Page 135
Story: Phoenix's Refrain
“That’s what I’m doing. I made a plan to knit something. And that’s precisely what I’m going to do.”
Faris looked like steam would soon shoot out of his ears. He truly couldn’t stand my chaos.
I just smiled at him pleasantly. “I’m just going to wing it.”
“It’s certainly an original idea,” Grace told Faris.
He made a derisive noise. “It’s irresponsible.”
“It’s just yarn, Faris,” I said.
“This is not just about yarn.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, this is about me and my unborn child. And how my chaotic ways will upend your precious plans for us.”
Suspicion narrowed Faris’s eyes. “What are you planning?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’m going to wait and see how it turns out.”
“This isn’t funny, Leda.”
I sighed and set my knitting down on the coffee table. “Did you just come here to make fun of my hobbies while glaring maniacally, or was there something else that you wanted?”
“I just wanted to check in on you,” Grace told me cheerfully. “And Faris tagged along. He is afraid of what might happen if I’m alone with you. He believes I’m going to fill your head with evil demon schemes.”
He glowered at her. “The demons are always scheming.”
“As are the gods.” Grace looked at me. “This whole immortal war that’s been raging between us and them for centuries…just so you know, it’s all their fault.”
“How absurd.” Faris’s voice burned like acid. “The war started when the demons trespassed on one of our holy sites.”
Grace jumped out of her seat. “It’s not yours! Calamity is a site of treasures the Immortals left for us all.”
I latched on to the familiar name. “Calamity?”
“Yes, the name is very dramatic.” Grace smoothly lowered herself back into her seat. “Like it’s meant to be a disaster. But the only disaster is the one the gods brought there…by trying to hijack the Immortals’ treasures all for themselves.”
That wasn’t what I’d meant. Calamity was familiar. Bella had told me about it.
“There was a great battle at Calamity twenty-five years ago,” I said.
“One of many,” Grace said. “For centuries, there have been great battles at Calamity. Though that one twenty-five years ago was especially violent. It went on for months. It soon became known as the Battle of Calamity, as though there hadn’t been many more battles there before it.”
“And since then.” Faris leveled a scornful look at Grace. “The battles will continue to play out at Calamity for as long as the demons operate under the misconception that they are welcome at our holy site.”
“Give it a rest, Faris.” Grace flashed him a vicious smile. “There aren’t even any cameras here to perform for.”
Faris opened his mouth to shoot back an argument, but I cut in first, before this battle became the next Battle of Calamity—and my shiny new airship became collateral damage.
“Tell me about the Battle of Calamity,” I asked them.
“The demons attacked from the shadows, and they got lucky,” Faris said curtly.
“My sister would take issue with that statement,” said Grace. “Ava doesn’t get lucky.”
“No doubt.”
I snorted. The way Faris looked at me made me think he hadn’t intended his statement to be an innuendo. He probably didn’t even know the meaning of the word. Then again, you never knew when it came to gods and demons.
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