Heaven to Wudang by Kylie Chan Read Free Book Online Page A

ever experiment on you, Tom?’ I said.
    â€˜Not that I know of,’ Tom said.
    â€˜Did you have needle tracks?’
    They shared another look.
    â€˜I accused him of taking drugs and he denied it,’ Ben said. ‘We had some huge arguments over it. He said he had no idea how the marks had got there.’
    â€˜Emma,’ LK said, ‘I hate to suggest this, but —’
    â€˜No,’ I said.
    â€˜You wanted to find out what you are, ma’am,’ he said.
    â€˜Don’t even think about it,’ I said. I rose and walked to the other side of the room. ‘We are not going there.’
    â€˜What is it?’ Ben said.
    â€˜Emma was filled with demon essence by Kitty Kwok and it turned her into a lamia, same as you, Tom. But she isn’t half-demon like you; she is supposed to be all human —’
    I spun to shout at him. ‘I am all human! My mother has never cheated on my dad!’ I turned away again. ‘Don’t even think it.’
    They were silent. I turned back and saw LK’s face.
    â€˜Oh, no, you don’t,’ I said. ‘If you’re talking to the Tiger about my blood samples you can stop right now. I was born in Australia. I’m not half-Chinese so I can’t be half-demon. I resemble both my parents; it’s obvious.’
    â€˜I wonder if they ever tried to hook you up with a demon?’ Ronnie said.
    Suddenly April’s husband, Andy, was standing in front of me. I backed up until I was against the wall, breathing hard with loathing as he grinned at me, an expensive bunch of flowers in one hand and a set of car keys dangling from the other.
    â€˜Emma, it’s okay, you’re on the Mountain,’ LK said.
    I shook my head and snapped back. I was in the demon interview room on the periphery of the Mountain. I rubbed my hands over my face and returned to the table.
    â€˜What happened?’ LK said.
    â€˜I had a flashback,’ I said. ‘Most severe one I’ve ever had.’
    â€˜PTSD?’ Ronnie said.
    I nodded, miserable.
    â€˜What’s PTSD?’ Vincent said.
    â€˜Post-traumatic stress disorder,’ LK said. ‘Used to be called shell shock. You have enough extremely bad things happen to you and your mind never completely recovers. I didn’t know you suffered from this, Emma.’
    â€˜That’s the first time it’s happened in front of anyone else,’ I said. ‘Don’t spread it around that I have this, please. I don’t want anyone else to know about it.’
    â€˜Wouldn’t dream of it,’ Ronnie said. ‘I have flashbacks myself. You go through enough, your brain keeps bringing it out and tormenting you with it because it can’t make it go away.’
    â€˜You should both see someone,’ LK said.
    â€˜I am,’ I said.
    â€˜I’ve been studying human clinical psychology journals,’ Ronnie said. ‘I’ve even thought of studying psychiatry to add to my knowledge, but that would mean studying medicine and my physiology would come under scrutiny. Not a good idea.’
    â€˜That was a pretty severe flashback,’ LK said.
    â€˜I remembered,’ I said. ‘I just saw Andy Ho …’ I stopped. ‘I just saw Andy Ho , my friend April’s husband. It was before he married her — I was back at the kindergarten, still working for Kitty Kwok. He was trying to date me, promising me all sorts of stupid stuff, claiming he was so rich and could give me a life better than anything I’d ever experienced. He was trying to give me a car.’
    â€˜But he was a demon,’ LK said.
    â€˜He fathered a demon copy of Simone on April, and they generated a Mother copy of April as well,’ I said. ‘He was in league with Kitty.’
    â€˜Same name as my wife’s family,’ Ben said. ‘Her name was Ho.’
    â€˜But you never mentioned him trying to date you before, Emma,’ LK