Chapter 30
Chapter
Thirty
Shoulders locked and hands clasped before his stomach, Percival approached. He held his breath, taking in the imp’s leathery red wings and long dark horns.
Still, Percival felt no stirring of recognition.
As they drew closer, the imp looked up. He tensed, jumped to his feet, and stood straight. He bowed his head. “Lord Everflame.”
Percival’s breath caught in his throat. “You… You don’t have to call me that. And you don’t have to bow.”
The imp’s eyes widened. “Of course, my lord.” He looked as if he was about to bow again but stopped himself just in time.
“You don’t have to call me my lord either. You can just call me Percival or Percy even.”
The imp didn’t speak, as if not sure how to address him now. But after a second, he inclined his head in acknowledgement.
The two stared at each other. He felt like the imp expected Percival to take the lead. But Percival had no idea what to do. He glanced at Leo.
Leo held out a hand. “Why don’t we sit.”
Percival let out a breath as they each took a chair.
After a moment, the imp began to speak. But he kept his head lowered. “I apologise for approaching you like this, my lord.”
Percival frowned at the use of the term my lord once again. But he wasn’t going to interrupt.
“Another imp that works in the factory said they saw you working here. Honestly, I didn’t believe it to be true.” The imp glanced around the bakery. “We were not informed why you stopped working at the factory. And we have been curious, my lor—” He cut himself off. “We are curious what happened.”
Percival stared at the edge of the white crocheted tablecloth. “I recently died and was reborn. I lost all my previous memories, which I know is not the norm for phoenixes. So I could not continue working at the factory.”
The imp’s eyes widened. “I see.”
Percival hesitated. “And because I lost all my memories, I have to ask, who are you and how did I know you at the factory?”
“Oh. Right. Well, my name is Nix. I am a foreman at Everflame Glass Factory, my l—” He cut himself off. “I worked for you.”
“Oh.” Percival stared at his hands.
The glimpses of what he’d known about himself from his previous life were sparse. But he’d been mean to a server in a bakery. Apparently, he’d been impatient and snappy. He was sure he must have been a terrible boss.
His throat tightened. He didn’t want to have to answer for things he didn’t remember doing. He didn’t want to be responsible for a phoenix he no longer was. But even if he wanted to deny it, he’d been that phoenix in his past life. That was the truth.
“I’m sorry, Nix.” Percival licked his lips. “I imagine I wasn’t a very good boss.”
Leo reached out and gripped Percival’s knee beneath the table.
Percival continued, “I do not remember what I did, or how I treated you and the other workers, but I feel I must apologise for any cruelty or difficulties you experienced working for me.”
A long silence followed Percival’s apology.
“Well, you were a tough boss.” Nix’s dark-red brows pinched together. “You could be very strict and firm at times. But you were always fair.”
Percival’s head shot up. “I was?” That was the closest to a positive word he’d heard about his prior self.
“And you improved things. You listened to us and made changes to the working conditions,” Nix said.
“You implemented regular breaks, a cool room, and better safety precautions. You’d tell us if something was unsatisfactory or if we’d performed poorly.
But you wouldn’t scream and yell at us and dock our pay. You weren’t cruel.”
Percival’s mouth moved. The muscles in his body unclenched as Nix’s words washed over him.
I wasn’t a cruel boss!
It was a small victory. But it was a victory all the same.
Nix gave a half-smile. “You even interfered when your cousin yelled at me. You’d distract him so he’d stop. I always appreciated that.”
I wasn’t all bad. In my last life, I wasn’t all bad!
Leo squeezed his knee.
“That’s why I came to see you, my l— Percival. I was wondering if you would be coming back?” Nix hesitated. “Your cousin has been put in charge at Everflame Factory.”
“Is he causing problems?” Percival asked.
“He is strict and not kind.” Nix pressed his lips together. Clearly, he was uncomfortable speaking ill of his current boss.
And his cousin used to yell at Nix. Percival apparently had interfered. If Percival wasn’t there now, his cousin would be yelling at Nix with no one to stop him.
He lowered his gaze. “My uncle, Lord Ignatius Everflame, informed me I couldn’t continue working at the factory.” So he couldn’t help Nix or the other workers. Even if he wanted to.
“I see. So there is no chance of you coming back.” Nix’s body sagged.
“I’m afraid not.”
“I see.” Nix nodded. “Well, thank you for your time.” He rose.
Leo and Percival did too.
“I wish you well,” Nix said to Percival.
“You too. I hope conditions improve in the factory,” Percival said. “I really am sorry that I couldn’t be of any more help.”
Nix gave him a tight smile. Then he left, and the bell above the door tinkled. Percival watched him walk through the snow, head down, away from the bakery.
Leo placed a hand on his back.
“I wish I could help him. I feel a responsibility to him and the others who work in the factory, even though I don’t remember them.
” Percival sighed. “But how could I even try and help them? I’m not welcome in the factory or anywhere near my uncle.
Nor do I remember my role in the factory! I’d be useless.”
“I’m sorry, Percy.” Leo rubbed circles on his back.
“At least I wasn’t all bad in my past life.”
Leo smiled. “No. Seems like you were a decent boss. Does that help you to know?”
Percival pondered that. “I think so. I hated the idea that I was just a terrible phoenix. I mean, I still think parts of me sound pretty unpleasant. But there was some good too.”
It was strange to get a glimpse into his past. But he was glad of it.
It actually made him wish he could find out more about his past lives, his experiences, the people he’d known and that had been important to him. Like his parents.
He wished he could get his memories back.
But what would that mean for him and Leo? Would getting his memories back change him? No doubt it would. Would he take on some of the unpleasant characteristics from his last life? The characteristics that had caused Leo and Percival to hate each other?
Perhaps it was better that Percival didn’t get his memories back. He wanted to keep going in this life with Leo. That was what mattered most.
“Should we start work?” Percival asked.
“Yes. Let’s go bake pies.”
They walked to the back area of the bakery.
Percival had a new beginning now. With Leo. It was a clean slate. A break from his past lives. He had a future with Leo. He didn’t need his memories of his past lives.