I was in my office, trying to ensure a fair allocation of funds from the increased Northern Heavens tax revenue, when the intercom on my desk buzzed.
âThere is someone here for you, maâam,â Yi Hao said. âSheâs very upset and says she needs to see you right now.â
âWho?â
âZara. She says she knows you.â
âSend her in.â
Yi Hao opened the door and escorted a young Chinese woman in, then left, closing the door behind her. The woman was about twenty-five, with long, snow-white hair and matching brows and lashes, incongruous against her golden skin.
âSit, Zara,â I said, gesturing towards one of the visitorsâ chairs. âWhatâs the problem?â
Zara opened her mouth to talk, but didnât make it very far, instead collapsing into great racking sobs. I went around the desk and put my hands on her shoulders to comfort her, and she leaned into me, still weeping. I pulled a tissue from the box on my desk and handed it to her, and she blew her nose loudly.
The rest of the stones are accusing her of being complicit in Lady Rhondaâs destruction, the stone in my ring said. After what happened to Gold, and the activities of Demon Prince Six, we even suspect our own of treachery. It is a sad situation. The Tigerâs Retainers have been interrogating her, that is why she is distraught.
I sat in the other visitorsâ chair and put my arms around her, and she clutched me.
âLet it out,â I said. âI can wait.â
She continued to yank tissues out of the box, and eventually ran out of steam.
âMy stone told me what youâre going through,â I said. âIt must be very tough. You can stay here as long as you like, Zara, we can look after you.â
âI am a possession of the Emperor of the West, I must return,â Zara said in a soft Putonghua accent.
âIf you want to stay here, I can ask him to release you. All I have to do is say the word.â
She looked up at me, her eyes red and her face full of hope. âIf you could shelter me until this blows over, please, I would appreciate it.â
âDone,â I said, then to the stone: âTell the Tiger.â
âMaâam,â the stone said.
Good, take her for a while, see if you can get anything out of the stupid bitch, the Tiger said. We need to find the real Rhonda! My wife is out there somewhere and that stone doesnât know anything, sheâs fucking useless.
You made sure yourself that she was the real Rhonda, I reminded the Tiger via the stone.
No! the Tiger said. Not possible!
Tell the Tiger what Kwan Yin said to me, I said to the stone.
⦠The Lady said that Rhonda was a victim of her heritage, same as Lady Emma is, Lord Bai, the stone said. That wasnât a demon copy of your lovely lady. It was really her. Please, sir, talk to Kwan Yin.
Fuck, the Tiger said, and went quiet.
I turned back to Zara. âI have the word of Kwan Yin that it was the real Lady Rhonda that was destroyed by the Elixir of Immortality,â I said. âI didnât realise anyone was giving you trouble about this, Zara; if I had known I would have told them.â
Zara let out a huge, shivering sigh. âI thank you, my Lady. You have saved my honour.â
âWill you stay here with us?â
She glanced up at me. âMay I switch off for a while in a corner somewhere?â
I nodded. âIf that is what you wish.â
Zara addressed the stone in my ring. âJade Building Block, will you tell the others what Kwan Yin said?â
âI already have; it should be filtering back to you through the network already,â the stone said.
She dropped her head. âI have been disconnected from the network for the last three days.â
The stone was silent for a moment, then: âReconnect, dear one, hear what they have to say.â
Zara concentrated for a moment and her face cleared, then she collapsed weeping again.
The stone in my ring took human form and stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder. âCome to the armoury with me, Zara. The section for the Celestial Weapons is completely soundproofed and just what you need.â
She nodded and rose, then bowed her head to me. âThank you, Lady Emma, my honour is yours.â She went out with the stone, who nodded to me as he closed the door behind them.
I turned back to my computer just as a body landed on the floor with an almighty thump. I jumped up and peered over the desk, then relaxed; it was Leo, prone on the floor. He floated into the air, came upright, then sat in the chair across from me and collapsed over my desk.