I took off my shirt, twisted it into a rope, and doubled it around my wrists like handcuffs. Then Lu escorted me up the road, growling and showing her teeth for the benefit of passing dragons. It was all an act, but the hairs on my neck stood up whenever she cut loose. It sounded like the biggest Rottweiler in the world stalking behind you with plans to amputate one of your limbs.
We picked our way back to the lake beside the temple, and circled the lake through the bamboo forest back toward the altar-place where I'd arrived.
Unfortunately another dragon was walking the other way. This one was the t-rex kind, walking on two legs with forepaws held under its chest. But it had all kinds of frills on its head, under its chin and along its back, so if it was a dinosaur in disguise, I had no idea what kind it was. I recognized the big teeth, though.
It was green, and had five toes on its back feet.
Fresh horror washed through me. I almost stopped walking, but Lu nudged me in the back to keep me moving.
The dragon strode toward us and turned its head to study me. It spoke to Lu in a growly rumble. She trilled in return. It stepped up beside us--it towered over me--and sniffed me in heavy, hot whuffs. It had dog breath.
I need some anti-vampire-smelling deodorant. The beast snarled and snapped his teeth at me, and all I could do was stand there and cringe. Lu wove herself between him and me and barked at him. I assume she was telling him I was her future kill.
He was green and had five toes. This was the dragon I had to bite. I eyed his nearest ankle. The scales became small and fine on the backside of his calf. One nip and I could run for the portal.
I edged one foot forward, then the other. The t-rex dragon was busy chatting to Lu and his square head was turned away from me.
I unraveled my wrists from my shirt, darted under his body, grabbed his hard, muscled leg and sank my teeth into the soft scales. My mouth filled with hot, chemical blood. I swallowed it as fast as I could.
He roared and his leg lashed backward, sending me flying. I had time to think, Wow, I'm completely off the ground.
Then I hit the gravel, rolled three or four times and crashed sideways into the stone altar. Ouch.
Both dragons roared and charged at me. The green dragon, on two legs, was significantly faster than Lu. I guess he was madder.
I scrambled to my feet and looked around for the portal. No shimmers in the air. Nothing but the clearing in the green bamboo and the stone altar.
In desperation, I scrambled up on the altar and jumped off the other side, planning to run straight into the bamboo--
--and crashed into the wall of Jia-Li's house.
I reeled backward and sat hard on the gravel, looking over my shoulder. No sign of the portal over the rock. But if I'd come through, the dragons could probably chase me through. They knew how their own portal worked. I got up, ran to the back door and rushed inside, slamming it behind me.
Jia-Li stuck her head out of one of the back bedrooms. "You're back soon."
"I bit him," I panted. "I mean, I think it was him. Big green dude with five toes. He was after me."
Jia-Li's flawless face widened into a smile. "Excellent. We shall take a short drive."
###
Jia-Li drove one of those tiny European hybrid cars. It was like cramming ourselves into a golf cart and tootling down the highway.
"What happened while you were on Dakon-Lung?" she asked.
I wiped my mouth, trying to erase the feeling of scales against my lips. "I got chased by some black dragon guarding a temple. I ditched him and was trying to get back to the portal when I met that green dude." After what Lu had said about Jia-Li, I felt that mentioning her might get my head removed from my shoulders.
We drove past a shopping center, and my head whipped toward it. Ghosts filled the parking lot. Honest to goodness ghosts--white, floating people trailing tattered clothes. It was broad daylight, too!
I pointed. "Look at that! Walmart's having a ghost convention or something! What the hell?"
Jia-Li said nothing, but she smiled in a way I didn't like.
"What?" I snapped. Then I remembered. "Wait. I stole that dragon's power, didn't I? He could see ghosts?"
"Yes, of course," said Jia-Li, tucking a strand of black hair behind one ear. "And you are going to speak to a select few of my ancestors for me."
I sank back in the car seat and crossed my arms. "Great. Now I'm a vampire medium."
Jia-Li drove us to a graveyard. I'd never seen it before--it was really old. The tombstones were weathered and rough-looking, and weeds grew around some of them. Not like those carefully maintained graveyards out by the highway, with the perfect lawns and tasteful fresh flowers.
We parked and climbed out of the Roller Skate. Jia-Li had brought along a cloth bag of junk, and carried it through the gate ahead of me.
Graveyards aren't spooky at one in the afternoon. They're more like a park than anything else. If Jimmy had been here, I'd probably have challenged him to an obstacle course race.
Jia-Li led me through the quiet, park-like place, under the dappled shade of trees that had already shed a few leaves. In the back corner of the graveyard was a funny looking little stone, like a memorial instead of a tombstone. It was just a marble block with a coiled serpent thing on top.
Oh. It was a dragon. Big surprise.
Jia-Li began pulling things out of her bag. Candles. Incense. A teacup. A small plate. She poured tea into the cup, piled a handful of small cookies on the plate, and lit the candles and incense by breathing on them.
"Three Ancients, your daughter seeks your wisdom. Please come to us and speak."
I stiffened and fear jolted through me like electric shock. Three ghosts appeared around the shrine, but they were weird-looking. If I looked at them one way, they were three Chinese old guys with long beards and robes. But if I tilted my head--like looking at one of those lenticular holograms--they became three dragons. Two stood on all fours and one stood upright on two legs, and all three were enormous. Big enough to eat me and use Jia-Li as a toothpick.
"Bow," hissed Jia-Li, dropping into a deep bow from the waist.
I imitated her. "What do I do?" I whispered.
"What do you see?"
"Three big-ass dragons who also turn into three old Chinese guys."
Jia-Li beamed. She faced the shrine, although she couldn't see the ghosts. "I an Jia-Li, descended from you, my fathers."
The four-legged dragon with whiskers like a catfish said in a hollow, distant voice, "You seek our knowledge. What is your question?"
Jia-Li looked at me expectantly. After a second I woke up and repeated the dragon's words.
She faced the dragon ghosts again. "Legends spoke of your untold generosity, my fathers. I am pleased learn it is true. My question relates to vampires, and how you purged them from our great land."
I stared at Jia-Li and my jaw dropped.
All three ghost dragons looked at me, then Jia-Li. "You ask us how to destroy vampires, yet you stand there with one at your side."
I repeated this, shriveling inside. I was sick of being treated like a subhuman monster. It wasn't my fault I was a vampire.
"A necessary step, fathers," said Jia-Li, without losing her cool smile. "He is a medium."
One of the dragons shifted more into human shape, like a cloud changing in time-lapse, and reached for the cup of tea. His hand passed through it, and he pulled a ghostly cup out of the real one. He lifted it to his lips, sipped and nodded. Each of the other dragon-men also pulled a ghost cup out of the real one. The two-legged dragon also picked up a ghostly copy of a cookie and crunched it.
Finally the two-legged one said, "Our repulsion of vampires is no secret. We allowed the Huli Jing into our land. They hunt vampires as sport."
I repeated this, making sure I pronounced Huli Jing correctly.
Jia-Li's face lit up with a sort of predatory delight.
"What's a Huli Jing?" I whispered.
"Fox spirits," she whispered back.
Fox spirits! I knew them from anime, but in Japan they were called Kitsune. And they hunted vampires for fun? I didn't like the way this conversation was headed.
Jia-Li took a step closer to the altar. "Please, ancients, tell me how to summon and command the Huli Jing."
All three dragon men laughed. Their voices echoed as if they were inside some kind of ghost stadium. "One does not command the Huli Jing!" chortled the third dragon ghost. "One only bargains with them. You must offer them something of value in exchange for their assistance, and they will twist your words to gain advantage."
I repeated this, leaving out their laughter.
Jia-Li nodded impatiently. "Yes, yes, I know how one bargains with the Huli Jing. But how do I summon them?"
Two-Legged spoke again between sips of tea. "The same way you summoned us, but with blood instead of food. Call for Daji. She is their queen, and also the most evil of them all."
I repeated this. Jia-Li bowed deeply. "My deepest thanks, ancients. We will depart and leave you in peace."
The whiskery dragon looked at me. "She is twisted, young vampire. Do not trust her. If she succeeds in summoning Daji, you must call Chung Kwei."
I nodded and turned to follow Jia-Li. I repeated the name in my head--Chung Kwei, Chung Kwei. What was he, some kind of anti-kitsune ghost?
Jia-Li wanted to wipe out all the vampires, and I was her weapon. My feet dragged as we walked back to the Roller Skate. All the worlds' armies were vampire based. Could she really destroy the military might of the entire world? And then what? Proclaim herself Earth's new Goddess?
Somehow it wouldn't surprise me. Jia-Li wanted to be worshiped. And I was her gateway to an army of evil, killer fox spirits.