Red Phoenix

incredulous.
    ‘And he was born in the year of the Tiger,’ the stone added wryly.
    ‘I know exactly how old you are now, Leo. And I know your birthday to within a month. You’re older than I thought you were.’ I grinned. ‘You’re overdue for a really big birthday party from last year. I’m going to find out your proper birthday, and I’m going to buy you a cake.’ I giggled with delight and pushed him. ‘You’re middle-aged. Over the hill. Getting old, Leo.’
    Leo ignored my ribbing. ‘I’m called the Lion because my name is Leo. I’m called Leo because that’s when I was born. It’s just a chain of coincidences.’
    ‘There’s no such thing as a coincidence, Leo,’ John said kindly as he entered the kitchen. His hair wasdamp from the shower and he looked tired. ‘Haven’t you worked that out by now?’ He plonked himself down at the table. ‘Tea, tikuanyin,’ he ordered without looking at Ah Yat, and she busied herself with another teapot. ‘August fourteenth. Tiger.’ He thought for a moment. ‘Nineteen sixty-two.’ He turned to Leo. ‘She’s quite right.’
    Leo stiffened. ‘Thank you very much.’
    I pushed Leo again. ‘Damn, I missed it, it’s already September. You were really quiet. You are still getting a cake, though, and it’ll have forty-one big candles on it.’
    John laughed gently and I studied him, concerned. ‘Are you all right? We wouldn’t have put you through that if it didn’t make any difference. You should have told us it would be that bad.’
    He shrugged. ‘There is very little chance that another of that power will hit us again in a human lifetime.’
    ‘Simone opened her Inner Eye and saw your true essence,’ I said, studying him closely. ‘You scared her to death.’
    He shrugged again, his voice mild. ‘I have never seen a human child open the Eye at such a young age. We will turn it on small demons this afternoon and see what level she is capable of destroying.’ He glanced sharply at me. ‘You will come and try it as well. We haven’t done this with you yet.’
    ‘She saw me as a snake, John,’ I said quietly.
    ‘Did she see Leo as a lion?’ John said, and Leo hissed under his breath. ‘That’s what he was arguing about, isn’t it? That all of his lion alignment is just a coincidence?’
    ‘It is ,’ Leo said fiercely.
    ‘And I will repeat myself,’ John said, spreading his hands. ‘There is no such thing as a coincidence.’
    ‘She didn’t see Leo as a lion, but she saw me as a snake, John,’ I said desperately. ‘She saw me as a snake.’
    ‘And?’ John said.
    ‘Just how much snake am I?’
    ‘Probably just enough to be beautiful,’ John said. ‘Maybe it’s the reptile in you that loves the reptile in me.’ He smiled. ‘We’ve been through this before, Emma. You know what’s important. Don’t worry yourself about it; we need to have these children organised for school. And if we can get Simone using her Inner Eye, then she will be even more prepared. I may have Michael there this afternoon as well to do the exercises.’
    Ah Yat presented him with his tea and he poured for himself. ‘I just thank the heavens that it’s all over.’
    ‘You should have told me it was so bad,’ I said, exasperated. ‘If we’d known, we would have let you move it.’
    ‘Oh, I thank you, most gracious Lady. You would grant me your permission.’
    Leo made a soft sound of amusement.
    I looked John right in the eye. ‘You. Me. Staves. Training room. No mercy, no quarter, no rules. No limits; but no touching. I can take you.’ I tapped my fingertip on the table for emphasis, the edge of my voice very sharp. ‘First one to break their opponent’s staff wins.’
    ‘I can take both of you at once,’ John said mildly.
    Leo shot to his feet. ‘Let’s go. You’re on.’
    ‘Go and warm up and practise to prepare for me,’ John said, raising his tea cup. ‘I will be in there as soon as I’ve finished my tea. I will defeat your combined attacks and break your staves within three minutes, unarmed, without a warm-up, and without touching either of you, or I am not Pak Tai, God of Martial Arts.’
    Leo and I shared a look. Then we both grinned. ‘Excellent.’
    It only took about twenty seconds. He was definitely God of Martial Arts.
    Later that afternoon Simone and I were drawing pictures together when there was a tap on the door. ‘Come on in, Michael,’ Simone said.
    Michael sidled in. He hated going into Simone’s