Page 87 of A Phoenix Reborn at Christmas

“Yes. I was behind it all along.” Cyprian sat in a chair opposite Percival, leaning towards him. He smiled and gestured to the ice sorceress. “I approached Sorceress Elayna and suggested she might want to get her hands on you and your ashes.”

Percival’s skin crawled. He knew there hadn’t been any familial affection between them. But plotting to kill him was more than he could have imagined. “Why?”

Cyprian turned his gaze on his father, still unconscious. “Because of him.” He scowled. “He was going to put you in charge! I couldn’t have that. So I needed you gone.”

Then Cyprian looked back at him. “Sorceress Elayna is very cross with you, Percival. She lost her left eye because of you. The healer couldn’t save it. And the burning she suffered was quite severe. It covers most of her body. She is lucky to be alive.”

Cyprian glanced at Sorceress Elayna. “After her fight with you, she crawled away, barely alive and her skin a mess of burns.”

Sorceress Elayna’s face twitched.

That was why she hadn’t killed Percival permanently that night. She’d been too injured.

“She wants her revenge,” Cyprian said. “She and the ice sorcerers planned to come after you at some point. But then you turned up tonight! And can you believe it, we’d been planning to kill my father tonight.” Cyprian laughed. “So really your timing was perfect!”

Sorceress Elayna steepled her fingers together.

Percival swallowed. He leaned back in his chair as if he could get away from her and the fury in her one working eye.

“So I had my brand-new servantdeliver drugged tea to you, which would incapacitate you temporarily.” Cyprian gestured to Luna. “I’d already been planning to drug father. Luckily, I had more than enough for both of you.”

His cousin smiled. “And by the way, Ines, your old servant, she’s dead. I paid her to lure you to the attack. But then she panicked when you turned up again. I worried she’d blab. So I disposed of her. Well, Luna disposed of her for me.”

Luna bowed.

“I hired Luna to assist me in these more…complicated matters. Her skills are not really fitting that of a servant. But I have found her work to be more than satisfactory.” Cyprian smiled at her.

“Thank you, my lord.” Luna bowed again.

Cyprian stood. “And as you can see, Sorceress Elayna brought two colleagues, ice sorcerers, with her as backup this time. To ensure there were no more…mishaps.” He gestured to the floor. “They made these sigils for you and my father so you can’t shift or escape.”

As he said the words, the two other sorcerers’ hands moved. They whispered. Their hands glowed, and so did the sigils as they were activated.

“You won’t survive this time, cousin,” Cyprian said.

Percival looked at the sorcerers. His throat clenched. He didn’t want to give up. But he was outnumbered, drugged, and bound by the sigil. How could he survive this time?

He tried to reach the heat at his core. He tried to shift. But of course, he couldn’t. He fought against the rope. It wouldn’t give.

He closed his eyes, wishing he could see Leo one more time. He wanted to apologise for the words he’d said. He wanted to tell Leo he loved him more than anything.

Now it looked like he would die with Leo thinking Percival still hated him.

“What have you done, you foolish boy?” Uncle Ignatius slurred.

Percival turned towards his uncle. Uncle Ignatius breathed heavily, hunched forward as much as he could whilst bound.

“What are you doing, Cyprian?” Uncle Ignatius glared at his son.

“I’m killing you, Father.” Cyprian’s eyes flashed. “Like you deserve!”

His uncle reeled back as if struck.

Cyprian strode to his father, staring down at him. “You madeallmy lives miserable. Every single one. But I’m done with you now. You’ll be dead! Permanently! And I’ll be free. Free of you! Finally!” His voice rose and echoed around the office. “Then I will be in charge of this factory! And I will never have to listen to you or your insults ever again!”

Surprisingly, Percival felt a pang of pity for Cyprian. How many lives had he been beneath his father’s cruel thumb? How many lives had he been beaten down and verbally abused by his father?

But the pity passed quickly enough. After all, Cyprian had killed Percival once already. And planned to do so again.