away from her and walked into the shadows… and disappeared. When the room fell eerily silent and the only ones that remained were Valerie and the enforcers, she quickly turned to face them.
"You have to take me to wherever they've taken him!" She demanded in a vicious voice. "Now!"
"Tch," Finn spat. "Even if we knew where to go, we would take you."
"Yeah," Ratso gravely agreed. "Shendu wants you to stay here,"
"So you're gonna stay." Chow finished as the three of them came towards her. Valerie tried to resist them, but they grabbed her arms and began to haul her backwards towards the hallway and her room. She struggled, but she was weakened and ever movement seemed to cause her pain as their fingers unknowingly clamped on some of her bruises.
"No!" She hissed in pain and desperation. "Please! You need to take me to Jade!"
"And end up like Hak?" Finn sneered. "No thanks."
They then reached the door to the office, and the unceremoniously shoved her inside. Valerie screeched indignantly as she stumbled and almost lost her footing. By the time she turned around, they had already slammed the door closed and locked it. Valerie shrieked in anger and frustration, and collapsed onto the sofa.
Shendu returned to the Fish Cannery hours later, practically shaking with frustration. The Shadowkhan had taken him to Section 13, where the child was trying to play Queen, obviously having dabbled with dark arts that she didn't understand. Shendu had practically smelled the corruption of the shadow-realm pouring off of her, had even seen the mark of Tarakudo on her flesh. Indeed, the child had played with fire, and been burned for it. Shendu had tried to deceive his way into her good graces – funny thing, that the power of dark magic can make one forget friends from foes – and attempted to steal back his Archive. But the wretched child had told the Shadowkhan to destroy the book, forever putting it out of his grasp, before she had lost her dark powers due to her old man saving her soul with good-chi-magic. Not only had he been defeated by Chan yet again, but his Archive had been destroyed! Shendu was livid. The only good thing he could probably take from this, was that he now had the Shadowkhan back under his command, and he now knew the location of Section 13 for future reference.
He stalked into the Cannery, his loud stomping steps and violent hissing forcing his men to flinch away from him, trying to lose themselves in the shadows so as to escape his notice. Shendu cast them a withering glare as warning not to test his patience now of all times. He stalked down the hall, wanting nothing then to forget the entire night.
It wasn't until he'd reached his "bedroom" door and turned the handle and had already opened it a crack, that he remembered that the room was already occupied. Her scent drifted to him and tempted his sinuses like the call of a siren. For a moment he was angry: why couldn't she let him be for just one moment without reminding him of the sweet prize he had yet to claim? But knowing that she was now looking at the door expectantly, he had to enter or risk looking like a fool, and he didn't think his temper would live with that tonight.
So he opened the door, closing and locking it behind him, before stalking across the room and seating himself in his usual chair. He did not spare her a glance nor say a word to her. He felt the heat of fire stirring beneath his skin with his simmering anger, could still hear the faint serpentine hiss that surrounded him. Perhaps she could sense these things too, for he was rather annoyed yet amused to see that she became uncomfortable in his presence. Her eyes studied him uneasily, glancing at him from where she had been seated on the couch. She was still in her clothes from dinner, and he could tell by the little pinched frown on her brow that she had sat there for a while in anger. At least he wasn't the only one to suffer a temper tonight.
She pulled her gaze away from him, turning back to her book, one he realised wasn't the same one from before they had sat down to dinner. By staring at the cover, he saw that it was a book called: Brave New World by a man Aldous Huxley. Shendu thought little of it, and ignored her as he turned his head away to look out of the small window. A heavy silence fell over the room, Shendu left to his brooding, and Valerie left to try and not incur his wrath by trying to make herself invisible on the couch. For some reason that angered him more. Every time he heard her breathing or caught a glimpse of her moving or smelt her scent, she was constantly grabbing his attention, a persistent thorn that could not be ignored. Her very presence was screaming at him, yet she wanted to refuse him still?!
Softly, he then heard a sound. It took him a moment to recognise her voice, just a sound. Its soft and soothing tones seemed to slither into his mind and ease the tension in his shoulders. He knew that she was saying words, but he didn't filter them into his being as he seemed to know they were not directed at him. Slowly, he felt her voice ease away all of his anger, and he sighed as he suddenly felt rather tired. With his anger gone, he began to recognise her words, though it took him a moment longer to realise that she was reading from her book aloud.
"'…Isn't there something in living dangerously?'" He heard her say. "'There's a great deal in it,' the Controller replied. 'Men and women must have their adrenals stimulated from time to time.'
'What?' questioned the Savage, uncomprehending.
'It's one of the conditions of perfect health. That's why we've made the V.P.S. treatments compulsory.'
'V.P.S.?'
'Violent Passion Surrogate. Regularly once a month. We flood the whole system with adrenin. It's the complete physiological equivalent of fear and rage. All the tonic effects of murdering Desdemona and being murdered by Othello, without any of the inconvenience.'"
Shendu turned until he could see her, once again captivated by just the sight of her reading, by the lull of her voice. But he knew that she was doing this because she was afraid: afraid of his anger, unsure of what he would do, trying to calm herself as well as him with her voice.
"You do not need to fear me," he felt compelled to say in the slight pause of her reading.
Valerie quickly glanced up at him before returning to her book, remaining silent. For some reason he felt something spark in the air, making his flesh tingle with its effects as she continued to read to him, like a drug sucking him in to induce and addict him all the more. He found that for a moment he was hanging on her every word, as if she suddenly held the very fate of the moment in her hands.
"'But I like the inconveniences.'" She went on to read. "'We don't,' said the Controller. 'We prefer to do things comfortably.'" Her eyes glanced up at him again and met his. She didn't look away as she continued to read, something in her eyes snaking into his soul and pulling him towards her until he wasn't even sure that she knew what she was doing to him."'But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.'"
And as if with those words, he knew that he could not deny her. In one fluid movement he was out of his chair and leaning above her, casting her in his shadow. Without a second thought, he pressed his lips against hers in a hungry kiss, yet as gentle as he knew how to be. Her taste bloomed across his tongue as he kissed her, hearing her startled gasp which only allowed him further entrance into her sweet kiss. He felt fire burn along his skin, but not the roaring angry fire of his usual rage, no this fire simmered and danced yet was as equally scalding though it made him hunger for more. Though she was unmoving, she was softness, sweetness and innocence and he wanted to eat her up until he had all of her. She tasted like vanilla, and he wanted to –
With a jerk of her head, she suddenly broke the kiss, turning her head away from him and squeezing her eyes shut. Shendu looked down at her, startled at her reaction, before realisation dawned on him. She had not kissed him back, she had turned from him, had rejected him yet again. He felt the sting and it caused the soft fire to roar and burn once again. He snarled as he pushed himself up from her, smacking a lamp off of a table as he stormed away. It crashed to the ground and he heard her gasp in fright, but he didn't care as he unlocked the door, wrenched it open and slammed it shut behind him.
It took him a good two hours before he calmed down enough to at least take a few steps without breaking something. Valmont had been wise to keep his mouth shut, and the enforcers were cowering in the corner. Once Shendu had finally vented enough to bring him to a complete standstill, they assumed their safety was guaranteed, and so went about their own rituals. An hour later, Ratso was playing with the Pan'ku box, attempting to open it in the hope that it might please Shendu.
When he did eventually unlock the next map, Shendu had merely watched as they had all crowded round and eventually figured out where they were going next: into Space. Tso Lan the Moon Demon's portal was obviously going to be rather difficult to reach, being halfway to the moon.
After realising where he was to go, Shendu had to wonder what he would do with Valerie. Despite the fact that he was still sore over what had happened between them, he couldn't leave her here alone and unattended for whoever knew how long. She would either starve or escape and tell of his location. And right now he didn't trust her to do either.
So he only had one option left. He had to release her.
Even though it went against his better nature, Shendu knew when to retreat for another tactical approach. And so, in the very early hours of the morning, he had returned to her room and found her in pyjamas curled up on the sofa fast asleep. He'd only briefly touched her hair, his longing still great for her, even after what had happened. They may have had a disagreement, but he wasn't giving up yet. One way or another, Valerie would be his. He would play the game by her rules, but if that still kept him away for too long, then he would resort to his way. Whether she liked it or not.
With a pull of his will, he summoned his restored Shadowkhan and ordered them to carefully take her back to outside the antique shop. As he watched the shadow-warriors disappear with her, he told himself that she was mostly healed now, so Chan could see to the rest of her recovery. God help him if the human allowed any harm to come to her…
"Val?!" She heard a voice from seemingly far away. She groaned.
"Valerie?!" Came another voice, clearer this time, intruding on her warm den of sleep.
Her eyes fluttering open, Valerie was at first blinded by bright light and enveloped in warmth, disorientating her for a second as she wondered where she was. Rubbing her eyes, she looked up, blurred faces coming into view. Was this the enforcers idea of a prank? To wake her from her slumber? But as she blinked her eyes clear, she began to recognise the faces… faces she had thought she would never see again…
"Val!" Jade yelled as she threw her arms around the woman, who gasped in shock as she was thrown back down onto the couch. Valerie gasped in shock, unable to comprehend what was happening for a moment. Hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around the small girl, and upon confirming that she was real, that this was not some taunting dream, she returned the fierce embrace as she let out a sob of joy.
"Easy Jade," Came a familiar voice, and Valerie looked up with shining eyes and an adoring smile to see the brotherly face of Jackie smiling brightly down on her, his eyes shimmering. "We don't want to break her after we just got her back…"
"Jackie…" Valerie whispered, feeling as if she would burst into tears as she looked from Jackie to Jade to Uncle to Tohru, all crowded around her from where she lay on the couch in the back room of the antique shop. "I'm back…" She beamed – god! She'd never thought she would smell that wonderful scent of old books, coffee beans and garlic!
"Of course you are back," Said the grouchy voice of Uncle as he pushed Jade out of the way to sit on the edge of the couch beside Valerie. Despite his usual tone, Valerie had never been more happy to see the old goat, and she thought she saw a real smile on his old worn face. "And this is where you will stay!"
"Stay?" She echoed dumbly.
"Your apartment was trashed…" Jackie murmured, as if he didn't want to say the subject but felt he had to. "Valerie… what happened – OW!" He yelped as Uncle hit him with two fingers.
"Will talk of that later!" The old man snapped. "Right now, she needs some chi spells to help her heal, and plenty of rest! Tohru! Make old family recipe! In cook book!"
"Yes Sensei," Tohru murmured. He turned to leave, but paused before he looked back at Valerie with a small smile, placing one of his gigantic hands on her arm as he murmured softly: "It's good to have you home and safe, Valerie,"
"Val's gonna stay here, Uncle?" Jade asked, wide eyed.
"Tch, where else will she go? She will sleep on couch, where Uncle can keep an eye on her!" He said so seriously that Valerie felt herself chuckling, despite herself.
"There's no need –" She began to say, but Uncle turned back to look at her.
"Valerie will be safe here, and Uncle will make sure she gets plenty of protein and garlic to get better soon." At his words, the pair of them couldn't help but smile. Uncle's next words were so quiet that Valerie wouldn't have been sure to have heard him if she hadn't seen his lips move. "Uncle will not let anything else happen to his assistant…"
Valerie felt tears unexpectedly well up in her eyes, and she lunged forward and pulled the old man to her in a fierce hug. The man yelled in complaint, but a moment later, she felt his arms around her, holding her gently. A second later Jade pounced on them and squeezed them as tight as she could. She heard Jackie chuckle warmly before he too joined them. There was loud clomping footsteps, and then Tohru held them all in his gentle yet massive arms. Valerie cried, she laughed, and cried again. Just so happy to finally be home.