Chapter 21
Chapter
Twenty-One
“Ijust thought I should tell you that I noticed a strange…fog around Jasper.” Percival frowned.
Leo placed his teacup down. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t quite know.” Percival’s frown deepened. “When Ebony was injured, I saw that grey cloud around her. With Jasper, it’s similar.”
Leo sat up straight. “You think you could heal Jas?”
“I…” Then Percival shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’m sorry. I can see the fog around him. I can see something is wrong. But it doesn’t call to me like with Ebony’s injury.” Percival didn’t really know how else to explain it.
The problem was, he didn’t really understand his own powers. He’d gone on instinct to heal Ebony.
Leo slumped, the disappointment clear on his face. He glanced to the back area of the bakery. No doubt he looked at his twin.
“I’m sorry. Maybe I could still try,” Percival said. “I’m just not sure it will work.”
Leo smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Thanks. That would be good.” He took a breath and stood. “We should get back to work.”
Percival picked up his plate and cup. “I’d like to practice shifting later.”
Leo paused. “You don’t remember how?”
“I’m not sure.” Percival thought he could shift if he tried. But he needed to do it to be certain.
“We can practice after work.” Leo bumped his shoulder against Percival’s. “I can’t promise I’ll be much help. But I’ll be there for moral support.”
“I appreciate that.” Percival smiled.
They entered the back area of the bakery. They put their plates and cups by the sink where Trent was washing up. Briar and Wulfric had arrived whilst they’d taken their break.
“Percival, I read some stuff on phoenixes last night!” Briar strode over to them.
“He stayed up reading half the night.” Wulfric looked up from slicing almonds.
“We went by Avery and Jack’s place. Avery had some really interesting books on phoenixes,” Briar rushed out. “I couldn’t carry them all home, of course. But I took a few. I learnt that when phoenixes are reborn, they immediately age to a young adult. Like you did.”
Briar gestured to Percival. “From there, a phoenix will age like a human until they reach old age. Then they die and are reborn again. So a phoenix will only ever experience one actual childhood.”
But of course, Percival had no memory of his actual childhood.
“Did you read anything about phoenixes losing their memories after rebirth?” Leo asked.
Briar’s excitement dimmed. “No. There was no mention of that. I did read that some less important memories can take a while to come back. But core memories are retained through death and rebirth. Sorry, Percy.”
Percival nodded. He pressed his lips together. Briar had confirmed what Percival’s uncle had said. But then why had he lost all his memories? It didn’t make any sense. “Was there any mention of what could kill a phoenix permanently?”
Leo wrapped his arm around Percival’s waist.
“There was.” Briar pushed his glasses up his nose. “In one book, they talked about how for a long time it was believed that phoenixes couldn’t be permanently killed. Then it was discovered that magically freezing the ashes just after death means the phoenix can’t be reborn from them.”
The muscles in Percival’s body tensed. Leo squeezed him.
Briar hesitated. “Since then, it appears that there are some, like ice sorcerers, mages, and wizards, who have hunted phoenixes. The ashes from a phoenix’s permanent death are incredibly powerful in spells.”
“Fuck,” Leo whispered.
Percival touched his fingers to his throat. “I guess that explains how the rest of my family died.”
“I’m so sorry, Percy,” Leo said.
“It’s all right.” But Percival could hear his voice waver. “It’s not like I remember my family.” The words soured on his tongue.
Percival wondered what his parents had been like. He wondered if they’d been kind and loving. Or had they been cruel like his uncle and cousin? And had Percival had brothers or sisters?
Surely, at some point, he must have had those he loved and cared for. Now they were all just blank, gaping spaces in his mind.
Wulfric, who’d stopped cutting almonds, stepped towards them. “But Briar and I were talking, and we think it mustn’t have been those who use this ice magic who killed you.”
“Why do you think that?” Leo asked.
“Because if they had, you wouldn’t have been reborn,” Briar said.
Percival blinked. That made sense. “But then what did kill me?”
No one spoke. Because no one had any answers.
The bell above the door to the bakery tinkled. Trent went to serve.
“Perhaps we should go look in the alley where I found you. I didn’t have a good look around. Maybe there is a clue to what happened.” Leo sighed. “I’m sorry, Percy. I should have thought of that sooner.”
“It’s not your fault. So much has been going on.” And honestly, Percival probably should have thought of it. After all, he’d been the one who had died.
“You two can head off now if you want to check it out,” Lachlan said from the stove. “We can cover for you.”
Kit nodded. “Yes. We’ll manage.”
“But might I suggest myself or Uzoth accompany you.” Wulfric crossed his arms. “In case there are any threats.”
Percival blinked. Because of course, if he had been killed, then whoever had killed him might still be out there, might still be a danger to him. He suppressed a shiver.
But maybe it had just been a freak accident. Perhaps something had dropped from a window and landed on his head, killing him on impact. He really hoped it was that. He really hoped he hadn’t been murdered in an alley two days ago by those who might still pose a risk to him.
Even being killed by random thieves would be better than someone being after him. At least if it was thieves, they should no longer have any interest in Percival.
“That’s a good idea,” Leo said. “Wulfric, you should probably stay here, though, since Percy and I are leaving work early. We can ask Uzoth to come with us.”
Wulfric’s shoulders slumped slightly. It seemed like he was up for a fight. Still, he nodded.
Personally, Percival didn’t want to go. He wanted to stay in the warm bakery with Leo and learn more about baking pies. He did not want to explore the cold alley where he’d died.
But a short while later, he, Leo, and Uzoth, who had been upstairs with Grady, headed to the alley where Leo had found him.
“This is the spot.” Leo walked towards a wall with several crates leaning against it.
“There are some remains of burnt crates here,” Uzoth said.
“That was Percy.” Leo’s gaze flicked around the alley. “He shot fire soon after I found him.”
Percival stood in one place. He spun slowly in a circle, hoping to see or sense something that would provide some insight.
He walked carefully down the middle of the alley.
“It’s possible I didn’t die here. I could have come here after I was reborn.
” He didn’t remember the first moments after his rebirth.
“Maybe.” Leo rubbed a hand over his face.
Percival paused. He narrowed his eyes. Snow lay on the ground before him. But in one spot, it had melted and refrozen into ice. He could see some strange lines beneath it.
Percival knelt and began to brush at the ice. It didn’t budge. With a huff of frustration, he placed his hand against it. Flames licked down his hand and melted the ice, revealing lines etched into the cobblestones.
He stared at his hand in surprise.
I can make fire!
But then his gaze fixed on what he revealed. “What’s this?”
“What’s what?” Leo cried out as he and Uzoth approached.
Percival pointed.
Leo leaned close. “It looks like some kind of symbol, the type used in spells.”
“Yes. It is a sigil,” Uzoth said.
“Any idea what kind of spell it would be used in?” Leo asked.
Uzoth shook his head.
Leo ran his fingers through his hair. “I guess we also can’t be certain if the spell was cast on you or not. It could be a coincidence that it is here.”
“That is true,” Uzoth said. “But if we ascertain the sigil’s purpose, then perhaps we can determine if it did kill Percival.”
Percival held his breath as he traced the lines with his fingers.
“We should copy it down. Maybe we can ask someone about it,” Leo said.
“Could we ask Briar?” Percival glanced between the two.
Leo huffed. “Last year Briar cast a spell to try and help him and the rest of the family get along better. It turned out to be a siren love spell. Someone else might be better.”
“Avery is always eager to provide assistance,” Uzoth said.
Leo nodded. “And Jack has a day off today. Which means he’ll be home too. We could go there now.”
But first, they went and bought paper, ink, and a quill from a nearby store, since they hadn’t known they’d need to draw something. They copied the symbol and then went to Avery and Jack’s.
Percival had learnt that Jack was another of Leo’s siblings. Avery was his dragon mate. Uzoth left to return to Grady, since they no longer needed protection.
Percival wanted to return too. He wanted to go back to Leo’s home and curl up in Leo’s bed with Leo. He didn’t want to have to deal with any of this.
When they arrived, a faun servant showed them to the library door.
“Give me a second. I need to explain who you are before you come in.” Then Leo knocked and ducked into the room.
He could hear talking. Then Leo returned. Sweat beaded on his forehead. “Come on in. Time to meet even more of my family.”
Intense heat washed over Percival as he entered. Percival exhaled with pleasure.
Then he sucked in a breath. A red dragon lay curled up on the floor around an egg. His piercing eyes watched Percival as he entered. Shelves and stacks of books filled the room.
A human stood beside the dragon. “Hello, Percy. I’m Jack. Welcome to our home. Leo said you could use Avery’s help.”
Leo and Percival filled them in. Jack nodded, asking questions whilst Avery listened. Jack and Avery could speak telepathically, which meant Jack could relay messages from Avery whilst he remained in his dragon form.
“Avery isn’t sure what this symbol is.” Jack held the paper in his hands.
Percival held in a sigh. All that and they still knew nothing about how he had died.
Then Jack looked back at Avery, who stared at the drawing. “But he says he can look into it. He can try and hire someone to help us.”
“Really? That would be great,” Leo said.
“Yes. Thank you both so much.” Maybe they’d learn something after all.
Avery huffed, and smoke rose into the air.
“He says you’re welcome.” Jack smiled.