Page 17 of A Phoenix Reborn at Christmas

“Did I mention he doesn’t like Christmas?” Leo asked.

Cas’s eyes widened, wings fluttering. “What? Why not?”

“Also, why do I always end up serving him?” Leo looked at his siblings.

“Well, he always seemed a bit mean to me.” Trent stood beside Jasper, wiping down the counter. “And you’re better with mean customers than I am.”

That was true. Trent definitely didn’t know how to handle difficult patrons. He tended to stammer and apologise and get so flushed in the face that Leo, Lacy, Cas, or anyone else had to step in to protect their baby brother.

“Also, it’s fun to watch how angry you get when serving him,” Lacy said innocently as she came up beside Cas and examined his snowflake sugar cookies.

“Wait! So you leave him to me to serve because you know he pisses me off?”

Lacy and Cas shared a glance. Their mischievous grins said everything.

Leo opened his mouth to tell them off.

Tap. Tap. Tap.Leo looked to the window. He smiled.

“Looks like your raven familiar is here,” Jasper said.

“She isn’t my familiar.” Not yet anyway. Leo liked the raven. She was clever. And the raven seemed to like him. He thoughtthey suited each other and they’d make a good witch-familiar pair.

Leo grabbed a handful of seeds and opened the back door. The raven flew onto the snow-covered ground in front of him. He threw the seed. She pecked at it.

Leo knelt to get closer to her. A shuffling noise came up behind him. Leo turned.

“I’m going to head upstairs.” Jasper leaned against the door-frame.

Leo rose. As identical twins, people, including their siblings, had often had trouble telling them apart. But recently the differences between them had grown. Bags hung beneath his twin’s eyes. His face had grown gaunter. His body always sagged as if he carried too many bags of flour.

They looked less and less alike with the passing days.

Leo’s chest tightened. He wanted to find a way to help his brother. He wanted to make his brother’s life easier. But Leo didn’t know how. “Okay.”

A flutter of wings sounded in the alley. He turned to watch the raven fly up and land on the rooftops. She made a clicking noise.

Without another word, Jasper walked past him and up the stairs. He leaned on the railing as he ascended, footsteps slow.

When Jasper entered the apartment, Leo headed back into the bakery to get ready to go to the Christmas markets.

Chapter

Eight

Percival walked from the factory along the darkened cobblestone streets. He strode to the corner where his carriage would be waiting.

It had been a long day. Since his uncle scolded Cyprian a few days earlier, his cousin had upped his verbal abuse of his employees.

Percival’s hands clenched. He couldn’t wait to put a stop to his cousin’s relentless bullying. Unfortunately, there was no plausible reason for Percival to interfere. And his uncle would see any interference from Percival as inappropriate.

He couldn’t wait until Cyprian and his uncle were gone. Then he would be in charge of the factory. All the workers would receive better treatment and working conditions. There would be no more mistreatment.

He stopped walking. He frowned. He looked around. His carriage should be right here.

“My lord.”

Percival turned. His servant, Ines, stood in the shadows to the side of the road. The lizard woman stepped forward and bowed.