Page 13 of A Phoenix Reborn at Christmas

The hairs on Percival’s neck stood up.

“Give me one reason I shouldn’t cast you into the streets!”The words echoed in his head. But this time, it was in Percival’s uncle’s voice. His uncle Ignatius’s voice sounded so similar to Cyprian’s.

Like father, like son.

After rebirth, a phoenix was so weak. They relied on others to look after them and keep them safe whilst they readjusted. He’d fled to his uncle for assistance after his last rebirth.

Their families had been estranged. But they’d still been family. And his uncle and cousin had been the only family Percival had left.

“Am I just meant to take you in because your parents were too feeble to survive? Why should I look after you because they were murdered? You’re not my responsibility. You’re nothing to me!” He spat the words.

Percival shrank in on himself, whole body shaking. “Please, Uncle. I have nowhere else to go,” he begged. “Please.”

“You’re just as pathetic as your parents were, as your siblings were! I’d just be wasting my energy looking after you.” His uncle sneered. “You’ll probably suffer a permanent death soon.”

Percival’s heart pounded in his chest.

“I swear, if you make one more mistake, you’re done here!” Cyprian took a step towards the imp, and his eyes flashed.

Nix shrank back.

Percival took a deep breath, calming himself. He wasn’t a newly reborn phoenix anymore. He might have been weak in his past lives. But he wasn’t now.

His uncle had made sure of that.

“Cyprian, I want to have our meeting with Uncle Ignatius now,” Percival said loudly.

Technically they didn’t have a fixed time for their meeting, but he needed a reason to come in here and distract his cousin from taking his anger out on Nix.

“Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?” Cyprian whipped around to face Percival. Embers burst amongst the strands of his hair.

The embers they created couldn’t actually cause fire. They more just created light, and if you touched them, they’d be warm. But they always flickered out after a few seconds.

“Yes,” Percival drawled, sounding bored. “I can hear your little temper tantrum all the way down in my office. It’s quite distracting.”

Cyprian sputtered.

Percival continued, “But I want to show my numbers to Uncle now.” He lifted his ledger. Then he turned to Nix. “You can return to work.”

Nix gave Percival a grateful look before running from the room.

“What?” Cyprian yelled. The smell of smoke in the air intensified.

Percival wasn’t helping Nix because of some kind-hearted nonsense or something like that. He was helping Nix because he was a good foreman, detail orientated, conscientious, andresponsible. Percival had always found Nix to follow his orders competently.

No doubt his cousin had screwed up and was just taking it out on Nix. The imp didn’t deserve that.

Cyprian practically vibrated with rage as he stared at Percival. But his cousin could do nothing to harm Percival. Not anymore.

“Are you coming, or should I tell Uncle you’re too busy with…whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish?” Without waiting for an answer, Percival turned and strode away, knowing his cousin would follow.

But Percival held in a sigh. It looked like he’d have to wait to eat the pies.

Chapter

Six

Percival sat facing his uncle’s desk.